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Catalog Data

Creator:
Gates, Elmer, 1859-1923  Search this
Extent:
1.5 Cubic feet (5 boxes)
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Writings
Photographs
Patents
Personal papers
Correspondence
Articles
Diaries
Date:
1894-1988
bulk 1894-1910
Summary:
Papers document the life of Elmer Gates (1859-1923), an independent American inventor and psychologist. Gates developed ideas related to experimental psychology and inventions in fields such as metallurgy, electricity, microscopy, X-rays, and pedagogy. Papers include correspondence, photographs, patents, articles and clippings, writings, and estate documents.
Scope and Contents:
The Elmer Gates Papers contain documents about Gates's scientific pursuits and his personal life. Included are six series: Personal Papers (1879, 1922, 1981-1988), Correspondence (1894-1924, 1970s), Photographs (1890s-1910), Patents (1896-1928), Articles and Clippings (1894-1910, 1923, undated), and Writings, 1893-1916, 1971, undated. The majority of papers date from Elmer Gates's most active period, 1894-1910. The papers are arranged into six series.
Arrangement:
This collection is divided into six series. Series 1, Personal Papers, 1879, 1922, 1981-1988 Series 2, Correspondence, 1894-1924, 1970s Series 3, Photographs, 1890s-1910 Series 4, Patents, 1896-1928 Subseries 1, United States Patents (issued), 1896-1928 Subseries 2, United States Patent Applications, 1896 Subseries 3, British Patent, 1901 Series 5, Articles and Clippings, 1894-1910, 1923, undated Series 6, Writings, 1893-1916, 1971, undated Subseries 1, Articles by Elmer Gates, 1895-1906, undated Subseries 2, Notes, 1911 Subseries 3, Diary, 1911 Subseries 4, The Concept of Omnicosm (notes), 1893 Subseries 5, "Originality and Invention Applied to Livelihood and Business," 1981 Subseries 6, Periodicals, 1896, 1903 Subseries 7, Books, 1905-1916, 1971, undated
Biographical / Historical:
Elmer Gates (1859-1923) was an experimental psychologist and inventor active at the turn of the twentieth century. Having worked independently from a personal laboratory, Gates remains a largely obscure figure in the history of science. In his day, however, Gates was known for his original ideas linked to experimental psychology, as well as his numerous and eclectic inventions for which he received more than forty patents. A sampling of Gates's inventions and innovations include a foam fire-extinguisher, an improved electric iron, methods for magnetic separation, and educational toys. In the field of psychology, Gates promoted a concept that he termed psychurgy, or the "art of more efficiently using the mind."1 Elmer Gates was born near Dayton, Ohio, in 1859, to Jacob and Phebe Gates. At an early age, Elmer displayed a marked curiosity for the sciences. While in school, he was also taught by private tutors and his parents (his father was a teacher). By the late 1870s, Elmer had begun to develop ideas about experimental psychology. He believed that scientific experiments should be applied to the processes of the mind. The purpose of "psychurgy" would be to use the mind more effectively and efficiently. By training the mind through intense introspection and concentration and by attempting to observe corresponding physiological phenomena in the brain, Gates sought to demonstrate that the mind is in effect the body, and vice-versa. The ultimate aim—philosophical and moral—was to harness the mind's potential in order to advance new ideas and to improve emotional well-being and personal character. 1 Gates, Elmer. "Can Will Power Be Trained?" Success (March 1900): 93.
Provenance:
This collection was donated by Mary P. Gardner and C. Lee Humphries in 2008.
Restrictions:
Collection is open for research but is stored off-site and special arrangements must be made to work with it. Contact the Archives Center for information at archivescenter@si.edu or 202-633-3270.
The collection is open for research use.
Rights:
Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning intellectual property rights. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.
Topic:
Psychology  Search this
Psychologists  Search this
Inventors  Search this
Inventions  Search this
Genre/Form:
Writings
Photographs -- 1900-1910
Photographs -- 1890-1900
Patents
Personal papers -- 20th century
Personal papers -- 19th century
Correspondence -- 19th-20th century
Articles
Diaries -- 20th century
Citation:
Elmer Gates Papers, 1894-1988 (bulk 1894-1910), Archives Center, National Museum of American History.
Identifier:
NMAH.AC.1123
See more items in:
Elmer Gates Papers
Archival Repository:
Archives Center, National Museum of American History
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ep83aa457d1-fb9b-4f17-ba92-ac58f6791379
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-nmah-ac-1123