– contributed by Yangtian Yan and Cathy Faye
As our world becomes increasingly digital, traditional paper documents such as correspondence, diaries, and notes are less commonly saved and filed away over the course of an academic life. Unfortunately for historians, digital files are more likely to be lost to history than their paper counterparts. Archives and collecting institutions must therefore work actively to find new ways to capture and save the historical record.
The Cumming Center’s Archives of the History of American Psychology is doing just that. In 2024, we reignited an oral history project originally initiated by the founder of the Archives, Dr. John Popplestone, in the 1960s. This project captures the stories of psychologists who have shaped our science, our practice, and our social world. For our first interview, we had the privilege of interviewing Dr. Joseph E. Trimble, a trailblazer in cross-cultural psychology. We captured Dr. Trimble’s memories of his years as a graduate student, his first forays into cross-cultural research, and his sense of how his work has impacted psychology.
Dr. Trimble earned his Ph.D. in social psychology from the University of Oklahoma in 1969 and has spent his career advocating for cultural sensitivity and competence in psychological research and practice, particularly with Native American communities. As a young scholar, he began to spend time in the Native American communities around the University of Oklahoma and began to get a sense of the importance of culture and spirituality in relation to a community’s worldview:
Dr. Trimble felt a strong disconnect between the courses he was taking in graduate school and the cultural and spiritual world that he was experiencing as he attended pow wows and tribal council meetings:
Dr. Trimble came to believe that psychology often neglected culture and spirituality, but he kept on the path of incorporating culture: “I just continued to persist… there was a momentum that was building.”
When we asked Dr. Trimble about what he saw as his contributions to the field of psychology, he shared a wonderful story of the impact of his co-edited book, Counseling Across Cultures, a pioneering text in multicultural psychology. This book remains a key resource for professionals working with individuals from diverse backgrounds. His chapter on counseling American Indian clients profoundly influenced many, including Grace Sage, a clinical psychologist. At a substance abuse conference, she shared with Dr. Trimble, “You, your chapter saved my career.” She recounted how, as the only Native American in her clinical psychology program, she felt disconnected: “There was this disconnect between what I was learning in the clinical program and what I was going to be faced with in tribal communities,” she said. Trimble’s writing gave her renewed hope and a sense of belonging in the field. She told him that and it touched him deeply. Reflecting on this moment, Dr. Trimble noted, “I don’t always know the impact my work has until someone like Grace tells me how it changed their life. That means more to me than anything else I’ve done professionally”.
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You can watch the whole interview here and watch our social media to be notified of the next one!
