Digital Alcohol Studies Exhibit: The Story Behind Alcohol Research at Rutgers
By Judit H. Ward
Did you know Rutgers is home to one of the most significant collections in the history of alcohol studies? Earlier this year, Rutgers University Libraries launched the Digital Alcohol Studies Exhibit, an engaging online experience that showcases decades of influential research, education, and public engagement in the field.
Developed in collaboration with the Rutgers Center of Alcohol and Substance Use Studies, the exhibit serves as a scholarly gateway to understanding the transformation of addiction studies over time. The content is drawn from the Digital Alcohol Studies Archives Collection, which debuted in 2023. This collection now features more than 1,500 digitized items accessible through RUcore, the Rutgers University Community Online Repository. These materials trace their origins back to 1939, when the Carnegie Corporation funded the first major effort to collect and catalog scientific literature on the effects of alcohol, resulting in the establishment of the Quarterly Journal of Studies on Alcohol.
The exhibit is organized into five themed sections, each offering a unique glimpse into the field’s development and the individuals who shaped it. ”Firsts” from the First explores landmark achievements that influenced the field, including the 1940 launch of the Quarterly Journal of Studies on Alcohol, now known as the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs, the oldest addiction journal in the United States. This section also introduces early initiatives, such as the Yale Plan Clinics, the print collection called Classified Abstract Archive of the Alcohol Literature, early BAC tools, and initial efforts to publish and disseminate addiction science The Summer School of Alcohol Studies (SSAS) takes center stage. Founded at Yale in 1943 and moved to Rutgers in 1962, SSAS was a pioneer in addiction education. Through archival photos, brochures, and newsletters, this section reveals how SSAS united researchers, educators, and community leaders to build a shared understanding of addiction. For the first time online, many traditional SSAS group photos and iconic SSAS T-shirts are available to the public. The Alumni News offers further details and insights into the field’s development. The exhibit also features two sections dedicated to E. M. Jellinek and Mark Keller, giants in the field. Through personal letters, unpublished manuscripts, and even whimsical memorabilia, known as “Bunkyana,” named after Jellinek’s nickname, “Bunky,” visitors gain insight into the personalities behind the science. Primary sources tell the story behind the Doodle and the famous Jellinek Curve, a model of addiction progression that remains widely used today. Exhibit items documenting the friendship between Keller and Jellinek were selected to shed light on key moments in the evolution of alcohol studies. A recently digitized photo album of Mark Keller’s recognition dinner features 98 images, including notable figures in 20th-century alcohol research, as well as Jellinek’s daughter, Ruth Surrey. The exhibit concludes with Temperance Tales, a journey into the 19th and early 20th centuries. Digitized books, pamphlets, and images from the library’s popular Temperance Collection reveal how alcohol education and advocacy were presented in earlier eras—sometimes informative, sometimes entertaining, and often persuasive.
The exhibit offers valuable insights into the historical and academic foundations of addiction science. By digitizing and sharing these rare resources, Rutgers is empowering researchers, educators, and practitioners around the world to connect past insights with today’s challenges in addiction science.
Whether you are a scholar, student, or simply curious, the Digital Alcohol Studies Exhibit invites you to explore how far we have come and imagine where we might go next.
More about the history of early alcohol studies and the collection:
Candon, P. M., Ward, J. H., & Pandina, R. J. (2014). The Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs and the Rutgers Center of Alcohol Studies: a history of the evolution of alcohol research. Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs. Supplement, 75 Suppl 17(s17), 8–17.)
Ward, J. H., Babor, T. F., Allred, N., & Bejarano, W. (2024). The modern history of alcohol research: Introducing the Rutgers Digital Alcohol Studies Archives. Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs, 85(3), 289–295.