Collection context
Summary
- Creators:
- Bateson, Gregory, 1904-1980
- Abstract:
- This collection contains correspondence, manuscripts, notebooks, octopus and cetacean observation materials, marginalia, published and unpublished articles and reprints.
- Extent:
- 93.6 Linear Feet 114 boxes, 1 portfolio pamphlet
- Language:
- English .
- Preferred citation:
-
Gregory Bateson papers. MS 98. Special Collections and Archives, University Library, University of California, Santa Cruz.
Background
- Scope and content:
-
This collection contains correspondence, manuscripts, notebooks, octopus and cetacean observation materials, marginalia, published and unpublished articles and reprints.
- Biographical / historical:
-
Date Event May 9, 1904 Born in Grantchester, Cambridgeshire, England. Third son of William Bateson (b. Aug. 8, 1861) and Caroline Beatrice Durham Bateson (b. 1870?). Brothers, John Bateson (b. April 22, 1898 - d. 1918) and Martin Bateson (b. 1899 - d. April 22, 1922). Grandson of William H. Bateson, Master of St. John's College, Cambridge and Vice-Chancellor of Cambridge University and Anna Aitken Bateson.1913-1917 Student, Warden House School, Upper Deal, Kent, England1917-1921 Student, Charterhouse School, Godalming, Surrey, England1918 Death of brother, John BatesonApril 22, 1922 Suicide of brother, Martin BatesonJanuary - September 1922 Studies French & Botany at the University of Geneva and in Canton de Valais1922-1926 Student, Cambridge UniversityFoundation Scholar, 1924Entrance Scholar, St. John's College, 1922Anthropological Tripos, Pt.I, First class honors, 1926Natural Science Tripos, First Class Honors, 1924B.A., Natural Science, 1925December 1924 - June 1925 Expedition to Galapagos, engaged in research on Geospizae for British Museum Bird Department and collection of pelagic Coelenterates under William Beebe, Arcturus Expedition1925-1926 Anthropological Tripos, Pt.II under A.C. Haddon, Cambridge University; Classes in Social Psychology under F. C. Barlett and J. MacCurdy, Cambridge UniversityFebruary 8, 1926 Death of father, William Bateson.1926-1928 Anthony Wilkin Student, Cambridge University; Strathcoma Student, St. John's College, CambridgeSeptember 1926 Study in GermanyJanuary 1927 - January 1928 Anthropological field work in New Britain among the Baining of the Gazelle PeninsulaApril - July 1928 Teacher, Melanesian Linguistics, Sydney UniversityOctober 1928 - January 1930 Anthropological field work among the Sulka of the Gazelle Peninsula of New Britain and the Iatmul of New Guinea1930 M.A., Anthropology, Cambridge University; Classes under Malinoski at London School of Economics1931-1937 Research Fellow, St. John's College, CambridgeJanuary 1932 - Summer 1933 Anthropological field work among the Iatmul of New Guinea1933-1935 Worked on Naven at St. John's College, CambridgeIn Ireland with WaddingtonVisit to U.S., lecturing at Columbia University and the University of ChicagoExperimental Psychology under F. C. BartlettJanuary 1936 - March 1938 Anthropological field work with Margaret Mead in BaliMarch 1936 Married Margaret Mead (b. December 1916 - d. November 1978) in SingaporeDecember 1936 Publication of Naven1937 Elected William Wyse Scholar in Social Anthropology, Cambridge University (resigned 1945)April 1938 - February 1939 Anthropological field work with wife, Margaret Mead among the Iatmul of New GuineaFebruary - March 1939 Anthropological field work with wife, Margaret Mead in BaliSeptember 1939 - January 1940 Voluntary work in England: analysis of radio broadcasts (Nazi) under Bartlett; and work with Mass Observation with T. Harrison, analyzing public opinion questionnairesDecember 8, 1939 Birth of daughter, Mary Catherine BatesonJanuary 1940-September 1942 Analysis of Balinese and Iatmul material in collaboration with Margaret Mead, as guest of Department of Anthropology, American Museum of Natural HistoryOctober 1940-1942 Secretary of the Committee for National Morale and the Council for Intercultural Relations (later Institute for Intercultural Studies)Secretary for the Council on Human Relations for first few monthsWorked for the Committee for National Morale.Secretary of the Conference on Methods in Philosophy and the SciencesMember of the Executive Committee of the Conference on Methods in Philosophy and the SciencesMay 1941 Death of mother, Caroline Beatrice Durham BatesonMay 1942 Macy conference on Cerebral InhibitionSeptember 1942 - June 1943 Film Analyst, Museum of Modern Art, New York City, New YorkDecember 1942 Publication of Balinese Character: A Photographic Analysis with Margaret MeadJanuary 1943 - January 1944 Teacher of Melanesian Pidgin English, Naval School of Military Government & Administration, Columbia UniversityJuly 1943 - November 1945 Staff planner and Regional Specialist for Southeast Asia, U.S. Office of Strategic Services; overseas in Ceylon, India, Burma & ChinaNovember 1945 - September 1946 Research into Balinese culture conducted at the American Museum of Natural HistoryMarch 1946 First Macy Conference on Feedback Mechanisms and Circular Causal Systems in Biological and Social SciencesSeptember 1946 - June 1947 New York Academy of Sciences Conference on Teleological MechanismsGuggenheim FellowVisiting Professor of Anthropology, New School for Social Research, NYMeeting on Teleological Mechanisms in Society1947-1948 Associate in Columbia University Seminar in "Contents and Methods of the Social Sciences"Visiting Professor of Anthropology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MassachusettSeptember 1948 - October 1949 Research Associate with Dr. Jurgen Ruesch at the Langley Porter Clinic, University of California Medical School, San Francisco, CANovember 1949 - 1963 Ethnologist, Veterans Administration Hospital, Palo Alto, CAOctober 23, 1950 Divorced from Margaret Mead1950 Married Elizabeth Sumner1951 Birth of son, John Bateson1951 - 1963 Visiting Professor of Anthropology, Stanford University, CAPublication of Communication: The Social Matrix of Psychiatry by Jurgen Ruesch, Gregory Bateson1952-1954 Director, Rockefeller Foundation grant research project on the Role of Paradoxes of Abstraction in Communication1954-1959 Director, Josiah Macy Jr. Foundation grant research project on Schizophrenic Communication1956 Becomes naturalized U.S. citizenBegins work on The Natural History of an Interview project1957 Divorced from second wife, Elizabeth Sumner1958 Navan re-issued with new preface and epilogue1959-1962 Began work with octopusPublication of Perceval's NarrativeFrieda Fromm-Reichmann Award for Research in SchizophreniaVisiting Professor, California School of Fine Arts, San Francisco, CAPrincipal Investigator, Research in Family Psychotherapy, funded by National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) and the Foundations' Fund for Research in Psychiatry1961 Married third wife, Lois Cammack1963-1964 Associate Director, Communication Research Institute, St. Thomas, Virgin IslandsCareer Development Award, National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)1965-1972 Publication of Steps to an Ecology of MindAssociate Director, Oceanic Institute, Waimanalo, HawaiiVisiting Professor of Anthropology, University of HawaiiProfessor & Director, International Honors Program, International School of America, traveling around the worldApril 13, 1969 Birth of daughter, Nora Bateson1972-1978 Visiting Senior Lecturer, University of California, Santa CruzFellow of the American Academy of Arts and SciencesAppointed to Board of Regents of the University of CaliforniaNovember 15, 1978 Death of Margaret Mead1978-1980 Scholar in residence, Esalen InstituteWorked on Where Angels Fear to TreadPublication of Mind and Nature: A Necessary UnityJuly 4, 1980 Dies at the Zen Center, San Francisco, CA. - Acquisition information:
- Gift of Lois Bateson Mary Catherine Bateson.
- Arrangement:
-
The collection is arranged in eight series and five sub-series.
Correspondence (Series I) includes roughly 11,000 letters, approximately 4000 of which are by Gregory Bateson. Included is inter-office memoranda and correspondence from John Lilly Communication Research Institute and the Oceanic Institute, Hawaii as well as publication correspondence. Also is correspondence relating to Bateson's service on the UC Board of Regents, professional societies, journals, funding sources and conferences chaired by Bateson.
Writings (Series II) is divided into six sub-series: Article Manuscripts; Book Manuscripts; Octopus & Cetacean Observation materials; Notebooks; Bibliography of Published Articles; and Reprints. Article Manuscripts includes holograph manuscripts, drafts, typescripts and carbons of published and unpublished articles, support documents and copies of the published articles. Also included are unedited transcriptions of tape recordings. Book manuscripts (Subseries 2) contains book manuscripts, proofs, notes, correspondence, and materials relating to five of Bateson's books, Steps to an Ecology of Mind, Where Angels Fear to Tread, Mind and Nature, Naven: A Survey of the Problems suggested by a Composite Picture of the Culture of a New Guinea Tribe drawn from Three Points of View and unpublished material.
- Physical location:
- Stored in Special Collections and Archives.
- Rules or conventions:
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Access and use
- Restrictions:
-
Collection open for research. Audiovisual media is unavailable until reformatted. Contact Special Collections in advance for information regarding access.
- Terms of access:
-
Property rights for this collection reside with the University of California. Copyright resides with Bateson's heirs, and is managed by the Bateson Idea Group (BIG) (batesonideagroup.org). UCSC Special Collections and Archives requires written permission from the copyright holder to allow reproduction of this material, including photography in the reading room. Permission must be sent to speccoll@library.ucsc.edu in advance. For more information on copyright or to order a reproduction, please visit guides.library.ucsc.edu/speccoll/reproduction-publication.
- Preferred citation:
-
Gregory Bateson papers. MS 98. Special Collections and Archives, University Library, University of California, Santa Cruz.
- Location of this collection:
-
Special Collections and Archives, University Library1156 High StreetSanta Cruz, CA 95064, US
- Contact:
- (831) 459-2547