Unseen Erickson P.3
FROM THE MILTON H. ERICKSON FOUNDATION ARCHIVES
Collection: The Milton H. Erickson Workshop Files
Archives Location: U: Box 279
And Archives Location: U Box 330, Folder F8
1958: It Was a Very Good Year
Milton H. Erickson, Admiral of the Flagship Fleet
Financial Overview of 1958
Average cost of a new house $12,750.00
Average wages per year $4,600.00
Minimum Wage $1.00 per hour
Average rent: $92.00 per month
Gasoline 25 cents per gallon
Bacon 65 cents per pound
Eggs 32 cents per dozen
Cost of stamp to mail a letter 3 cents
A Few 1958 Facts
Dwight D. Eisenhower was President of the United States
National Aeronautics and Space Act signed creating NASA
Sir Edmond Hillary reaches the South Pole
Jack Kirby of Texas Instrument & Robert Boyce of Fairchild invent micro-chip
Elvis Presley is inducted into the United States Army
Top song of the year was “Volare”
Top movie of the year was “Vertigo”
Barbie goes into production for her debut at 1959 Toy Show
ERICKSON’S TRAVELS IN 1958
Erickson was living at 32 West Cypress in Phoenix. He traveled extensively that year, crisscrossing the country providing 55 lectures, seminars and trainings. He presented at universities, dental, medical, and clinical hypnosis conferences, and hospitals and for the United States Army.
He lectured for Seminars on Hypnosis, a Chicago-based firm, that handled registration for the seminars. The three-day seminars cost $150.00 which included luncheons. “The instructors are recognized leaders in the field. All are experienced teachers and are engaged in clinical practice of medicine or dentistry.”
Many of the seminars, in addition to Erickson, included Aston, a dentist from West New York, New Jersey, Seymour Hershman, a Chicago- based physician and Irving Sector, a Chicago-based dentist.
Session topics included:
Review of Induction Procedures Review of Deepening Techniques
The Art of Suggestion Hypnosis in Dentistry
Individual Variations in Patient Responses Misconceptions of Hypnosis
Induced Conflicts, Patient Protection, Automatic Writing
Psychological Problems in Medical and Dental Hypnosis
There were discussion sessions and practice sessions.
January 4 – 18
Erickson started the year teaching on the Ocean-Monarch cruise ship for Seminars in Hypnosis. The ship departed New York City and cruised to San Juan, Curacao, Haiti and Cuba. The registrar for the cruise, Pat McFate, stated “our party consists of a teaching staff of five doctors and their wives and additional seventy-five doctors and their wives.” The cruise was coordinated with the Hattian Board of Affairs and the Haitian Ministry of Tourism presented a workshop about the Relationship of Voodoo to Hypnosis.
A prior blogpost about the cruise can be found at:
https://www.erickson-foundation.org/blog/unseen-erickson
Later that month Erickson presents a seminar in Lexington, Kentucky. He then presents Seminars on Hypnosis
February 14 -16 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
March 7 – 9 New Orleans, Louisiana
March 24 -27
Erickson presents at the Scientific Assembly at the Statler Hilton in Dallas, Texas sponsored by the American Academy of General Practice in cooperation with the Dallas Southern Clinical Society. Over 8,000 attended the conference. Lectures included The Problems of Aging, The Emotional and Physical Problems of the Teen-Ager, Surgery of the Biliary Tract, New Developments in Medicine, Manipulative and Operative Obstetrics and Trauma. Erickson spoke on a panel, “Medical Hypnosis with Practical Demonstrations.”
Displays/Technical Exhibitors
In addition to displays by drug manufacturers and suppliers and the latest innovations in medicines and appliances, there were exhibits by:
Rexall Drug Company in Booth No. 524.
“10,000 Independent Rexall Druggists welcome you. They fill ¼ of the 1,200,000 daily prescriptions as their most important function. See the Rx Window displays for public Education. One shows the comparison of expenditures for drugs and automobiles. Another shows an ancient ‘Tree of Life” and a modern version.”
The R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company, at Booth No. 4, invited participants “to receive a cigarette case (monogrammed with your initials) containing your choice of Camel, Winston Filter, Menthol Fresh Salem or Cavalier King Size Cigarettes.
There was a “Ladies Entertainment” series of events including a trip to the Garden Center Flower Show at the General Exhibit Building in Fair Park, a luncheon followed by a fashion show by Nieman Marcus, a book review talk followed by a tea, and a “Funny Man” show for the kids.
Cleo Norris, Executive New Editor of the General Practice Magazine writes to Erickson on April 7, 1958. “I was particularly impressed with the session on hypnosis and with your part in the program. Obviously, the audience was too, judging from their rapt attention and the fact that they stayed on two hours after the Assembly program officially closed.” The panel discussion had three speakers, including Erickson, and had been scheduled for one-hour.
Erickson continues:
March 29, 30 Pasadena, California
April 1 Berkeley, California: East Bay Psychiatric Association
April 2 Stanford, California: Stanford University
April 10 - 12
Jackson Mississippi
Erickson presents at the Medical-Dental Seminar on Hypnosis sponsored by the University of Mississippi in cooperation with Mississippi State Medical Association and the Mississippi Dental Association. Erickson presents along with Easton, Hershman and Specter. Erickson presents:
Psychological Problems in Medical and Dental Hypnosis
Phenomena of Deep Hypnosis, Patient Protection, and Automatic Writing
Hypnosis in Obstetrics and Gynecology
Psychodynamics of Hypnosis
Erickson continues:
April 21 – 23 Milwaukee, Wisconsin: Wisconsin State Dental Society 88 th Annual Meeting
April 25 – 27 Chicago, Illinois: Seminar in Hypnosis
May 3, 4 Chicago, Illinois
May 5 – 7
Erickson presents at the 82 nd Annual Session of the Arkansas Medical Society in Hot Springs, Arkansas. He conducts the morning session on “The Treatment of Painful Terminal Illness.” Tickets for the Dinner Buffet and Party at the Majestic Lodge on Lake Hamilton were $4.50.
The annual banquet featured Mr. Chester Lauck, Executive Assistant, Continental Oil Company. He is “a native of Allene and Mena, Arkansas, former banker and businessman, is better known as the “Lum” of the famous radio team “Lum and Abner.” He is a graduate of the University of Arkansas School of Journalism. His presence at the banquet promises a lively and entertaining evening.”
Lauck, Chet - Encyclopedia of Arkansas
May 9 - 11
Erickson presents at the Shamrock-Hilton Hotel in Housten, Texas, for another Medical-Dental Seminar on Hypnosis.
May 12 - 14
Tufts University of Dental Medicine, Division of Graduate and Postgraduate Studies sponsored Postgraduate Refresher Courses in the Spring Semester.
Course DPG. 902, Hypnosis and Its Clinical Applications was conducted May 9 – May 14 featuring Erickson. The course was featured for dentists, physicians and psychologists. “This course, although stressing the application of hypnosis to dentistry, will have broad coverage and deal with the application of hypnosis in medical practice. It will be an intensive course offering instruction both in primary and advanced Hypnotic Techniques, or Psychosomatic Sleep.” The course ran from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm and from 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm from May 9 to May 14.
Since Erickson was in Houston on May 8, 9, and 10, preliminaries are taught by other experts and Erickson was there from the 12 th to the 14 th .
May 19 – 22 and June 9 - 12
Ft. Benning, Georgia
Erickson provides services to the United States Rifle and Pistol Team. He provided four days of service at $50.00 per day. He also received travel reimbursement for 3,596 miles at $.07 per mile. He returns to Fort Benning for an additional two days of consulting in June.
Erickson continues:
May 23 - 25 Baltimore, Maryland: Seminar in Hypnosis
June 18 Oklahoma City, Oklahoma: District Academy of General Practice
June 20 – 22 Montreal, Quebec: Seminar in Hypnosis
July 18 – 20 Denver, Colorado: Seminar in Hypnosis
Aug. 15 – 17 Little Rock, Arkansas: Seminar in Hypnosis
Erickson flies to Milwaukee for the annual meeting of the Wisconsin Academy of General Practice on September 14, 15 and 16. Over 500 attended the conference. There was a 2-day Scientific Assembly with panel discussions and addresses on 16 topics, featuring prominent doctors.
He then flies to San Francisco for another Seminar on Hypnosis September 19 - 21. On September 4, Haley writes to Erickson saying there is money for dinner on Saturday evening but doesn’t know where to have dinner. On September 10 Erickson responded, “I am very fond of seafood. I understand nothing quite excels geoducks, but then, buttered clams, are also delicious! I don’t care for abalone. Steaks I can get anywhere. Crabs will do in a pinch, as well as lobster.” He closes the letter, “My regards—all kinds of them - - to everybody.”
What Is A Geoduck And How Is It Eaten? (tastingtable.com)
Erickson continues:
October 7 Cincinnati, Ohio: Academy of Medicine of Cincinnati
October 9 Tulsa, Oklahoma: American Academy of General Practice
October 12 New York, NY: State Society of Clinical Hypnosis
October 17 – 19 Toronto, Canada: Seminar on Hypnosis
October 24 – 26 Baltimore, Maryland and Louisville, Kentucky
Oct 31 – Nov 2 Pasadena, California: Seminar on Hypnosis
Erickson then presents in Cleveland at the Statler Hotel, and flies to Chicago on November 9 and presents at the Eye Research Congress. That evening he flies to Philadelphia. He conducts a workshop with “Gorton, Fernhorn, and Haley at an unknow location and the presents at the Americus Hotel in Allentown, Pennsylvania, on November 12. He departs Philly on the 13 th and arrives in Dallas for another Seminar on Hypnosis. He departs Ft. Worth November 16 and arrives back in Phoenix.
Erickson finished the year with presentations:
November 18 Pasadena Medical Society
November 21 Portland, Oregon
November 22 Rosenberg, Oregon: Oregon Dental Society
November 23 Palo Alto, California: Stanford University
December 3 Chicago. Il: Roosevelt University
December 5 – 7 Milwaukee, Wisconsin
After an extensive year of travel, Erickson participates in the Third Annual Conference on Hypnosis January 15 -28, 1959, in Mexico. The conference combines lecture with 2 weeks of travel in Mexico. During 1959, Erickson is scheduled for 76 presentations, conferences and Seminar in Hypnosis. His travels are extensive!!! Elizabeth Erickson summarizes his travels from 1937 to 1966 in a letter to Ernest Rossi, dated May 5, 1982.
ERICKSON AS ADMIRAL OF THE FLAGSHIP FLEET
In 1962, Erickson received designation as an “Admiral of the Flagship Fleet” by American Airlines
“In recognition of his consistent and meritorious service and for his many contributions to the development of air transportation as a public service and as a basic element of Air Power.”
More about the award from Wikipedia at:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Airlines#Admirals _Club
