The Philosophical Research Society (PRS) is an American nonprofit organization founded in 1934, by
Manly Palmer Hall
Manly Palmer Hall (18 March 1901 – 29 August 1990) was a Canadian author, lecturer, astrologer and mystic. Over his 70-year career he gave thousands of lectures and published over 150 volumes, of which the best known is ''The Secret T ...
, to promote the study of the world's
wisdom literature
Wisdom literature is a genre of literature common in the ancient Near East. It consists of statements by sages and the wise that offer teachings about divinity and virtue. Although this genre uses techniques of traditional oral storytelling, it w ...
. Hall believed the accumulated wisdom of mankind is the birthright of every individual and founded the facility to serve the general public to this end.
![Philosophical Research Society view from north 2015-11-29](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/94/Philosophical_Research_Society_view_from_north_2015-11-29.jpg)
Its current president is Greg Salyer, Ph.D., a graduate of
Emory University's Graduate Institute of the Liberal Arts. Following Mr. Hall's death in 1990, Obadiah Harris, Ph.D. served as the second president and in 2001 opened the University of Philosophical Research, an accredited online university offering graduate programs in consciousness studies and transformational psychology and an undergraduate degree in liberal studies. PRS closed this university in 2019 in favor of offering non-degree courses and certificates with lower costs and greater access to seekers of wisdom.
PRS maintains a research library of over 50,000 volumes, and also sells and publishes metaphysical and esoteric books, mostly those authored by Hall. In 2018 PRS opened the Hansell Gallery to exhibit works of art that express the concept of wisdom in all of its forms. PRS offers a variety of events and lectures throughout the year that incorporate art, cultural studies, literature, philosophy, mythology, among others disciplines.
Its headquarters are in Los Angeles, California. The building at 3910 Los Feliz Boulevard in the
Los Feliz neighborhood was designed by architect
Robert Stacy-Judd
Robert Stacy-Judd (1884–1975) was an English architect and author who designed theaters, hotels, and other commercial buildings in the Mayan Revival architecture Style in Great Britain and the United States. Stacy-Judd's synthesis of the style ...
and designated as a
Los Angeles Historic Cultural Monument
Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monuments are sites which have been designated by the Los Angeles, California, Cultural Heritage Commission as worthy of preservation based on architectural, historic and cultural criteria.
History
The Historic-Cult ...
.
Designated Historic-Cultural Monuments
Los Angeles City Cultural Heritage Commission
References
External links
Philosophical Research Society website
"The Strange History of Los Feliz's Mysterious Metaphysical Research Center," LA Weekly
Organizations based in Los Angeles
Organizations established in 1934
Religious organizations based in the United States
Libraries in Los Angeles
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