Columbia University's Rare Book and Manuscript Library is pleased to announce that the Albert Ellis Papers are now open to the Columbia University community and the public for scholarly research.

For more information on the materials, please check the finding aid online.

Albert Ellis (1913-2007) obtained his bachelor’s degree in business administration from the City College of New York in 1934, and M.A. (1943), and Ph.D. degrees in clinical psychology from Columbia University in 1947. He originated Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT) in 1955 as a cognitive behavioral system of psychotherapy. REBT teaches clients to use cognitive, emotive, and behavioral methods to counter their self-sabotaging beliefs and behaviors. In 1959, Ellis founded and organized the Institute for Rational Living (Albert Ellis Institute) in 1959, in Manhattan where it is still operating presently. Ellis served as President Emeritus of the Institute until his death on July 24, 2007.

The Ellis Papers consists of materials related to Ellis's long career as a psychologist, sexologist, and pioneer of Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT). Records consist of correspondence, publications, photographs, notebooks, notecards, reel to reel audio tapes, audio cassette tapes, VHS tapes, and Dictaphone tapes.