Summary
Overview
John Lewis Gaddis Papers on George F. Kennan
1.2 linear feet (5 boxes)
Abstract
John Lewis Gaddis (1941- ) is a diplomatic historian noted for his analysis of the Cold War. The John Lewis Gaddis Papers on George F. Kennan contain interviews conducted by Gaddis for his authorized biography of noted diplomat and historian George F. Kennan and include transcripts and recordings of the interviews.
Description
Description
The John Lewis Gaddis Papers on George F. Kennan contain interviews conducted by Gaddis for his authorized biography of noted diplomat and historian George F. Kennan and include transcripts and recordings of the interviews. Gaddis interviewed Kennan, his family, and his colleagues in the United States government and in academia about the entire span of Kennan's life and career.
Collection Creator
Biography
John Lewis Gaddis (1941- ) is a diplomatic historian noted for his analysis of the Cold War. He has spent his career at Ohio University and Yale University, and is the authorized biographer of noted diplomat and historian George F. Kennan.
Gaddis was educated at the University of Texas, earning his B.A. in 1963, M.A. in 1965, and Ph.D. in 1968. He taught briefly as an assistant professor at Indiana University Southeast before obtaining a position at Ohio University, Athens. At Ohio University, Gaddis was assistant professor of history (1969-1971), associate professor (1971-1976), professor (1976-1983), and distinguished professor of history (1983-1997). He also served as the director of their Contemporary History Institute from 1987 to 1993. Since 1997, Gaddis has been the Robert A. Lovett Professor of History at Yale University where he teaches courses in Cold War history, international studies, and biography. He has also taught as a visiting professor at the Naval War College, University Helsinki, Princeton University, and Oxford University.
Gaddis's scholarship focuses on the Cold War. Drawn to the relationship between history and current events, he began his study during the Cold War and has continued to reassess his positions as new documents are released. His publications include The United States and the Origins of the Cold War, 1941-1947 (1972), Strategies of Containment: A Critical Appraisal of Postwar American National Security (1982), The Long Peace: Inquiries into the History of the Cold War (1987), We Now Know: Rethinking Cold War History (1997), The Landscape of History: How Historians Map the Past (2002), Surprise, Security, and the American Experience (2004), and The Cold War: A New History (2006). His most recent project is an authorized biography of George F. Kennan.
Collection History
Acquisition
On deposit by John Lewis Gaddis. Materials were received periodically from 1982-2012. A large cache of interview transcripts and recordings were deposited at the Mudd Library in January 2012 [ML.2012.002].
Archival Appraisal Information
Appraisal has been conducted in accordance with Mudd Manuscript Library guidelines. No materials were separated from this collection during processing in 2009.
Processing Information
This collection was processed by Adriane Hanson in March 2009. Finding aid written by Adriane Hanson in March 2009.
Sponsorship
These papers were processed with the generous support of the National Historical Publications and Records Commission (NHPRC).
Bibliography
The following sources were consulted during the preparation of the biographical note: "Documenting the Cold War: John Lewis Gaddis," by Meredith Hindley. Humanities, vol 27, no 1, January/February 2006. "John Lewis Gaddis," Marquis Who's Who Online. www.marquiswhoswho.com Accessed March 17, 2009. "John Lewis Gaddis," Yale University History Department webpage. www.yale.edu/history Accessed March 17, 2009.
Access and Use
Access Restrictions
Access to interviews for living individuals requires the permission of the interviewee. All other interviews are open for research use. Restricted interviews are noted in the contents listing below.
Use Restrictions
Single photocopies may be made for research purposes. Permission to publish materials from the collection must be requested from the Curator of the Public Policy Papers. Researchers are responsible for determining any copyright questions.
Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements
Series 2: Interview Recordings (Box 2) contains 40 audio cassette tapes and 65 CDs. Access to this material follows the Mudd Manuscript Library policy for preservation and access to audiovisual materials.
Preferred Citation
John Lewis Gaddis Papers on George F. Kennan; 1982-1989, Public Policy Papers, Department of Rare Books and Special Collections, Princeton University Library.
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