Dr. Charles William Wahl; Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at UCLA

Dr. Charles William Wahl, 70, psychiatrist and clinical professor of psychiatry at UCLA. He was considered an expert on psychosomatic illness and treatment and was named chief of UCLA’s division of psychosomatic medicine in 1959 when he was 36. His 1964 book, “New Dimensions of Psychosomatic Medicine” was translated into Japanese. Wahl, who wrote prolifically, was a popular speaker and consultant to news media on such topics as the effect of rage and other behavior on blood pressure, dealing with rejection, and psychiatric approaches to the international pursuit of human rights. From an early age, he read a book a day and laced his lectures with anecdotes from ancient Greek, Roman and Asian cultures. Born in Ashburn, Mo., Wahl studied at the University of Kansas School of Medicine and the University of London. On Jan. 4 in Los Angeles of complications from diabetes and a kidney transplant.