SCHUTZ

Posted by Cathy Gowdy on Tuesday, September 26, 2006 at 06:07:18 :

San Francisco Chronicle
Saturday, November 16, 2002
Section A, page 19

William Carl Schutz -- human potential guru
by Suzanne Herel, Chronicle Staff Writer

William Carl Schutz, a co-founder of the Human Potential Movement and former resident at the Esalen Institute, died Nov. 9 at his Muir Beach home after suffering a stroke two days earlier. He was 76.

Born in Chicago, Mr. Schutz served in the Navy during World War II from 1944 to 1946.

In 1951, he received his doctorate in psychology from UCLA and later served on the faculties of Harvard University, UC Berkeley, the University of Chicago,

Antioch University in San Francisco, Einstein Medical School and others.

Also in 1951, he was recalled to the Naval Research Laboratory in Washington, D.C., where he conducted extensive research on group behavior.

His research led to the development of the Fundamental Interpersonal Relations Orientation-Behavior (FIRO-B) questionnaire, which continues to be widely used to gauge people's compatibility.

In 1967, Mr. Schutz became a resident at the Esalen Institute, where he remained until 1975. There, he became known for his work with "Open Encounter, " a form of group self-revelation that encourages openness and honesty in all human relationships.

During his career, Mr. Schutz authored eight books, including the best- selling "Joy" in 1967, "Here Comes Everybody" in 1971, "Profound Simplicity" in 1979, "The Truth Option" in 1984 and "The Human Element" a decade later.

Following the release of "Joy," Mr. Schutz was interviewed extensively by the media and appeared on the Johnny Carson and Donahue television shows to promote his theory that telling the truth can solve many problems.

After leaving Esalen, Mr. Schutz, who believed in the saying, "Openness is the great simplifier," created the holistic studies program at Antioch University in San Francisco.

He is survived by his wife, Ailish Schutz of Muir Beach; daughters Laurie Schutz of Carmel and Dana Blackwell-Schutz of Marina del Rey; sons Caleb Schutz of Leesburg, Va., Ethan Schutz of Manhattan and Ari Schutz of San Diego; and a grandson.

A memorial will be held at 11 a.m. Sunday at the Mill Valley Community Center, 180 Camino Alto.

The family suggests donations to the United States Handball Association, 2333 North Tucson Blvd., Tucson, AZ 85716, or to the Esalen Institute's Long- Term Development Fund, Highway 1, Big Sur, CA 93920-9616.