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In intellectual and cultural history special moments occur during which the life lines of thinkers of diverse backgrounds intersect, making a profound impact on all that follows. Such an episode occurred in 1909 when Sigmund Freud, in the company of Carl Jung and Sándor Ferenczi, visited Clark University in the United States to receive an honorary degree. There he presented his ideas to an audience of outstanding American psychologists and psychiatrists and to a pantheon of eminent scientists from Europe and North America. This momentous occasion is studied in depth in this very important book by Saul Rosenzweig, Professor Emeritus in the Departments of Psychology and Psychiatry at Washington University in St. Louis.
Rosenzweig, born in 1907, has spent better than a half century developing the data which so excitingly inform this volume. He received his undergraduate and graduate degrees at Harvard University, where he was trained in the tradition of one of the important protagonists of this book, William James. Having served as Affiliate Professor of Psychology at Clark University in Worcester, Massachusetts, between 1938 and 1943, he was able to obtain an intimate view of and to research the important legacy of G. Stanley Hall, Freud's host and the Professor and founder of the Department of Psychology at Clark, a preeminent center for the training and development of many twentieth century pioneers of American psychology. This volume stands as a monument to Rosenzweig's dedicated and indefatigable research into every aspect of this historic event: the occasion of Freud's visit, its genesis, context, evolution, and sequelae. The fruits of this research enlighten us about the state of psychoanalysis, academic psychology, and the cultural milieu at the turn of the century and for some years thereafter.
The substance and content of the book are fascinating. In addition, it is a rich resource for scholars, with its comprehensive bibliography and extensive section of notes