Oksenberg (Michel) papers, 1976-2000

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Summary

Title:
Michel Oksenberg papers
Dates:
1976-2000
Abstract:
The Michel Oksenberg papers (1976-2000) document Oksenberg's visits Zouping County, Shandong Province, China, where he interviewed a number of local political leaders on topics such as the economy and industry, education, and the justice system. The papers consist of research notes and interviews with PRC and US officials, as well as photographs, negatives, and slides related to these visits from the 1970s to the 1990s.
Extent:
17 manuscript boxes, 2 oversize boxes, 1 oversize folder (10 Linear Feet)
Language:
In English and Chinese
Preferred citation:

[Identification of item], Michel Okensberg papers, [Box no., Folder no. or title], Hoover Institution Library & Archives

Background

Scope and content:

The Michel Oksenberg papers (1976-2000) consists of research notes and interviews with PRC and US officials, as well as photographs, negatives, and slides related to his activities in Zouping County, China, from the 1970s to the 1990s, including former President Jimmy Carter's 1997 visit to Shandong Province, China. The collection also contains maps of China.

Biographical / historical:

Michel Oksenberg (1938-2001) was a leading political scientist and China expert. He earned his B.A. from Swarthmore College in 1960, and his M.A. and Ph.D. in political science from Columbia University in 1963 and 1969 respectively. He began his career at Stanford University in 1966, moved to Columbia University in 1968, and then to the University of Michigan in 1973, where he was on the faculty for twenty years. He served as president of the East-West Center in Honolulu from 1992 to 1995, and then as senior fellow at the Asia-Pacific Research Center at Stanford until the time of his death. From 1977 to 1980, Oksenberg served as a senior staff member on the National Security Council under the Carter administration, overseeing issues involving China and East Asia. After an initial but less successful trip to Beijing in 1977 with Secretary of State Cyrus Vance, Oksenberg traveled with National Security Advisor Zbigniew Brzezinski to Beijing in May 1978, where they met with Leonard Woodcock, the head of the U.S. liaison office there, to lay the groundwork for establishing diplomatic ties between the two countries. He played a crucial role in the finalization of U.S.-China normalization of bilateral relationship.

Acquisition information:
Materials were acquired by the Hoover Institution Library Archives in 2019.
Physical location:
Hoover Institution Library & Archives
Rules or conventions:
Describing Archives: A Content Standard

About this collection guide

Collection Guide Author:
Finding aid prepared by Amanda Robb
Date Encoded:
This finding aid was produced using ArchivesSpace on 2026-02-23 10:04:53.533328

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], Michel Okensberg 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
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