Inventory of the William Sterling Youngman Papers
Processed by Hoover Institution Archives Staff.
Hoover Institution Archives
Stanford University
Stanford, California 94305-6010
Phone: (650) 723-3563
Fax: (650) 725-3445
Email: archives@hoover.stanford.edu
© 2009
Hoover Institution Archives. All rights reserved.
Inventory of the William Sterling Youngman Papers
Hoover Institution Archives
Stanford University
Stanford, California
- Processed by:
- Hoover Institution Archives Staff
- Date Completed:
- 2008, revised 2011 and 2012
- Encoded by:
- Machine-readable finding aid derived from Microsoft Word and MARC record by David Jacobs.
© 2009 Hoover Institution Archives. All rights reserved.
Collection Summary
Title: William Sterling Youngman papers
Dates: 1945-1992
Collection Number: 2008C85
Creator: Youngman, William Sterling
Collection Size:
1 manuscript box
(0.4 linear feet)
Repository:
Hoover Institution Archives
Stanford, California 94305-6010
Abstract: The William Sterling Youngman papers include correspondence, writings, interview transcripts, and printed matter relating
to American military assistance to China during World War II and to American foreign policy in China.
Physical Location: Hoover Institution Archives
Languages:
English
Administrative Information
Access
The collection is open for research.
Access to audiovisual materials requires at least two weeks advance notice. Audiovisual materials include sound recordings,
video recordings, and motion picture film. Hoover staff will determine whether use copies of the materials requested can be
made available. Some materials may not be accessible even with advance notice. Please contact the Hoover Institution Archives
for further information.
Publication Rights
For copyright status, please contact the Hoover Institution Archives.
Preferred Citation
[Identification of item], William Sterling Youngman papers, [Box number], Hoover Institution Archives.
Acquisition Information
Acquired by the Hoover Institution Archives in 2008.
Accruals
Materials may have been added to the collection since this finding aid was prepared. To determine if this has occurred, find
the collection in Stanford University's online catalog Socrates at
http://library.stanford.edu/webcat . Materials have been added to the collection if the number of boxes listed in Socrates is larger than the number of boxes
listed in this finding aid.
Separated Materials
Security-classified documents have been withdrawn from the collection pending declassification.
Related Materials
China Defense Supplies records, Hoover Institution Archives
W. Langhorne Bond papers, Hoover Institution Archives
Claire Chennault papers, Hoover Institution Archives
T. V. Soong papers, Hoover Institution Archives
Biographical/Historical Note
| 1907 May 25 |
Born, Boston, Massachusetts |
| 1929 |
A.B., magna cum laude, Harvard University |
| 1932 |
LL.B., magna cum laude, Harvard University |
| 1932-1933 |
Law secretary to Judge Learned Hand, New York City |
| 1933-1938 |
Associated with law firm Palmer, Dodge, Barstow, Wilkins and Davis, Boston |
| 1937 |
Married Elsie Hooper Perkins |
| 1939-1940 |
Counsel, National Power Policy Commission, and chief counsel, Power Division, Public Works Administration |
| 1940-1941 |
General counsel, Federal Power Commission |
| 1941-1942 |
Executive vice president and director, China Defense Supplies, Inc. |
| 1941-1949 |
Partner, Corcoran, Clark and Youngman |
| 1942-1945 |
President, China Defense Supplies, Inc. |
| 1944, July 1 |
Liquidation of China Defense Supplies, Inc., transfer of functions to Chinese Supply Commission |
| 1944-1947 |
General counsel, U.S. Natural Resources Commission of China |
| 1949-1968 |
President, C. V. Starr and Company, Inc. |
| 1994 October 10 |
Died |
Scope and Content of Collection
The William Sterling Youngman papers include correspondence, writings, interview transcripts, and printed matter relating
to American military assistance to China during World War II and to American foreign policy in China.
Youngman was president of China Defense Supplies, Inc., the main agency for coordinating Lend-Lease aid to China from the
United States, from 1941 until its dissolution in 1944. China Defense Supplies was a Chinese organization, chaired by T.
V. Soong, but staffed by Americans and based in Washington, D.C. As Soong spent increasingly less time in Washington during
the latter years of the war, the decision was made to dissolve China Defense Supplies and establish a successor organization,
the Chinese Supply Commission, which was also active in obtaining reconstruction aid for China following the war.
In addition to his leading role in China Defense Supplies, Youngman, who throughout the 1940s worked as an attorney in a firm
headed by Thomas G. ("Tommy the Cork") Corcoran, also played a significant role in two other organizations that were involved
in aviation ventures in China during and following the war. The first of these was the American Volunteer Group, better known
as the Flying Tigers, a group that China Defense Supplies worked with to transport aid to the Chinese government prior to
the U.S. entry into World War II. Following the war, Youngman and Corcoran were partners in a company known as Rio Cathay,
S.A., which sought to establish a commercial airline company in China, operating in conjunction with the Civil Air Transport,
Inc.
The William Sterling Youngman papers are divided into two series. The
Alphabetic file contains correspondence, notes, and reports concerning the American Volunteer Group, Rio Cathay, S.A., and Civil Air Transport.
The
Personal correspondence contains letters from later in Youngman's life, in particular when he was contacted by historians interested in the Chinese
Lend-Lease programs and in Youngman's close friendship with T. V. Soong.
Arrangement
The collection is organized into 2 series, which are alphabetically arranged.
Indexing Terms
The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the library's online public access catalog.
World War, 1939-1945--China.
World War, 1939-1945--United States.
Lend-lease operations (1941-1945)
United States--Foreign relations--China.
China--Foreign relations--United States.
Collection Contents
Box: 1
Alphabetical file
1945-1991
Box/Folder: 1 : 1
American Volunteer Group,
1945, 1991
Box/Folder: 1 : 2
Civil Air Transport, Inc.,
1950-1952
Box/Folder: 1 : 3
Hainan Island development,
1945, 1991
Box/Folder: 1 : 4
Rio Cathay, S.A.,
1950, undated
Box: 1
Personal correspondence
1945-1992
Box/Folder: 1 : 5
Balinska, Marta, regarding Ludwik Rajchman and T. V. Soong,
1992
Box/Folder: 1 : 7
Feng, Ivan and Laurette,
1984-1986
Box/Folder: 1 : 8
Richards, Evan, regarding Ludwik Rajchman,
1985-1991.
Scope and Content Note
Includes interview transcript of interview of William S. Youngman by Evan Richards
Box/Folder: 1 : 9
Seagrave, Sterling,
1985-1986
