UCSB Special Collections: Collections: Humanistic Psychology Archives

Humanistic Psychology Archives

History and Purpose
Current Holdings
Scope of the Collections
New Collections and Recent Additions

History and Purpose

The Humanistic Psychology Archive (HPA) was established in 1986 and is located in the Department of Special Collections, at the UCSB Davidson Library. The purpose of HPA is to collect, organize, preserve and make available to researchers primary resources relating to humanistic psychology, its antecedents and its development. The Archive contains and solicits materials generated by the founders, pioneers and major individuals, organizations, centers, and institutions participating in humanistic psychology, including its historical, literary, social and artistic aspects.

Current Holdings

The Humanistic Psychology Archive has major collections relating to the Association for Humanistic Psychology (AHP), George I. Brown, James F.T. Bugental, Stanley Keleman, Abraham Maslow, Rollo May, Carl R. Rogers, Virginia Satir, Stewart B. Shapiro, Bob Tannenbaum and John Vasconcellos. Altogether, its present holdings include nearly 200 collections, comprising approximately 1000 linear feet of material.

Scope of the Collection

A. Inclusions
- 1. Subject: humanistic psychology, including its philosophical and psychological antecedents.
- 2. Geographical: international, with emphasis on United States; bulk of current holdings relating to California.
- 3. Chronological: twentieth century.
- 4. Languages: bulk of current holdings in English, but no exclusion of other languages.
- 5. Formats: personal papers and institutional records, including but not limited to correspondence, diaries, scrapbooks, research files, memoranda and minutes, photographs, audio and videotapes.
- 6. Other: some related materials are located in or have been transferred to other areas of Special Collections; examples include Krishnamurti and New Age materials in the American Religions Collection.
B. Exclusions - artifacts, printed materials (except for copies with significant inscriptions or annotations), subject matter not related to humanistic psychology.

New Collections and Recent Additions

Alan Watts Papers (HPA Mss 41)
- Recent additions to this collection include approximately ninety audio recordings of programs given by Alan Watts and recorded at the Esalen Institute and by Pacifica Radio, among other sources.
Records of the Melia Foundation (HPA Mss 49)
- Extensive collection of audio and video recordings from the foundation’s Berkeley Program in integrative psychology, with lectures, workshops, seminars and other events focusing on spirituality and the human potential movement. Represented in the recordings — made between February 1983 and June 1987 — are individuals such as James Bugental, Jane Jacobs, Bruno Bettelheim, Jack Kornfield, and Herbert V. Guenther.
George Leonard Papers (HPA Mss 50)
- Large collection of personal and professional papers from the author of numerous books on human possibility and social change. Includes writings and research from his tenure as senior editor at Look magazine from 1953 to 1970.
Thomas Yeomans Papers (HPA Mss 51)
- Personal and professional papers of Thomas Yeomans, Ph.D., founder and director of the Concord Institute, an educational institute founded in 1990 to provide post-graduate professional training in global/spiritual psychology and group leadership. Collection includes course planning materials in psychosynthesis, sound recordings pertaining to psychosynthesis and spiritual psychology, and video recordings of sessions and group leadership work development.
Robert Reasoner Self-Esteem Collection (HPA Mss 52)
- Materials donated by Robert Reasoner, founder the National Council for Self-Esteem and president of the International Council for Self-Esteem, relating to the California Center for Self-Esteem, National Association for Self-Esteem, International Council for Self-Esteem, and his own work. Also includes materials from Betty Hatch, who was also involved in the National Council/Association for Self-Esteem and donated several boxes of their organizational records.