Preliminary Guide to the Eugene Davidson Collection
Preliminary arrangement and description by D. Tambo
Department of Special Collections
Davidson Library
University of California, Santa Barbara
Santa Barbara, CA 93106
Phone: (805) 893-3062
Fax: (805) 893-5749
Email: special@library.ucsb.edu
URL: http://www.library.ucsb.edu/speccoll/speccoll.html
© 2011
The Regents of the University of California. All rights reserved.
Preliminary Guide to the Eugene Davidson Collection, ca. 1917-2002
Collection number: Mss 185
Department of Special Collections
Davidson Library
University of California, Santa Barbara
- Processed by:
- Preliminary arrangement and description by D. Tambo
- Date Completed:
- Apr. 1, 2004
- Encoded by:
- A. Demeter
© 2011 The Regents of the University of California. All rights reserved.
Descriptive Summary
Title: Eugene Davidson Collection
Dates: ca. 1917-2002
Collection number: Mss 185
Creator:
Davidson, Eugene, 1902-2002
Collection Size:
ca. 23 linear feet
(19 records containers, 1 document box, 1 oversize box, 1 audiotape).
Repository:
University of California, Santa Barbara. Library.
Dept. of Special Collections
Abstract: Books and papers of an historian and editor of Yale University Press, primarily relating to 20th century German history, including
the Weimar Republic, Third Reich, Holocaust, Nuremberg trials, international war tribunals, and the Cold War period.
Physical location: Boxes 1-20 (SRLF); Box 21 (Del Sur Oversize); Audiotape (Annex 2).
Languages:
English
Access Restrictions
None. Majority of materials stored off-site; advance notice required for retrieval.
Publication Rights
Copyright has not been assigned to the Department of Special Collections, UCSB. All requests for permission to publish or
quote from manuscripts must be submitted in writing to the Head of Special Collections. Permission for publication is given
on behalf of the Department of Special Collections as the owner of the physical items and is not intended to include or imply
permission of the copyright holder, which also must be obtained.
Preferred Citation
Eugene Davidson Collection. Mss 185. Department of Special Collections, Davidson Library, University of California, Santa
Barbara.
Acquisition Information
Donation, 2002-2003.
History and Biographical Note
Eugene Arthur Davidson. Born: Sept. 22, 1902, New York. Died: Jan. 15, 2002, in Santa Barbara.
Graduate of Yale University, 1927.
Editor of Yale University Press, 1931-1957.
President and Director of the Foundation for Foreign Affairs (Washington, D.C.), 1957-1970.
Editor of
Modern Age (Chicago, IL), 1960-1970.
Chair and Board of Directors, Conference on European Problems, 1970s-1990s.
Works include (in chronological order):
-
The Death and Life of Germany: An Account of the American Occupation (Knopf, 1959, 1961; Missouri, 1999)
-
The Trial of the Germans (Macmillan, 1966; Missouri, 1997)
- Introduction to Albert Speer's
Inside the Third Reich (Macmillan, 1970)
-
The Nuremberg Fallacy: Wars and War Crimes since World War II (Macmillan, 1973)
-
The Making of Adolf Hitler (Macmillan, 1977; Missouri, 1997)
-
The Unmaking of Adolf Hitler (Missouri, 1996)
-
Reflections on a Disruptive Decade (Missouri, 2000)
-
The Narrow Path of Freedom and Other Essays (Missouri, 2002)
Also, contributions to:
American Historical Review,
American Mercury,
Modern Age,
Saturday Review of Literature, and
Yale Review.
Copies of Eugene Davidson's major published works have been cataloged separately and may be searched on Pegasus, the UCSB
Libraries online catalog.
Scope and Content Notes
The Eugene Davidson Collection contains both a manuscript section and a larger collection of books, both dealing primarily
with modern German history, especially the period of the Third Reich and post-WWII events such as the Nuremberg trials and
Allied occupation of Germany. The manuscript portion pertains mainly to Davidson's writings, much of it on modern German history,
but also other political issues, and some early poetry. Included are drafts, correspondence, research files, dealings with
publishers, and reviews.
Among the manuscripts is correspondence, primarily 1960s-1970s, with Albert Speer, Hitler's chief architect and minister of
armaments from 1942-1945, and other related material such as an architectural drawing by Speer, inscribed to Davidson. Davidson
wrote the introduction to Speer's autobiographical
Inside the Third Reich: Memoirs (1970).
There also is correspondence with Luise Jodl, wife of WWII German general Alfred Jodl, who was tried at Nuremberg and hanged.
Jodl is covered extensively in Chapter 9 of Davidson's
Trial of the Germans.
In addition, there are a few other post-war letters from figures such as Admiral Doenitz.
There is very little material relating to Davidson's personal life or his professional career, aside from that as a writer.
The bulk of the collection came directly from Eugene Davidson's estate, but some materials which Davidson earlier had donated
to the American Heritage Center at the University of Wyoming were transferred from there to UCSB, and some materials bequeathed
to Wyoming likewise were given to UCSB, upon agreement with the estate's trustees. The University of Missouri Press also transferred
its remaining files to UCSB.
Arrangement
The collection contains eight series:
-
I. Biographical/Personal Files (Boxes 1-2). Mainly correspondence and Yale University.
-
II. Editor's Files (Box 3). Yale University Press and
Modern Age.
-
III. Organizations (Boxes 3-5). Mainly Conference on European Problems and Foundation for Foreign Affairs.
-
IV. Publishers' Files (Box 5). Macmillan and University of Missouri presses.
-
V. Subject Files (Boxes 5-8). Includes Adolf Eichmann trial, files relating to Davidson's intro to Albert Speer's
Inside the Third Reich, and other files pertaining to the Third Reich, World War II, the Holocaust, and Davidson trips to Germany and elsewhere
after World War II.
-
VI. Writings (Boxes 9-20). Research files, notes, drafts, correspondence, publicity, and reviews, mainly pertaining to monographs published
by Davidson, but also poetry and shorter works such as articles, forewords, introductions, and reviews by him.
-
VII. Oversize (Box 21). Includes photographs and an inscribed architectural drawing by Albert Speer.
-
VIII. Audiotape (A6693/R7). Commentary by Eugene Davidson on an interview with Albert Speer for NET-TV.
Indexing Terms
The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the library's online public access catalog.
Davidson, Eugene, 1902-2002
World War II
Third Reich
Speer, Albert, 1905-1981.
Holocaust, Jewish (1939-1945)
Related Materials in UCSB Special Collections
Beddie [James Stuart] Papers, ca. 1930s-1960s. Beddie was an American scholar and Foreign Service Officer, who during WWII joined the Office of Naval Intelligence. He served
in various posts in Washington, D.C., England, and occupied Germany. His assignments included aspects of research, translation
and intelligence briefing. The largest part of the collection includes various State Department records, e.g. material on
the German War Documents Project (post-WWII). (Bernath Mss 4).
Gahagan [G. William] Collection, ca. 1940s. Gahagan was public relations officer for the Office of War Information's Overseas Branch in San Francisco, and later was
UCSB's Supervisor of Special Services in the Chancellor's Office. Collection includes propaganda magazines, pamphlets, and
leaflets used both in the Pacific and Atlantic theaters of war; OWI outpost reports; U.N. Conference press releases, circulars,
correspondence and photos (Gahagan was director of press relations). (Bernath Mss 8).
Gillett, Paul. 1 letter (ALS), clippings, and pamphlet re Manzanar Camp and Japanese role in World War II. (SC 496).
Hathaway [Charles Montgomery] Papers, 1912-1939. Primarily documents, reports, and correspondence of an American academic and diplomat who served in the Dominican Republic,
England, Ireland, Budapest, Bombay, and Germany. Of particular note is Hathaway's April 13, 1932 report on "The Economic and
Social Ideas of the National-Socialistic Movement of Adolf Hitler," and his August 5, 1933 dispatch to Ambassador William
E. Dodd, on his "Visit to Dachau Concentration Camp," in which he describes the prisoners and conditions at that camp. (Bernath
Mss 9).
Hopper [Bruce C.] Collection, 1913-1970. Newspaper reporter, government official, and university professor who during WWII was an Air Force historian and O.S.S. observer
in Sweden. Also includes research files on Japan, China, Germany and USSR ca. 1920s-1930s. (Bernath Mss 10).
Hussey [Roland D.] Collection. Includes research and analysis reports from the Office of Strategic Services during WWII. (Bernath Mss 16).
Perutz [Fred W.] Collection. World War II era leaflets and newspapers issued by U.S. Psychological Warfare units. 12 items, mostly German language, ca.
1943-1945. (SC 631).
Snap [Mrs. Agusta W.] Oral History. Subjects include: Third Reich, Germany, World War II, Holocaust. (OH 111).
Stuurman [Douwe] Oral History. As a student at the University of Kiel, Professor Douwe Stuurman recalls his experiences in Nazi Germany and how Hitler's
programs compromised the academic integrity of the university. He describes his military assignments during World War II,
which led to his discovery of the Chancellery Papers and Hitler's personal library. (OH 13).
Wittenstein [George] Oral History. Includes account of the White Rose resistance movement in Germany during WWII. (OH 103).
I.
Biographical / Personal Files
Box 2: 2
ABC News - Interview for "20th Century" Project,
1994
Box 2: 3
America First Committee,
1938-1946
Box 2: 4
Beard, Charles A. (as subject),
1948-1971
Box 2: 5
Dönitz, Grand Admiral,
1963-1973
Box 2: 6-7
Ferrell, Robert H.,
1968-1999
Box 2: 9-11
Jensen, Arthur R.,
1969-2001
Box 2: 12
Kertesz, Stephen,
1970-1986
Box 2: 13
Kieran, John,
ca. 1938-1942
Box 2: 14
Kimmel, Adm. Husband E. (as subject),
1998-1999
Box 2: 16
Park College Degree,
1977
Box 2: 17-19
Puleston, W. D.,
1939-1949
Box 3: 1-5
Yale University (Class of 1927) - also includes later alumni material,
ca. 1920s-1980s
Box 3: 6-8
Yale University Press,
1940-1959
Box 3: 9
Modern Age - Editorials and Index,
1961-1969
Conference on European Problems (CEP) - includes 1987 tribute to EAD on his 85th Birthday, 90th birthday greetings in 1992,
and 1994 Freedom Award
Box 4: 15-20
Foundation for Foreign Affairs,
1945-1969,
n.d.
Box 5: 1
Philadelphia Society,
1995-2002
Box 5: 2
University of Chicago Library Visiting Committee,
1974-1977
Box 5: 3
Volker Fund - National Book Foundation,
1952-1960
Box 5: 4-7
Macmillan - agreements, correspondence, royalty statements, Speer book,
1966-1994
Box 5: 8
University of Missouri Press,
2000
Box 5: 9-18
Eichmann [Adolf] Trial - includes transcripts, minutes of sessions, articles, and related (from trip to Israel, 1961)
Box 7: 4-20
Speer [Albert] Files - correspondence (incl. some with Speer), research files, reviews, articles and other related material
resulting from work on Davidson's Introduction to Speer's
Inside the Third Reich,
ca. 1962-1981
Miscellany - includes China diary (unknown author, 1917), European trip files (1947 and 1954), Goebbels invitation (1937),
maps, newspapers
Box 8: 3
China - Diaries,
1917,
1973
Box 8: 15
Morton (EaD's wife),
1997
Box 8: 19
Photographs - incl. Hitler with Jodl and Hitler drawing
Box 8: 22
Publications,
1960s-1970s
Box 8: 25-26
Trip - England, Germany, Austria,
1947
Box 8: 32
Truman Correspondence (copies),
1937-1938
Box 8: 34
Yale Literary Magazine,
1979,
1985
Monographs
Scope and Content Note
Includes research files, notes, drafts, correspondence, publicity, and reviews
Box 9: 1-22
The Death and Life of Germany: An Account of the American Occupation (Knopf, 1959, 1961; Missouri, 1999)
Box 10: 1-7
The Making of Adolf Hitler (Macmillan, 1977; Missouri, 1997)
Box 10: 8-29
The Narrow Path of Freedom and Other Essays - includes essays on the Nuremberg Trials, Charles A. Beard, Ezra Pound, and Albert Speer (Missouri,
2002)
Box 11: 1-9
The Nuremberg Fallacy: Wars and War Crimes since World War II (Macmillan, 1973; Missouri, 1998)
Box 11: 10-12
Reflections on a Disruptive Decade - introductory essays to each quarterly issue of
Modern Age during the 1960s; includes an essay on Eichmann in Israel (Missouri,
2000)
Box 11: 13-15
The Trial of the Germans: An Account of the Twenty-two Defendants before the International Military Tribunal at Nuremberg (Macmillan, 1966; Missouri, 1997) - includes Jodl material
Box 18: 1-12
The Unmaking of Adolf Hitler (Missouri,
1996)
Box 19-20
Shorter Works
Scope and Content Note
Articles, forewords, introductions, poems, and reviews (mostly print copies, some manuscript drafts and related correspondence)
Box 21
Speer [Albert] inscribed architectural drawing
Tape No. A6693/R7
Commentary by Eugene Davidson on an interview with Albert Speer for NET-TV