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John G. Watkins and Helen Huth Watkins Papers, 1913-2009

Overview of the Collection

Creator
Watkins, John G. (John Goodrich), 1913-2012; Watkins, Helen Huth, 1921-2002
Title
John G. Watkins and Helen Huth Watkins Papers
Dates
1913-2009 (inclusive)
Quantity
8.3 linear feet and 93.7 MB electronic files
Collection Number
Mss 1019
Summary
John G. Watkins and Helen Huth Watkins were active members of the field of psychology in the second half of the twentieth century, particularly in the areas of hypnosis and Ego-States Theory. This collection is primarily materials relating to their professional careers including research and publications, workshops, and teaching.
Repository
University of Montana, Mansfield Library, Archives and Special Collections
Archives and Special Collections
Maureen and Mike Mansfield Library
University of Montana
32 Campus Dr. #9936
59812-9936
Missoula, MT
Telephone: 406-243-2053
library.archives@umontana.edu
Access Restrictions

Researchers must use collection in accordance with the policies of Archives and Special Collections, the Maureen and Mike Mansfield Library, and The University of Montana-Missoula.

Languages
English, Portuguese, Farsi
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Biographical Note

John (Jack) Goodrich Watkins was born on March 17, 1913, in Salem, Idaho. By age 12 he was publishing in the Journal of the American Astronomical Society. Watkins obtained his Bachelor's and Master's degrees from the College of Idaho and his Ph.D. from Columbia University. At age 19, while just starting college, Watkins met and married his first wife Evelyn Browne. The two had a son, John Dean. During World War II he enlisted as a private in the Army. When his education became known, he was promoted to Lieutenant and given the position of Chief Psychologist at the Welch Convalescent Military Hospital in Daytona Beach, Florida. Directly following World War II, Watkins' focus became war neuroses (PTSD), and he found hypnosis among other treatments helpful when working with veterans. In 1946 Watkins married his second wife, Doris Wood Tomlinson. Together they had four children: Jonette, Richard, Greg, and Rodney. Watkins was the Chief Psychologist at Portland, Oregon's Veterans Administration Hospital and the Chicago Veterans Hospital. He went on to teach at Auburn University and Washington State University-Pullman, and then at the University of Montana in Missoula from 1964 until his retirement in 1984.

John G. Watkins was a pioneering psychologist in the fields of hypnosis, dissociation, and multiple personalities. He is best known for his work with Helen Huth Watkins on Ego-State Theory, and one of his best-known cases was the Kenneth Bianchi criminal proceedings for the Hillside Strangler case. He was a founding secretary of ISCEH (International Society for Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis) and president of the the Society for Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis, the American Board of Psychological Hypnosis, and the Hypnosis Division of The American Psychological Association. Watkins also served as a clinical editor of the International Journal of Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis. He remained active in his discipline after retirement, publishing papers into his 90s. Following Helen's death, John Watkins married Paula J. Etrick on May 16, 2009. He died in Longmont, Colorado on January 12, 2012.

Helen Verner Huth Watkins was born July 19, 1921, as Helyanthe Maria Wagner, to Anna Maria and Josef Wagner in Augsburg, Bavaria (Augsburg, Germany). Her father died before she was born, and she and her mother lived with her grandfather until they immigrated to the United States when she was 11. After entering the United States, they lived in Pittsburg, Pennsylvania with her aunt and uncle. Wagner was briefly married to Robert Verner but was widowed at age 20 when Verner died in World War II. She later married Richard Huth and had two children: Marvin and Karen. Helen Huth received her Bachelor of Arts from Pennsylvania State University and her Master's from the University of Denver in Public Opinion. After graduating, she moved to Montana and took the position of psychologist at the University of Montana Student Counseling Center. There she met John Watkins, who was director of clinical training at the time. Watkins married Helen Huth in December of 1971.

Helen Huth Watkins worked as a counselor for the University of Montana for 30 years. In addition to collaborative research and publications with John Watkins, she authored over 40 scientific articles. While the Watkins' collaborative works often focused on the Ego-State, Helen Watkins' individual work was mainly focused on improving therapeutic counseling. She became known as the "therapists' therapist" as dozens of mental health professionals, psychiatrists, and psychologists saw her for personal therapy and training. In 2000 she was awarded the "Pierre Janet Award for Clinical Excellence" from an international congress at the University of Munich for her work and dedication to the field of psychology and therapy. Helen Watkins died in Missoula on January 11, 2002.

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Content Description

John G. Watkins and Helen H. Watkins were active members in the field of psychology, particularly hypnosis and Ego-States Theory. This collection largely documents their professional careers and includes publications, research files, and audio files related to their research and therapeutic practices. John G. Watkins’ materials also document his activities as a forensic psychologist and his teaching career. The collection includes a small amount of personal memorabilia and correspondence for both John and Helen Watkins.

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Use of the Collection

Restrictions on Use

Researchers are responsible for using in accordance with 17 U.S.C. and any other applicable statutes. Copyright to some content in this collection is held by the University of Montana. The copyright status of other material is not evaluated.

Preferred Citation

John G. Watkins and Helen Huth Watkins Papers, Archives and Special Collections, Maureen and Mike Mansfield Library, The University of Montana-Missoula.

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Administrative Information

Arrangement

The collection has been arranged in five series. Many series are further divided into subseries.

Series I: John G. Watkins and Helen Huth Watkins Personal Papers, 0.8 linear feet, 1913-2009

Series II: John G. Watkins, 4.4 linear feet, 1924-2004

Subseries 1: Military Service, 0.2 linear feet, 1943-1990

Subseries 2: Professional Correspondence, 0.4 linear feet, 1930-2001

Subseries 3: Music Publications and Research

Subseries 4: Psychology Publications and Research

Subseries 5: Tests, Cases, and Diagnostic Examples, 0.1 linear feet, 1942-2004

Subseries 6: Speeches and Addresses, 0.1 linear feet, circa 1960s-1995

Subseries 7: Certifications and Licensing, 0.1 linear feet, 1948-2001

Subseries 8: Forensic Investigations, 0.1 linear feet, 1975-1995

Subseries 9: Kenneth Bianchi Files, 0.2 linear feet, circa 1979-2001

Subseries 10: Teaching, 0.3 linear feet, 1924-2001

Subseries 11: Professional Organizations, 0.9 linear feet, 1957-1999

Series III: Helen Huth Watkins, 0.8 linear feet, 1943-2004

Subseries 1: Education, 0.4 linear feet, 1943-1949

Subseries 2: Professional Career, 0.4 linear feet, 1969-2004

Series IV: John G. Watkins and Helen Huth Watkins Collaborative Work, 1.0 linear feet, 1968-2004

Subseries 1: Correspondence, 0.2 linear feet, 1968-2004

Subseries 2: Publications and Research, 0.4, 1972-2001

Subseries 3: Teaching and Workshops, 0.2 linear feet, 1975-2002

Subseries 4: Professional Activities, 0.2 linear feet, 1984-2004

Series V: Audio Recordings, 1.3 linear feet, 1974-2003

Custodial History

These materials were in the possession of John G. Watkins until their donation to the University of Montana Mansfield Library Archives and Special Collections.

Acquisition Information

Materials in this collection were donated to Archives and Special Collections by John Watkins between 1994 and 2009.

Processing Note

During processing, materials were refoldered but original folder titles were retained. The majority of series in this collection are arranged in chronological order. Duplicate materials and the majority of published journal articles were removed from the collection.

Related Materials

The University of Montana's Archives and Special Collections holds the John G. “Jack” Watkins Oral History Interview (OH 392).

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Detailed Description of the Collection

Finding aid prepared by Micaela Connolly
2025

CC Attribution
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

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