The Great Divine Guiding Spirit Cannot Do Things Wrong
Edith's letters home were careful worded, so that by 19 14, there was no mention of god, rather, a guiding spirit. Harold cemented his spot as favorite mc cormick when he not edith was at mother setti rockefeller's bedside when she died. Edith refused to return to the states for her parents fiftieth wedding anniversary, and subsequently was absent when her mother died. Father re structured his giving to edith as well as her sister alta, setting up trusts for the women in which they received approximately 72 thousand dollars worth of interest each year. Meanwhile, father was steadily moving his personal fortune into junior hands, giving him well over
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To celebrate International Women’s Day, we are sharing the seminar and panel discussion “Edith Rockefeller McCormick: Philanthropist, Intellectual, Analyst” in its entirety. The first hour is a presentation by Andrea Friederici Ross, author of Edith: The Rogue Rockefeller McCormick, followed by reflections by Kennon McKee, PhD, Jungian analyst and Victoria Drake, PhD, that opens up for general discussion.
Edith Rockefeller McCormick (1872-1932) played a vital role in supporting Carl Jung’s practices and disseminating his writings. In addition to underwriting translations of his work, McCormick provided a physical location for the Psychological Club in Zurich in an effort to bring the Jungian community together. The early years of the Psychological Club were not without problems, as the key players (including Edith and her husband Harold Fowler McCormick) wrestled with how to structure the club. In time, Jung appointed the deeply intellectual McCormick an analyst in her own right and she practiced pro bono in Chicago for the remainder of her life. McCormick’s son Fowler McCormick also had a lasting relationship with Jung, traveling with Jung in the American Southwest, India, and parts of Europe. In this program, author Andrea Friederici Ross will present a biographical sketch of Edith Rockefeller McCormick with a heavy focus on her eight years in Zurich with Jung. Materials shared will include excerpts from correspondence among McCormick family members and Edith’s father, John D. Rockefeller. Following the biographical presentation, analyst Dr. Kennon McKee and academic psychologist Dr. Victoria Drake will join Ross in a discussion about McCormick’s life and interactions with Jung.
It was recorded on January 22, 2022.
Andrea Friederici Ross is the author of Edith: The Rogue Rockefeller McCormick and Let the Lions Roar! The Evolution of Brookfield Zoo. She has been published in Fine Books, Mothering, Sheridan Road, Chicago Agent, Hinsdale Living, and other magazines. Her essays can also be found on the Center for Humans and Nature blog and their “City Creatures” anthology. Her career has been unconventional, including stints as the Operations Manager of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and as Assistant to the Director of the Chicago Zoological Society. She currently runs the library at the local public school while working on her writing projects. Andrea graduated from Northwestern University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in German Language and Literature. More information is available at friedericiross.com.
Kennon McKee, PhD‘s early work specialized in child psychology, holding positions at the Institute of Juvenile Research at the University of Illinois, and in the High Risk Infancy Clinic at Cook County Hospital where she followed high-risk infants developmentally for the first 6 years of life. After training in analytical psychology, Dr. McKee went into private practice, seeing both children and adults. She is a senior training analyst in the Analyst Training Program.
Victoria C. Drake, PhD is an academic, scholar, writer, editor, educator and social/environmental conservation philanthropist. A Chicago native, she is a graduate of Harvard University followed by Applied Biology graduate work at Cambridge University, UK, University College London, UK (MSc. Studies in Environmental Economics) and Pacifica Graduate Institute (CA): PhD in Jungian Depth (Archetypal) Psychology. As a career international environmental conservationist, social justice advocate and ecopsychologist, she currently serves on the Institute’s Board and as Midwest Regional Alumni Coordinator for Pacifica Graduate Institute. She and her husband also participate in their eight-generation family farm in central Illinois with their three daughters.
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