Scope and Content Note
The papers of Phyllis Greenacre (1894-1989) span the years 1903-1999, with the bulk of the material dating from 1955 to 1985. The collection documents Greenacre's career as a psychoanalyst, educator, and author. The papers are organized in four series: Correspondence , Subject File , Writings , and Closed material.
The Correspondence series features Greenacre's professional correspondence. Although many of these letters are requests for reprints of Greenacre's articles, a significant portion of the correspondence consists of substantive exchanges with professional colleagues concerning psychoanalytic theory and practice and the affairs of various psychoanalytic organizations. Frequently found in Greenacre's letters are critical assessments of colleagues' work, updates concerning her own research and writing, and reflections on her early training and career. Included among Greenacre's correspondents are Simon A. Grolnick, Marjorie Harley, Selma Kramer, Ernst Kris, J. Moussaieff Masson, Jerome D. Oremland, and Albert J. Solnit. The series contains a small amount of personal correspondence.
The Subject File centers on Greenacre's participation in several psychoanalytic organizations including the American Psychoanalytic Association, the International Psycho-Analytical Association, and the New York Psychoanalytic Institute. Among material relating to the latter is correspondence concerning controversial plans to establish a fund-raising foundation. Also featured are files regarding many of Greenacre's research interests including the creative process.
The Writings series contains articles and professional papers, book reviews, memorials, tributes, and critiques written by Greenacre. Also included are drafts of her unpublished study of H. C. Anderson. A small group of articles and papers written by others is also featured.