E. K. Gunderson Papers

Special Collections & Archives, UC San Diego Library

Special Collections & Archives, UC San Diego

9500 Gilman Drive

La Jolla 92093-0175

spcoll@ucsd.edu

URL: http://libraries.ucsd.edu/collections/sca/index.html

Descriptive Summary

Contributing Institution: Special Collections & Archives, UC San Diego

9500 Gilman Drive

La Jolla 92093-0175

Title: E. K. Gunderson Papers

Creator: Gunderson, E. K. Eric (Ellsworth K. Eric), 1923-

Identifier/Call Number: MSS 0786

Physical Description: 4.8 Linear feet (12 archives boxes and 1 oversize folder)

Date (inclusive): 1943 to 2005 (bulk 1962-2003)

Abstract: Papers of E. K. Gunderson, psychologist, former director of the United States Navy's Naval Heath Research Center in San Diego, CA, and an important contributor to the field of Antarctic psychology.

Languages: English .

Scope and Content of Collection

Papers of E. K. Gunderson, psychologist, former director of the United States Navy's Naval Heath Research Center in San Diego, CA, and an important contributor to the field of Antarctic psychology. The organization and numbering reflects the original order of his files, with Gunderson's tabs indicating his preferred subdivisions of files.

Arranged in three series: A) BIOGRAPHICAL, B) WRITINGS, and C) RESEARCH.

Biography

Ellsworth Kermit Eric Gunderson was born on September 18, 1923 in Max Bass, North Dakota to Halver and Elvina Gunderson. After military service in the medical corps of the 11th Armored Division during World War II, Gunderson attended UC Los Angeles for both his undergraduate and graduate career, majoring in psychology. At UCLA he received a Bachelor of Arts in 1948, a Master's degree in 1951, and earned his PhD in 1953.

Gunderson spend the majority of his professional career at the Naval Health Research Center (NHRC) in Point Loma, San Diego from its inception in the early 1960s when it was known as the Navy's Medical Neuropsychiatric Research Unit, up to the late 1980s when he served as Scientific Director. During the span of over 30 years, Gunderson's major research contributions were in the field of Antarctic psychology, studying human adaptation in isolation and confinement. His research was later applied to NASA astronauts and long-term space missions. With data collected during polar, naval and space expeditions, Gunderson and his colleagues published over two hundred reports and articles. Gunderson also edited the book, Human Adaptability to Antarctic Conditions published in 1974, and co-authored Life Stress and Illness, and he was a contributor to From Antarctica to Outer Space: Life in Isolation and Confinement among other published works on topics relating to clinical psychology, personality theory, physiological psychology, adaptability, and statistics. Gunderson taught at UC San Diego in the Department of Psychiatry in the School of Medicine, and was appointed Adjunct Professor in 1971 and Adjunct Clinical Professor in 1975.

Throughout Gunderson's long and distinguished career, he received many acknowledgments for his research contributions to the field of psychology. He was elected Fellow of the American Psychological Association in 1971, appointed to the Panel on Biological and Medical Sciences, Committee on Polar Research with the National Academy of Sciences in 1973, was awarded the Distinguished Civilian Service Award from the Secretary of the Navy in March 1977 and again in June 1989, and was awarded the Society of Navy General Preventive Medicine Officers' Albert Leary Gihon Lifetime Achievement Award in 1995.

Gunderson died on November 10, 2015.

Preferred Citation

E. K. Gunderson Papers. MSS 786. Special Collections & Archives, UC San Diego.

Acquisition Information

Acquired 2016

Publication Rights

Publication rights are held by the creator of the collection.

Subjects and Indexing Terms

Extreme environments -- Psychological aspects

Gunderson, E. K. Eric (Ellsworth K. Eric), 1923- -- Archives

BIOGRAPHICAL

Scope and Content of Series

A) BIOGRAPHICAL: Contains material relating to Gunderson's education, professional experience and professional achievements, and includes diplomas, certificates and awards, and appointments.

A. Education

Box 1, Folder 1

PhD thesis - Autonomic Balance in Schizophrenia; Final examination for PhD, announcement 1953 June

Oversize FB-515, Folder 15

Diplomas - Undergraduate and graduate degrees, UCLA 1948-1953

B. Professional Experience

Box 1, Folder 2

World War II service - U.S. Army honorable discharge papers, and article about the Gunderson family war effort 1943-1946

Box 1, Folder 3

Professional Psychologist Certification 1959

Box 1, Folder 4

Hospital evaluations, memos and notes. Gunderson was member of Evaluation Task Force 1975-1980

Box 1, Folder 5

Appointment as Chief Scientist 1986

Box 1, Folder 6

Application as Consultant 1996

C. Professional Standing

Box 1, Folder 7

U.S. Naval Board of Civil Services Examiners materials 1962

Box 1, Folder 8

Paul Nelson and E.K. Gunderson, article in the Evening Tribune 1962 August 21

Box 1, Folder 9-10

Certificates - American Psychological Association Fellowship; San Diego County Psychological Association 1971

Box 1, Folder 11

Supergrade positions in the Navy R&D Community 1978

Box 1, Folder 12

Appointment to Senior Executive Service, correspondence 1979

Box 1, Folder 13

National Research Council Correspondence 1988

Box 1, Folder 14

U.S. Navy Civilian Service Awards 1970, 1989

Oversize FB-515, Folder 15

U. S. Navy Civilian Service Awards, oversized 1970-1977

Box 1, Folder 15

Albert Leary Gihon Award 1995

Box 1, Folder 16

Naval Health Research Center: Thirty-Year Review 1999

Box 1, Folder 17

Curriculum Vitae ca. 1999

Box 1, Folder 18

UCSD appointment correspondence 2004

WRITINGS

Scope and Content of Series

B) WRITINGS: A selection of Gunderson's written and co-authored reports and writings, as well as his written scientific contributions at professional conferences and briefings. Includes reports arranged by number in chronological order, notes, talks, and some related correspondence.

D.1. Numbered Reports and Publications

Box 1, Folder 19

Selected Bibliography of Naval Health Research Center Reports 1962-1985

Box 1, Folder 20

Bibliography of Fleet Studies, Fleet Medical Branch, E. K. Gunderson and colleagues ca. 1969-1980

Box 2, Folder 1-47

Reports (arranged chronologically by number) 1962-1972

General note

Includes: 62-2, 4, 10; 63-8, 19; 64-14, 18, 23, 25; 65-2, 7, 10, 25; 66-15, 17, 24; 67-3, 5, 20, 22; 68-4, 13; 69-31, 34; 70-1, 2, 8, 15, 26, 27, 37; 71-1, 2, 5, 8, 11, 14, 17, 24, 27, 28, 33, 36, 39, 47, 57; 72-1, 4.

Box 3, Folder 1-43

Reports 1972-1975

General note

Includes: 72-8, 11, 15, 29, 33, 36, 39, 44, 46, 48; 73-12, 14, 20, 23, 24, 25, 28, 34, 41, 42, 59; 74-1, 5, 19, 23, 28, 29, 33; 75-8, 9, 11, 15, 16, 19, 20, 21, 22, 25, 33, 34, 37, 50, 54.

Box 4, Folder 1-36

Reports 1975-1989

General note

Includes: 75-62, 64, 79, 80; 76-8, 10, 16, 40, 63, 66, 70, 81; 77-3, 16, 23; 78-9, 47, 48, 55, 60, 61; 79-4; 80-10, 17, 33; 81-5, 35; 82-1, 9, 18; 84-52; 87-8; 88-17, 21; 89-5, 8.

Box 5, Folder 1-6

Reports 1989-2000

General note

Includes: 89-58 (Part 1 & 2); 98-3, 17; 00-10; 02-09.

Box 5, Folder 7-12

Reports: DI-cs, cx, dn, fj, ft, hss 1972-2005

Box 5, Folder 13

Attrition by condition for Navy, sample collected at recruit training commands ca. 1960-1995

Box 5, Folder 14

Man in isolation and/or enclosed space 1969

Box 5, Folder 15

New approaches to alcoholism in the US Navy ca. 1976

Box 5, Folder 16

Organization, Environment, and Work Performance: A Social Systems Approach 1976

Box 5, Folder 17

Physical Environments, Habitability, Perceptions, and Health 1976

Box 5, Folder 18

Epidemiological models of value for clinical service and management of Navy health care systems: Examples from inpatient and outpatient data 1980

Box 5, Folder 19

Nonpsychotic disorders 1980-1988

Box 5, Folder 20

Epidemiologic and Longitudinal Research in the 1980s and in US Navy ca. 1980-1989

Box 5, Folder 21

Women's Health in the U.S. Navy: Complications of Pregnancy and Childbirth 1985-1994

Box 6, Folder 1-2

NASA In-House Working Group on Psychiatric Selection Procedures for Astronaut Candidates 1988

Box 6, Folder 3

Technical Cooperation Program (TTCP), report and correspondence 1988-1989

Box 6, Folder 4

Health Surveillance in the US Navy: Sleep Apnea 1990-1995

Box 6, Folder 5

Cardiac Disease and Physical Readiness Testing: Critical Review from an All-Cause Mortality Perspective 1993-1994

Box 6, Folder 6

Report on Attrition, codes and tables 1994-1995

Box 6, Folder 7-8

Mental Illness in the US Navy and Marine Corps 1995-1996

Box 6, Folder 9

Epidemiology of the Psychoses in the US Navy 1998

Box 6, Folder 10

Burden of Disease in the US Navy 1999

Box 6, Folder 11

Predictors of Behavior and Performance in Extreme Environments: The Antarctic Space Analogue Program 2000

Box 6, Folder 12

Behavior and Performance on Long-Duration Space Flight: Evidence from Analogue Environments 2000

Box 6, Folder 13

The Epidemiology of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) in the US Navy 2002

Box 6, Folder 14

The Epidemiology of Personality Disorders in the US Navy 2003

Box 6, Folder 15

Hospitalization Rates in the US Navy ca. 2003

Box 6, Folder 16

Testicular cancer research and reports 2004

Box 6, Folder 17

A Reluctant Soldier undated

D.2. Scientific Contributions

Box 7, Folder 1

Presentation at Annual Meeting of American Psychological Association 1958

Box 7, Folder 2

US Army Medical Command (MEDCOM) Briefing (Commodore Summit) ca. 1960

Box 7, Folder 3

Symposium on Experimental Neuro- and Psychology in Occupational Health, Includes report # 66-23 1966

Box 7, Folder 4

Personal History Questionnaires (PHQ) and evaluation forms 1967-1968

Box 7, Folder 5

1st Habitability Conference 1970

Box 7, Folder 6

Symposium on Life, Stress, and Illness 1972

Box 7, Folder 7

NATO Conference Utilization of Human Resources 1973

Box 7, Folder 8

4th West Coast Preventative Medicine Seminar 1977

Box 7, Folder 9

8th Annual Meeting of Association of Military Surgeons of US - San Diego 1979

Box 7, Folder 10

22nd and 24th Navy Occupational Health Workshops 1980-1982

Box 7, Folder 11

BuMed Conference - Organizational Effectiveness Program 1980

Box 8, Folder 1

IBEA Working Group 1982

Box 8, Folder 2

Colloquium - Computers, Medicine and Epidemiology 1983

Box 8, Folder 3

Transport Research and Innovation Monitoring and Information System (TRIMIS) and the Navy workshops 1983

Box 8, Folder 4

69th Annual American Occupational Health Conference, includes report # 84-15 1984

Box 8, Folder 5

Conference in San Diego 1984

Box 8, Folder 6

3rd Annual Conference on System in Health Care, includes report # 84-52 1984

Box 8, Folder 7

Federal Health Services Conference 1985

Box 8, Folder 8

Laboratory Review of the Naval Biodynamic Laboratory (NBDL) 1986

Box 8, Folder 9

Trip Report for Regional Training Conference of the Defense Medical Systems Support Center 1986

Box 8, Folder 10

Briefing of Admiral Sears on accidents 1986

Box 8, Folder 11

National Academy of Science Conference on Epidemiology in Military and Veteran Populations 1987

Box 8, Folder 12

NRC Medical Follow-Up Conference Itinerary 1987

Box 8, Folder 13

Colloquium: Human Factors Research in Antarctica 1988

Box 8, Folder 14

Conference on Stress and Degradation of Military Performance 1989

Box 8, Folder 15

Committee on Space Biology and Medicine, Space Studies Board, National Research Council National Academy of Sciences 1991

Box 8, Folder 16

NASA launch announcement and signed photograph to Gunderson from astronaut J. M. Linenger 1992

Box 8, Folder 17

Feasibility Study for NASA workshop 1995

RESEARCH

Scope and Content of Series

C) RESEARCH: Arranged by Gunderson's projects. Includes AIDS and HIV research, research on missing data abroad Naval ships; material from his many years at the Naval Health Research Center (NHRC) including Gunderson's writings on the history of NHRC; and his work on various electronic data collection systems, including CHAMPS, EPISYS, NOHIMS and other data collection systems.

Major Projects

E.1. HIV/AIDS Research

Box 8, Folder 18

AIDS briefing for the Surgeon General 1986

Box 8, Folder 19

AIDS RDDB Working Group 1988

Box 8, Folder 20

AIDS research, memorandum 1987-1989

Box 9, Folder 1-2

AIDS research, memorandum 1987-1989

E.2. Missing Data

Box 9, Folder 3

Hospitalization rates aboard nuclear and non-nuclear aircraft carriers ca. 1990-1999

Box 9, Folder 4

Hospital admission data from Navy medical files, memos ca. 1995-2001

Box 9, Folder 5

Missing data, ships ca. 1999-2001

Box 9, Folder 6-9

Missing data problem chronology, memos 2000-2006

E.3. Naval Health Research Center (NHRC) History

Box 10, Folder 1

Antarctic photographs, and Health Survey, NHRC 1957-1964

Box 10, Folder 2

Memos, news clippings and interviews 1960-2002

Box 10, Folder 3

Naval Health Research Center (NHRC) history, Neuropsychiatric Research Unit reports 1960-1966

Box 10, Folder 4-7

Five-year research plan, NHRC ca. 1960-1993

Box 10, Folder 8

Proposed role of NHRC 1974-1977

Box 10, Folder 9

Human Performance Program Review 1979

Box 10, Folder 10

Biomedical Research: A ten-year plan 1980

Box 10, Folder 11

Program objectives and anticipated end products 1980

Box 10, Folder 12

The Establishment of an Occupational Health and Epidemiology Department with NHRC, San Diego ca. 1980-1992

Box 10, Folder 13

NHRC/NEHC, minutes of joint meeting 1985

Box 10, Folder 14

35th Anniversary of NHRC, memo 1994

Box 10, Folder 15

A History of Psychological and Medical Research at the Naval Health Research Center (NHRC), E. K. Gunderson and Paul D. Nelson 2001-2004

Box 10, Folder 16

Career Histories of Navy Personnel Diagnoses with Personality Disorders, NHRC study 2002

Box 10, Folder 17

Leadership and Research Productivity in a Military Setting, by E. K. Gunderson 2003

Electronic Data Systems

F.1. CHAMPS (Career History Archival Medical and Personnel System)

Box 11, Folder 1

Champs: Navy Occupations (codes from database) ca. 1995

Box 11, Folder 2

Epidemiological guide to Champs 1996-2003

Box 11, Folder 3

General model for presentations of epidemiological results 1996-2003

Box 11, Folder 4

Champs brief report

Box 11, Folder 5

Champs: Charter for next generation database information 2000-2001

Box 11, Folder 6

A Brief History of Champs 2000

Box 11, Folder 7

Champs for Homeland Security 2002

Box 11, Folder 8

Champs: Data Resource for Cancer, Chronic Disease and other Epidemiological Research, Report No. 02-06 2000-2002

Box 11, Folder 9-10

Champs: Notes (burns, surgery); documentation review

F.2. Electronic - Data Systems: EPISYS (Epidemiological Interactive System)

Box 11, Folder 11

EPISYS correspondence, Dr. Garland 1995

Box 11, Folder 12

EPISYS (Epidemiological Interactive System), Technical Document (User's Guide) 97-1A and notes 1996

F.3. Electronic - Data System: Naval Occupational Health Information Management Systems (NOHIMS)

Box 11, Folder 13

NOHIMS Health Information 1980-1990

Box 12, Folder 1

NOHIMS Health Information 1981-1984

F.4. Electronic - Data Systems: Other

Box 12, Folder 2

Development of Medical Data Systems for Risk Assessment ca. 1980

Box 12, Folder 3

The Interim Navy Medical Mental Health Information System (NAMHIS) ca. 1980

Box 12, Folder 4

Department of the Navy SECNAV Instruction - Inpatient data system 1985

Box 12, Folder 5

SNAP Automated Medical System (SAMS) review undated

Box 12, Folder 6-7

Navy Medical Information Systems 1981-1987

Box 12, Folder 8

DMED (Defense Medical Epidemiologic Databases) 1999-2002