Timothy Leary, clinical psychologist and Harvard professor, became an advocate for the use of psychedelic drugs after conducting experiments with psilocybin mushrooms and LSD. Born in Springfield, Massachusetts in 1920, he attended the United States Military Academy at West Point, but was court-martialed for an honor code violation. When he refused to resign from the Honor Committee, his fellow cadets were ordered to shun him. He ultimately chose to leave the Academy.
Leary obtained his degree in psychology at the University of Alabama and his Ph.D. at the University of California, Berkeley. During a visit to Mexico Leary tried psilocybin mushrooms and, as a result of this experience, began research into the effects of LSD and other psychotropic and psychedelic drugs on individuals. In the late 1960s, Leary was arrested twice on drug-related charges and sentenced to two consecutive ten-year terms. He escaped from prison and was smuggled out of the country with the help of the Weathermen, but was later forcibly returned. After his release from prison in 1976, he had a notable career as an author and lecturer on philosophy, psychology, and futurism. Timothy Leary died of cancer in 1996.
From the guide to the Timothy Leary and associates collection, 1960-2005, (The New York Public Library. Manuscripts and Archives Division.)
