January 14, 1875 -- Albert Schweitzer born at Kayserberg,
Alsace* to Adele Schillinger Schweitzer and Lutheran Pastor, Louis Schweitzer.
1880- 1884 -- Attended village school, Gunsbach.
1885-1893 -- Student at gymnasium, Mulhausen.
1893 -- Began studies, University of Strasbourg; also studied organ
in Paris.
April 1894-April 1895 -- Served required military service.
1896-1899 -- Studied at Sorbonne and University of Berlin; also
studied organ in Paris and Berlin. Began giving concerts. Published first
book.
1899 -- Received doctorate of philosophy, University of Strasbourg.
1900 -- Received a licentiate degree in theology; ordained as curate.
January 14, 1905 -- Age 30; made decision to study medicine
and go to Africa.
1906. Began medical studies, University of Strasbourg.
1912. Married Hélène Bresslau.
1913. Completed internship and received M.D. degree. Left for Africa.
1914-17 -- Considered enemy alien by French authorities, but could
continue medical practice.
September, 1915 -- After years of searching, he finds the
words, Reverence for Life, that sum up his philosophy.
1917 -- The Schweitzers transferred to France as civilian interns.
1918 -- Returned to Alsace in poor health.
1919-1923 -- Daughter born, recovered health, lectured widely, practiced
medicine, gave organ concerts, preached, wrote and published books, including
the two-volume Philosophy of Civilization.
1924-1927--Returned to Africa; rebuilt hospital at new location.
1927-1939 -- Made several trips to and from Africa. Lectured widely
and played organ throughout Europe.
1939-1948 -- Remained in Lambarene during World War II. Mrs. Schweitzer
joins him after hazardous escape from Europe.
1949. First and only trip to the United States.
1954 -- Accepts in Oslo, Norway the 1952 Nobel Peace Prize and gold
replica of the Albert Schweitzer Medal of the Animal Welfare Institute.
May 30, 1957 -- Death of Hélène Schweitzer in Switzerland.
December 4, 1957 -- Returned to Lambarene for the thirteenth and
last time.
1958 -- 1963 --Worked for nuclear test ban treaty. Period of great
expansion at hospital. He has become one of the world's leading citizens.
May 6, 1963 -- Endorsed a U.S. Senate bill to reduce laboratory
animal suffering.
March, 1965 -- His dogs, cats and monkeys put to death by authorities
due to rabies epidemic.
September 4, 1965 -- Died at Lambarene. Age 90.
_____________
*Alsace -- often referred to as Alsace-Lorraine -- is today a region of
northeastern France located on the German border. Since the 4th century
the area has passed back and forth between France and Germany and their
tribal predecessors.
Chapter One: The Young Schweitzer's Questions
2. Many Children. The Animal World of Albert Schweitzer. Edited
by Charles R. Joy. Boston: Beacon Press, 1950, p. 44. Hereinafter
referred to as Animal/Joy. (Selection translated by Joy from
Aus Meiner Kindheit und Jugendzeit. Hereinafter referred to as Kindheit.)
2. A Prayer. Albert Schweitzer: Thoughts for Our Times. Edited
by Erica Anderson. Mount Vernon, N.Y.: Peter Pauper Press, 1975. p. 9.
(Selection translated by Anderson from Kindheit.)
NOTE: The prayer quoted in the text is the only Schweitzer prayer for
animals that can be authenticated. The following prayer has been widely
attributed to Dr. Schweitzer. But his daughter, Rhena Schweitzer Miller,
Schweitzer archivists, bibliographers and scholars are unable to authenticate
it.
Prayer
for Animals
Here
our humble prayer, 0 God, for our friends the animals, especially for animals
who are suffering; for animals that are overworked, underfed and cruelly
treated; for all wistful creatures in captivity that beat their wings against
bars; for any that are hunted or lost or deserted or frightened or hungry;
for all that must be put to death. We entreat for them all Thy mercy and
pity, and for those who deal with them we ask a heart of compassion and
gentle hands and kindly words. Make us, ourselves, to be true friends to
animals, and so to share the blessings of the merciful.
3. Forgiveness. Memoirs of Childhood and Youth, by Albert Schweitzer.
Translated by C.T. Campion from Kindheit. New York: Macmillan,
1955, p. 30. (Hereinafter referred to as Memoirs/Campion.)
4. Worms and Fish. Animal/Joy, op. cit., p. 46. From Kindheit.
4. Birds and Bells. Ibid., p. 44.
5. Freedom. Ibid., p. 44.
6. A Conviction. Ibid., p. 46.
7. Torn From Nature. Memoirs/Campion, op. cit., p. 22.
7. Mystery of Life. Ibid., p. 52.
8. Our Share of Misery, Ibid., p. 61.
9. A New Path. Ibid., p. 61.
10. Atonement. Reverence for Life: Sermons of Albert Schweitzer.
Translated by Reginald Fuller. New York: Harper and Row, 1969, pp.
56-57.
Chapter
Two: Africa
12. Pushing
the Cart. On the Edge of the Primeval Forest and More From the Primeval
Forest, by Albert Schweitzer. Translated by C.T. Campion from
Zwischen Wasser und Urwald und Das Spittal im Urwald. New York:
Macmillan, p. 11. (Hereinafter referred to as Edge/More.)
13. Two Monkey Tails. Ibid., p. 15.
15. Poor Little Baby Monkey. Ibid., p. 49.
16. The White Heron. Animal/Joy, op. cit., p. 16. Translated by
Charles Joy from Afrikanische Jagdgeschichten.
16. Fire. Albert Schweitzer: An Anthology. Edited by Charles
R. Joy. Boston: Beacon Press. 1947, p. 279. (Hereinafter referred to as
An Anthology/Joy.) From Living Age, Sept. 1938.
17. Constant Struggle. Animal/Joy, op. cit., p. 189. Translated
by Joy From Kultur und Ethik.
18. Choices. Out of My Life and Thought, by Albert Schweitzer.
Translated by C.T. Campion from Aus Meinen Leben und Denken. New
York: Henry Holt, 1949, p. 234. (Hereinafter referred to as Life.)
19. Man or Nature. Edge/More, op. cit., p. 101.
19. Tragedy. Life, op. cit., p. 153.
20. Questions. Philosophy of Civilization; Part II Civilization
and Ethics, by Albert Schweitzer. Translated by C.T. Campion from Kultur
und Ethik. New York: Macmillan, 1949. Reprint, University
Presses of Florida, 1981, p. 86.
21. Solitude. Edge/More, op. cit., p. 100
21. Iron Door. Life. op. cit., p. 155.
21. Struggling. Ibid., p. 155.
22. Third Day. Ibid., p. 156
Chapter Three: Reverence for Life
23. Ethic of Love. Out of My Life and Thought, p, 232.
24. Some Sort of Help. Animal/Joy, op. cit., p. 191. From Kultur.
24. Interpreting Life. Ibid., p. 30. From Kultur.
25. Animal Machines. The Teaching of Reverence for Life, by Albert Schweitzer. Translated by Richard and Clare Winston. New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston. 1965, pp. 49-50). (Hereinafter referred to as Teaching.)
25. Philosophy Shrinks. Animal/Joy, op. cit., p. 187. From the International Journal of Animal Protection, Edinburgh: May 1935. (Hereinafter referred to as Journal.)
25. Muddy Paws. Teaching, op . cit., p. 49.
25. Untouchable Keys. Ibid., p. 50.
26. Nature. Anthology/Joy, op. cit., p. 248. From Christian Century, vol. 51, 1934.
26. Harsh Mystery. Animal/Joy, op. cit., p. 177. From Atlantis, Zurich, 1932.
27. Mutual Dependence. Ibid., p. 272. From Christendom, vol. 1, no.1, 1936.
27. A Single Flower. Animal/Joy, op. cit., p. 190. From Kultur.
28. He Shatters No Ice Crystal. Philosophy of Civilization; Part II, Civilization and Ethics, by Albert Schweitzer. Translated by John Naish from Kultur und Ethik. London: A & C Black, 1923, p. 254. (Hereinafter referred to as Civilization /Naish.)
28. After a Rainstorm. Ibid., p. 254.
29. Which Life? Life, op. cit., p. 253.
29. No
One May Shut His Eyes. Animal/Joy, op. cit., p. 191. From Kultur.
30. Consolation. Teaching, op . cit., p. 23.
30. Nature's Goal. Anthology/Joy, op. cit., p. 252. From Christian Century.
30. Friend of Nature. Animal/Joy, op. cit., p. 177.
30. Masks Fall. Ibid., p. 191. From Kultur.
31. Thinking. Life, op . cit., p. 158.
31. Good and Evil. Ibid., p. 158.
31. Quiet Conscience. Animal/Joy, op. cit., p. 190. From Kultur.
32. Victims of War. Anthology/Joy, op. cit., p. 260. From Christendom.
Chapter Four: Down to Cases
33. Nature's
Cruelty. The Animal World of Albert Schweitzer, Joy, p.177. From
Atlantis.
33. Animal Fights. Ibid., p. 178.
34. Performing Animals. Memoirs/Campion, op. cit., p. 31.
34. Amusements. Teaching, op. cit., p. 50.
34. Falconry. Animal/Joy, op. cit., p. 177. From Atlantis.
35. Sport Hunting, Teaching, op. cit., p. 50.
36. Laboratory Animals. Animal./Joy, op. cit., p. 190. From Kultur.
37. Pain. Civilization /Naish, op. cit., p. 264.
37. Solidarity. Ibid., p. 264.
37. Endorsement. Letter to U.S. Senator Maurine Neuberger of Oregon May
6, 1963.
38. Euthanasia. Indian Thought and Its Development, by Albert Schweitzer.
Translated by Mrs. C.E.B. Russell from Die Weltanschauung der indischen
Denken, New York: Henry Holt. 1936, p. 83.
39. Poor Creatures. Unpublished memorandum.
39. Animals Into Meat. Civilization /Naish, op. cit., p. 253.
Chapter Five: Animals And Plants Around Him
41. Animal
Feelings. The Schweitzer Album, by Erica Anderson. New York: Harper
and Row, 1965. p. 42. (Hereinafter referred to as Album /Anderson.)
44. Monkeys and More Monkeys. Anthology/Joy, op. cit., p. 282. From
Christendom.
45. Magic Music. Animal/Joy, p. 26.
50. False Distinctions. Album/Anderson, op. cit., p. 42.
50. Small Creatures. Edge/More, op. cit., p. 112.
51. Extra Work. Edge/More, op. cit., p. 157.
51. Beauty. Album/Anderson, op. cit., p. 39.
Chapter Six: The World Listens
53. Compassion.
Nobel Peace Prize address: The Problem of Peace in the World Today.
New York: Harper and Row, 1954. Reprinted, The Courier, Albert
Schweitzer Fellowship, April, 1978, p. 12.
54. Nuclear Fall-out. Peace or Atomic War? New York: Holt, Rinehart
and Winston, 1958. p. 8. (Three broadcasts from Oslo.)
55. Goethe. Albert Schweitzer. Goethe -- Five Studies. Translated
by Charles R. Joy. Boston. Beacon Press. 1961. p. 3
56. Boundless Ethics. Animal/Joy, op. cit., p. 30.
57. Moving Surprise. Letter to Christine Stevens.
58. A New Humanity. Letter to Aida Flemming.
58. True Religion. Letter to Japanese Animal Welfare Society.
59. Heart and Reason. Humane Education Magazine. The Humane Society
of the United States. Spring, 1978.
60. Capacity to Foresee. Silent Spring, by Rachel Carson. Boston:
Houghton Mifflin, 1962.
62. A Longer Journey. Album/Anderson, op. cit., p. 20.
64. Fate of Every Truth. Civilization /Naish, op. cit., p. 255.
65. Let Us Work. Animal/Joy, op. cit., p. 179. From Atlantis.
65. For All Creation. Animal/Joy, op. cit., p. 188. From Journal.
Inside back cover. Anthology/Joy, op. cit., p. 315. From Revue des Travaux de l' Academie des Sciences Morales et Politiques. Paris. 1952.
Back cover. Life, op. cit., p. 157.
Photographs by Erica Anderson or from her collection, unless otherwise noted, as follows:
P. 4--Fish
and Wildlife Service, Department of the Interior. P. 5--Humane Society
of the United States (HSUS) /Francesconi. P. 8--National Oceanic
and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce. P. 15--National
Zoological Park, Smithsonian Institution. P.16-- HSUS. P. 22--Eliot
Elisofon, National Museum of African Art, Eliot Elisofon Archives, Smithsonian
Institution. P. 29-- V.A. Livingstone. P. 32-U.S. Army Military
Institute, Carlisle Barracks, Pa. P. 33 --HSUS/Franz Dantzler. P.34--Defenders
of Wildlife/Interior. P. 35-Department of the Interior. P. 38-Ann Cottrell
Free. P. 39-HSUS/Cindy Rossa. P. 40--HSUS. P. 49 --Charles
R. Joy. P. 54-U.S. Air Force. P. 55 -- HSUS/John Dommers. PP.
56 & 57 --The Animal Welfare Institute. P. 61-National Aeronautics
and Space Administration. P. 61--The Rachel Carson Council/Eric
Hartman. Front and End Papers-Eliot Elisofon, National Museum of
African Art, Eliot Elisofon Archives, Smithsonian Institution.
The following books have been valuable in the production of Animals, Nature and Albert Schweitzer. An asterisk denotes those from which selections have been reprinted by kind permission of their publishers or copyright holders.
BOOKS BY ALBERT SCHWEITZER
African
Notebook. Translated from Afrikanische Geschichten by Mrs. C.E.B.
Russell. New York: Henry Holt and Co. 1939.
* Indian Thought and Its Development. Translated from Die Weltanschauung
der indischen Denker by Mrs. C.E.B. Russell. New York: Henry Holt and
Co. 1938.
* Memoirs of Childhood and Youth. Translated from Aus Meiner
Kindheit und Jugendzeit by C.T. Campion. New York: The Macmillan Co.
1949.
* On the Edge of the Primeval Forest and More from the Primeval Forest.
Translated from Zwishen Wasser und Urwald und Das Spittal im Urwald
by C.T. Campion. New York: The Macmillan Co. 1956.
* Out of My Life and Thought. Translated from Aus Meinen Leben
und Denken by C.T. Campion. New York: Henry Holt and Co. 1949.
* The Philosophy of Civilization (Kulturphilosophie) Part 1, Decay
and Restoration of Civilization (Verfall und Weideraufbau) and Part
II, Civilization and Ethics (Kultur und Ethik) both translated by
C.T. Campion. London: A & C Black, 1946, 1949; New York: The Macmillan
Co., 1949; paperback reprint edition, Macmillan 1949 by permission of Rhena
Schweitzer Miller, Tallahassee: University Presses of Florida, 1981. Part
II, Civilization and Ethics, translated by John Naish. London: A
& C Black, 1923.
* Peace or Atomic War? (Three broadcasts from Oslo.) New York: Holt,
Rinehart and Winston. 1958.
* The Problem of Peace in the World Today (Nobel Peace Prize address).
New York: Harper and Row. 1954.
* Reverence for Life. Sermons of Albert Schweitzer. Translated by
Reginald Fuller. New York: Harper and Row. 1969.
* The Teaching of Reverence for Life. Translated by Richard and
Clare Winston. New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston. 1965.
SCHWEITZER ANTHOLOGIES
* Albert
Schweitzer: An Anthology. Edited by Charles R. Joy. Boston: Beacon
Press. 1947.
* Albert Schweitzer: Thoughts for Our Times. Edited by Erica Anderson.
Mount Vernon, N.Y.: Peter Pauper Press. 1975.
* The Animal World of Albert Schweitzer. Edited and translated by
Charles R. Joy. Boston: Beacon Press. 1950.
BOOKS ABOUT ALBERT SCHWEITZER
* Anderson,
Erica. The Schweitzer Album. New York: Harper and Row. 1965.
Brabazon, James. Albert Schweitzer. New York: G.P. Putnam's Sons.
1975.
Cousins, Norman (with Clara Urquhart). Dr. Schweitzer of Lambarene.
New York: Harper and Brothers. 1960.
Ice, Jackson Lee. Prophet of Radical Theology. Philadelphia: The
Westminster Press. 1971.
Marshall, George and Poling, David. Schweitzer: A Biography. New
York: Doubleday and Co. 1975.
Ratter, Magnus. Albert Schweitzer: Life and Message. Boston: Beacon
Press. 1950.
Seaver, George. Albert Schweitzer, the Man and His Mind. New York:
Harper and Brothers. 1947.
SCHWEITZER PERIODICALS IN U.S.A.
* The
Courier, New York: Albert Schweitzer Fellowship.
Reverence, Great Barrington: Albert Schweitzer Center.
GUIDES TO MAJOR ALBERT SCHWEITZER MATERIAL
Albert
Schweitzer, an International Bibliography. Compiled and edited by Laura
Person, Nancy Griffith, Antje B. Lemke. Boston: G.K. Hall, 70 Lincoln St.
(02135) 1982.
Guide to Albert Schweitzer Collections in the United States. Compiled
and edited by Haidee Flinders and Antje B. Lemke. New York: Albert Schweitzer
Fellowship, 866 United Nations Plaza (10017) 1981.
In Europe: Albert Schweitzer Central Archives, Maison Albert Schweitzer,
F 68140 Gunsbach, Haut- Rhin, France.
The cooperation extended by individuals and organizations, dedicated to the Schweitzer ethic, has been heartening. To them, my appreciation for their help and interest in the creation of this small volume. Their aims and activities are summarized in the immediately following pages.
A special word of gratitude to Charles F. Herrmann III of The Humane Society of the United States. He has truly been my partner, through his enthusiastic creativity and knowledge of book design.
To Rhena Schweitzer Miller, my deep appreciation, as a fellow board member of the Albert Schweitzer Fellowship, as president, (on leave) of the Albert Schweitzer Center, as daughter of Helene and Albert Schweitzer, and as my friend. When I suggested a book of this kind, Rhena Miller saw the need, particularly as educational adjunct for the sponsoring groups. At the time of this printing, Mrs. Miller is serving as a medical technician, assisting her husband, Dr. David Miller, in the Yemen Arab Republic.
Valuable information and insight have been generously supplied by other individuals who were at the Schweitzer Hospital. My particular gratitude is extended to Myrta Pearson Ross, now of Annandale, Va., who, with her late husband, Dr. Emory Ross, was among the first supporters of the Albert Schweitzer Fellowship during the World War II years when the hospital was in desperate need of the supplies sent by the Fellowship. (Earlier, the Rosses served as missionaries in Equatorial Africa and became friends of the Schweitzers.)
I am grateful, as well, to those other Lambarene "graduates," Marie Louise Cullum of St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands; Lee and Dorothy Ellerbrook of Corvina, Calif.; Dr. David Miller, currently in the Yemen Arab Republic; Dr. Fergus Pope of Burnsville, N.C.; and long-time Schweitzer assistant, Ali Silver of the Albert Schweitzer Central Archives, Gunsbach, France. Each of these individuals performed work of outstanding selfless service at Lambarene.
To Estelle Linzer, executive director of the Albert Schweitzer Fellowship, my deepest appreciation for her interest and assistance. Also to Fellowship president, Lawrence Gussman and vice-president Mark L. Wolf and directors Dr. John Karefa-Smart and George Marshall, my gratitude.
To Christine Stevens, president of the Animal Welfare Institute and Secretary of the Society for Animal Protection Legislation, my particular gratitude -- not only for her suggestions, but for her highly effective selfless years in helping animals and guarding the biosphere. Her knowledgeable associates, Fran Lipscomb and John Gleiber have always been most cooperative. My thanks to them and to former AWI staffer, Sheryl Sternenberg.
The role of The Humane Society of the United States in making this small volume possible has been invaluable. My warm thanks, in addition to Mr. Herrmann, to HSUS president, John A. Hoyt; vice-presidents Patricia Forkan and Patrick B. Parkes; and general counsel, Murdaugh S. Madden; Frantz Dantzler, John Dommers, Liz Maher, Dale Hylton, Thien Huong T. Tram.
At the Albert Schweitzer Center, my gratitude to its acting president, Antje B. Lemke; board member, Elizabeth Eyre Taylor; staff members, Stephen C. Rose and Ann B. Williams. I cannot emphasize sufficiently my appreciation for the use of the late Erica Anderson's photographs and other Schweitzer material as the Center's contribution to the publication of the book. Mrs. Anderson's work-- in photographs, words and deeds-- will live on.
The patience and typing skill of a fine humanitarian, Virginia Warren, has been a great support throughout the editing and compilation process. My gratitude to her and Michael Klyn of Peake Printers.
To Jean Robitscher, William Ward Nooter, Bella Chaikin, Ruth Frandsen and my husband, James S. Free, and daughter, Elissa Blake Free, my thanks.
I am grateful to the publishers that so generously granted permission -- noted in the bibliography section -- for the reprinting of selections from Albert Schweitzer's works.
Ann Cottrell
Free
Washington, D.C., 1982
The basic mission of the Albert Schweitzer Fellowship, a non-profit organization, is to provide assistance to the Albert Schweitzer Hospital in Lambarene, Gabon and to extend, in a variety of ways, Dr. Schweitzer's philosophy of "reverence for life."
The Fellowship was born in 1939 of the urgency to aid the Hospital in its hour of need during World War II. American friends of Dr. and Mrs. Schweitzer established the Fellowship as a vehicle for receipt of funds to be used for clothing, food, medicinals and hospital equipment. Today, the Fellowship maintains its commitment to assist the Hospital, which is managed in Lambarene; by an international foundation on which Gabonese officials serve. The Hospital treats 20,000 patients annually. The Fellowship depends on contributions for this support, which has helped to modernize and expand the Hospital
Since 1979 the Fellowship has sponsored a Medical Students Program that underwrites annual service of medical students from the United States for tours of duty at the Hospital.
The Fellowship helps support at Dr. Schweitzer's old home, at Gunsbach, France, the world's largest collection of Schweitzer material. It is a member of the International Association for the Work of Dr. Albert Schweitzer. The Fellowship also contributes to the activities and the maintenance of the Albert Schweitzer Center at Great Barrington, Mass
The Fellowship's publishing program includes a semi-annual journal, The Courier, a reprint edition by the University Presses of Florida the Philosophy of Civilization. It has also helped to sponsor a Guide to Albert Schweitzer Collections in the U.S.A. and a number of other books on and by Dr. Schweitzer including Schweitzer -- A Schweitzer -- A Biography by George Marshall and David Poling.
The Fellowship co-sponsored with the Smithsonian Institution the celebration of the Schweitzer Centenary in 1975. It has also sponsored or participated in musical benefits and symposia in the United States and Europe
The Fellowship is managed by a board of directors, representative of Dr. Schweitzer's varied interests. Its current president is Lawrence Gussman. Its executive director, Estelle Linzer. It is headquartered at 866 United Nations Plaza, New York, N.Y. 10017
The Animal Welfare Institute was founded in 1951 as a non-profit organization, dedicated to the promotion of the welfare of all animals and to the reduction of pain and fear inflicted on animals by man.
AWI is particularly concerned with the elimination of suffering and humane handling of experimental animals and the full enforcement of laws and regulations governing their use. It is also concerned with the development and use of non-animal methods of research wherever possible.
Other major aims of the Institute:
To achieve its goals, AWI studies current problems in all areas of animal abuse and calls attention to practical steps needed for correction through an extensive publication program. It issues The Animal Welfare Institute Quarterly. Manuals on housing and care of laboratory animals include Comfortable Quarters for Laboratory Animals and Basic Care of Experimental Animals. Animal Expressions provides a guide to understanding the feelings of animals. A 258-page book on the need for protection of furbearers, Facts on Furs, is supplemented by numerous informational pamphlets. The Bird Business, A Story of the Commercial Caged Bird Trade documents the commerce decimating wild bird populations. Free to school teachers are the manuals, First Aid and Care of Small Animals, Humane Biology Projects and a number of shorter publications. The Save The Whales campaign is fully equipped with materials for distribution on request. Several updated editions of Animals and Their Legal Rights have been published. Also, the AWI lends motion picture films. Virtually all of its materials are distributed free of charge or at cost. The Institute participates in numerous scientific and educational conventions and symposia.
AWI awards the Albert Schweitzer Medal and $1,000 annually for outstanding achievement in the advancement of animal welfare
Its sister organization, the Society for Animal Protective Legislation, has played a forceful role in obtaining Congressional enactment of major legislation in the fields of humane slaughter, laboratory animal procurement and handling, wildlife and marine mammal protection.
The Animal Welfare Institute is governed by a board of directors. Its president is Christine Stevens. Its mailing address: P.O. Box 3650, Washington, D.C. 20007
The Albert Schweitzer Center in Great Barrington, Mass. was founded in 1966 as the Albert Schweitzer Friendship House by the late Erica Anderson. She was Dr. Schweitzer's friend and film biographer. Her mission in life after Dr. Schweitzer's death in 1965 was to keep alive his philosophy of "reverence for life" by establishing a center where tangible evidence of Schweitzer's life and accomplishments could be appreciated by the public -- especially children -- and studied by scholars.
A legacy of $10,000 from Dr. Schweitzer was used by Mrs. Anderson toward the purchase of the property -- a place, which, she said, reminded her of her native Austria and of Dr. Schweitzer's Alsace. Presiding at the dedication of the library in June, 1971 was Dr. Schweitzer's old friend, cellist Pablo Casals.
The Center, situated in a pastoral setting in the Berkshires, consists of a library museum, an auditorium, a 150-year-old guest house and a 13-acre nature sanctuary. At the heart of this largest collection in the United States of Schweitzer resources are Mrs. Anderson's motion picture films and thousands of photographs. There is a temperature -controlled vault to house films and tapes, and facilities for film cutting and copying manuscripts. The facility also contains books on and by Dr. Schweitzer, newspaper and periodical archives and letters. Also, on display, African artifacts, Lambarene memorabilia and some of Dr. Schweitzer's personal possessions.
Throughout the year, the Center holds special seminars, musicales and informal discussions. The Center publishes a journal called Reverence. The Center is open daily, except for Monday, during June, July and August. During the remainder of the year, it is open Thursday through Sunday. Admission is free.
By ringing a large bell on the grounds at the Center, visitors may signify their intention to carry out Dr. Schweitzer's pledge to respect all life.
The non-profit Center is managed by a board of directors, headed by Norman Cousins. Its president (on leave) is Rhena Schweitzer Miller. Acting president is Antje Bultmann Lemke. It is directed by Ann B. Williams with Stephen C. Rose as special consultant. It is located at Hurlburt Road, Great Barrington, Mass. 01230. Telephone: (413) 528-3124.
Founded in 1954, The Humane Society of the United States is a national nonprofit membership organization that carries forward a number of programs to stop and reduce animal suffering. Its concerns extend from research laboratories, traplines, factory farms to puppy mills, zoos, circuses, animal fighting contests, high seas.
The HSUS works to achieve its goals through education, communication, direct and supportive action, litigation and supportive legislation. Its major divisions include: the National Association for the Advancement of Humane Education, Sheltering and Animal Control, Wildlife and Environment, Field Services, the Institute for the Study of Animal Problems
The HSUS issues five periodical publications The Humane Society of the United States News, a quarterly magazine; Humane Education, a quarterly magazine for teachers and humane society educators. Kind, a bi-monthly magazine providing stories on people-animals relationships for children age eight and above; Shelter Sense, a 10- month publication for animal shelter and control personnel; the International Journal for the Study of Animal Problems, published quarterly in cooperation with the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.
The HSUS conducts in a different major city each year a three-day national leadership conference where workshops in all phases of humane work are held, major addresses by national leaders are presented, and the annual Joseph Wood Krutch medal is awarded to an outstanding humanitarian.
Throughout the year, training seminars for shelter and animal control workers are conducted throughout the country. Also, The HSUS maintains an Animal Control Training Academy at the University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, Ala.
The HSUS frequently has initiated prosecution on a federal, state and local level, often in cooperation with other groups, particularly in cases of a precedent setting nature.
Its officers and staff members are invited frequently to testify before committees of the U.S. Congress on pending animal protective legislation.
The HSUS maintains regional offices in California, Connecticut, Florida, Ohio, New Jersey, Texas. It is governed by a board of directors, headed by Coleman Burke. Its president is John A. Hoyt. The HSUS' headquarters building is located at 2100 L Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20037.
Ann Cottrell Free is an author, poet, journalist and Albert Schweitzer Medalist.
Charles F. Herrmann III is an editor for The Humane Society of the United States and the author of stories for children.
Erica Anderson was a photographer, author, and journalist who spent many years at the Schweitzer Hospital and who founded the Albert Schweitzer Center.
The Albert Schweitzer Fellowship
866 United Nations Plaza
New York, N.Y. 10017
The Animal Welfare Institute
P.O. Box 3650
Washington, D.C. 20007
The Albert Schweitzer Center
Hurlburt Road
Great Barrington, Mass. 01230
The Humane Society of the United States
2100 L Street, N.,W.
Washington, D.C. 20037
Cover Design by Mary L. Kaido of Alpha Design