William Sterling Youngman papers, 1945-1992

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Summary

Creators:
Youngman, William Sterling, 1907-1994
Abstract:
The William Sterling Youngman papers include correspondence, writings, interview transcripts, and printed matter relating to American military assistance to China during World War II and to American foreign policy in China.
Extent:
1 manuscript box (0.4 Linear Feet)
Language:
English
Preferred citation:

[Identification of item], William Sterling Youngman papers, [Box no., Folder no. or title], Hoover Institution Library & Archives.

Background

Scope and content:

The William Sterling Youngman papers include correspondence, writings, interview transcripts, and printed matter relating to American military assistance to China during World War II and to American foreign policy in China.

Youngman was president of China Defense Supplies, Inc., the main agency for coordinating Lend-Lease aid to China from the United States, from 1941 until its dissolution in 1944. China Defense Supplies was a Chinese organization, chaired by T. V. Soong, but staffed by Americans and based in Washington, D.C. As Soong spent increasingly less time in Washington during the latter years of the war, the decision was made to dissolve China Defense Supplies and establish a successor organization, the Chinese Supply Commission, which was also active in obtaining reconstruction aid for China following the war.

In addition to his leading role in China Defense Supplies, Youngman, who throughout the 1940s worked as an attorney in a firm headed by Thomas G. ("Tommy the Cork") Corcoran, also played a significant role in two other organizations that were involved in aviation ventures in China during and following the war. The first of these was the American Volunteer Group, better known as the Flying Tigers, a group that China Defense Supplies worked with to transport aid to the Chinese government prior to the U.S. entry into World War II. Following the war, Youngman and Corcoran were partners in a company known as Rio Cathay, S.A., which sought to establish a commercial airline company in China, operating in conjunction with the Civil Air Transport, Inc.

The William Sterling Youngman papers are divided into two series. The Alphabetic file contains correspondence, notes, and reports concerning the American Volunteer Group, Rio Cathay, S.A., and Civil Air Transport. The Personal correspondence contains letters from later in Youngman's life, in particular when he was contacted by historians interested in the Chinese Lend-Lease programs and in Youngman's close friendship with T. V. Soong.

Biographical / historical:
Date Event
1907 May 25
Born, Boston, Massachusetts
1929
A.B., magna cum laude, Harvard University
1932
LL.B., magna cum laude, Harvard University
1932-1933
Law secretary to Judge Learned Hand, New York City
1933-1938
Associated with law firm Palmer, Dodge, Barstow, Wilkins and Davis, Boston
1937
Married Elsie Hooper Perkins
1939-1940
Counsel, National Power Policy Commission, and chief counsel, Power Division, Public Works Administration
1940-1941
General counsel, Federal Power Commission
1941-1942
Executive vice president and director, China Defense Supplies, Inc.
1941-1949
Partner, Corcoran, Clark and Youngman
1942-1945
President, China Defense Supplies, Inc.
1944, July 1
Liquidation of China Defense Supplies, Inc., transfer of functions to Chinese Supply Commission
1944-1947
General counsel, U.S. Natural Resources Commission of China
1949-1968
President, C. V. Starr and Company, Inc.
1994 October 10
Died
Acquisition information:
Acquired by the Hoover Institution Library Archives in 2008.
Arrangement:

The collection is organized into 2 series, which are alphabetically arranged.

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], William Sterling Youngman 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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