Richard V. Allen papers, 1948-1999

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Summary

Creators:
Allen, Richard V.
Abstract:
Contains correspondence, speeches, interviews, legal files, subject files, photographs, audio and video recordings, clippings, and notes relating to Allen's work in American politics and government. As a specialist in security and foreign policy, Allen worked on the Nixon and Reagan campaigns and held posts on the National Security Council under each of them. Topics of note include: Ronald Reagan, George H. W. Bush, Richard Nixon, foreign policy, national security, political campaigns, Iran hostage crisis, Republican National Committee, libel and media abuses, Korea, and Taiwan.
Extent:
123 manuscript boxes, 9 oversize boxes (59.1 Linear Feet)
Language:
English
Preferred citation:

[Identification of item], Richard V. Allen papers, 1961-1999., [Box no., Folder no. or title], Hoover Institution Library & Archives.

Background

Scope and content:

The Richard V. Allen papers contain correspondence, speeches, interviews, legal files, subject files, photographs, audio and video recordings, clippings, and notes relating to Allen's work in United States politics and government. As a specialist in security and foreign policy, Allen worked on the Nixon and Reagan campaigns and held posts in the National Security Council under each of them. Topics of note include: Ronald Reagan, George H. W. Bush, Richard Nixon, trade policy, foreign policy, national security, political campaigns, Iran hostage crisis, Republican National Committee, libel and media abuses, Korea, and Taiwan.

The Allen papers provide evidence of Richard V. Allen's longstanding relationship with the Republican Party, his working relationship with two presidents, and his subsequent role in the public sphere as a consultant and commentator. Allen began his career in academia and spent the bulk of the 1960s writing about communism. This period is not well documented in the collection. This background aided Allen as he left academia for the chance to shape public policy; Allen worked on the presidential campaigns of Richard Nixon and Ronald Reagan as an expert in foreign policy and national security, then assumed responsibilities at the National Security Council under each of the two presidents. The Correspondenceand Campaign and transition filesdocument Allen's work for both President Nixon and President Reagan, and the White House filesprovide further details of Allen's tenure as National Security Advisor under President Reagan.

Allen's continuous interest in political life and public policy is reflected in the Committee files, which document his relationships in the 1970s with the Council on International Economic Policy and Republican National Committee, and in the Subject files, which encompass a variety of topics of interest to Allen including the Iran hostage crisis and Presidents Nixon, Reagan, and G.H.W. Bush. The Speeches and writings, Publicity, and Audiovisual materialseries all document Allen's role in the public sphere as analyst and commentator, especially after he left his position as National Security Advisor in 1981. The Legal filesrecord Allen's testimony before various congressional committees, and also cover his struggles with the press in the wake of his resignation from public office. Together, the Calendarsseries and the Invitationsseries illustrate both Allen's work and social life.

The Photographsseries provides an excellent cross-section of Allen's entire career. It includes materials depicting Allen's work at the White House, his appearances on the television show Inside Washington, his travels to Asia, speaking engagements, social events, and visits with leaders of other countries, especially Taiwan and South Korea.

Biographical / historical:
Date Event
1 January 1936
Born, Collingswood, New Jersey
1957
B.A. from University of Notre Dame
28 December 1957
Marries Patricia Ann Mason
1958
M.A. in Political Science from University of Notre Dame
1958-1961
Lecturer, University of Maryland, Overseas Division
1961-1962
Assistant professor of social sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology
1962-1966
Research principal and chairman of study program on communism, Georgetown University Center for Strategic Studies
1963
(Editor with David M. Abshire) National Security: Political, Military, and Economic Strategies in the Decade Ahead,Praeger
1964
(Co-author) East-West Trade: Its Strategic Implications, Center for Strategic Studies, Georgetown University
Publication of Peaceful Coexistence: A Communist Blueprint for Victory, American Bar Association
1966
Publication of Peace or Peaceful Coexistence?American Bar Association
1966-1968
Senior staff member, Hoover Institution on War, Revolution and Peace
1967-1968
Senior foreign policy advisor, Nixon-Agnew campaign committee
1967
Author (with Hal Bartlett and Kenneth Colegrove) of Democracy and Communism: Theory and Action, Van Nostrand
1969
(Editor) Yearbook on International Communist Affairs, Hoover Institution Press
Senior staff member, National Security Council
1969-1971
Vice president of International Resources Ltd.
1970-1972
Member, Presidential Commission on International Trade and Economic Policy
1971-1972
Deputy executive director, Council on International Economic Policy, and deputy assistant to the President on International Economic Affairs
1972-1981
President of Potomac International Corp.
1978-1980
Senior foreign policy advisor to Ronald Reagan
1981-1982
Assistant for national security affairs (National Security Advisor) to President Reagan
1982-
Distinguished fellow and chairman, Asian Studies Center, Heritage Foundation
President, Richard V. Allen Co.
1983-
Senior fellow, Hoover Institution
Acquisition information:
Acquired by the Hoover Institution Library Archives.
Arrangement:

The collection is organized into 13 series: Correspondence, 1962-1987; Campaign and transition files, 1967-1984; White House files, 1979-1989; Subject files, 1968-1999; Committee files, 1969-1984; Speeches and writings, 1961-1999; Legal files, 1971-1999; Publicity Materials, 1945-1999; Calendars, 1971-1998; Invitations, 1981, 1986; Declassified U.S. government records, 1975-1980; Photographs, 1968-1999; Audiovisual material, 1948-1999.

Physical location:
Hoover Institution Library & Archives
Rules or conventions:
Describing Archives: A Content Standard

Access and use

Restrictions:

The collection is open for research; materials must be requested in advance via our reservation system. If there are audiovisual or digital media material in the collection, they must be reformatted before providing access.

Terms of access:

For copyright status, please contact the Hoover Institution Library & Archives.

Preferred citation:

[Identification of item], Richard V. Allen papers, 1961-1999., [Box no., Folder no. or title], Hoover Institution Library & Archives.

Location of this collection:
Hoover Institution Library & Archives, Stanford University
Stanford, CA 94305-6003, US
Contact:
(650) 723-3563
hooverarchives@stanford.edu
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