Theosophical Society in America Archives Kunz Family Collection Series 25.1

Theosophical Society in America Archives Kunz Family Collection Series 25.1 Description of the Collection Most of the materials in this collection relate to the life of Fritz Kunz; they were collected and preserved by his sisters Alma and Minna; by Fritz himself; and by his son John. Small portions of the collection reflect the life and activities of Dora van Gelder Kunz and John Kunz; and one box relates to the life of a friend, Basil Hodgson-Smith, whose papers Fritz Kunz collected. Biography of Fritz Kunz Fritz Kunz was a lecturer and writer who advocated education in which modern scientific principles are integrated with theosophical concepts. He was heavily involved in the founding or operation of many important Theosophical institutions, and was intimately acquainted with Annie Besant, Charles Leadbeater, C. Jinarājadāsa, George Arundale, Weller Van Hook, A. P. Warrington, J. Krishnamurti, and other prominent members of the Society. His wife was Dora van Gelder, who became President of the American Section. Frederick L. Kunz was born on May 16, 1888 in Freeport, Illinois. He was the twelfth and last child of Frederick John Kunz and Susan R. Knecht Kunz, who were naturalized citizens of German birth. He was usually known as Fritz Kunz, until his later years, when his professional writing used the byline Dr. Frederick L. Kunz. In the 1930s, he began to sign articles as "Fritz Kunz, M.A.," so it is likely that he earned a master's degree, but the doctorate may have been honorary. Both parents and several older siblings became members of the Theosophical Society soon after attending the 1893 Parliament of the World's Religions in Chicago, and were active in the Freeport Lodge. Fritz assisted with office work in the service of Theosophy long before he became a member in 1902. In 1903 Fritz visited C. W. Leadbeater in California, and in 1904 traveled with him on the East coast; in 1905-1906 they went to Hawaii, Samoa, Australia, India, Burma, Ceylon, and Egypt on an extended lecture tour, and home by way of Italy, France, and London. Fritz and a young Englishman, Basil Hodgson-Smith, worked as secretaries to assist Leadbeater with correspondence. Upon his return, Fritz completed his secondary education at Freeport High School, receiving his diploma in June, 1908. From 1908 to 1912, Kunz attended the University of Wisconsin and received a B.A. in English literature. Several family members were in Madison during that period. During his early years young Fritz was very active in tennis, swimming, bicycling, canoeing, camping, hiking, and basketball; and enjoyed Big Ten football games. He attended concerts and had an active social life, but did not join any campus organizations. Kunz became one of the first residents at Krotona Institute in Hollywood, California, where he assisted A. P. Warrington for one year. From 1914 to 1917 he served as principal of Ananda College, a Buddhist school founded by Henry S. Olcott in Colombo, Ceylon. During that tenure he instituted many improvements, raised funds, and supervised several construction projects. His Page 1 of 26 Description of the Collection and Container List 9/19/2006 Theosophical Society in America Archives Kunz Family Collection Series 25.1 sisters Alma and Minna and brother-in-law Hervey Gulick joined the school faculty for a time. In Ceylon and later in India Kunz supported social and educational reforms with his work in the Ceylon Service League and other organizations. He assisted Sir Pannambalam Arunachalam in writing the famous address "Our Political Needs," that initiated Ceylon's independence movement. It became necessary for Kunz to leave Ceylon hurriedly when a friend let him know his arrest was imminent. Subsequently he lived at Adyar, Madras, India, and worked on behalf of the Society for the Promotion of National Education. He assisted Annie Besant in many capacities, particularly with her newspaper New India, and served as manager of the Theosophical Publishing House from 1921-1922. He also assisted George Arundale and C. Jinarājadāsa with many projects and served as secretary of the Esoteric School, to which he had been admitted in 1911. During his extended stay at Theosophical Society headquarters at Adyar in 1916-1922, Kunz became a Lay Brother in the Order of Service. He was inducted as a co-mason of the Rising Sun of India Lodge in 1919. In 1922 Fritz Kunz traveled with Mrs. Besant and Krishnamurti to Australia for a reunion with C. W. Leadbeater. For several years Kunz worked in the United States for the Order of the Star in the East, supporting the idea of Krishnamurti as the Great Teacher. In great demand as a lecturer, Kunz crisscrossed the country making "lantern slide" presentations about Theosophy, India, education, science, and many other subjects. Reviewers acclaimed his skill as a speaker in addressing civic groups, clubs, students, and Theosophical lodges, and his activities were regularly reported in The Messenger. He organized many Young Theosophist groups and frequently spoke to youth. In 1924 he worked on a publication called The Pacific. Kunz also wrote for The Server, published by the Order of the Star in the East from 1916-1927, working with Marie Russak Hotchener and Marjorie Tuttle. During all these years he turned out numerous articles that were printed in the major Theosophical publications. On May 16, 1927, Fritz Kunz married Theodora Sophia van Gelder, whom he had known for some years in Australia. The wedding ceremony took place in Chicago; afterward Fritz had a speaking engagement at a prison, which Dora laughingly described as her honeymoon. They spent part of the summer camping at Orcas Island, in its first season as a Theosophical retreat center. On February 22, 1928 their son John was born in Seattle. Their principal residence for most of their married life was a house in Port Chester, New York, built next to that of their dear friends, John and Emily Sellon. Fritz Kunz was involved in the establishment of many important Theosophical Society institutions and traditions. He was present in Wheaton, Illinois, when the foundation stone was laid for the Theosophical Society in America headquarters. He worked with Ernest Sellon, Paul DeSaas, and Pepe Borrel to establish the New York Theosophical Society as a tax-exempt institution. Fritz and Dora were heavily involved with the development and operation of Theosophical retreat centers at Orcas Island in Washington state (Camp Indralaya) and Pumpkin Hollow Farm in Craryville, New York. Page 2 of 26 Description of the Collection and Container List 9/19/2006 Theosophical Society in America Archives Kunz Family Collection Series 25.1 In 1937, Kunz saw the publication of a book. The Men Beyond Mankind: A Study of the Next Step in Personal and Social Emotion (New York: David Mackay, 1937) discusses the evolutionary process that led to humankind, the nature of human consciousness, and the types of beings that will succeed humans. In the early 1940s, Kunz worked in New York City as Research Director at Guild of American Economists, which he co-founded with Norman Dodd. He spent 1944 and 1945 teaching Asian philosophy, religion, history, and culture at Knox College in Galesburg, Illinois and at Carleton College in Northfield, Minnesota, testing his educational materials and methods. The major focus of his adult life was an effort to demonstrate how the ancient principles of Theosophy could be integrated with modern science in the educational system. The year 1940 saw the establishment of his scholarly journal Main Currents in Modern Thought, which served as a forum for scientists and academics. Kunz referred to it as a "journal of integration" in a letter to John Sellon (Box 4, Folder 12). Emily Sellon worked with him as co- editor for many years, and Margaret Wagner served as Business Manager. The success of this endeavor in turn led to the establishment of the Foundation for Integrative Education, a group of scientists, scholars, and businessmen who wanted to improve education by including philosophy, religion, and art with modern science in a cohesive curriculum. Kunz was Vice President, with Kirtley F. Mather as President, John Sellon as Treasurer, Henry Margenau as Director of Research, and Julius Stulman and Samuel P. Wetherill as Board members. The Foundation in turn gave rise to the Center for Integrative Education, which included stellar academicians such as Abraham Maslow, Henry Margenau, Kirtley Mather, F. S. C. Northrop, and Ervin Laszlo among its members. Kunz worked with his son John and others to establish the Cuisenaire Company as a provider of innovative materials for the teaching of mathematics. Through the 1950s and 1960s, Kunz continued to be active with the New York Theosophical Society, the Northeast Federation, Pumpkin Hollow Farm, and Indralaya. Lectures, workshops, and conferences occupied much of his time. He worked on research projects for the New York lodge and for the Foundation for Integrative Education, and continued his involvement with Main Currents. Many projects involved close collaboration with Emily and John Sellon, Dora Kunz, John Kunz, Helen Zahara, Margaret Wagner, William and Shirley Nicholson, Alicia Ripple, William Beller, Alan and Ursula Mannion, Donald Trumpler, and other members of the NYTS. During this period, Kunz pushed to keep the Theosophical Society engaged with new developments in science and education; in this he found more interest and cooperation in the NYTS and Northeast Federation than in the national organization. Kunz kept in touch with numerous friends and associates, and traveled frequently with Dora. Throughout his life Kunz carried on extensive correspondence with sisters Alma, Minna, and Litta, and was very actively engaged in advising them about financial and legal matters. Fritz Kunz died on February 13, 1971 in New York.

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