Dale, Laura A(bbott) (1919-1983)

Prominent member of the American Society for Psychical Research (ASPR) who for 25 years edited the society's Journal. Dale was born August 22, 1919, in Cornwall, New York, and attended private schools in New York City before studying at the Sorbonne in Paris. Her research included experiments in dream telepathy and proxy sittings with medium Eileen Garrett. She was also closely concerned with the medical section of the society beginning in 1948.

Dale was author or coauthor of a score of papers in the Journal of the ASPR and collaborated with Gardner Murphy on his book Challenge of Psychical Research: A Primer of Parapsychology (1966). She became editor of the society's Journal in 1941 and was later appointed research associate and publications editor for the ASPR. She resigned as editor of the Journal in 1947 to devote time to her research projects and work as a clinical assistant at the Department of Psychiatry, Maimonides Hospital, Brooklyn, New York. She continued to be actively involved in production of the Journal and the Proceedings.

In 1960, Dale left the ASPR staff for three years when she moved from New York to a house on Long Island. She became an editorial associate at University Books in New York, concerned with its publication program devoted to psychical research. In 1963 she returned to the ASPR as editor of the Journal and Proceedings. She was a charter member of the Parapsychological Association. She died February 2, 1983, on Long Island, New York. (For a bibliography of her publications, compiled by Rhea A. White, see the Journal of the ASPR October 1983.)

Sources:

Berger, Arthur S., and Joyce Berger. The Encyclopedia of Parapsychology and Psychical Research. New York: Paragon House, 1991.

Dale, Laura A., and Gardner Murphy. Challenge of Psychical Research: A Primer of Parapsychology. New York: Harper & Row, 1966.

Dale, Laura A., and Rhea A. White. Parapsychology: Sources of Information. Metuchen, NJ: Scarecrow Press, 1973.

Pleasants, Helene, ed. Biographical Dictionary of Parapsychology. New York: Helix Press, 1964.