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Psychoactive Substances. Betsy Gordon Psychoactive Substances Research Collection

 Record Group
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 50 Collections and/or Records:

Aldous Huxley correspondence

 Unprocessed Material
Identifier: 20100416

Anesthetic Inspiration manuscript

 Collection — Box 1
Identifier: MSP 192
Scope and Contents

This manuscript, written by John Hannon, is an unpublished, forty page account of the author's experiences while experimenting with nitrous oxide.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.

Dates: circa 1995

Purdue University Archives and Special Collections Oral History Program collection

 Collection — Multiple Containers
Identifier: MSO 1
Scope and Contents

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.

Dates: 2006-

Betsy Gordon papers

 Unprocessed Material — Box 1
Identifier: 20100219

Betsy Gordon papers, addition 02

 Unprocessed Material — Box 1
Identifier: 20130522
Dates: circa 2005 - 2013

Charles Savage papers, addition 04

 Unprocessed Material — Multiple Containers
Identifier: 20191121

Charles Savage papers, addition 05

 Unprocessed Material — Box 1
Identifier: 20200211

Dennis and Terence McKenna papers

 Collection — Multiple Containers
Identifier: MSP 213
Abstract

The Dennis and Terence McKenna papers contain unpublished manuscripts, field reports, journals of personal reflections, photographs, and correspondence pertaining to Dennis and Terence McKenna’s intellectual and research interests.

Dates: 1943 - 2016

Dennis McKenna collection of writings

 Unprocessed Material — Box 1
Identifier: 20130426.1

Gary Fisher papers

 Collection — Multiple Containers
Identifier: MSP 84
Scope and Contents

The Gary Fisher papers contains a notebook of Fisher's anecdotes including recollections of his colleague Joyce Martin, patient notes pertaining to LSD psychotherapy treatments for children suffering from mental illness, articles and reports, his doctoral thesis, academic transcripts, his curriculum vitae, correspondence, and photographs.

Dates: 1948 - 2000

Gathering of the Elders audio recordings

 Unprocessed Material — Multiple Containers
Identifier: 20190816.1
Dates: 1998-11-20 - 1998-11-21

George Greer papers

 Collection — Box 1
Identifier: MSP 66
Scope and Contents

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.

Dates: 1980-1986

Grof Celebration Dinner & Program

 Unprocessed Material — Multiple Containers
Identifier: 20150508

Stanislav Grof papers

 Collection — Multiple Containers
Identifier: MSP 1
Abstract

This collection contains writings that document the career and research interests of psychiatrist and author Stanislav Grof. It consists primarily of published research articles and clippings discussing the therapeutic effects of psychoactive substances as well as some first-hand accounts of transcendental experiences.

Dates: 1931 - 2014; Majority of material found within 1950 - 1980

Stephen Hancoff papers

 Collection — Box 1
Identifier: MSP 103
Abstract

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.

Dates: 1968 - 2011

Harvard Psilocybin Project records

 Collection — Multiple Containers
Identifier: MSP 98
Abstract

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.

Dates: circa 1961-1962; Other: Majority of material found in 1961-1962; Other: Date acquired: 09/10/2012

Milan Hausner booklet

 Collection — Box 1
Identifier: MSP 76
Scope and Contents

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".

Dates: 1992

Abram Hoffer correspondence

 Collection — Box 1
Identifier: MSP 88
Abstract

This collection contains one letter from Abram Hoffer to Ralph Metzner, in which Hoffer gives Metzner permission to use his Berkely LSD paper.

Dates: January 9, 1967

Albert Hofmann correspondence and other materials

 Collection — Box 1
Identifier: MSP 89
Abstract

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.

Dates: 1948 - 2006

Hollywood Hospital program and lecture notes

 Collection — Box 1
Identifier: MSP 90
Abstract

The collection contains carbon copies of panel talks presented by doctors at the 1957 LSD-25 program at Hollywood Hospital.

Dates: 1959; Other: Date acquired: 2011-06-01

Aldous Huxley papers

 Collection — Box 1
Identifier: MSP 83
Scope and Contents

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.

Dates: 1961

Jan Irvin manuscript

 Collection — Box 1
Identifier: MSP 65
Scope and Contents

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

Dates: 2006

Jean Millay papers

 Collection — Box 1
Identifier: MSP 63
Scope and Contents

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.

Dates: 1964-2001; Other: Majority of material found in 1964-1980; Other: Date acquired: 03/12/2009

John W. Allen digital images and writings

 Collection — Multiple Containers
Identifier: MSP 73
Scope and Contents

The John W. Allen digital images and writings (2001-2002; 0.2 cubic feet) documents Allen's research on entheogenic fungi.

Dates: 2001-2002; Other: Majority of material found in 2001-2002; Other: Date acquired: 05/01/2010

Darrell Lemaire papers

 Collection — Box 1
Identifier: MSP 64
Scope and Contents

The Darrell Lemaire papers contains two documents pertaining to the creation of novel psychedelic substances.

Dates: 1986 - 1990; Other: Date acquired: 2009-03-12