Eugene M. Becker Papers, 1944-2013 (mostly 1965-1972)

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Collection Overview

Creator:

Becker, Eugene Matthew, 1930-

Title:

Eugene M. Becker Papers

Repository:

Public Policy Papers

Permanent URL:

http://arks.princeton.edu/ark:/88435/k643b117k

Dates:

1944-2013 (mostly 1965-1972)

Size:

39 boxes

Storage Note:

Mudd Manuscript Library (scamudd): Boxes 1-36; 9a; 18a; 18b

Abstract: The Eugene M. Becker Papers consist primarily of planning documents, position papers, articles, addresses, correspondence, and scrapbooks which document Becker's career in public service as Budget Director of New York City under Mayor John Lindsay; Assistant Secretary of the United States Army during the Johnson and Nixon administrations; and Chairman of the Advisory Board of the Mentor Group, a research institute focusing on constitutional, legal-economic comparative studies and sponsor of the Forum for US-EU Legal-Economic Affairs, the Forum for Russian Legal-Economic Affairs, and the Central European Forum for Legal-Economic Affairs.

Collection Description & Creator Information

Scope and Contents

The Eugene M. Becker Papers consist primarily of planning documents, position papers, articles, addresses, correspondence, and scrapbooks which document Becker's career in public service, including Budget Director of New York City under Mayor John Lindsay, Assistant Secretary of the United States Army during the Johnson and Nixon administrations, and Chairman of the Advisory Board of the Mentor Group, a research institute focusing on constitutional, legal-economic comparative studies and sponsor of the Forum for US-EU Legal-Economic Affairs, the Forum for Russian Legal-Economic Affairs, and the Central European Forum for Legal-Economic Affairs. The collection also includes materials related to Becker's research project on Ireland's economy.

Collection Creator Biography:

Becker, Eugene Matthew, 1930-

Eugene M. Becker was born on September 1, 1930 in St. Paul, Minnesota. He graduated from Colgate University in 1952. He received an MA in art history from the University of Chicago in 1953 and a Ph.D. in art and archaeology from Princeton University in 1959. He also studied as a Fulbright scholar at the University of Paris from 1953 to 1954, and from 1954 to 1956 served with the Army Fifth Infantry Division in Germany and as a foreign press analyst for the United States European Command Headquarters near Paris.

Becker's career spanned both finance and government. In finance, he held executive positions in municipal finance (bond sales and public power investment banking) in various investment firms, including the First National City Bank and Kidder Peabody. He also worked as the director of information in municipal securities at the Investment Bankers Association of America. In government, Becker directed research on New York City finances during John Lindsay's mayoral campaign in 1965, becoming Director of the Budget for New York City in 1966. In this capacity, Becker was responsible for drafting a report on the city's fiscal crisis, preparing and executing spending plans, labor negotiations, and serving as a member on the Board of Estimates. In 1967, he was appointed Assistant Secretary of the United States Army for Financial Management by President Johnson and continued to serve in that capacity during the Nixon administration. He was twice awarded the Army's Distinguished Civilian Service Award during his tenure with the Army which ended in 1972, when he returned to the corporate world.

Becker became Chairman of the Advisory Board of The Mentor Group in 1989. The Mentor Group is a non-profit, publicly supported research institute focusing on constitutional, legal-economic comparative studies. Central to the development of these studies has been the founding of the Forum for US-EU Legal-Economic Affairs (1989- ), the Forum for Russian Legal-Economic Affairs (1993-2000), and the Central European Forum for Legal-Economic Affairs (2004- ). Becker co-founded the Forum for US-EU Legal-Economic Affairs with Thomas Kosmo, the originator of the concept and president of The Mentor Group. As co-founder, Becker was responsible for corporate fundraising and relations with senior American and European corporate executives and co-shared agenda planning with Kosmo. Becker also served as an advisor to the Forum for Russian Legal-Economic Affairs until it was terminated in 2000 and as an advisor to the Central European Forum for Legal-Economic Affairs.

Becker was also a trustee of the Carnegie Hall Corporation (1966-1992) and a trustee of Manhattanville College (1975-1989). He served as Chairman of the Advisory Board of The Mentor Group and as an advisor to its Central European Forum for Legal-Economic Affairs.

As a Distinguished Visiting Scholar at New York University's Glucksman Ireland House, Becker was the director of the research project New Perspectives in Managing Ireland's Economy for the Country to Thrive in the Turbulence of World Markets.

Eugene Becker died on September 28, 2016 at age 86.

Collection History

Acquisition:: The collection was donated by Eugene M. Becker in 2001 . The accession number associated with this donation is [ML.2001.014]. Subsequent accessions were received in 2007 [ML.2007.026] and in 2013 [ML.2013.029]. The materials that comprise Series 6 were donated in 2014 [ML.2014.031].
Appraisal: During processing in 2002, materials related to Carnegie Hall that are not relevant to the public policy collections at Mudd were separated from the collection and sent to the Carnegie Hall archives. There is no indication that material was separated from the July 2007 accession to the collection. No materials were separated from the 2013 or 2014 donations.
Processing Information: Preliminary processing undertaken by Rachel Koblic '94 in 2001. Processed by Rachel Ban in 2002. Finding aid written by Rachel Ban in 2002. Subsequent accessions were incorporated into the collection in July 2007 and in 2014, and the finding aid was updated at these times.

Access & Use

Conditions Governing Access

Collection is open for research use.

Conditions Governing Use

Single photocopies may be made for research purposes. For quotations that are fair use as defined under U. S. Copyright Law, no permission to cite or publish is required. For those few instances beyond fair use, researchers are responsible for determining who may hold the copyright and obtaining approval from them. Researchers do not need anything further from the Mudd Library to move forward with their use.

Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements

For preservation reasons, original analog and digital media may not be read or played back in the reading room. Users may visually inspect physical media but may not remove it from its enclosure. All analog audiovisual media must be digitized to preservation-quality standards prior to use. Audiovisual digitization requests are processed by an approved third-party vendor. Please note, the transfer time required can be as little as several weeks to as long as several months and there may be financial costs associated with the process. Requests should be directed through the Ask Us Form.

Credit this material:

Eugene M. Becker Papers; Public Policy Papers, Department of Special Collections, Princeton University Library

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