Synanon Foundation records, circa 1956-1987
Collection context
Summary
- Abstract:
- Synanon was founded by Charles Dederich, Sr. in 1958. Synanon's detoxification therapy attracted wealthy drug and alcohol abusers with chapters in San Francisco, Tulare and Marin Counties, Detroit, and as far as Germany and Malaysia. The collection consists of correspondence, recordings, films, video tapes, photographs, and printed materials related to the Synanon Foundation.
- Extent:
- 341.0 linear feet (564 boxes, 118 cartons, and 32 boxes)
- Language:
- Materials are in English.
- Preferred citation:
-
[Identification of item], Synanon Foundation records (Collection 342). UCLA Library Special Collections, Charles E. Young Research Library, University of California, Los Angeles.
Background
- Scope and content:
-
Collection consists of the records of the Synanon Foundation. Includes correspondence, recordings, films, video tapes, photographs, and printed materials.
- Biographical / historical:
-
Synanon was founded by Charles Dederich, Sr. in 1958; originally named TLC (Tender Loving Care Club), the group was renamed Synanon and had its headquarters in Santa Monica, California; Synanon's detoxification therapy attracted wealthy drug and alcohol abusers, and eventually the organization became a $30 million nonprofit organization; chapters sprang up in San Francisco, Tulare and Marin Counties, Detroit, and as far as Germany and Malaysia; Dederich declared Synanon a religion in 1974; Dederich was forced to give up control of Synanon in 1979 after pleading no contest to conspiracy to commit murder; Synanon quickly lost its popularity thereafter.
- Acquisition information:
- Gift of The Synanon Church, Incorporated, 1993.
- Processing information:
-
Processed by Manuscripts Division staff.
Collections are processed to a variety of levels depending on the work necessary to make them usable, their perceived user interest and research value, availability of staff and resources, and competing priorities. Library Special Collections provides a standard level of preservation and access for all collections and, when time and resources permit, conducts more intensive processing. These materials have been arranged and described according to national and local standards and best practices.
We are committed to providing ethical, inclusive, and anti-racist description of the materials we steward, and to remediating existing description of our materials that contains language that may be offensive or cause harm. We invite you to submit feedback about how our collections are described, and how they could be described more accurately, by filling out the form located on our website: Report Potentially Offensive Description in Library Special Collections.
- Physical / technical requirements:
-
CONTAINS AUDIO AND AUDIOVISUAL MATERIALS: This collection contains both processed and unprocessed audio and audiovisual materials. Audio and audiovisual materials are not currently available for access, unless otherwise noted in a Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements note at the series and file levels. All requests to access processed materials must be made in advance using the request button located on this page.
- Physical location:
- Stored off-site. All requests to access special collections material must be made in advance using the request button located on this page.
- Rules or conventions:
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Access and use
- Restrictions:
-
Open for research. All requests to access special collections materials must be made in advance using the request button located on this page.
- Terms of access:
-
Property rights to the physical objects belong to UCLA Library Special Collections. All other rights, including copyright, are retained by the creators and their heirs. It is the responsibility of the researcher to determine who holds the copyright and pursue the copyright owner or his or her heir for permission to publish where The UC Regents do not hold the copyright.
No copying (except by hand notes and/or note taking with a personal computer) for any purposes, including publication, or use for commercial purposes permitted without prior written approval by the Trustees of the Synanon Archives Trust, which retains copyright to the Synanon records. The names of Synanon members or residents shall not be revealed or used, nor shall members or residents be contacted unless prior written approval has been granted by the Trustees of the Synanon Archives Trust.
- Preferred citation:
-
[Identification of item], Synanon Foundation records (Collection 342). UCLA Library Special Collections, Charles E. Young Research Library, University of California, Los Angeles.
- Location of this collection:
-
A1713 Charles E. Young Research LibraryBox 951575Los Angeles, CA 90095-1575, US
- Contact:
- (310) 825-4988