Truman Smith papers, 1893-2002

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Summary

Creators:
Smith, Truman and Smith, Katharine Alling Hollister, 1898-1992
Abstract:
The Truman Smith papers (in part, photocopies) relate to the German army between World Wars I and II, national socialism in Germany, American military intelligence activities before and during World War II, and post-war American military policy. The collection is comprised of correspondence, memoirs, diaries, speeches and writings, intelligence reports, service records, printed matter, personal documents, photographs, and postcards; it also includes the papers of Katharine Alling Hollister Smith, wife of Truman Smith, and other family papers.
Extent:
29 manuscript boxes, 3 oversize boxes, 4 microfilm reels (16.4 Linear Feet)
Language:
English
Preferred citation:

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

Background

Scope and content:

The Truman Smith papers were received in several increments and are retained as they were originally received, with the exception of oversize photographs that were rehoused. Also included are the papers of Truman Smith's wife, Katharine Alling Hollister Smith, who accompanied her husband in his stays in Koblenz, Berlin, and elsewhere. A prolific writer, Katharine's memoirs, diaries, and correspondence provide insight into the family's interactions with German officials, life in Berlin between the wars, and her relationship with Smith.

Among the original documents in the Correspondence, Speeches and Writings, Subject File, and 1980-1993 Increments series are photocopies of Truman Smith's papers at the Herbert Hoover Presidential Library and Museum in West Branch, Iowa. Some of these copies are printed from the microfilm, which is also available in the collection.

Of particular note in the Correspondence series are original letters written by Charles Lindbergh to Truman Smith. Having come to Germany at Smith's invitation to observe the development of German aviation, Lindbergh's letters offer his frank impressions of the Luftwaffe and their capabilities. More formal analysis is available in Smith's reports to the War Department.

Among the original materials in the 1980-1993 Increments is a photo album containing postcards from the 1936 Berlin Olympics depicting Hitler, American athlete Jesse Owens, and other scenes from the newly built stadium. This increment also includes Katharine A. H. Smith's unpublished memoirs.

While stationed on the Mexican border during General Pershing's Mexican Expedition and as a commander of the 4th Infantry in German-occupied France during World War I, Smith wrote constantly to his family and to Katharine (2010 Increment). Although often personal in nature, these letters offer insight into Smith's understanding of the historical events which surrounded him and provide researchers with context to his future military career.

The papers also include manuscript copies of Smith's memoir "The Facts of Life" which was published in Berlin Alert: The Memoirs and Reports of Truman Smith (1984), edited by Robert Hessen as part of the Hoover Archival Documentaries series.

Throughout the collection, notes and annotations by Katharine Alling Hollister Smith and daughter Katharine T. Coley (née Smith, but known mostly as Kätchen) accompany photographs and correspondence to provide historical context to the documents. Original folders and folder titles were retained.

Biographical / historical:
Date Event
1893 August 25
Born, West Point, New York
1915
Bachelor of Arts, Yale College
1916
Joined 12th Infantry Regiment of the New York National Guard
1916 June
Ordered to the Mexican border to defend against Pancho Villa's army
1917 July 14
Married Katherine Alling Hollister
1917-1918
Commander, 4th Infantry, Company B (later Company A) in World War I, in France
1918
Instructor, U.S. Infantry School, Langres, France
1919-1920
Political advisor to the Officer in Charge of Civil Affairs at Koblenz, Germany
1920-1924
Assistant military observer and assistant military attaché, U.S. Mission and U.S. Embassy, Berlin, Germany
1928-1932
Instructor, Infantry School, Fort Benning, Georgia
1931-1935
Commanded 2nd Battalion of the 27th Infantry at the Schofield Barracks, Hawaii
1935-1939
Military attaché, U.S. Embassy, Berlin, German
1939-1946
German Specialist in Intelligence, General Staff (G-2), War Department
1948
Military Advisor to the Eberstadt (Armed Forces) Committee on the Hoover Commission
1970 October 3
Died, Fairfield, Connecticut
Acquisition information:
Materials were acquired by the Hoover Institution Library Archives in 1969, with increments added in 1974, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1993, 2010, and 2013.
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], Truman Smith 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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