Description
Dr. Elisabeth Kubler-Ross devoted her life to the study of death and dying, and has been instrumental in de-stigmatizing dying
and drawing attention to the treatment of the terminally ill. Her collection consists of correpsondence (largely incoming),
writing, articles and clippings, photographs, audiovisual media, and other material.
Background
Elisabeth Kübler-Ross, M.D. (July 8, 1926 – August 24, 2004) was a Swiss-born psychiatrist, a pioneer in Near-death studies
and the author of the groundbreaking book On Death and Dying (1969), where she first discussed what is now known as the Kübler-Ross
model. In this work she proposed the now famous Five Stages of Grief as a pattern of adjustment. These five stages of grief
are: denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. In general, individuals experience most of these stages, though
in no defined sequence, after being faced with the reality of their impending death. The five stages have since been adopted
by many as applying to the survivors of a loved one's death, as well. She is a 2007 inductee into the National Women's Hall
of Fame. She was the recipient of twenty honorary degrees and by July 1982 had taught, in her estimation, 125,000 students
in death and dying courses in colleges, seminaries, medical schools, hospitals, and social-work institutions. In 1970, she
delivered the The Ingersoll Lectures on Human Immortality at the University of Harvard, on the theme, On Death and Dying.
Extent
63 Linear Feet
(125 boxes)
Restrictions
While Special Collections is the owner of the physical and digital items, permission to examine collection materials is not
an authorization to publish. These materials are made available for use in research, teaching, and private study. Any transmission
or reproduction beyond that allowed by fair use requires permission from the owners of rights, heir(s) or assigns. See: http://library.stanford.edu/spc/using-collections/permission-publish.
Availability
Open for research with the exception of the first six Shanti Nilaya newsletters, which are closed until 2039. Note that material
must be requested at least 36 hours in advance of intended use. Audiovisual materials are not available in original format,
and must be reformatted to a digital use copy. Selected video from this collection has been digitized and is available in
the Special Collections reading room.