John A. Larson Papers

The Bancroft Library.
University of California, Berkeley
Berkeley, California, 94720-6000
Phone: (510) 642-6481
Fax: (510) 642-7589
Email: bancref@library.berkeley.edu
URL: http://bancroft.berkeley.edu
© 2005
The Regents of the University of California. All rights reserved.

Guide to the John A. Larson Papers

Collection number: BANC MSS 78/160 cz

The Bancroft Library





University of California, Berkeley

Berkeley, California

Contact Information:

Processed by:
Guide written by Elizabeth Stephens
Date Completed:
March 2005
Encoded by:
James Lake
© 2005 The Regents of the University of California. All rights reserved.

Collection Summary

Collection Title: John A. Larson Papers,
Date (inclusive): 1922-1965
Collection Number: BANC MSS 78/160 cz
Creator: Larson, John A. (John Augustus), b. 1892
Extent: Number of containers: 3 boxes, 6 cartons Linear feet: 8.3
Repository: The Bancroft Library.
Berkeley, California 94720-6000
Abstract: The John A. Larson papers contain material primarily compiled by Larson and possibly others as background for papers and books. Includes correspondence, writings, material related to his professional career, polygraphs, subject files, and clippings. The bulk of the collection is comprised of copies.
Languages Represented: Collection materials are in English.
Physical Location: For current information on the location of these materials, please consult the Library's online catalog.

Information for Researchers

Restrictions

Collection is open for research.

Publication Rights

Copyright has not been assigned to The Bancroft Library. All requests for permission to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted in writing to the Head of Public Services. Permission for publication is given on behalf of The Bancroft Library 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], John A. Larson Papers, BANC MSS 78/160 cz, The Bancroft Library, University of California, Berkeley.

Separated Material

Printed materials have been transferred to the book collection of The Bancroft Library.
Photographs have been transferred to Pictorial Collections of The Bancroft Library.

Indexing Terms

The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the library's online public access catalog.
Criminology--History--20th century--Sources.
Lie detectors and detection.
Forensic psychology.
Polygraph operators.
Criminal psychology.
Chronicle Publishing Company.
M.H. De Young Memorial Museum.
Palo Alto (Calif.)
Panama-Pacific International Exposition, (1915 :, San Francisco, Calif.)
San Francisco chronicle.
Real estate--California.
De Young, M. H. (Michael Harry), 1849-1925.

Administrative Information

Acquisition Information

The John A. Larson Papers were given to The Bancroft Library by Robert F. Borkenstein on April 4, 1977.

Processing Information

Processed by Elizabeth Stephens in 2005.

Biography

In 1921 John A. Larson, a young medical student at the University of California Berkeley, assembled the first American polygraph lie detector for Berkely Chief of Police, August Vollmer. Larson went on to specialize in criminal psychology working with police departments and mental hospitals in Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Iowa, New Mexico, and South Dakota.

Scope and Content of Collection

The John A. Larson papers contain material primarily compiled by Larson and possibly others as background for papers and books. Includes correspondence, writings, material related to his professional career, polygraphs, subject files, and clippings. The bulk of the collection is comprised of copies.

Boxes 1-2

Series 1: Correspondence, 1923-1965

Scope and Content Note

Arrangement

Arranged alphabetically by last name and chronologically where appropriate.
Contains primarily copies of letters to Larson from colleagues.
box 1, folder 1

Borkenstein, Robert F. 1940-64

box 1, folder 2

Broom, Claude E. 1936-63

box 1, folder 3

Castellanos, Israel 1937-60

box 1, folder 4

Dean, William F. 1957-65

box 1, folder 5-8

Housholder, Quentin L. 1960-65

box 1, folder 9

Keeler, Leonarde 1923-35

box 1, folder 10

Kooken, Donald L. 1933-49

box 1, folder 11

Lee, C. D. 1935-36

box 1, folder 12

Leonard, V. A. 1935-61

box 1, folder 13

Marston, William M. 1936-38

box 1, folder 14

McCormick, Charles T. 1926-27

box 1, folder 15

Reader's Digest 1947

box 1, folder 16

Sloan, Charles 1924

box 1, folder 17

Waterbury, Frank L. 1935-57

box 1, folder 18

Vollmer, August 1924-51

box 2, folder 1-17

Chronological files 1923-65

Carton 1

Series 2: Writings, 1922-1963

Scope and Content Note

Arrangement

Arranged hierarchally by genre and then chronologically.
May contain drafts, typescript copies, reprints, clippings, and related material.
carton 1, folder 1-2

Single Fingerprint System 1923-24

carton 1, folder 3-11

Lying and its Detection 1932-63

carton 1, folder 12

"The Cardio-pneumo-psychogram and its Use in the Study of Emotions with Practical Application" 1922

carton 1, folder 13

" The Cardio-pneumo-psychogram in Deception" 1923

carton 1, folder 14

"Deception and Lie Detectors" 1923

carton 1, folder 15

"Present Police and Legal Methods for the Determination of the Innocence or Guilt of the Subject" 1924

carton 1, folder 16

"A Study of Deception in the Penitentary," with Herman Adler 1925

carton 1, folder 17

"Polygraph and Deception" 1927

carton 1, folder 18

"Deception and Self Deception" 1928

carton 1, folder 19

"Parole Prediction" 1931

carton 1, folder 20

"Cardio-respiratory Variations in Personality Studies" 1932

carton 1, folder 21

"Single Fingerprint Classifications 1934

carton 1, folder 22

"Dactyloscopy and Psychopathology" 1937

carton 1, folder 23

"Modus Operandi and Personality Study" 1937

carton 1, folder 24

"The Truth About the Lie Detector" 1937

carton 1, folder 25-26

"The Lie Detector: Its History and Development" 1938

carton 1, folder 27

Psychiatric Significance of the Modus Operandi" 1939

carton 1, folder 28

"Psychiatry and the Driver" 1950

carton 1, folder 29

"Present Limitations and Possibilities of Deception Tests" 1951

carton 1, folder 30

"Psychosurgery in the Logansport State Hospital" 1954

carton 1, folder 31

"The Clinical Team Approach" with R. F. Borkenstein 1957

carton 1, folder 32

"Modus Operandi" 1959

carton 1, folder 33

"Classification of Polygraphic Records in the Evaluation of Emotional Reactions" n.d.

carton 1, folder 34

"The Dangerous Truth about Truth Sera" n.d.

carton 1, folder 35

"The Physiological Basis of Emotion" n.d.

carton 1, folder 36

"The Truth About the Lie Detector: An Emergency Situation" n.d.

carton 1, folder 37

"Use of a Screening Technique in the Development of a Modern Treatment in a State Hospital" n.d.

carton 1, folder 38

Forwards and prefaces n.d.

carton 1, folder 39

Notebook and notes n.d.

carton 1, folder 40

Miscellaneous n.d.

Cartons 2-6

Series 3: Research and Background Files, 1920-1964

Scope and Content Note

Arrangement

Arranged hierarchally.
Contains miscellaneous material from various work places, polygraph samples, biographical files, subject files, articles by others, reprints, and clippings.
carton 2, folder 1

Central South Dakota Mental Health Center 1961-62

carton 2, folder 2-3

Detroit Police Training School 1961

carton 2, folder 4-5

Detroit Razor Blade Test 1938-39

carton 2, folder 6-9

Illinois State Department of Criminology 1930-35

carton 2, folder 10

Iowa State Penitentiary, Psycopathia Hospital 1930

carton 2, folder 11

Iowa Inter-state Conference on the Care and Management of the Criminially Insane 1958

carton 2, folder 12-18

Logansport State Hospital 1949-64

carton 2, folder 19-21

New Mexico State Hospital 1935-47

carton 2, folder 22-31

Polygraph case files 1932-37, n.d.

carton 2, folder 32-25

Polygraphs n.d.

carton 3, folder 1-20

Polygraphs n.d.

box 3

Polygraphs (14 rolled) n.d.

carton 4, folder 1-9

Polygraphs n.d.

carton 4, folder 10-21

Tattoo research ca.1939

carton 4, folder 22-25

Biographical files 1947-65

 

Subject Files

carton 4, folder 26

Academy for Scientific Interrogation 1956-61

carton 5, folder 1

Berkeley Psychograph 1923-24

carton 5, folder 2

Criminally insane 1958

carton 5, folder 3

Criminal psychology 1958

carton 5, folder 4-5

Deception tests 1937-38

carton 5, folder 6

Fingerprints 1935-60

carton 5, folder 7

Franco Ferracuti 1959

carton 5, folder 8

Hypnosis 1954-61

carton 5, folder 9

International Association for Indentification 1925-36

carton 5, folder 10

Juvenile Delinquency 1930-32

carton 5, folder 11

Leonarde Keeler 1937-51

carton 5, folder 12-19

Lie detection 1922-65

carton 5, folder 20-21

Lie detector 1924-65

carton 5, folder 22-24

William M. Marston n.d.

carton 5, folder 25

Psychology 1954

carton 5, folder 26

Physiological responses 1949-51

carton 5, folder 27

Pneumographic tracings n.d.

carton 5, folder 28

Stress n.d.

carton 5, folder 29

Truth Drugs 1951-56

carton 5, folder 30

Miscellaneous 1948-64

 

Publications and clippings

carton 5, folder 31

Report of Research on Detection of Deception by D. G. Ellison 1952

carton 5, folder 32-34

Articles 1933-61

carton 6, folder 1-7

Articles 1927-61

carton 6, folder 8

Police publications 1937-51

carton 6, folder 9

Publications, miscellaneous 1941-63

carton 6, folder 10

Reprints 1949-61

carton 6, folder 11-21

Clippings ca. 1922-60