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The five pillars of alcohol studies

The five pillars of alcohol studies

The first Center of Alcohol Studies, which defined the field as it evolved, was built on five pillars, summarized in this iconic poster.

The original 32×25-inch poster, painstakingly handwritten at an unknown date, lists the five divisions of the Yale Center of Alcohol Studies as research, publication, education, therapy, and special services.

The multidisciplinary fields of research include physiological, psychological, cultural, legal, educational, economic, and medical aspects of alcohol. However, reading further suggests that the different divisions of the Center frequently overlapped, in keeping with the complex and entangled nature of the subject matter. For instance, although the Education Division was in charge of the Summer School of Alcohol Studies, the Treatment Division, called Therapy, also conducted training as well as research.

The Research, Therapy, and Education divisions were also extensively supported by the Publication Division and Special Services, from providing resources to consulting directly with researchers and practitioners.

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The five pillars of alcohol studies

A large, handwritten cardboard poster displays the original "five pillars," as the founding fathers called the branches: research, publication, education, therapy, and special services.

The five pillars on display

In 2013, a permanent exhibit was set up in Conference Room 200 in Smithers Hall using the five display cabinets. The exhibit aims to demonstrate the five original missions of the Center: research, publication, education, therapy, and special services in the five display cabinets, top and bottom each. Preserved by previous librarians, faculty, and staff, these books, pamphlets, photos, and miscellaneous artifacts represent the physical collection of the Center of Alcohol Studies Library and Archives. Curated by Judit H. Ward and William Bejarano, the exhibit stands as a visual reminder to also preserve the history of the Center. 

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An exhibit in the CAS Conference room preserves the history of the Center

This picture was taken in 2013 in Room 200, Smithers Hall, when the permanent exhibit was first set up, still featuring the iconic orange chairs.

The permanent exhibit in the main conference room of Smithers Hall  presents the history of the Center of Alcohol Studies in the five display cabinets, top and bottom each. A full run of the Journal, books and pamphlets published at the Center, memorabilia and photos from the physical collection of the Center of Alcohol Studies Library and Archives provide a backdrop to lectures, seminars, classes, and meetings held in the building.

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An entire cabinet, top and bottom, commemorates the Journal in its various iterations (Quarterly Journal of Studies on Alcohol, Journal of Studies on Alcohol, and Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs) with a full run bound in dark blue as well as displaying its various covers over time.
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To illustrate research conducted at the Center, the lower section of the center display cabinet shows images of Leon Greenberg's Alcometer at work along with his Alco-Calculator slide ruler to measure blood alcohol content. Devices and gadgets saved from the original Yale labs serve as reminders of the early phases of alcohol research.
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The bottom of the second cabinet highlights the efforts in publishing, organizing, and disseminating alcohol literature at the Center, including the Classified Abstract Archives of Alcohol Literature, the McCarthy Collection, Alcohol Bibliographies, Lay Supplements, Popular Pamphlet series, and guides.
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The lower section of the fourth cabinet focuses on books published at the Yale and Rutgers Centers of Alcohol Studies to further education related to alcohol studies, such as books, bibliographies, posters, and even old-fashioned glass slides related to the Yale Plan Clinic and the Summer School of Alcohol Studies.
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The top half of the fifth display cabinet features an unusual exhibit: a selection of t-shirts from previous Summer Schools of Alcohol Studies, provided for participants each year, now collector's items each, complementing education and training materials displayed on the bottom.

CAS Conference Room Exhibit

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Past meeting present: Exhibit in the Conference Room, 2023

Set up in 2013 to showcase the history of the Center through artifacts preserved by librarians, faculty, and staff, the exhibit in the Conference Room of the Center of Alcohol and Substance Use Studies takes students, visitors, and participants of CAS events back to the roots of alcohol studies.

From the Digital Alcohol Studies Archives