Dorothea C. and Alexander H. Leighton
In 1949, Dr. Dorothea C. Leighton and Dr. Alexander H. Leighton published Gregorio, the Hand-Trembler: A Psychological Personality Study of a Navaho Indian. The study examined the life, personality, community, and social relationships of a Navajo healer they referred to as Gregorio. The Leightons, both psychiatrists from Johns Hopkins University, spent years on the Navajo reservation to accumulate the research and information necessary to produce their study. In addition to studying Gregorio, they conducted examinations and observed a host of other individuals. Thanks to donations from the Leightons and their family, Special Collections maintains their notes, examination logs, rorshach tests, photographs, and other records.
The published study, however, is likely the only piece of material the public may view outside of the archives, for doctor-patient privacy concerns and donor requests restrict Special Collections from reproducing and displaying the Leighton's records without the consent of the Leighton Family. Patrons may still visit the archives to view the material and learn more about the perspectives and techniques of the Leightons, as well as the fascinating life stories of their subjects.
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