George W. Landau papers, 1942-2006

Printable guide [HTML]
Request items

Summary

Creators:
Landau, George W., 1920-
Abstract:
Speeches and writings, correspondence, memoranda, reports, clippings and other printed matter, video tapes, and photographs relating to American relations with Paraguay, Chile, Venezuela, and other countries in Latin America.
Extent:
36 manuscript boxes, 2 oversize boxes (15 Linear Feet)
Language:
In English and Spanish
Preferred citation:

[Identification of item], George W. Landau papers, [Box no., Folder no. or title], Hoover Institution Library & Archives.

Background

Scope and content:

The collection contains documents and video related to the life of George W. Landau, starting with his entrance into active duty with the United States Army during 1942 until his retirement as president of the Council of the Americas and Americas Society in 1993. From George W. Landau's early military career the collection contains military awards, certificates, and intelligence correspondence by the U.S. Army from World War II.

The collection is comprised primarily of diplomatic correspondence, speeches and writings, memoranda, reports, interviews, clippings, other printed matter, videocassettes, and photographs relating to American relations with Spain, Portugal, Paraguay, Chile, Guatemala, and Venezuela during George W. Landau's career in the U.S. Foreign Service. There are documents pertaining to the Letelier Case (the assassination of Orlando Letelier, a Chilean political figure and activist, in Washington, D.C. in 1976) and the Beagle Channel Conflict between Chile and Argentina regarding control of islands and waterways strategically located off the southern edge of Tierra del Fuego.

Further personal and professional correspondence, clippings, and other printed matter exist from his career as president of the Council of the Americas and Americas Society.

Biographical / historical:

George W. Landau was born in Vienna, Austria, in 1920. He became a naturalized citizen of the United States of America in 1943. In 1942, he joined the United States Army as a private and had achieved the rank of Captain by the end of his active duty in 1947. His fluency in German and his Austrian origin made him valuable to the United States Military Intelligence Service in Austria during World War II. In 1947, Landau became an active reserve officer until he retired as a Colonel in 1975.

From 1942 to 1955, George W. Landau was an assistant vice-president at Inta-Mar Shipping Corp, in charge of the Latin-American Division of the international freight forwarder. In 1955, he worked in Colombia as the general manager of a distributor for Chrysler. In 1957, he entered the Foreign Service of the U.S. Department of State and was stationed in Montevideo, Uruguay, as the commercial attaché and chief of the economic section until 1962. From 1962 to 1965 he worked as the supervising political officer in Madrid, Spain. He attended the Canadian National Defense College in Ontario from 1965-1966.

Between 1966 and 1972, Landau worked as the country director in the Office of Spanish and Portuguese Affairs at the State Department in Washington. He became the ambassador to Paraguay in 1972 and remained there until 1977. His career as ambassador to Paraguay was marked by the controversy surrounding the Letelier Case. Orlando Letelier, the former Chilean defense minister in the government of Salvador Allende, was assassinated in Washington, DC in 1976. Landau served as the ambassador to Chile from 1977 until 1982. His career in Chile was defined by his involvement in the resolution of the Beagle Channel Conflict between Chile and Argentina regarding control of islands and waterways strategically located off the southern edge of Tierra del Fuego. He was nominated as the ambassador to Guatemala in 1980, but the nomination was aborted. Landau served as the ambassador to Venezuela from 1982 to 1985.

From 1985 to 1993, he was the President of the Council of the Americas and Americas Society. During his time with the council he served on the boards of several private companies with interests in South America. In 1993, Landau retired as President of the council and moved to Florida with his wife, Mary Landau.

Acquisition information:
Acquired by the Hoover Institution Library Archives in 2007.
Arrangement:

The material reflects the original order of the papers when received from the donor.

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], George W. Landau papers, [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
Website