"I had contact with many Indians, but none of them has made such an impression as the reading of the books of Sri Aurobindo, which I did in Stanford University, where I started teaching in 1942. This led to my eventual visit to India on a Rockefeller grant in 1948 and '49, where I was fortunate enough to have the darshan of Sri Aurobindo in Pondicherry." -- Frederic Spiegelberg

Spiegelberg also discussed philosophy with Ramana Maharshi and had extensive correspondence with Sivananda.

Gainsborough's proposal intrigued Spiegelberg, and he set about the task of assembling a distinguished international faculty for the exciting and important project:

    "When I was asked by Mr. Gainsborough of the Login Corporation to help him establish a center of Asian studies, I was immediately thinking about calling a first-rate man from Aurobindo's Ashram to join me in this work. After quite a bit of correspondence with the Ashram, one suggested Dr. Haridas Chaudhuri, who was then head of the Philosophy Department at Krishnagar College in Bengal to come to join me in this venture in the Academy of Asian Studies:
    "The question was brought to Sri Aurobindo himself, who approved of Chaudhuri's coming to us with the word "Acha" (of course!)."
    -- Frederic Spiegelberg

Two months later, in December of 1950, Sri Aurobindo died.

"Aurobindo is the guiding spirit of this earth and the prophet of our age. I believe that the last most important contribution that Sri Aurobindo made before passing was to send you here."
-- Letter from Spiegelberg to Haridas Chaudhuri

The Early History of the

California Institute of Integral Studies - CIIS

In Commemoration of the Fiftieth Anniversary
of the Opening of the American Academy of Asian Studies
1951 -- 2001

(Note: This website is maintained privately by David Ulansey
and is not part of the official website of the
California Institute of Integral Studies.)

CIIS (Calif. Inst. of Integral Studies)

The Early History of the

California Institute of Integral Studies - CIIS

In Commemoration of the Fiftieth Anniversary
of the Opening of the American Academy of Asian Studies
1951 -- 2001

1. The American Academy of Asian Studies

2. From the American Academy of Asian Studies to
the California Institute of Integral Studies

3. Esalen and the American Academy of Asian Studies

4. Frederic Spiegelberg: An Appreciation

Back to Home of David Ulansey

California Institute of Integral Studies Website

The Early History of the

California Institute of Integral Studies - CIIS

In Commemoration of the Fiftieth Anniversary of the Opening of the American Academy of Asian Studies 1951 -- 2001

1. The American Academy of Asian Studies

2. From the American Academy of Asian Studies to the California Institute of Integral Studies

3. Esalen and the American Academy of Asian Studies

4. Frederic Spiegelberg: An Appreciation

Back to Home of David Ulansey California Institute of Integral Studies Website

In Commemoration of the Fiftieth Anniversary
of the Opening of the American Academy of Asian Studies
1951 -- 2001

2. From the American Academy of Asian Studies to
the California Institute of Integral Studies

Back to Home of David Ulansey

California Institute of Integral Studies Website