Posthumous Works
Editorial foreword
Wolf Wolfensberger’s posthumous works
Susan Thomas & Marc Tumeinski
This is the first in what we hope will eventually be the dissemination of a number of “occasional papers,” i.e., papers published on an irregular basis but typically focusing on specific themes or a single author. In this case, what unites the papers is their author, the late Dr. Wolf Wolfensberger (1934-2011). We are pleased to make available these previously unpublished texts of his (in one case, co-authored) produced at various points in his long career. We are appreciative of the access to these original materials held in the Wolf P. Wolfensberger Collection, Robert S. Wigton Department of Special Collections and Archives, McGoogan Health Sciences Library, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, Nebraska, and in particular for the gracious assistance of Darby Kurtz at the Library. We encourage readers to access the Archive material available online through the McGoogan Library website Digital Commons https://www.unmc.edu/library/special-collections/archives.html to visit the Archives in person for research, and to consider supporting the Archives in other ways including financially (via the Wolfensberger Collection Fund).
The International Social Role Valorization Association (ISRVA) provided generous financial support for research in the above archives. These papers are available online from the ISRVA website (socialrolevalorization.com), under the Resources tab. It is our hope that other previously unpublished materials may be added in the future.
We are especially grateful for the ongoing support of and cooperation from the Wolfensberger family.
As noted, none of these papers have been previously published. If intended for publication, they would have been “manuscripts in preparation,” and to Dr. Wolfensberger, “preparation” meant ongoing thought about the topic, and ongoing collection of additional material, sources, and responses and critique from colleagues. Thus, the papers must all be considered unfinished, and had they been published while Dr. Wolfensberger was alive, he would probably have edited them further, and maybe even changed or nuanced his position over time.
The following papers address various topics and were originally written for distinct purposes and audiences. Dr. Wolfensberger composed these writings at different points in his career, some just after he had received his doctorate, others when he was working in Nebraska, others in Syracuse, NY where he spent the majority of his working life. The introduction to each item tells the context.
While the papers do not necessarily share a common theme, they provide insight into and are evidence of Dr. Wolfensberger’s developing thought over time.