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Ayn Rand had a close personal and professional association with Nathaniel and Barbara Branden for over 18 years. Both Brandens have described their relationships with Rand in detail in separate books. However, no source has previously offered a simple chronology of the major events they recount. Such a chronology is provided below, using the available accounts as source material.
Because the chronology is based largely on first-person accounts that may be biased, incomplete or otherwise inaccurate, the details of this chronology are subject to change as additional material becomes available. However, multiple sources have been used whenever possible, and care has been taken to separate factual claims in each source from an author's interpretations or potentially self-serving presentation.
| Date | Event | Source |
|---|---|---|
| September 22, 1897 | Frank O'Connor is born in Lorraine, Ohio. | |
| February 2, 1905 | Alissa Rosenbaum (later Ayn Rand) is born in St. Petersburg, Russia | |
| 1929 | Barbara Weidman (later Barbara Branden) is born. | |
| April 1930 | Nathan Blumenthal (later Nathaniel Branden) is born in Brampton, Ontario. | |
| 1926 | Rosenbaum emigrates to the United States and changes her name to Ayn Rand. | |
| April 15, 1929 | Rand marries actor Frank O'Connor. | |
| Summer 1944 | Nathan Blumenthal (age 14) reads Rand's novel The Fountainhead for the first time. | |
| Fall 1948 | Blumenthal is introduced to another fan of The Fountainhead, Barbara Weidman. | Who, pp. 221-222; JD, p. 29 |
| Fall 1948 - Spring 1949 | Blumenthal and Weidman begin to date, and she introduces him to various friends and relatives of hers, including her ex-boyfriend Wilfred Schwartz and her cousin Leonard Peikoff. | |
| Summer 1949 | Blumenthal sends Rand a letter. He does not receive a response. | JD, p. 39 |
| September 1949 | Blumenthal and Weidman move to California to enroll in UCLA. | |
| Late 1949 | Blumenthal sends Rand another letter. | |
| December 2, 1949 | Rand responds to Blumenthal with a brief note that mentions his previous letter. In reply, Blumenthal sends her a third letter asking numerous questions. | Letters, pp. 461, 462; JD, p. 40; Passion, p. 232; Who, pp. 220-221 |
| January 12, 1950 | Rand responds with a lengthy letter and invites Blumenthal to send his telephone number. He replies with a letter that includes his telephone number. | Letters, p. 462; JD, p. 40; Passion, p. 232; Who, pp. 221 |
| February 1950 | Rand telephones Blumenthal and invites him to meet her in person. | |
| March 2, 1950 | Blumenthal visits Rand and her husband at their home in Chatsworth, California. They have a long conversation: Blumenthal arrives at 8:00 p.m. and does not leave until 5:30 a.m. the following day. | JD, pp. 41-51; Who, p. 221 |
| March 1950 | Blumenthal brings Weidman with him to visit Rand. | JD, p. 52; Who, p. 221 |
| Spring/Summer 1950 | Blumenthal and Weidman become close friends with Rand and O'Connor. | Passion, pp. 236-237; Who, pp. 221-224 |
| Summer 1951 | Blumenthal and Weidman move to New York City to continue their education at New York University. | Passion, p. 249; Letters, p. xxi; Who, p. 224 |
| October 1951 | Rand and O'Connor move back to New York City. | Passion, pp. 250-251; Who, p. 225 |
| January 1953 | Barbara Weidman marries Nathaniel Branden. Rand and O'Connor are the matron of honor and best man at the wedding. | Who, p. 227 |
| September 1954 | Branden and Rand recognize that romantic feelings exist between them. They begin to see one another privately without their spouses (but with their spouses' knowledge and consent), but do not have a sexual relationship. | JD, pp. 142-157; Passion, pp. 255-259 |
| January 1955 | Branden initiates a sexual relationship with Rand. | JD, p. 158; Passion, pp. 259-260 |
| October 10, 1957 | Atlas Shrugged is published. The dedication reads, "To Frank O'Connor and Nathaniel Branden." | Letters, p. xxi; Passion, pp. 295-296; JD, p. 228; Who, p. 235 |
| Fall 1957 - Spring 1959 | The sexual relationship between Branden and Rand becomes less active, and the sexual aspect of their affair eventually ends. | JD, pp. 238-239, 248, 262; Passion, p. 304 |
| January 1958 | Branden forms Nathaniel Branden Lectures to deliver seminars on Rand's philosophy. | Letters, p. xxi; Passion, p. 306; JD, pp. 236-237 |
| 1961 | Patrecia Gullison begins attending Nathaniel Branden's lectures. | JD, pp. 274-280 |
| December 1961 | Nathaniel Branden Lectures incorporates under the name "Nathaniel Branden Institute" (NBI). | |
| January 1, 1962 | Rand and Nathaniel Branden begin publishing The Objectivist Newsletter. Barbara Branden serves as the managing editor. | Who, p. 238; JD, p. 291; |
| June 1962 | Who Is Ayn Rand?, a book written by the two Brandens, is published. | Passion, p. 313; JD, p. 301 |
| 1963 | Patrecia Gullison marries another NBI student, Lawrence Scott. | |
| 1963 | Wilfred Schwartz becomes the business manager for The Objectivist Newsletter. | |
| October 1963 | Branden secretly begins seeing Patrecia Scott. | JD, p. 319; Passion, p. 332 |
| January 1964 | Branden and Patrecia Scott begin having a sexual affair. This affair is kept secret from their spouses and from Rand. | JD, p. 327 |
| February 1964 | With her husband's consent, Barbara Branden begins an affair with Wilfred Schwartz. | Passion, p. 333; JD, p. 327 |
| 1964 | Rand's essay collection The Virtue of Selfishness is published. It includes articles written by Nathaniel Branden. | |
| 1964 | Rand indicates a desire to resume her affair with Branden. Over the next few years, he puts her off. He cites various reasons why he cannot resume the affair, including marital problems with Barbara Branden, overwork, and fear of Rand's anger. Rand inquires about two possible reasons: that she is too old for him, or that he is having an affair with someone else. He denies both. | Passion, pp. 331 ff.; Critics |
| Summer 1965 | The Brandens separate. | Passion, p. 334; JD, p. 350 |
| December 1965 | The Brandens make their separation public. | JD, pp. 354-355 |
| January 1966 | The Objectivist Newsletter becomes The Objectivist. Rand and Nathaniel Branden continue to be co-publishers and co-editors. Barbara Branden continues to be managing editor and Schwartz continues as the business manager. | |
| 1966 | Patrecia and Lawrence Scott separate and divorce. She begins using 'Patrecia Wynand' as her professional name for acting and modeling engagements. | Passion, p. 334; JD, pp. 354-355, 364 |
| 1966 | Rand's essay collection Capitalism: The Unknown Ideal is published. It includes articles written by Branden and others. | |
| 1966 | Nathaniel Branden tells Barbara Branden that he is having an affair with Patrecia Scott. | |
| 1966 | Barbara Branden and Wilfred Schwartz end their affair. | JD, p. 361-362 |
| November 1967 | Rand begins writing detailed journal entries about her attempts to help Nathaniel Branden with his supposed psychological problems. | Critics |
| Early 1968 | Rand confides to Barbara Branden that she is bewildered by Nathaniel Branden's behavior and attitudes. | Passion, pp. 336-338; JD, p. 371, 373 |
| Early 1968 | Barbara Branden begins an affair with Robert Berole, a dance instructor who later becomes manager of the NBI Book Service. | Passion, p. 348 |
| July 1968 | Branden gives Rand a written paper telling her that the difference in their ages prevents him from being romantically interested in her. Rand breaks off most personal relations with him, but does continue their business partnership and sessions to advise him on personal psychological issues. | Passion, p. 340; Concern, pp. 451-452; JD, pp. 375-378; Answer |
| August 23, 1968 | Barbara Branden decides to inform Rand of the full truth about Nathaniel Branden's other affair. Her meeting with Rand precipitates a confrontation in which Rand denounces and slaps Nathaniel Branden. | Passion, 342-347; JD, pp. 384-388; Concern, p. 452 |
| August 24, 1968 | Rand demands that Nathaniel Branden resign from The Objectivist and NBI. Barbara Branden asks Rand to let her prepare a business plan for running NBI without him. | Passion, pp. 347-348; JD pp. 389-390; Concern, pp. 452-453 |
| August 25, 1968 | Nathaniel Branden transfers his interest in The Objectivist to Rand. | Passion, p. 349; JD, pp. 390-391 |
| August 28, 1968 | At a meeting of the joint staffs of NBI and The Objectivist, Barbara Branden announces Rand's break with Nathaniel Branden and his resignations. He addresses the group and affirms that he has acted wrongly and that Rand has severed their relationship because of this. | Passion, p. 349; JD, p. 393 |
| September 2, 1968 | Barbara Branden, Schwartz, and Berole meet with Rand and her lawyer to present their business plan for continuing NBI. Rand rejects the plan and refuses to support any continuation of NBI. | Passion, p. 350; Concern, pp. 453-454; JD, p. 395 |
| September 3, 1968 | Barbara Branden expresses concerns about Rand's behavior and state of mind to others. Rand demands that Barbara Branden meet with her and others to justify these remarks. Barbara Branden refuses in a telephone conversation that ends their personal relationship. | Passion, p. 351; Concern, pp. 454-455; JD, p. 396 |
| October 1968 | Rand publishes "To Whom It May Concern" in The Objectivist. It announces her repudiation of the Brandens and details several reasons for it. She accuses Nathaniel Branden of failing in his professional responsibilities, deliberately deceiving people, and exploiting her financially. She does not mention their affair. In the same issue, NBI's associate lecturers issue a brief statement repudiating the Brandens. | |
| October 31, 1968 | Nathaniel Branden and Patrecia Scott leave New York for California. | JD, p. 409 |
| Fall 1968 | The Brandens jointly publish their separately written responses to Rand's article, under the title "In Answer to Ayn Rand," and send them to The Objectivist's mailing list. They deny Rand's allegations of financial exploitation. Nathaniel Branden does not openly mention his affair with Rand, but does hint at it. | |
| November 7, 1969 | Nathaniel Branden marries Patrecia Scott. | |
| November 1970 | Rand modifies the introductions to The Virtue of Selfishness and Capitalism: The Unknown Ideal to note her repudiation of Branden, but does not remove his essays. | VOS and CUI, compare original introductions with post-1970 printings |
| March 31, 1977 | Patrecia Branden dies. | |
| December 10, 1978 | Nathaniel Branden marries Devers Israel. | |
| November 9, 1979 | Frank O'Connor dies. | |
| Late 1980 | Devers Branden goes uninvited to Rand's apartment, and they talk. Over the next several months, she calls Rand several times, but they do not meet again. | Years, pp. 391-401 |
| May 1981 | Barbara Branden telephones Rand and tells her she will be visiting New York. They agree to meet. | Passion, pp. 396-397 |
| July 1981 | Barbara Branden and Rand meet for the last time. | Passion, pp. 397-399 |
| March 6, 1982 | Rand dies. | |
| 1986 | Barbara Branden publishes a biography of Rand titled The Passion of Ayn Rand. | |
| 1989 | Nathaniel Branden publishes a memoir titled Judgement Day: My Years with Ayn Rand. | |
| 1999 | Nathaniel Branden publishes a revised version of his earlier memoir, renamed My Years with Ayn Rand. | |
| c. 2001 | Devers and Nathaniel Branden divorce, but remain friends. | NB Emails |
| 2005 | James S. Valliant publishes The Passion of Ayn Rand's Critics, which criticizes the accounts published by the Brandens. It includes material from Rand's personal journals discussing her realtionship with Nathaniel Branden. |
The following sources were used in preparing this chronology. Most of them are readily available from bookstores, libraries or the Internet.
Additional keywords: Ann Rand, Anne Rand, Any Rand, Nathaniel Brandon, Barbara Brandon
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