Psychoactive Substances. Betsy Gordon Psychoactive Substances Research Collection

The collection originally contained eight tapes, but one is missing. The recordings have been digitized to MP3 format for preservation and access purposes. Contact an archivist for more information.

The Purdue University Archives and Special Collections Oral History Program collection documents the history of Purdue University. The collection consists of recordings and transcripts of oral history interviews conducted with individuals associated with Purdue University.

The Milan Hausner collection contains a photocopy of his self-published booklet on LSD therapy in Czechoslovakia entitled "Psyche In Statu Nascendi, LSD Behind the Iron Curtain, Czechoslovakia, 1954-1974".

The William Richards collection of Helen Bonny materials (1976-2010; 0.25 cubic feet) continas a photocopy of Bonny's PhD thesis, a photograph (1998), and a photocopy of her obituary.

This collection contains three letters.  Two letters concern Huxley’s novel Island, and are addressed to L. Rust Hills, who was the fiction editor at Esquire magazine from 1956 until 1963. One letter concerns the clinical availability of LSD and references the pharmaceutical companies that were manufacturing LSD, mescaline, and psilocybin in 1961.

The Albert Hofmann correspondence and other materials contains correspondence with Ralph Metzner and Rolf von Eckartsberg, a photocopy of Hofmann's patent for LSD, photographs of Hofmann, a brochure for U.C. Santa Cruz Symposium (1982), and clippings on Hofmann.

The Hollywood Hospital program and lecture notes contains an original typescript of talks delivered by Al Hubbard, U. P. Byrne, D. C. MacDonald, J. Ross MacLean and R. L. Skwarok  for a panel discussion on LSD-25.

The David Solomon papers contains Solomon's typescript for "Psychedelic Satire," a letter to Timothy Leary, other correspondence, a photocopy of Don Allen's talk on LSD, a poem, notes and correspondence pertaining to "Flight to Reality," Duncan Blewett's proposal for an "Institute for Studies in Normal Psychology, survey of a psychedelic questionnaire, description of a mescaline trip, materials pertaining to Solomon's friend, Robert Burdette.

This collection documents Belle Hancoff’s two LSD sessions guided by Walter Pahnke along with the help of Helen Bonny, as well as Pahnke’s discussion of Belle Hancoff’s battle with cancer in a letter to Lewis Hancoff. Stephen Hancoff discusses his mother’s illness in a response to Alexander Zaitchik’s article "lashback! Psychedelic Research Returns," and he also mentions his relationship to William Richards and Stanislav Grof.

The Rick Strassman papers (1989-1991; 1 folder) contains correspondence, a DMT Rating Scale questionnaire, and an article reprint.

The Harvard Psilocybin Project memos, reports and meeting minutes (1 folder; circa 1961-1962) documents the therapeutic use of psilocybin on inmates at the Concord Prison with Ralph Metzner, Richard Alpert, George Litwin, James Ciarlo, Mike Kahn, Gunther Weil, and Timothy Leary.

The George Greer papers documents his research on MDMA. The collection contains a questionnaire, article, notes, graphs, and several case reports on his research subjects. The case studies are transcriptions from handwritten notes on the 29 subjects who are mentioned in Greer’s published papers. According to Greer, there are approximately 50 handwritten reports on other subjects still in his possession, which may be donated in the future.

The William Richards Collection on Walter Pahnke (1952-1972; 0.2 cubic feet) contains materials collected and donated by William Richards that document the life and work of his close colleague, Walter Pahnke. It includes some of Pahnke's important academic writings, copies of personal manuscripts, some biographical information, writings by his wife (Eva Sontum Pahnke), and materials memorializing his untimely passing.

The Jan Irvin manuscript contains the article "Wasson and Allegro on the Tree of Knowledge as Amanita" by Michael Hoffman and Jan Irvin.

The Jean Millay papers (1964-2001; 0.2 cubic feet) contains a DVD of the 2001 film The Psychedelic Experience by Millay and Allen Willis and an article by Millay. The collection also documents Millay's friendship with Timothy Leary and contains photocopies of pictures, correspondence, and an article on Leary.

The Marlene Dobkin de Rios papers contains correspondence, biographical clippings, papers, conference materials, and article reprint request cards and documents de Rios' professional involvement with anthropological research on hallucinogens.

This manuscript, written by John Hannon, is an unpublished, forty page account of the author's experiences while experimenting with nitrous oxide.  Hannon compares his experiences while using nitrous oxide to those while under the influence of cannabis, LSD, ketamine, and psilocybin.  He also provides some historical context for the use of hallucinogenics and experiences while under their influence.

The Psychoactive Substances Research Collection clipping files contain clippings and print-outs of online postings of relevance to psychoactive substances, psychoactive substances research, and those involved in this field of study.

This collection contains photocopies and reprints of published scholarly articles by those involved in psychoactive substances research.

The Thomas B. Roberts papers documents his research in psychoactive substances through articles, clippings, correspondence, conference materials, and a course syllabus.