Dr. Seymour Diamond 1925-2019

Today the National Headache Foundation announced the death of its Executive Chairman and Founder, Seymour Diamond, M.D., who passed away today. The migraine and headache fighting community has lost a great champion.

For those of you who don’t know Dr. Diamond, he was known around the world not only as a headache doctor, but also a researcher, writer, leader, and advocate.

In October 1964, Dr. Diamond published an article on “Depressive Headaches”, the beginning of writing over 500 articles in professional literature. He became a tireless advocate for migraine patients. He wrote or co-wrote over 60 books. His books were very important as I was developing my own understanding of migraine and beginning to write articles myself 16 years ago.

Diamond founded the Diamond Headache Clinic, and was one of the founders of the National Headache Foundation. In 2012 he co-authored his life story, Headache Godfather: The Life and Times of Seymour Diamond, M.D. In 2015, he edited the textbook Headache and Migraine Biology and Management. His hard work for migraine patients was ongoing even in his later years.

Everyone who is fighting against migraine and advocating for migraine patients owes a lot to Dr. Diamond. We will miss him, and we know that many others are carrying on the work thanks to his encouragement.

Condolences to those that Dr. Diamond leaves behind – his wife of 71 years Elaine, his daughters Judi, Merle, and Amy, and his grandchildren and great-grandchildren. I hope that there will be many remembering Dr. Diamond and the good that he has done around the world, and that this will be a comfort to his family at this time.

The family has requested contributions in his memory be made to the National Headache Foundation.