Browne Popular Culture Library

Introduction | Biographical Sketch | Transfers | Scope and Content | Series Description | Inventory

Introduction 

Susy Smith is an author of books on psychic phenomena. Her literary manuscripts form the core of this collection.

In 1969, Susy Smith first began transferring her manuscripts to the Browne Popular Culture Library, Bowling Green State University. This collection is open for research, but the photocopying of manuscripts must comply with applicable copyright laws. This register was compiled by Nancy White Lee, Popular Culture Library Associate II, in June 1986, revised in July 1992, and updated in August 2009 by Patricia Falk.

Biographical Sketch  

Susy Smith was born on June 2, 1911, in Washington, D.C. She attended the University of Texas, 1929-1932, 1933-1934, and the University of Arizona, 1932-1933 where she majored in journalism. She was married to M.L. Smith in 1934, they later divorced. While living in Salt Lake City, Utah, she worked as a columnist for the Salt Lake Tribune and as a free-lance writer for the Desert News. In 1955, Smith successfully "contacted" her mother with a Ouija board and henceforth her interest flourished in the field. Gripped by the challenge of ESP and its related areas, she gave up all other endeavors to concentrate her interest in the study of psychic phenomena. She worked at Dr. J. B. Rhine's Parapsychology Laboratory at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina. She received numerous grants from the Parapsychology Foundation in New

York and Smith also traveled and lectured throughout the United States. Her twenty-nine published books generally fall into two categories: those reporting psychic occurrences and those about herself. She acquired an inspirational philosophy that allowed her to give her audiences and readers conclusions that are especially helpful to those facing the loss of loved relatives and friends. Smith's books documenting psychic events and processes brought a considerable amount of new information to the public.

In her earlier writing, Smith showed particular talent for taking the scientific material from the records of psychical research and putting it into an entertaining form that turned documented facts into fascinating reading. Her last three books, however, were of a more philosophical nature, because gradually over the years she became convinced of the possibility of spirit communication and recorded the information she received via this technique. In publicizing her works, she appeared on the "Today Show," Jack Paar's Tonight Show," the "David Susskind Show," "To Tell the Truth," "What's My Line," "Not for Women Only," and numerous radio programs. Seven of her books were translated into foreign languages, and one was put into Braille. She was listed in Who's Who in American Women, Contemporary Authors, Prominent Women in Communications, Two Thousand Women of Achievement, Who's Who In Parapsychology and others.

Smith was the founder and first president of the Survival Research Foundation, established in 1971 in Tucson, Arizona. This foundation conducts experiments and subsidizes and assists in the procuring of scientific evidence for conscious survival of the human spirit after death.

Over the years, Smith had been a member of the American Association of University Women, The National League of American Pen Women, The Business and Professional Women's Club, The Pilot Club, The American Society for Psychical Research, Spiritual Frontiers Fellowship, The Society for Psychical Research, Association for Research and Enlightenment, Author's Guild, and Chi Omega. Additionally, she was a past president of the 125-member Society of Southwestern Authors. Smith died on February 11, 2001.

Transfers 

The following books have been transferred from the collection to the Browne Popular Culture Library main stack area. Call numbers for these books maybe found in the BGSU Libraries catalog or by clicking on the titles below.

• ESP for the Millions
• Ghosts Around the House
• Life is Forever: Evidence for Survival
• Out-of-Body Experiences for the Millions

Scope and Content  

The Susy Smith Collection houses the literary manuscripts for some of her books. This collection includes printer's manuscripts and original edited typewritten manuscripts for Smith's 1971 book Confessions of a Psychic, as well as typewritten manuscripts with handwritten corrections for five other works relating to psychic phenomena including her latest donation Ghost Writers in the Sky.

Those interested in psychic research will find this collection of research value.

Series Description  

Literary Productions

Series

Manuscripts, Literary

1966-1967; 1970-1974, 1990

Arranged alphabetically by title of-the work

This series includes manuscripts for books.

Inventory 

 Box 1

Folder	Description	Date
The Book Of James		1974
1	Book published by G.P. Putnam's Sons Printer's manuscript, pp. 1-86
2	Printer's manuscript, pp. 87-158
3	Printer's manuscript, pp. 159-248
Confessions Of A Psychic		1971
4	Book published by The Macmillan Company Printer's manuscript, pp. 1-134
5	Printer's manuscript, pp. 135-261
6	Printer's manuscript, pp. 262-355
7	Printer's manuscript, pp. 256-458

 Box 2

Folder	Description	Date
ESP And Hypnosis		1973
1	Book published by The Macmillan Company Printer's manuscript, pp. 1-76
2	Printer's manuscript, pp. 77-173
3	Printer's manuscript, pp. 174-291
Ghosts Around The House		1970
4	Book published by The World Publishing Company Printer's manuscript, pp. 1-104
5	Printer's manuscript, pp. 105-178
6	Printer's manuscript, pp. 179-258

 Box 3

Folder	Description	Date
How To Develop ESP		1972
1	Book published by G.P. Putnam's Sons Printer's manuscript, pp. 1-112
2	Printer's manuscript, pp. 113-225
3	Printer's manuscript, pp. 226-336
Life Is Forever; Evidence For Survival		1974
4	Book published by G.P. Putnam's Sons Printer's manuscript, pp. 1-103
5	Printers' manuscript, pp. 104-235
6	Printer's manuscript, pp. 236-396

 Box 4

Folder	Description	Date
1	Prominent American Ghosts Original edited manuscript	1966-1967
2	Today's Witches Printer's manuscript, pp. 1-102	1970
3	Today's Witches Printer's manuscript, pp. 103-246	1970
4	Wide Spread Psychic Wonders Book published by Ace Books Edited manuscript, pp. 1-100	1970
5	Wide Spread Psychic Wonders Edited manuscript, PP. 101-219	1970

 Box 5

Folder	Description	Date
Ghost Writers in the Sky		1990
1	Computer disks and order form
2	Typewritten manuscript, chapters 1-4
3	Typewritten manuscript, chapters 5-9
4	Typewritten manuscript, chapters 10-14
5	Typewritten manuscript, chapters 15-end Page 11

Addendum completed December 1991 by Susan Irwin, Graduate Library Assistant, Browne Popular Culture Library.

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