Georges Ivanovich Gurdjieff (d. 1949) was a Greek-Armenian philosopher who lived and taught his "fourth way" in France. He was born sometime between 1866 and 1877 in Alexandropol, Armenia, which was then a governorate of the Russian Empire. After 1912, he began to instruct a group of students on esoteric knowledge (the source of which he never revealed but which he allegedly garnered after extensive travel throughout Asia), turning these into a type of philosophical system that today could be described as "self-help." After relocating to France, he established the Institute for the Harmonious Development of Man, began writing his manuscripts, and engaged students in sacred music and "movements." He gathered a significant following of writers, artists, and other members of the intelligentsia from the 1920s-1940s, including this collection's co-creators, namely P.D. Ouspensky, Alfred R. Orage, and Solita Solano. Gurdjieff wrote three volumes explaining his system, which were published posthumously. Applicable to architectural researchers are Gurdjieff and Olgivanna Lloyd Wright's life-long relationship. Olgivanna lived and studied at the Institute for a number of years before immigrating to the United States. She structured much of the life at Taliesin around Gurdjieff's philosophy, and the group often performed his "movements."

Correspondence, manuscripts, typescripts, notes, reports, memoranda, documents, and printed materials relating to Friess' dual career. The correspondence files include letters from professors of religion and philosophy at Columbia and other universities; from his students; letters dealing with Columbia academic matters; letters with related reports and memoranda concerning his membership in the Society for the Scientific Study of Religion and the American Council of Learned Societies Committee on the History of Religion, the latter concerned with lectures on Chinese religions by Wing-Tsit Chan in 1950 and on Islam by Louis Massignon in 1952. The academic writings of Friess consist of manuscripts, typescripts, manuscript notes, course materials, and other items relating to his teaching, research, publishing and other activities and associations at Columbia. Religion and philosophy are the chief topics, particularly German philosophy. There are numerous manuscripts submitted to Friess by colleagues and students, including three lengthy ones by Dr. Arno Carl Coutinho.

These papers contain drafts, outlines, notes, and manuscripts authored by Horace Meyer Kallen (bulk 1930s-1960s), documenting his career as a founding professor of philosophy at the New School for Social Research (1919-1974). His papers also contain writings by others and research material in the form of offprints and printed journals. Many topics center on religion and his work with Jewish organizations during the 1950s-1960s.

Correspondence, manuscripts, note cards, and printed material of Selsam. Correspondents include Justice Hugo Black, W.E.B. Dubois, Waldo Frank, Rockwell Kent, and Corliss Lamont. The collection contains several manuscript and proof materials for several of Selsam's books and numerous periodical articles, as well as note cards on philosophers and philosophies. Also, a subject file of Selsam's notes and areas of interest, and assorted printed and biographical material.

The personal and professional papers of Irwin Edman, including correspondence and manuscripts.

Correspondence, manuscripts, memorabilia, photographs, audio cassette, and printed materials. The papers are chiefly professional in nature, concerning teaching, research, students, and some Columbia University academic business, particularly the University Seminars, of which Gutmann was Director from 1970-1976. The files contain letters from colleagues at Columbia and elsewhere. Some of the major correspondents are: Arthur C. Danto, Irwin Edman, Charles Frankel, Horace L. Friess, Sterling P. Lamprecht, John H. Randall, and Herbert Schneider. There are special correspondence files devoted to Joseph Frank (1916-1970), Dean of the Colorado Rocky Mountain School, Fritz Marti, and numerous letters written to Gutmann in 1964 on his receiving the Nicholas Murray Butler Medal for Philosophy. There are also manuscripts by Gutmann on the myth of Prometheus, mystical experience, Nietzsche and the ethical movement. The subject files include material relating to academic freedom, awards, intergration, Gutmann's biography, Israel, and Gutmann's vitae. In addition there are printed materials by Gutmann and by others inscribed to Gutmann.

Correspondence, manuscripts, notes, documents, course materials, organization files, photographs, and printed materials of John Herman Randall, Jr. Included among the cataloged correspondence are lengthy philosophical exchanges between Randall and Harry Elmer Barnes, Wendell T. Bush, John J. Coss, John Dewey, Irwin Edman, William Ernest Hocking, Corliss Lamont, Sterling P. Lamprecht, Arthur O. Lovejoy, Reinhold Niebuhr, Herbert W. Schneider, and Frederick J.E. Woodbridge, and in the uncataloged series, Horace Friess, James Gutmann, and Paul O. Kristeller. A separate series contains family correspondence consisting primarily of letters from Randall to his wife, Mercedes Irene Moritz Randall, during their courtship and early marriage. Randall's manuscripts include drafts of many of his articles and essays (a number of which became chapters in several of his books) as well as typescripts, proofs and related materials for many of his books, notably THE CAREER OF PHILOSOPHY, VOLUMES I-III, ARISTOTLE, THE MAKING OF THE MODERN MIND, NATURE AND HISTORICAL EXPERIENCE, PLATO, and THE ROLE OF KNOWLEDGE IN WESTERN RELIGION.

Collection of materials from Marvin Farber, professor of philosophy and phenomenology. Includes correspondence, publications, notes, speeches, and course files.

These papers document the work of Reiner Schürmann, from notes and material compiled as a student at Centre d'études du Saulchoir (le Saulchoir), his lectures at the New School and manuscripts of his published writings, as well as correspondence with publishers and colleagues.

These papers document the academic career of Reuben Abel (1911-1997), beginning with his undergraduate study at Columbia College and doctoral philosophy studies in the Graduate Faculty of the New School for Social Research, through his professorship at the university. It includes course notes and syllabi, and material documenting his student activities, such as his role as founder and editor of the New School student magazine, 12th Street: A Quarterly. Abel's papers reflect his position within the Graduate Faculty, consisting of correspondence with colleagues and deans, appointment letters, faculty minutes, and committee documents; in addition to his role as instructor and advisor to students, consisting of lecture notes, thesis committee work and doctoral exam requirement reviews. Contains one annotated typescript of his work, Man Is the Measure.