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Psychoactive Substances. Betsy Gordon Psychoactive Substances Research Collection

 Collecting Area
Identifier: Psychoactive Substances
This collecting area documents the therapeutic potential of psychedelics, and is particularly relevant given the re-emergence of psychedelic research that is happening today. The materials in this area document how psychedelic research in the United States was carried out and facilitated (particularly from the 1950s to the 1970s), how doctors administered these substances, how patients responded to these treatments, how policy and culture affected the research, and how this area of study has been slowly emerging as a valid form of inquiry and a several-decades long period of dormancy. Highlights include the papers of Charles Savage, William Richards, and Stanislav Grof, psychiatrists who were involved in major psychedelics research studies at the Spring Grove State Hospital in the 1960s; the papers of David Nichols, Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Medicinal Chemistry who taught at Purdue from 1974 until 2012 and is internationally recognized for his work on psychedelics and MDMA as well as for playing a key role in the psychedelic renaissance; and other smaller collections which document various aspects of psychedelic research spanning a variety of disciplines. The collecting area is complemented by a large collection of rare and unique books.

Found in 51 Collections and/or Records:

Howard Lotsof correspondence and other materials

 Collection — Box 1
Identifier: MSP 91
Scope and Contents The Howard Lotsof correspondence and other materials contains an article and bibliography on ibogaine, clippings, correspondence with David Solomon, and other correspondence.
Dates: 1957-2010; Majority of material found within 1964

Marlene Dobkin de Rios papers

 Collection — Box 1
Identifier: MSP 72
Scope and Contents 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.
Dates: 1967 - 2008

Maryland Psychiatric Research Center LSD Professional Training Program Study files

 Collection — Multiple Containers
Identifier: MSP 170
Scope and Contents The Maryland Psychiatric Research Center LSD Professional Training Program Study files (1970 ­– 1974) are composed of the scientific records of the study, organized by subject identification number. Each file contains some combination of psychological profile reports, personal narratives of the LSD session experience, follow-up survey results about how the sessions affected the subject’s life, and written narratives reflecting on the experience as a whole. The files are identified only by...
Dates: 1970 - 1974

Terence McKenna recordings

 Collection
Identifier: MSP 185
Scope and Contents 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.
Dates: Other: Date acquired: 12/02/2009

Ralph Metzner collection

 Collection — Multiple Containers
Identifier: MSP 56
Scope and Contents The Ralph Metzner collection of articles documents the progression of psychoactive substance research, legality issues, and the religious or spiritual aspects of its use. These articles were not solely written by Ralph Metzner, but they instead represent the type of work that influenced Metzner during his career. These article files do not contain the personal papers of Ralph Metzner. Instead, they provide insight into the diverse sources that Metzner sampled while conducting his research....
Dates: 1958 - 2008; Majority of material found within 1960 - 1990

Michael and Cynthia Palmer Horowitz papers

 Unprocessed — Box 1
Identifier: 2024-039

David E. Nichols papers

 Collection — Multiple Containers
Identifier: MSF 468
Scope and Contents The David E. Nichols papers document David E. Nichols’s career as a medicinal chemist and pharmacologist at Purdue University from 1974 until 2012, as well as his subsequent professional and public activities. The collection features materials pertaining to Nichols’s groundbreaking research on hallucinogens (psychedelics), serotonin receptors, dopamine agonists, MDMA neurotoxicity, and MDMA analogues. The collection also features documents pertaining to the founding and proceedings of the...
Dates: 1920-2012; Other: Majority of material found in 1990s

William Richards collection on Walter Pahnke

 Collection — Box 1
Identifier: MSP 68
Scope and Contents 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.
Dates: 1950 - 2009; Majority of material found within 1964 - 1971

Psychedelic Summit "50th Anniversary Celebration of LSD" video recording

 Collection — Multiple Containers
Identifier: MSP 203
Scope and Contents The Psychedelic Summit VHS tape captures the fiftieth anniversary celebation of Albert Hofmann's discovery of LSD. The Summit took place in Santa Cruz, California from April 16th to April 18th, 1993, and featured nearly fifty talks from distinguided individuals on the therapeutic value of LSD. Footage inludes a dinner in Santa Cruz, a Psychedelics and Cannabis exposition at the Unitarian Church in San Francisco, and a rave in Golden Gate Park. Speakers include Bruce Eisner, Island Group; Dr....
Dates: 1993; Other: Date acquired: 09/03/2017

Psychoactive Substances Research Collection clippings

 Collection — Multiple Containers
Identifier: MSP 61
Scope and Contents 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.
Dates: circa 1976 - 2017

Psychoactive Substances Research Collection scholarly articles

 Collection — Multiple Containers
Identifier: MSP 60
Scope and Contents This collection contains photocopies and reprints of published scholarly articles by those involved in psychoactive substances research.
Dates: 1956-2010

William Richards papers

 Collection — Multiple Containers
Identifier: MSP 67
Scope and Contents The William Richards papers is a collection of articles and article reprints written by William Richards and other colleagues including Stanislav Grof and Walter Pahnke. The articles discuss the use of LSD, DPT, psilocybin, and other psychedelics for treating terminal cancer patients and alcoholism, as well as for the study of religious and spiritual experiences. A collection of writings and clippings related to Timothy Leary and his research at Harvard University are also included. There is...
Dates: 1962 - 2014

Rick Strassman papers

 Collection — Box Box 1
Identifier: MSP 93
Scope and Contents The Rick Strassman papers (1989-1991; 1 folder) contains correspondence, a DMT Rating Scale questionnaire, and an article reprint.
Dates: 1989-1991; Other: Date acquired: 01/06/2011

Thomas B. Roberts papers

 Collection — Box 1
Identifier: MSP 71
Scope and Contents The Thomas B. Roberts papers documents his research in psychoactive substances through articles, clippings, correspondence, conference materials, and a course syllabus.
Dates: 1967-2006

Ronald McNutt papers

 Unprocessed — Box 1
Identifier: 2024-067
Dates: Majority of material found within 1976 - 2022

Charles Savage papers

 Collection — Multiple Containers
Identifier: MSP 70
Scope and Contents The Charles Savage papers document Savage’s work as a psychiatrist, specifically his research on the therapeutic use of LSD-25 and marijuana during the 1960s. Materials range from correspondence between Savage and his colleagues and Savage and his patients, article reprints written by Savage or used by Savage for his research, as well as Savage’s manuscripts and miscellaneous manuscripts, some of which appear to have been created by patients. Patient notes, accounts and transcripts of LSD...
Dates: 1936 - 2003; Majority of material found within 1960 - 1970

David Solomon papers

 Collection — Box 1
Identifier: MSP 92
Scope and Contents 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.
Dates: April 23, 1963 - August 31, 1965

Stanislav Grof papers, addition 18

 Unprocessed — Box 1
Identifier: 20130319

Stanislav Grof papers, addition 28

 Unprocessed — Box Communal Accession 41
Identifier: 20181101
Dates: 1965 - 2018; Majority of material found within 2015 - 2017

TEST RECORD Jessica Gaynor "Altered State of Consciousness" course symposium recordings

 Unprocessed
Identifier: 2024-045
Dates: Majority of material found in circa 1974

Varro E. Tyler papers

 Collection — Box Communal Collections 39, Placement: 12
Identifier: MSF 395
Scope and Contents The collection consists of one folder which contains the title pages from some of Varro Tyler's published articles and theses. There is also a list of published works.
Dates: 1951 - 1982

Sanford Unger papers

 Collection — Box 1
Identifier: MSP 69
Scope and Contents The Sanford Unger papers (1961-1974; 0.2 cubic feet) contains writings exploring the therapeutic potential of psychedelic substances. The collection also contains the correspondence between Aldous and Laura Huxley and Sanford Unger, and an excerpt from the 1966 CBS Reports feature, “LSD The Spring Grove Experiment.”
Dates: 1961 - 1974

William Leonard Pickard papers

 Unprocessed — Multiple Containers
Identifier: 20200501

William Richards collection on Helen Bonny

 Collection — Box Box 1
Identifier: MSP 77
Scope and Contents 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.
Dates: 1976-2010; Other: Date acquired: 03/06/2011