Joseph Abraham Mendenhall papers, 1927-2011

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Summary

Creators:
Mendenhall, Joseph Abraham, 1920-
Abstract:
Correspondence, speeches and writings, printed matter, personal documents, and photographs relating to American foreign relations and to the Vietnam War.
Extent:
18 manuscript boxes (7.5 Linear Feet)
Language:
English
Preferred citation:

[Identification of item], Joseph Abraham Mendenhall papers, [Box no., Folder no. or title], Hoover Institution Library & Archives.

Background

Scope and content:

Joseph A. Mendenhall's career as a U.S. Foreign Service officer was highlighted by specialization in Southeast Asian affairs during the Vietnam War era. Both on the ground in Vietnam (1959-1962) and Laos (1965-1968) and in senior Department of State positions in Washington, D.C., including that of Director of the Department's Office of Far Eastern Regional Affairs, he was intimately involved in the formulation and execution of American foreign policy in the area. The U.S. Foreign Service File in his papers presents only a partial record of his government service, as most of the official documents that passed through his hands remain in possession of the United States government. However, the file does include the texts and outline notes of many speeches at public functions and of presentations at many internal staff meetings and in-house Department of State conferences and briefing sessions. These afford an inside view of foreign policy formation.

After his retirement in 1975, Mendenhall devoted much thought to retrospective analysis of the Vietnam War, a war that he continued to believe could and should have been won. He also maintained a lively interest in new issues in American foreign policy. His views on these matters are expressed in letters in the Retirement Formal Correspondence file and in writings, published and unpublished, in the Retirement Speeches and Writings file.

A Personal Correspondence file accounts for a large portion of the collection. This consists of informal correspondence with family and friends over the whole of Mendenhall's life, and also includes the correspondence of his wife Leone. Many letters are from the Mendenhalls to their respective parents. This series is noteworthy for its unusually complete and detailed description of the life of a Foreign Service family frequently stationed abroad. It also reflects subjective reactions to local and world events. Chronological arrangement facilitates correlation with Mendenhall's various career postings.

Ambassador Mendenhall donated his papers to the Hoover Institution Library & Archives in 2011.

Biographical / historical:
Date Event
1920
Born, Calvert, Maryland
1940
B.A., University of Delaware
1941-1946
U.S. Army service, attained rank of captain
1946-1975
U.S. Foreign Service officer
1946-1949
Vice Consul, Istanbul, Turkey
1949-1951
Assistant Chief, Economic Cooperation Administration Mission to Iceland
1952-1955
Second Secretary of Embassy, Switzerland
1955-1959
Department of State Bureau of Southeast Asian Affairs officer, Washington, D.C.
1959-1962
Counselor of Embassy, South Vietnam
1962-1963
U.S. National War College student
1963-1964
Director, Department of State Vietnam Working Group, Washington, D.C.
1964-1965
Director, Department of State Office of Far Eastern Regional Affairs, Washington, D.C.
1965-1968
Director, U.S. Agency for International Development Mission to Laos
1968-1970
Deputy and acting Assistant Administrator for Vietnam, U.S. Agency for International Development, Washington, D.C.
1970-1972
U.S. Foreign Service inspector
1972-1975
Ambassador to Madagascar
1975
Retired and took up residence in Italy
1992
Returned to the United States
Acquisition information:
Acquired by the Hoover Institution Library Archives in 2011.
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], Joseph Abraham Mendenhall 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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