Dr. Felton “Tony” James Earls III, a distinguished child psychiatrist, epidemiologist, educator, and longtime resident of Cambridge, Massachusetts, passed away on September 5, 2026, at the age of 84.
Born in New Orleans in 1942, Tony was the oldest of four children of Ethelyn and Felton James Earls II. In 1953, the family moved to Memphis, where he graduated from Booker T. Washington High School. His interest in medicine took him to Howard University, where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in chemistry in 1963 and a Doctor of Medicine degree in 1967.
While completing postgraduate training at the University of Wisconsin in Madison, Tony met Mary “Maya” Carlson. They married in Boston in 1971, beginning a lifelong personal and professional partnership.
Tony joined the faculty of Harvard Medical School in 1974. In 1981, he moved to Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, where he served as Professor of Child Psychiatry and Director of the Division of Child Psychiatry. He returned to Harvard in 1989, holding appointments as Professor of Social Medicine at Harvard Medical School, Professor of Human Behavior and Development at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, and the Blanche F. Ittleson Professor of Child Psychiatry. He was later named professor emeritus.
Beyond his university appointments, Tony served as Director of the Harvard South Africa Fellowship Program, served on the Board of Directors of Physicians for Human Rights, and was a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and the American Academy of Political and Social Science. His life, career, and intellectual perspectives were profiled in Sara Lawrence-Lightfoot’s book, I've Known Rivers: Lives of Loss and Liberation.
Among his significant scientific accomplishments, Tony led the landmark Project on Human Development in Chicago Neighborhoods. This decade-long interdisciplinary study tracked over 8,000 individuals across 343 Chicago neighborhoods. Its findings reshaped established sociological theories of crime through the concept of collective efficacy, the shared trust among neighbors and their willingness to intervene for the common good.
Together with his wife and professional partner Maya, Tony spent decades studying children’s rights, human development, and civic agency. Their research, spanning Romania, Costa Rica, Brazil, and Tanzania, explored how young people can strengthen their communities and respond to social and public health challenges. Their coauthored book, Voice, Choice, and Action: The Potential of Young Citizens to Heal Democracy, brought these insights together as a compelling case for youth participation in civic life.
Tony’s friends and colleagues know that his prodigious career was fueled by a fierce intellect and playful imagination; that he was a soulful dancer; a jazzman who loved Sonny Rollins; an admirer of Japanese gardens, drawn to their beauty, balance, and quiet stillness; and a devoted son of New Orleans, who remained true to his roots. His gentle countenance, generous spirit, and quiet humor concealed a steely determination to make a difference in the world.
It was at home with his family where Tony’s warmth, joy, and love glowed most brightly. Each year, he delighted his grandchildren with a personal clarinet rendition of “Happy Birthday.” His fondness for popcorn earned him the beloved nickname “PopPop” from his grandchildren.
Tony is survived by his wife, Maya Carlson Earls; his daughters, Leigh Earls Slayne (and her husband Kevin) and Tanya Earls Milner (and her husband Khari); six grandchildren, Will, Julia, and Elliot Slayne, and Zinzi, Kossi, and Safina Milner; his sisters, Lynne Earls Scroggins and Carol Earls Franklin; and his extended Earls and Carlson family. He was preceded in death by his brother, Phillip Earls, and his half-sister, Lorraine Wilson.
A celebration of his life will take place at a later date. In lieu of flowers, please consider a memorial donation to Physicians for Human Rights or UNICEF.