Dean Gooderham Acheson Papers, 1898-1986. MS 1087.
Dean Gooderham Acheson was born on April 11, 1893 in Middletown, Connecticut. He was a lawyer, author, secretary of state in the Truman administration, and member of the Yale Corporation. Acheson attended Groton, Yale College (1911?-1915), and the Harvard Law School. He clerked for Supreme Court Justice Louis Brandeis before joining the Washington law firm of Covington & Burling. He served for more than twelve years at the U.S. State Department (1941-1953), first as assistant and under secretary of state and then as secretary of state during President Truman's second term. During these years Acheson was instrumental in forging the NATO alliance, the Truman Doctrine, and the Marshall Plan; in developing America's postwar posture towards Germany, the Soviet Union, and the People's Republic of China; and in diplomatic negotiations during the Korean Conflict. Following his retirement as secretary of state, Acheson returned to his law practice, served as advisor to John Kennedy, Lyndon Johnson, and Richard Nixon, and wrote several books including the Pulitzer Prize-winning Present at the Creation. He died on October 12, 1971.
The papers include correspondence, writings, speeches, memoranda, and photographs documenting Dean Acheson's life and work. The correspondence and memoranda contain Acheson's views on many contemporary issues in America foreign policy such as Korea, the Middle East, NATO, Germany, the war in Vietnam, and Rhodesia and South Africa. (It should be noted that there is very little general correspondence from the years 1948-1953, when Acheson served as Secretary of State. Papers from that period are contained in the Official Conversations .) The papers also include Acheson's later reflections on his years in public life and assessments of the U.S. government under the Kennedy, Johnson, and Nixon administrations. 33.5 linear feet. Access to some documents is restricted.
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