Skip to main content

Summer School

NOTE: an updated version of this page is available on the Rutgers University Libraries website.

Established at Yale by pioneering researcher E. M. Jellinek, the Summer School of Alcohol Studies (1943 – present) was the first of its kind, connecting addiction professionals with practical training informed by the latest research. It quickly became an important educational resource and revolutionized the relationship between scholarship and therapeutic practice in the alcohol and addictions field.

Where Modern-Day Alcohol Education Started

The first Summer School of Alcohol Studies (SSAS) established the tradition of bringing members of the larger community (e.g., Alcoholics Anonymous, alcohol beverage industry representatives, clergy, criminal justice, education, medicine, Women’s Christian Temperance Union, etc.) under one roof along with alcohol researchers. With the leadership of SSAS faculty, the diverse participants took on the problem of alcohol from multiple angles, resulting in major national initiatives which redefined prevailing views of and attitudes towards alcoholism.

The Addiction Education Division at Rutgers Center of Alcohol and Substance Use Studies continues to provide extensive opportunities for professional development in substance use prevention, behavioral health and treatment best practices.

1943 class photo, Summer School of Alcohol Studies
Group photo of the First Summer School of Alcohol Studies held in 1943 with E. M. Jellinek in the middle.