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Description
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.
Background
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.
Extent
341.0 linear feet (564 boxes, 118 cartons, and 32 boxes)
Restrictions
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.
Availability
Open for research. All requests to access special collections materials must be made in advance using the request button located on this page.