Louis Jolyon West

Louis Jolyon "Jolly" West (October 6, 1924 – January 2, 1999) was an American psychiatrist who was a longtime consultant and contractor for the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA).

West worked in the United States Air Force as a medical officer. He pioneered research into brainwashing techniques employed against American prisoners of war (POWs) by their captors. His research exonerated U.S. servicemen under suspicion of treason for making false confessions during the Korean War era. This brought him to the attention of the CIA. West became involved in research into the use and abuse of LSD and other drugs, becoming a contractor for MKUltra, a CIA mind control project in the 1950s and 1960s. In 1954, at the age of 29, West became a full professor and chair of psychiatry at the University of Oklahoma College of Medicine. In 1967, West operated in San Francisco's Haight-Ashbury district to conduct research into the hippie movement there. From 1969 to 1989, West served as chair of psychiatry at the University of California, Los Angeles School of Medicine and director of the UCLA Neuropsychiatric Institute.

West frequently worked as a court-appointed psychiatrist and examined Jack Ruby and Patricia Hearst during their trials. West was also active in studying the creation and management of cults and anti-death penalty activism. He was a supporter of the Civil Rights Movement and participated in sit-ins and rallies. He made several trips to South Africa, where he testified on behalf of black prisoners during the attempt to end apartheid. West was a trustee of the American Psychiatric Association and served as a consultant to a variety of governmental organizations, including the United States Air Force, the Peace Corps and the United States Information Agency.