Inventory of the Ruth Horel Caskey Collection: David Seabury and Human Potential

David Stiver

Graduate Theological Union Archives

Graduate Theological Union

2400 Ridge Road

Berkeley, California, 94709

Phone: (510) 649-2523/2501

Email: archives@gtu.edu

URL: http://library.gtu.edu/archives/

Inventory of the Ruth Horel Caskey Collection: David Seabury and Human Potential

Collection number: GTU 2017-05-01

Graduate Theological Union Archives

Graduate Theological Union

Berkeley, California

Processed by:: David Stiver
Date Completed:: 12/1/2017
Encoded by:: David Stiver

Descriptive Summary

Title: Ruth Horel Caskey collection: David Seabury and Human Potential

Dates: 1924-1974

Collection number: GTU 2017-05-01

Collector: Ruth Horel Caskey

Creator: David Seabury

Collection Size: 9.2 linear feet (9 record boxes and 1 2” box)

Repository: The Graduate Theological Union. Library.

Berkeley, CA 94709

Abstract: The collection contains materials from David Seabury and the David Seabury School of Psychology, as well as materials from various human potential organizations. Ruth Horel Caskey was the assistant to Seabury from 1944 until his death in 1960. He was a popular writer on psychological topics, usually with a Christian angle. The collection also includes human potential, religious and occult materials.

Languages: Languages represented in the collection: English

Access

Collection is open for research.

Publication Rights

Copyright has not been assigned to The Graduate Theological Union. All requests for permission to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted in writing to the Archivist. Permission for publication is given on behalf of The Graduate Theological Union as the owner of the physical items and is not intended to include or imply permission of the copyright holder, which must also be obtained by the reader.

Preferred Citation

[Identification of item]. Ruth Horel Caskey Collection: David Seabury and Human Potential, GTU 2017-05-01. Graduate Theological Union Archives, Berkeley, CA.

Acquisition Information

The collection was received from the Historical Sites Society of Arcata on April 20, 2017. The separation was made in order to find an appropriate institution for the David Seabury collection and Health, Religion, Spirituality, and Self-Help materials

Biography / Administrative History

Ruth Horel Caskey (1895-1980) was born in Arcata, California. Her parents were Francis R. and Lois Horel. Her father was a medical doctor at the Arcata Sanatorium. She received a BA degree from University of California at Berkeley in 1917 and a Masters in Dental Pathology in 1918. She married Dr. Charles Rice Caskey in Oklahoma City in 1920. He worked in Dr. Horel's practice in Arcata from 1922 through 1927, when they moved to Los Angeles. They divorced in 1942. She later became an officer in California's Divorcees Anonymous. She continued as a social worker, a position she had taken in 1931.

In 1944, Ruth met David Seabury, a well-known writer and lecturer in popular psychology, and began a long working relationship. He founded the David Seabury School of Psychology in 1950, which represented his view of Centralist Psychology, using Christian beliefs. For its brief life (closed in 1960), the school initially operated out of the First Congregational Church in Los Angeles, where Fritz Kunkel, a psychotherapist trained in Germany, also had his school, We-Psychology. James William Fifield Jr (1899 -1977) was the minister of the church. Immensely popular, he was a founder of Christian libertarianism, promoted capitalism and "freedom under God."

Caskey was employed by the school as Seabury's assistant. She continued to promote Seasbury's writings after his death in 1960. She moved to Tucson, Arizona, where she died in 1980.

Biographical information based in part from the "Guide to the Ruth Horel Caskey Collection, 1890-1977" (http://www.oac.cdlib.org/findaid/ark:/13030/tf900006j0/).

Scope and Content of Collection

The collection contains two main parts. The firstpart consists of the later writings of David Seabury and lectures and related materials for the David Seabury School of Psychology. The second part includes the religious, self-help, health and occult materials collected by Ruth Harel Caskey.

Arrangement

The materials arrived loosely organized. Duplicate materials were removed, especially multiple copies for the David Seabury School of Psychology and Seabury's writings. The two series are: 1, David Seabury School of Psychology and Seabury's writings; and 2. Religious, Self-help, Health and Occult Materials.

Other Finding Aids

GTU 99-1-01 Fritz Kunkel Collection; GTU 2008-6-02 Mildred R. and James L. Gillingham New Religious Movement Collection, ca. 1925 – 1960; GTU 89-5-015 Arthur Carl Piepkorn Collection GTU 99-8-1 GTU Library New Religious Movements Organizations Vertical Files Collection, 1965 – 1998.

Separation Note

Duplicate copies of lectures and writings were discarded. Three Pioneer courses were added to GTU 2016-07-01, Essenes of Kosmon Collection, 1947-1957, on October 20, 2017.

box 1:1 - 4:27 , 9

Series 1. David Seabury and the David Seabury School of Psychology 1924-1960

Physical Description: 112 folders

Scope and Content Note

"The David Seabury School of Psychology was established in 1949 as an adjunct to the counseling program of the First Congregational Church of Los Angeles. In the Fall of 1951 the school moved to its own building located at 920 South Grand View Street in Los Angeles. It is affiliated with Pacific International University, a university chartered by the State of California and offering all regular academic degrees. The principal honor bestowed by the David Seabury School of Psychology, however is the certificate in Christian Psychology." from Catalog, Fall Term-1952-1953

Box 1:1

David Seabury-Photographs, no dates

Box 1:2

Roxoli Seabury, Laguna Beach Nightowl Artist, 1956

Box 1:3

David Seabury-Published Writings and Announcements, 1950s

Box 1:4

David Seabury-Publicity Questionnaire, circa 1950

Box 1:5

Obituaries-David and Roxoli Seabury, 1960,

Box 1:6

David Seabury-lecture announcements, 1950s

Box 1:7

David Seabury- Astrology Chart, 1947

Box 1:8

David Seabury-school, announcements, correspondence, 1950-1960

Box 1:9

David Seabury School newsletters and class schedules, 1950s

Box 1:9a

David Seabury School newsletters and class schedules, 1950s

Box 1:10

David Seabury School materials, 1950s

Box 1:11

David Seabury School materials, 1950s

Box 1:12

David Seabury School-letterhead, Tucson, circa 1960

Box 1:13

David Seabury School materials, 1950s

Box 1:14

David Seabury School notes and other materials, 1950s

Box 1:15

David Seabury School notes and other materials, 1950s

Box 1:16

David Seabury School correspondence, 1950s

Box 1:17

David Seabury School correspondence, 1950s

Box 1:18

David Seabury School correspondence, 1950s

Box 1:19

David Seabury-Praise, 1924-1960

Box 1:20

David Seabury-Praise with attached letters, 1927-1954

Box 1:21

David Seabury-Praise with attached letters, 1955-1960

Box 1:22

David Seabury and Alfred Mills Uhler-correspondence, 1950's-1960s

Box 1:23

David Seabury School notes and other materials, 1950s

Box 1:24

David Seabury inaugurated as president of Sequoia University, 1950

Box 2:1

David Seabury and Dorcas Palmers-Lectures, 1949-1950

Box 2:2

David Seabury-Definitions, no date

Box 2:3

David Seabury-Psychsynthesis notes and related materials, no date

Box 2:4

David Seabury-The Centralist Approach, The New and the Old, 1950s

Box 2:5

David Seabury-Symptomology, Word Test, Christian Psychology Crusade, no date

Box 2:6

David Seabury-Psychograph-Understanding Yourself in Everyday Life, no date

Box 2:7

David Seabury-Writings on Psychology, no date

Box 2:8

Dorcas Palmer-Understanding Children, 1949

Box 2:9

Dorcas Palmer-Successful Human Relations, 1950

Box 2:10

Dorcas Palmer-12 Neurotic Complexes, 1952

Box 2:11

David Seabury-Let's Tell the Truth about Marriage, 1950

Box 2:12

David Seabury-Our Undiscovered Resources, 1953

Box 2:13

David Seabury-From Fear Set Free, 1946

Box 2:14

David Seabury-How to Live While Neurotic, 1946

Box 2:15

David Seabury-How to Maintain Energy, 1950

Box 2:16

David Seabury-The Power of Belief, 1950

Box 2:17

David Seabury-Our Undiscovered Resources, 1953

Box 2:18

David Seabury-How to Worry Successfully, 1951

Box 2:19

David Seabury-Attitudes for Successful Living, no date

Box 2:20

David Seabury-A Psychologist Looks at Immortality, 1953

Box 2:21

David Seabury-Writings on Psychology, no dates

Box 2:22

David Seabury-Which of the 12 Types are you? no dates

Box 2:23

David Seabury-Dream Symbols and Word Associations, 1951

Box 2:24

Dorcas Palmer-Delusions of Duty, A Psychologist Looks at Faith, Psychology or Materialism, 1950

Box 2:25

David Seabury-writing on Astrology, no date

Box 2:26

David Seabury-Marriage Material, no date

Box 2:27

David Seabury-Various Writings, 1949-1953

Box 2:28

Writings by others-Hardin D. Walsh, Helen Grizzle, Doris Paul, no dates

Box 2:29

Joanna Brandt-The Grape Cure, no date

Box 2:30

David Seabury-The Specific Centralist's Approach in Psychotherapy, and loose notes, 1950

Box 2:31

Fraces Paelian and Dr. Garabed H. Paelian, The Mystical Path of Marriage (Seabury quoted), 1956

Box 2:32

David Seabury-Psychological Techniques, no date

Box 2:33

David Seabury-Notebooks and wallet, no date

Box 2:34

Graph of 12 Types (rotating dial)-oversized, 1958

Box 2:35

Caskey's Christian Psychology Diploma-oversized, 1953

Box 3:1

David Seabury-school schedule and lectures, 1951

Box 3:2

David Seabury-various writings on psychology, 1950

Box 3:3

David Seabury-various lectures on psychology, 1949-1954

Box 3:4

Ruth Caskey-notes, no date

Box 3:5

David Seabury-Lecture Series First Congregational Church, 1948

Box 3:6

Dorcas Palmer and David Seabury-Lecture Series First Congregational Church, 1948

Box 3:7

David Seabury-Lecture Series First Congregational Church, 1949

Box 3:8

Christian Psychology and Sunday morning lectures, 1949-1950

Box 3:9

David Seabury-Sunday morning lectures, 1949-1950

Box 3:10

David Seabury-Christian Psychology, 1949

Box 3:11

Dorcas Palmer and David Seabury-Christian Psychology, 1950

Box 3:12

David Seabury-Christian Psychology, 1950 Spring

Box 3:13

David Seabury-Christian Psychology, 1950 Fall

Box 3:14

David Seabury-Christian Psychology, 1950 Fall

Box 3:15

David Seabury-Christian Psychology, 1951 Winter

Box 3:16

David Seabury-Christian Psychology, 1952 Winter

Box 3:17

David Seabury-Christian Psychology, 1952 Spring, 1954 Spring

Box 3:18

David Seabury-loose notes (Caskey), no date

Box 3:19

David Seabury-loose notes (Caskey), no date

Box 3:20

David Seabury-loose notes (Caskey), no date

Box 3:21

David Seabury-loose notes, Sequoia, Dorcas Palmer (Caskey), no date

Box 3:22

David Seabury-loose notes (Caskey), no date

Box 3:23

Personality Inventory, completed, 1951

Box 3:24

David Seabury-Psychograph, no date

Box 3:25

David Seabury-Book notes, Adventures In Self-Discovery, Analysis and Diagnosis, Types and Temperament, no date

Box 4:1

David Seabury-Notes (Caskey's notes?) Psychosomatic, 1960s

Box 4:2

David Seabury-Centralist Psychology, 1960s

Box 4:3

David Seabury-Word Preference and Build Your Own Future, 1938

Box 4:4

David Seabury-Postural Hysteria, 1954

Box 4:5

David Seabury-Deep Analysis I, 1949

Box 4:6

David Seabury-Deep Analysis II (incomplete), 1950

Box 4:7

Principles of Expression no date

Box 4:8

David Seabury-General Consulting, 1949

Box 4:9

David Seabury-General Consulting Psychology I, 1949

Box 4:10

David Seabury-General Consulting Psychology II, 1950

Box 4:11

David Seabury-General Consulting Psychology III, 1950

Box 4:12

David Seabury-Understanding Human Nature, 1950

Box 4:13

Seabury school schedule, list of courses, It's Not All in Your Mind (H.J. Berglund), 1953

Box 4:14

David Seabury-Thymetrics I, 1952

Box 4:15

David Seabury-The Art of Living Without Tension, 1958

Box 4:16

Seabury -"Roger Wins His Sours", no date

Box 4:17

Seabury -"According to Orders", no date

Box 4:18

Seabury-"The Phantom Portrait", no date

Box 4:19

Seabury-"How C Killed the Dragon", no date

Box 4:20

Seabury-"Too Much Talk", no date

Box 4:21

Seabury-"The Hidden Way", no date

Box 4:22

Seabury-short non-fiction: "God and the Miracle of Sleep," "Know Who You Are," The Majesty of Death", no date

Box 4:23

Seabury- short stories, no date

Box 4:24

Seabury and Evelyn Uhler- short stories,

Box 4:25

Seabury- short stories, no date

Box 4:26

Seabury- short stories, no date

Box 4:27

Seabury- short stories, no date

Box 9:

Science of the Mind issues with Seabury articles: High Hopes for Your Low Spirits, March 1956; High Hopes for Your Low Spirits (Part II), April 1956; Hope is a Mighty Force, November 1956; The Psychology of Prayer, January 1957; The Art of Praying, February 1957; Inspiration and Prayer Response, March 1957; Should Prayer be a Demand?, April 1957; Why Pray, Many 1957; Thought and Experience; Understanding Affirmation, December 1958; The Great American Frenzy; Your Focus of Attention, February 1956. 1956-1957

box 5:1 - 7:21 , 8

Series 2. Religious, Self-help, Health and Occult Materials 1931-1974

Physical Description: 73 folders

Scope and Content Note

These materials are a loose collection of ephemera and solicitations.

Box 5:1

American Unitarian Association, 1934, 1942

Box 5:2

Christian Publications, undated

Box 5:3

Church of Latter Day Saints, 1940s

Box 5:4

First Congregational Church, Los Angeles (Fifield sermons), 1931-1949

Box 5:5

First Methodist Church, Los Angeles (Fifield sermons), 1954-1957

Box 5:6

Fritz Kunkel, School of We-Psychology, 1940s-1950s

Box 5:7

Fritz Kunkel, Trabuco, 1940s

Box 5:8

Church of Religious Psychology, 1969

Box 5:9

Religious Research and Science, 1950s

Box 5:10

Flower A. Newhouse, 1953-1956

Box 5:11

Church of St. Alban, Liberal Catholic Church, 1950s

Box 5:12

Liberal Catholic Church, course of study, bookstore, 1940s-1950s

Box 5:13

Rev Edward Matthews Radio Addresses, 1950s

Box 5:14

Rev Edward Matthews Radio Addresses, 1950s

Box 5:15

Rev Edward Matthews Radio Talks, 1952-1954

Box 5:16

Rev Edward Matthews Radio Talks, 1953-1955

Box 5:17

American Institute of Family Relations, 1935-1948

Box 5:18

Sex and Childbirth, 1924-1955

Box 5:19

Vocational, no date

Box 5:20

Christian Science Publishing, 1931, 1937, 1945

Box 5:21

Music, 1950s

Box 5:22

Marriage and Sex, 1950s

Box 5:23

California Divorcee Anonymous, 1950s

Box 5:24

Devereux Ranch School, 1940s-1950s

Box 5:25

Personology, 1940s

Box 5:26

Personology Foundation, Edward V. Jones, 1949

Box 5:27

Personology, 1940

Box 5:28

Betty Dunham, Brain Wave Biofeedback: Serving Human Needs, 1974

Box 5:29

Cybernetics (dating questionnaire), no date

Box 5:30

Mental and Physical Health, 1934, 1950s

Box 5:31

Health Research, 1950s

Box 5:32

Rorschach, cards and forms, 19401s

Box 5:33

Sleep, 1940s

Box 5:1

Ancient Wisdom-Theosophical Society of St. Louis, 1970s

Box 5:2

Astara, 1960s

Box 5:3

Astrology, 1940s-1950s

Box 5:4

Builders of the Adytum-Introduction to Tarot, 1950s

Box 5:5

Builders of the Adytum-Tarot, 1950s

Box 5:6

Marguerite Carter, Financial Forecast and other documents, 1960

Box 5:7

Edgar Cayce-Association for Research and Enlightenment, 1960s

Box 5:8

Churches, 1940s-1950s

Box 5:9

Church of Universal Law, no date

Box 5:10

Foundation for Divine Wisdom, 1950

Box 5:11

Manly P. Hall, 1939

Box 5:12

Manly P. Hall-Philosophical Research Center, 1940s-1950s

Box 5:13

Handwriting, circa 1951

Box 5:14

Howard Inches, "The New Hunger", 1955

Box 5:15

Krishnamurti, 1950s

Box 5:16

New Age Interpreter, 4 issues, 1953-1955

Box 5:17

Psychiana, 1929-1932

Box 5:18

Psychic, 1950s-1960s

Box 5:1

Rosicrucian, no date

Box 5:2

Scientology, 1953, 1978

Box 5:3

Self discovery Publications, 1940s-1950s

Box 5:4

Spiritual Growth, ` 1940s-1950s

Box 5:5

Tarot, 1931, undated

Box 5:6

Technocracy, 1940s

Box 5:7

Theosophy, 1940s

Box 5:8

UFOs, 1952

Box 5:9

Unitology-House of Answered Prayers, Carter 1940s

Box 5:10

Unitology, Carter, 1950s

Box 5:11

Unity School of Christianity, 1940s,1970s

Box 5:12

Vision, 1933, 1970s

Box 5:13

Voice of Prophecy, no date

Box 5:14

Publications, 1940s,1950s

Box 5:15

Miscellaneous, 1950s-1970s

Box 5:16

Book reviews, 1960s

Box 5:17

Little Blue Books, catalogs, 6 books, no dates

Box 5:18

Healthways, 1963, 1974

Box 5:19

New Outlook, 1950, 1956, 1957

Box 5:20

Quick and Easy Success Course, no date

Box 5:21

V.G. Rocine, Types of People From Chemical Standpoint, Vol II, 1922

Box 5:all

Loose documents, mailings and magazines, 1950s, 1960s