Skip to main content

Bunkyana

Bunkyana

"Bunky” was E. M. Jellinek’s nickname, fitting the scientist, the humanitarian, and the “screwball,” as his second wife, Thelma Pierce Anderson, called him in a letter to Mark Keller, held in the Alcohol Studies Archives. Contrary to what oral history has perpetuated, the word “Bunky” does not mean “little radish” in Hungarian, which Jellinek, as a native speaker, knew was nonsense, but he insisted on the nickname nonetheless.

“Bunkyana” is our in-house, umbrella term used to describe artifacts, images, and documents written by or related to Jellinek. It covers his published and unpublished articles, letters from him or about his life, handwritten notes written by him such as the Bunky verses, cartoons depicting him, and physical items.

The CAS Library put out a call to invite addiction studies librarians all over the world to contribute to our efforts to collect items related to the early years of alcohol studies and received a positive response by colleagues pointing out resources or even donating items found hidden in drawers.

rucore image 73557

Bunky, a sketch by Vera Efron
rucore image 73641

Bunky, the "screwball

The sketch of E. M. Jellinek created by Vera Efron (date unknown), is used in many publications. This framed copy was on display in the office of SSAS Director Gail Milgram, who donated it to the CAS Library.
rucore image 73559

Bunky's Doodle

The famous Bunky’s Doodle, or the Progressive Phases of Alcoholism by Dr. E. M. Jellinek, is a simplification of the phases.
rucore image 69298

Jellinek's bookplate

This 4×5-inch ex libris marked with the initials E.M.J. features a perplexed ape contemplating a human skull while sitting on a book entitled “Darwin.” 
rucore image 73613

Honorary Doctorate Awarded to E. M. Jellinek

Jellinek’s educational credentials from his early years are not well documented. Nevertheless, everyone in alcohol studies addressed him as "Dr. Jellinek." His vast erudition and extensive education were much more important than his credentials. As an expression of respect, he received an honorary doctorate from the University of Chile in 1956. His name is misspelled in the Spanish language document on the 38 centimeters by 25 centimeters yellowish sheet with dark gray calligraphy, signed by the Rector (appr. President in U.S. terms) of the university. The raised stamp of the Medical School in the bottom right corner authenticates the certificate.

The Rector of the University of Chile: By virtue of the authority vested in me by the Medical School, I am conferring upon Dr. Emil (sic!) M. Jellinek the current title of honorary member of this School, signed by my hand, endorsed by the Secretary General of the University and sealed with the seal of the same University in Santiago on November 23 thousand nine hundred fifty-six.  [English translation by Maria Ortiz-Myers]
rucore image 73612

To a Man of Distinction (from NAAAP)

A visionary scholar and leader in alcohol studies, Jellinek was instrumental in establishing the North American Association of Alcoholism Programs (NAAAP), an organization to bring together interested groups in the United States and Canada, which awarded him with this one-page, handwritten commendation on his 70th birthday in 1960, signed by President David Archibald.

Bunkyana collected so far