Series:

Synanon Foundation Oral Histories

Topic:

Science, Medicine, and Technology

Community History

Biographical Note:

Associated with Synanon drug rehabilitation program.

Interviewer:

Montgomery, Cecilia Dederich

Interviewee:

Law, Dian

Persons Present:

Law and Montgomery.

Place Conducted:

San Diego, California.

Supporting Documents:

Records relating to the interview are located in the office of the UCLA Library's Center for Oral History Research.

Length:

1.5 hrs.

Language:

English

Copyright:

copyrighted

Audio:

Series Statement:

This series of interviews looks back on Synanon, the first self-help residential community for drug rehabilitation in the United States, which was founded in Venice, California in 1959 and continued through the early 1990s. In the interviews the former residents speak from their own experience in describing many aspects of the organization and community as it evolved beyond its original purpose. They discuss Synanon’s beginnings, early development, growth, and eventual decline, as well as the organization’s use of a cathartic brand of verbal group encounter known as The Game.The original interviews in the series were conducted in the spring of 1962 by Oral History Program staff member Elizabeth Dixon at Synanon House in Santa Monica and at one of the residences in Venice. Since it was impracticable to record each and every member of the organization, the project at least attempted to interview as broad a sampling of individuals as possible— male and female, old and young. Originally the intention was to conduct follow-up interviews at periodic intervals of the people whose stories had been recorded, but that never happened.Nearly half a century after the original interviews were done, Jady Dederich Montgomery, the daughter of Synanon's founder, Charles Dederich, conducted additional interviews with former members of Synanon. She donated those interviews to the Center for Oral History Research in 2012, and they were then added to this collection.

Hearing about and arriving at Synanon—Feeling connected and learning—Joining Synanon groups at various locations—First era of Synanon members—Dynamics shift toward youth culture—The Game—Self-development and reflections—“Bad period”—Leaving Synanon—Leadership role.