Introduction
To get a proper perspective on the history of the Foundation for Philosophy of Creativity, let us begin with its origin on December 28, 1951, when Edwin Arthur Burtt, a distinguished professor of philosophy at Cornell University, made a critical statement at the close of a long session on ethics at the Eastern Division meeting of the American Philosophical Association held at Bryn Mawr College. He said that the session had been a reiteration of traditional theories of ethics inadequate for our time, and that current conditions call for creative ethics. That statement of Dr. Burtt opened the way for the first philosophic research program on creativity.
William S. Minor, a professor of philosophy at West Virginia University, congratulated Professor Burtt for the statement he had made. Burtt replied: "You are the man to do something about it, and I'll support you." After reflecting on this call for action overnight, on the following morning, Minor called together a few philosophers and spoke to them on the need for a research group on creative ethics. They then talked with the Administrative Officers of the APA and requested that they sponsor such an independent research group. The request was graciously granted on December 29, 1951 and they asked Minor to serve as Director.
Development of Research Program
Preceding the incorporation of the Foundation, the first research program of the Creative Ethics Group was held as an after-luncheon meeting in Hotel George Washington in New York City, December 30, 1952, as a Special Group in conjunction with the Eastern Division of the APA. Wayne A. R. Leys, Professor of Philosophy and Dean of Faculties at Roosevelt College in Chicago, reviewed his new book, Ethics for Policy Decisions: The Art of Asking Deliberative Questions, with special emphasis on the question, "Is it Ethics?" After several commentators read papers, there was open discussion with 129 philosophers present. With growing interest, the Creative Ethics Group became the Society for Creative Ethics in 1957. That same year the Foundation for Creative Philosophy was incorporated to sponsor, publish, and disseminate research on creativity. Stimulated by continuing research and by the expanding perception of the nature of creativity, further understanding of the need for ever-present reconstruction of philosophy called for changing the name of the Society for Creative Ethics to the Society for Philosophy of Creativity, which was done in 1966. In 1979 the name of the Foundation was changed to Foundation for Philosophy of Creativity to coordinate with the name of its research Society.
Financial Support
From the beginning of the research program, it was assumed that faculty members in colleges and universities who wished to participate in research on creativity would be encouraged by their administrative officers to do so; furthermore, that the colleges and universities would provide for their expenses when they were programmed in the national conferences for sharing their research with their colleagues and for receiving their critical analyses. These assumptions proved to be well founded until budgets for travel expenses began to be reduced, if not altogether eliminated. In order to meet other expenses of the research program, participants and friends were invited to make contributions, but with the growth of the Society into several Divisions, including the Western in 1961, the Pacific in 1973, and the fourth Division in 1977 meeting with the American Academy of Religion, bylaws of the Foundation were written providing conditions for formal membership in the Society with dues. The Foundation Board was increased to include three officers of each Division of the Society. This new development made the Board not only sponsors of the research Society, but also its Board of Administration with responsibility for obtaining financial support from individual contributors and grants from other Foundations.
Changes in the Administration
Early in 1979, William S. Minor, Director of the Foundation, and Galia M. Minor, Secretary-Treasurer, having served in these offices since the beginning of the research program in 1951, decided on retirement from their positions. The new Administration began April 20, 1979, with the unanimous election of Carl R. Housman, Charman of the Department of Philosophy, The Pennsylvania State University, as Executive Director. For decades, Hausman was a loyal member of the Society, had served as Chairman of the Eastern Division, and was a main contributor to research and publication of books and articles on philosophy of creativity. Following the adminstration of Hausman, Pete A.Y. Gunter, Professor of Philosophy, North Texas State University, was unanimously elected as the third Executive Director. Gunter, author of many books and articles on philosophy of creativity, is a distinguished scholar on the philosophy of Henri Bergson who, as a pioneering philosopher of creativity, is best known for his classic book, Creative Evolution.
Chronology
| CGE | Dec. 1951 | Creative Ethics Group formed |
| Dec. 1952 | First meeting of CGE at the APA | |
| SCE | 1957 | Name changed to the Society for Creative Ethics |
| 1957 | Foundation for Creative Philosophy incorporated | |
| 1961 | Western Division founded | |
| SPC | 1966 | Name changed to the Society for Philosophy of Creativity |
| 1973 | Pacific Division founded; American Academy of Religion founded | |
| 1979 | Director William S. Minor retires; Carl R. Hausman elected Executive Director | |
| 1982 | Pete A.Y. Gunter elected Executive Director | |
| 1987 | Western Division changes name to Central Division | |
| 1991 | Larry R. Cobb elected Executive Director | |
| 1991 | William S. Minor, founder FPC, dies November 3, 1991 |
Summary:
The Foundation for Philosophy of Creativity (FPC) grew out of a research program on creativity organized in 1951 by William S. Minor, then a professor of philosophy at West Virginia University. The American Philosophical Association (APA) agreed to sponsor a "Creative Ethics Group," (CEG) and the members reported on their research annually; first at meetings of the Eastern Division (1952) of the APA and later at meetings of the Western (1961) and Pacific (1973) Divisions of the APA and the American Academy of Religion (1973).
The Creative Ethics Group became the Society for Creative Ethics in 1957. In that same year the Foundation for Creative Philosophy (FCP) was incorporated to sponsor publish and disseminate the research of the Society and research on creativity in general
