Scope and arrangement
The C. A. Tripp papers date from the 1940s to 2013 and primarily contain correspondence, writings, and research files that document his professional career. Some material relates to Tripp's estate and the publication of The Intimate World of Abraham Lincoln after Tripp's death.
The C. A. Tripp papers are arranged in six series:
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1940s-2003
The correspondence provides insight into Tripp's working relationships with other psychologists, sex researchers, and professional acquaintances. The majority of the correspondence is between Tripp and Sixt Kapff (an Italian associate of both Tripp and Kinsey), Tripp and Kinsey, and Kapff and Kinsey. The letters between Tripp and Kinsey discuss details of their research collaborations and Kinsey's visits to New York City. In 1951 Kapff wrote to Kinsey expressing an interest in his sex research and Kapff began to provide Kinsey with data and information about his own sexual activities. Kapff provided Tripp with copies of this correspondence with Kinsey. Tripp and Kapff's own letters discuss Tripp's research and Kapff's observations about sexual practices and mores in Italy and India.
Other frequent correspondents include Professors David Gwyn Jeffreys and Wayne Dynes and Kinsey Institute director Paul Gebhard. There is also one file of correspondence with Theodore Reik. Tripp's early professional work at the Handwriting Institute is documented through correspondence, much of it with Huntington Hartford, founder of the Handwriting Institute.
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1920s-1998
Series II: Kinsey consists of general material about Kinsey and Tripp's contact with the Kinsey Institute. More detailed and substantial Kinsey and Kinsey Institute items can be found in Series I.
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1952-201333 boxes; 37 computer files (1.16 Megabytes)
Tripp's wide-ranging research interests are reflected in the Writing and Research series which contains material on the psychological and physiological aspects of human sexuality, with an emphasis on homosexuality; pedophilia; child abuse; and early sexual experiences among other topics. Tripp's research files primarily consist of printouts of typed notes and transcripts, summaries of secondary sources, and some data printouts; some are highlighted and annotated.
The bulk of the research subsection contains files that could not be associated with any particular research or writing project. The writings subsection pertains to Tripp's book length projects, research articles, and unpublished writings. For The Homosexual Matrix, The Intimate World of Abraham Lincoln, and Tripp's joint research with Fritz Fluckiger on the sexual substrate there are drafts, correspondence, and research files related to these discreet projects. The Lincoln-related files include drafts and correspondence generated after Tripp's death. A copy of Tripp's dissertation is also available (b. 24 f.2). There is also considerable material documenting Tripp's criticism of the Kinsey biography written by James H. Jones.
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1947-2002
Series IV: Subject Files largely document Tripp's time as director of the Handwriting Institute and lectures he delivered from 1968 through the 1990s. Tripp's early professional work at the Handwriting Institute is documented through correspondence, much of it with Huntington Hartford, founder of the Handwriting Institute. There are also several files pertaining to Tripp's associate Fritz Fluckiger.
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1950s-1990s
Series V: Personal contains photographs; two curriculum vitaes; and Tripp's diplomas and professional licenses. The photographs are primarily of Tripp with his family and friends, but there are portraits of Kinsey and Theodore Reik.
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1950s-2013
The estate files pertain to the administration of Tripp's property and literary assets.