The University of Chicago Library > The Hanna Holborn Gray Special Collections Research Center > Finding Aids > Guide to the Heinrich Klüver Papers 1912-1978
© 2010 University of Chicago Library
| Title: | Klüver, Heinrich. Papers |
|---|---|
| Dates: | 1912-1978 |
| Size: | 7 linear feet (14 boxes) |
| Repository: |
Hanna Holborn Gray Special Collections Research Center |
| Abstract: | Heinrich Kluver (1897-1979), neuro-psychologist. The Papers contain certificates, bibliographies, diaries, autograph books, day books, diplomas, correspondence, original manuscripts, articles and reprints, and photographs of Heinrich Klüver and his second wife Harriet Schwenk. |
The collection is open to research.
When quoting material from this collection, the preferred citation is: Klüver, Heinrich. Papers, [Box #, Folder #], Hanna Holborn Gray Special Collections Research Center, University of Chicago Library
Heinrich Klüver was born May 25, 1897 in Holstein, Germany. After serving in the Germany army during World War I, between 1920 and 1923 he studied at both the University of Hamburg and the University of Berlin. In 1923 he came to the United States to attend Stanford University where he is credited with having introduced German Gestalt psychology to North America. He obtained his Ph.D. in physiological psychology from Stanford the following year. In 1927 he married Cessa Feyerabend and settled in the United States permanently, becoming a naturalized U.S. citizen in 1934.
Klüver’s first teaching position was as instructor in psychology at the University of Minnesota (1924-1926). There he met and became a close friend and research associate of renowned neuropsychologist Karl Spencer Lashley. After working at Columbia University as a fellow of the Social Science Research Council (1926-1928), Klüver accompanied Lashley in a transition to Chicago. First as a research psychologist for the Behavior Research Fund (1928-1933), and then as a member of the Sprague Memorial Institute at the University of Chicago in 1933. In 1936 he became associate professor of psychology at the University of Chicago and was promoted to full professor of experimental psychology in 1938. When Klüver retired from teaching in 1963, he held the title of Sewell Avery distinguished professor of biological psychology. As professor emeritus he continued to pursue laboratory research on the University of Chicago campus until a year before his death on February 8, 1979.
Klüver is widely regarded as a key contributor to the discovery of the physiological foundations of animal and human behavior. Largely as a result of Klüver’s experimental work with laboratory monkeys, not only the scientific community, but common knowledge recognizes the role of brain physiology and neurochemistry in both the production of normal behavior and the treatment of abnormal behavior. Klüver began his groundbreaking research by studying the effects of the psychotropic drug mescaline (also known as peyote) on monkeys and upon himself as well. He hoped to be able to determine precisely what portions of the brain the drug effects and why it produces particular hallucinatory perceptions. He theorized that there are pre-linguistic sense-specific levels and physiological loci within the nervous system that enable subjects to perceive the distinct properties of stimulus objects. He noticed that when he gave mescaline to monkeys they exhibited unusually frequent mouth manipulation. Klüver’s efforts to learn which part of the brain was responding to the drug by producing this behavior lead to the surgical removal of the temporal lobes of the brain. This procedure produced a further regular constellation of characteristics and behaviors: 1) docility 2) inability to recognize stimuli by sight 3) intensified orality 4) over-reaction and repeated reaction to visual stimuli 5) changes in eating habits 6) and increased sexual activity of all kinds.
In addition to his work on neurophysiology and behavior, Klüver was a pioneer in the use of monkeys in social scientific research. His long-term handling of monkeys as experimental subjects gained him a reputation as an expert on monkey care and behavior. He studied and published on the subject of the monkey life cycle, demonstrating that monkeys suffer from many of the same diseases afflicting humans, including diabetes, endometriosis, and various types of cancers. In the field of laboratory technology, he and his colleague Elizabeth Barrera developed the Klüver-Barrera stain, which renders neurons, glia, and myelin sheaths observable together at the same time.
Klüver was a member of innumerable professional and honorary societies such as the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Arts and Sciences, the American Physiological Society, the Society for Experimental Biology and Medicine, and the Society of Biological Psychiatry. He enjoyed immense respect, not only among social and behavioral scientists, but also among medical and biological scientists, as demonstrated by his receipt of several honorary medical degrees.
The Heinrich Klüver Papers consist of 7 linear feet of material that includes certificates, bibliographies, diaries, autograph books, day books, diplomas, correspondence, original manuscripts, articles and reprints, and photographs of Heinrich Klüver and his second wife Harriet Schwenk. Heinrich Klüver was a neuro psychologist who pioneered the use of monkeys in social scientific research. He is widely regarded as a key contributor to the discovery of the physiological foundations of animal and human behavior. In her early career, Harriet Schwenk, had been an assistant to Dr. Walter A. Maier and on the editorial staff of the Lutheran Witness. She later became the executive secretary in the Biology Department at MIT and the Neuro Sciences Research Program.
The papers are divided into two series: I. Heinrich Klüver and II. Harriet Schwenk. Each series has been further subdivided into subseries that include Personal, Correspondence, Writings (of Heinrich and Harriet), and Photographs. The papers include very little to document his contributions to the study of animal and human behavior. The exceptions are located in Subseries 3 and Subseries 4. Subseries 3 contains writings by Klüver and Subseries 4 contains several scrapbooks that show photographs of Klüver with cages of monkeys.
Series I: Heinrich Klüver |
Series I, Heinrich Klüver, has been divided into four subseries: (1) Personal, (2) Correspondence, (3) Writings by Heinrich Klüver and Others, and (4) Photographs. Subseries 1 includes certificates, curriculum vitae, bibliographies, lectures, diaries and daybooks, and diplomas. Subseries 2, contains correspondence covering the period 1907 to 1978. The correspondence has been arranged chronologically. Subseries 3, contains original manuscripts, articles, and reprints by Heinrich Klüver as well as manuscripts by other scholars and scientists. This subseries also contains a thirty-eight page photostat of Klüver genealogy. This document is written German. The final subseries contains photographs that relate to Heinrich Klüver and his family; however most of the images are unidentified. Four photograph albums are also included in this subseries. They contain some images of Klüver working with monkeys. Additional photographs can be found in Series II, Harriet Schwenk Klüver.
Subseries 1: Personal |
| Box 1 Folder 1 | Bibliographies, curriculum vitae, lectures, 1924 - 1975 |
| Box 1 Folder 2 | Confirmation certificate, Marriage certificates, 1927, fellowship announcement, 1912 - 1929 |
| Box 1 Folder 3 | University course work documentation, Diploma, Leland Stanford Junior University, Ph.D. 1925, membership certificates, 1927 - 1974 |
| Box 1 Folder 4 | Window Notice, World War I |
| Box 1 Folder 5 | Diary, 1971 |
| Box 1 Folder 6 | Aufsätze, Essays, March 25, 1897 (3 notebooks) |
| Box 1 Folder 7 | Daybooks, 1915, 1921 |
| Box 1 Folder 8 | Daybooks, Iron Cross Ribbon, World War I |
| Box 1 Folder 9 | Guest Book, 1936 - 1941 |
| Box 1 Folder 10 | German currency, 1914-1920 |
| Box 2 Folder 1 | Obituaries, Stephan Polyak, 1955; Max Rinkel, 1966 |
| Box 2 Folder 2 | Plaque, “Marquis Biographical Library Society Member: 1970” |
Subseries 2: Correspondence |
| Box 2 Folder 3 | Correspondence, 1907 |
| Box 2 Folder 4 | Correspondence, 1908 |
| Box 2 Folder 5 | Correspondence, 1909 |
| Box 2 Folder 6 | Correspondence, 1910 |
| Box 2 Folder 7 | Correspondence, 1917 |
| Box 2 Folder 8 | Correspondence, 1920 |
| Box 2 Folder 9 | Correspondence, 1921 |
| Box 2 Folder 10 | Correspondence, 1922 |
| Box 2 Folder 11 | Correspondence, 1923 |
| Box 2 Folder 12 | Correspondence, 1924 |
| Box 2 Folder 13 | Correspondence, 1925 |
| Box 2 Folder 14-15 | Correspondence, 1926 |
| Box 2 Folder 16 | Correspondence, 1927 |
| Box 2 Folder 17 | Correspondence, 1934 |
| Box 2 Folder 18 | Correspondence, 1935 |
| Box 2 Folder 19 | Correspondence, 1952 |
| Box 2 Folder 20 | Correspondence, 1957 |
| Box 2 Folder 21 | Correspondence, 1958 |
| Box 2 Folder 22 | Correspondence, 1961 |
| Box 2 Folder 23 | Correspondence, 1963 |
| Box 2 Folder 24 | Correspondence, 1964 |
| Box 2 Folder 25 | Correspondence, 1965-1966 |
| Box 2 Folder 26 | Correspondence, 1966 |
| Box 2 Folder 27 | Correspondence, 1967 |
| Box 2 Folder 28 | Correspondence, 1968 |
| Box 2 Folder 29 | Correspondence, 1969 |
| Box 2 Folder 30 | Correspondence, 1970 |
| Box 2 Folder 31 | Correspondence, 1971 |
| Box 2 Folder 32 | Correspondence, 1972 |
| Box 3 Folder 1 | Correspondence, 1973 |
| Box 3 Folder 2 | Correspondence, 1974 |
| Box 3 Folder 3 | Correspondence, 1975 |
| Box 3 Folder 4 | Correspondence, 1976 |
| Box 3 Folder 5 | Correspondence, 1977 |
| Box 3 Folder 6 | Correspondence, 1978 |
| Box 3 Folder 7-8 | Correspondence, undated |
Subseries 3: Writings by Heinrich Klüver and Others |
| Box 3 Folder 9 | Reprints, 1924 - 1949 |
| Box 3 Folder 10 | Reprints, 1950 - 1959 |
| Box 3 Folder 11 | Reprints, 1962 - 1972 |
| Box 4 Folder 1 | Collected papers, 1924 - 1928 (bound) |
| Box 4 Folder 2 | Collected papers, 1928 - 1932 (bound) |
| Box 4 Folder 3 | Collected papers, 1933 (bound) |
| Box 5 Folder 1 | Collected papers, 1933 - 1944 |
| Box 5 Folder 2 | Collected papers, 1945 - 1962 |
| Box 5 Folder 3 | "Implement-Using Behavior in a Cebus Monkey, " 1937 |
| Box 5 Folder 4 | Clüverii Chronica (bound) |
| Box 6 Folder 1 | Clüverii Chronica |
| Box 6 Folder 2 | Miscellaneous manuscripts by others, 1925 - 1932, 1969 |
| Box 6 Folder 3 | Family History of Lorentz Siderich Kluwer, photostat, (German) (rolled), undated |
| Box 6 Folder 4 | Certificate and photograph, American Neurological Association, (rolled), 1940 |
Subseries 4: Photographs |
| Box 7 Folder 1 | Photographs, Heinrich Klüver |
| Box 7 Folder 2 | Photographs, unidentified |
| Box 7 Folder 3 | Photo album |
| Box 7 Folder 4 | Photo album |
| Box 7 Folder 5 | Photo album |
| Box 7 Folder 6 | Photo album |
Series II: Harriet Schwenk |
Harriet Schwenk was born in 1906 in St. Louis, Missouri. She received her degree from Washington University in 1928 and taught in the St. Louis school system for fifteen years. She was a member of Tanea, a women's honorary literary society, and Kappa Delta Pi, an honorary education organization. Harriet served as assistant to Dr. Walter A. Maier during his service to The Lutheran Hour and as head of the Department of Old Testament at Concordia Seminary. She also served for seven years on the editorial staff of the Lutheran Witness. In 1958, Harriet Schwenk moved to Boston, Massachusetts, to take a position as executive secretary to Dr. Frank Schmitt who was the head of the Biology Department at M.I.T. She later became the chairman's assistant at the formation of the Neuro Sciences Research Program. While she was at NSRP she met and later married Dr. Heinrich Klüver, a neuro psychologist from the University of Chicago. She died on February 5, 1988 in Lake Forest, Illinois Series II contains personal papers, correspondence, scrapbooks, articles and photographs that relate to Harriet Schwenk; second wife of Heinrich Klüver. This series has been divided into four subseries: (1) Personal, (2) Correspondence, (3) Writings by Harriet Schwenk and Others, and (4) Photographs.
Subseries 1: Personal |
| Box 8 Folder 1 | Social Security Card and shorthand notes |
| Box 8 Folder 2 | Address book |
| Box 8 Folder 3 | Address book |
| Box 8 Folder 4 | Scrapbook of recorded births and deaths |
| Box 8 Folder 5 | Certificates, Washington University and recognition from MIT, June, 1971 |
| Box 8 Folder 6 | Frank Louis Soldan High School Yearbook, St. Louis, Mo., January 1924 |
| Box 8 Folder 7 | Frank Louis Soldan High School Yearbook, St. Louis, Mo., June, 1924 |
| Box 8 Folder 8 | Autograph book signed by high school classmates with assorted photographs throughout book, 1924 |
| Box 9 Folder 1 | Diary, 1923-1924 |
| Box 9 Folder 2 | Autograph book, Cote Brilliante School, Myra Schwenk (w/ assorted pictures, 1914 |
| Box 9 Folder 3 | Autograph book, Soldan High School, Myra Schwenk (w/ assorted pictures, 1918 |
Subseries 2: Correspondence |
| Box 9 Folder 4 | Correspondence, 1924 |
| Box 9 Folder 5 | Correspondence, 1927 |
| Box 9 Folder 6 | Correspondence, 1930 |
| Box 9 Folder 7 | Correspondence, 1931 |
| Box 9 Folder 8 | Correspondence, 1932 |
| Box 9 Folder 9 | Correspondence, 1933 |
| Box 9 Folder 10 | Correspondence, 1936 |
| Box 9 Folder 11 | Correspondence, 1939 |
| Box 9 Folder 12 | Correspondence, 1940 |
| Box 9 Folder 13 | Correspondence, 1941 |
| Box 9 Folder 14 | Correspondence, 1944 |
| Box 9 Folder 15 | Correspondence, 1947 |
| Box 10 Folder 1 | Correspondence, 1950 |
| Box 10 Folder 2 | Correspondence, 1951 |
| Box 10 Folder 3 | Correspondence, 1952 |
| Box 10 Folder 4 | Correspondence, 1953 |
| Box 10 Folder 5 | Correspondence, 1954 |
| Box 10 Folder 6 | Correspondence, 1955 |
| Box 10 Folder 7 | Correspondence, 1956 |
| Box 10 Folder 8 | Correspondence, 1957 |
| Box 10 Folder 9 | Correspondence, 1958 |
| Box 10 Folder 10-11 | Correspondence, 1959 |
| Box 10 Folder 12 | Correspondence, 1960 |
| Box 10 Folder 13 | Correspondence, 1961 |
| Box 10 Folder 14 | Correspondence, 1963 |
| Box 10 Folder 15 | Correspondence, 1964 |
| Box 10 Folder 16 | Correspondence, 1969 |
| Box 10 Folder 17 | Correspondence, 1970 |
| Box 10 Folder 18 | Correspondence, 1971 |
| Box 10 Folder 19 | Correspondence, 1972 |
| Box 10 Folder 20 | Correspondence, 1973 |
| Box 10 Folder 21 | Correspondence, 1974 |
| Box 10 Folder 22 | Correspondence, 1976 |
| Box 10 Folder 23 | Correspondence, 1977-1978 |
| Box 10 Folder 24 | Correspondence, undated |
Subseries 3: Writings by Harriet Schwenk and Others |
| Box 11 Folder 1 | "Jubilate...Walter A. Maier Served the Lord with Gladness, " undated |
| Box 11 Folder 2 | "Dr. Walter A. Maier's Undeviating Stand Against Atheistic Communism, " Manuscript fragment, undated |
| Box 11 Folder 3 | "Dr. Walter A. Maier's Undeviating Stand Against Atheistic Communism, " Concordia Historical Institute Quarterly, July 1950 and October 1950 |
| Box 11 Folder 4 | "Jorge Luis Borges, November 16, 1967," lecture (w/ shorthand notes) |
| Box 11 Folder 5 | "Report and Recommendation on Religious Broadcasting in Germany", Walter E. Maier, 1947 |
| Box 11 Folder 6 | A Restudy of Woman's Place in Building the Kingdom, " Russell C. Prohl, 1954 |
| Box 11 Folder 7 | Lutheran Witness, 1952; Lutherland Bulletin, 1934 |
| Box 11 Folder 8 | Newspaper clippings |
Subseries 4: Photographs |
| Box 11 Folder 9 | Harriet Schwenk |
| Box 11 Folder 10 | Pencil drawing of Harriet Schwenk (?) by Marguerite Schultz |
| Box 11 Folder 11-12 | Family |
| Box 12 Folder 2 | Trip to Florence, Italy |
| Box 12 Folder 3 | Relating to Walter A. Maier |
| Box 12 Folder 4-6 | Assorted MIT and Neurosciences Research Program |
| Box 12 Folder 7-9 | Professor Sezer's 50th birthday |
| Box 13 Folder 1 | Relating to Martha E. Brown and Mill Neck Medal |
| Box 13 Folder 2 | Photograph album, unidentified |
| Box 13 Folder 3 | Photographs, unidentified |
| Box 13 Folder 4 | Slides, trips to Spain and Portugal, 1967, 1971, 1972 and 1975 |
| Box 13 Folder 5 | Negatives, unidentified |
| Box 14 Folder 1 | Oversize photographs, unidentified (4) |
| Box 14 Folder 2 | Oversize photographs, unidentified (3) |
| Box 14 Folder 3 | Oversize photograph, unidentified (1) |
| Box 14 Folder 4 | Oversize photographs, unidentified (2) |
| Box 14 Folder 5 | Oversize photograph, unidentified (1) |