American Relief Administration Russian operational records, 1919-1925

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Summary

Creators:
Hoover, Herbert, 1874-1964, United States. Navy, American Relief Administration, American National Red Cross, American Friends Service Committee, Near East Relief (Organization), United States Grain Corporation, Litvinov, M. M. (Maksim Maksimovich), 1876-1951, Nansen, Fridtjof, 1861-1930, Gorky, Maksim, 1868-1936, American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee, American Mennonite Central Committee, National Lutheran Council, and Save the Children Fund (Great Britain)
Abstract:
Correspondence, telegrams, memoranda, reports, agreements, minutes, histories, financial records, lists, press summaries, and photographs relating to American relief in the Soviet Union following the Russian Civil War, and food and public health problems, agriculture, economic conditions, transportation and communications, and political and social developments, in the Soviet Union.
Extent:
560 manuscript boxes, 2 cubic foot boxes, 14 oversize boxes, 1 oversize folder (254.76 Linear Feet)
Language:
English
Preferred citation:

[Identification of item], American Relief Administration. Russian operational records, [Box no., Folder no. or title], Hoover Institution Library & Archives.

Background

Scope and content:

Correspondence, telegrams, memoranda, reports, agreements, minutes, histories, financial records, lists, press summaries, and photographs relating to American relief in the Soviet Union following the Russian Civil War, and food and public health problems, agriculture, economic conditions, transportation and communications, and political and social developments, in the Soviet Union.

Biographical / historical:

The American Relief Administration was established in February 1919 as the agency designated by President Woodrow Wilson to administer the relief measures authorized by the Congressional appropriation of $100,000,000 approved February 25, 1919. During the period of its activity, 1919-1923, offices of the A.R.A. were established in New York, Washington, and major cities of Europe, the Near East, and Soviet Russia. Russian relief was initiated in August 1921 under an agreement with the Soviet government, and by 1923 district missions were established in the capitals of most of the provinces of the Russian Socialist Federated Soviet Republic, the Ukraine, the Crimea, and the North Caucasus.

In total, the A.R.A. furnished over 90 percent of all relief that went into Russian between 1921 and 1923. Soviet authorities provided all transportation, warehousing, buildings, and currency required for payment of Russian staff. Funds equalling some $60,000,000 were made available by Congressional appropriation, public charity, and Soviet government gold reserves. Administrative personnel numbered 200 Americans with about 80,000 Russians under their direction. Between 1921 and 1923, a little under a million tons of food, seed, clothing, and medical supplies were distributed in Russia through an organization of 35,000 different stations. During the worst period nearly 11,000,000 men, women, and children were fed. Medical supplies were furnished to 15,000 hospitals and institutions, and over 7,000,000 individuals received inoculations and vaccinations. From seed imported, about 8,000,000 acres of land were sown.

During the Russian operations principal officers of the A.R.A. included Herbert Hoover, Chairman; William N. Haskell, Director for Russia; Cyril J. C. Quinn, Assistant Director for Russia; Henry Beeuwkes, Medical Director for Russia; Vernon Kellogg, Lincoln Hutchinson, and James P. Goodrich, Special Investigators for Russia; Frank A. Golder, Special Representative, Russia;Edmund L. Daley and Philip Mathews, Executive Assistants for Russia; Walter Lyman Brown, Director for Europe; Christian A. Herter, Assistant Director,Washington Office; James A. Logan, Jr., Continental Representative, Paris Office; Philip S. Baldwin, Chief, Poland and Danzig Office; Randolph C. Wilson,Chief, Hamburg Office; and Arthur C. Ringland, Chief, Constantinople Office.

A.R.A. operations terminated in Russia on June 15, 1923.

Acquisition information:
Acquired by the Hoover Institution Library Archives in 1923.
Physical location:
Hoover Institution Library & Archives
Rules or conventions:
Describing Archives: A Content Standard

Access and use

Restrictions:

Microfilm use only except Boxes 395-411, 560-561, 575 and map case items. Box 410-411, 565-571, OCM9 may not be used without permission of the Archivist. 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], American Relief Administration. Russian operational records, [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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