Eugene Davidson Collection, ca. 1917-2002

Summary

Creators:

Davidson, Eugene, 1902-2002

Abstract:

Books and papers of an historian and editor of Yale University Press, primarily relating to 20th century German history, including the Weimar Republic, Third Reich, Holocaust, Nuremberg trials, international war tribunals, and the Cold War period.

Extent:

ca. 23 linear feet (19 records containers, 1 document box, 1 oversize box, 1 audiotape).

Language:

English

Preferred citation:

Eugene Davidson Collection. Mss 185. Department of Special Collections, Davidson Library, University of California, Santa Barbara.

Background

Scope and content:

The Eugene Davidson Collection contains both a manuscript section and a larger collection of books, both dealing primarily with modern German history, especially the period of the Third Reich and post-WWII events such as the Nuremberg trials and Allied occupation of Germany. The manuscript portion pertains mainly to Davidson's writings, much of it on modern German history, but also other political issues, and some early poetry. Included are drafts, correspondence, research files, dealings with publishers, and reviews.

Among the manuscripts is correspondence, primarily 1960s-1970s, with Albert Speer, Hitler's chief architect and minister of armaments from 1942-1945, and other related material such as an architectural drawing by Speer, inscribed to Davidson. Davidson wrote the introduction to Speer's autobiographical Inside the Third Reich: Memoirs (1970).

There also is correspondence with Luise Jodl, wife of WWII German general Alfred Jodl, who was tried at Nuremberg and hanged. Jodl is covered extensively in Chapter 9 of Davidson's Trial of the Germans.

In addition, there are a few other post-war letters from figures such as Admiral Doenitz.

There is very little material relating to Davidson's personal life or his professional career, aside from that as a writer.

The bulk of the collection came directly from Eugene Davidson's estate, but some materials which Davidson earlier had donated to the American Heritage Center at the University of Wyoming were transferred from there to UCSB, and some materials bequeathed to Wyoming likewise were given to UCSB, upon agreement with the estate's trustees. The University of Missouri Press also transferred its remaining files to UCSB.

The collection contains eight series:

• I. Biographical/Personal Files (Boxes 1-2). Mainly correspondence and Yale University.
• II. Editor's Files (Box 3). Yale University Press and Modern Age.
• III. Organizations (Boxes 3-5). Mainly Conference on European Problems and Foundation for Foreign Affairs.
• IV. Publishers' Files (Box 5). Macmillan and University of Missouri presses.
• V. Subject Files (Boxes 5-8). Includes Adolf Eichmann trial, files relating to Davidson's intro to Albert Speer's Inside the Third Reich, and other files pertaining to the Third Reich, World War II, the Holocaust, and Davidson trips to Germany and elsewhere after World War II.
• VI. Writings (Boxes 9-20). Research files, notes, drafts, correspondence, publicity, and reviews, mainly pertaining to monographs published by Davidson, but also poetry and shorter works such as articles, forewords, introductions, and reviews by him.
• VII. Oversize (Box 21). Includes photographs and an inscribed architectural drawing by Albert Speer.
• VIII. Audiotape (A6693/R7). Commentary by Eugene Davidson on an interview with Albert Speer for NET-TV.

Biographical / historical:

Eugene Arthur Davidson. Born: Sept. 22, 1902, New York. Died: Jan. 15, 2002, in Santa Barbara.

Graduate of Yale University, 1927.

Editor of Yale University Press, 1931-1957.

President and Director of the Foundation for Foreign Affairs (Washington, D.C.), 1957-1970.

Editor of Modern Age (Chicago, IL), 1960-1970.

Chair and Board of Directors, Conference on European Problems, 1970s-1990s.

Works include (in chronological order):

• The Death and Life of Germany: An Account of the American Occupation (Knopf, 1959, 1961; Missouri, 1999)
• The Trial of the Germans (Macmillan, 1966; Missouri, 1997)
• Introduction to Albert Speer's Inside the Third Reich (Macmillan, 1970)
• The Nuremberg Fallacy: Wars and War Crimes since World War II (Macmillan, 1973)
• The Making of Adolf Hitler (Macmillan, 1977; Missouri, 1997)
• The Unmaking of Adolf Hitler (Missouri, 1996)
• Reflections on a Disruptive Decade (Missouri, 2000)
• The Narrow Path of Freedom and Other Essays (Missouri, 2002)

Also, contributions to: American Historical Review, American Mercury, Modern Age, Saturday Review of Literature, and Yale Review.

Copies of Eugene Davidson's major published works have been cataloged separately and may be searched on Pegasus, the UCSB Libraries online catalog.

Acquisition information:

Donation, 2002-2003.

Physical location:

Boxes 1-20 (SRLF); Box 21 (Del Sur Oversize); Audiotape (Annex 2).

Rules or conventions:

Finding aid prepared using Describing Archives: a Content Standard

Related resources

Related material:

Beddie [James Stuart] Papers, ca. 1930s-1960s. Beddie was an American scholar and Foreign Service Officer, who during WWII joined the Office of Naval Intelligence. He served in various posts in Washington, D.C., England, and occupied Germany. His assignments included aspects of research, translation and intelligence briefing. The largest part of the collection includes various State Department records, e.g. material on the German War Documents Project (post-WWII). (Bernath Mss 4).

Gahagan [G. William] Collection, ca. 1940s. Gahagan was public relations officer for the Office of War Information's Overseas Branch in San Francisco, and later was UCSB's Supervisor of Special Services in the Chancellor's Office. Collection includes propaganda magazines, pamphlets, and leaflets used both in the Pacific and Atlantic theaters of war; OWI outpost reports; U.N. Conference press releases, circulars, correspondence and photos (Gahagan was director of press relations). (Bernath Mss 8).

Gillett, Paul. 1 letter (ALS), clippings, and pamphlet re Manzanar Camp and Japanese role in World War II. (SC 496).

Hathaway [Charles Montgomery] Papers, 1912-1939. Primarily documents, reports, and correspondence of an American academic and diplomat who served in the Dominican Republic, England, Ireland, Budapest, Bombay, and Germany. Of particular note is Hathaway's April 13, 1932 report on "The Economic and Social Ideas of the National-Socialistic Movement of Adolf Hitler," and his August 5, 1933 dispatch to Ambassador William E. Dodd, on his "Visit to Dachau Concentration Camp," in which he describes the prisoners and conditions at that camp. (Bernath Mss 9).

Hopper [Bruce C.] Collection, 1913-1970. Newspaper reporter, government official, and university professor who during WWII was an Air Force historian and O.S.S. observer in Sweden. Also includes research files on Japan, China, Germany and USSR ca. 1920s-1930s. (Bernath Mss 10).

Hussey [Roland D.] Collection. Includes research and analysis reports from the Office of Strategic Services during WWII. (Bernath Mss 16).

Perutz [Fred W.] Collection. World War II era leaflets and newspapers issued by U.S. Psychological Warfare units. 12 items, mostly German language, ca. 1943-1945. (SC 631).

Snap [Mrs. Agusta W.] Oral History. Subjects include: Third Reich, Germany, World War II, Holocaust. (OH 111).

Stuurman [Douwe] Oral History. As a student at the University of Kiel, Professor Douwe Stuurman recalls his experiences in Nazi Germany and how Hitler's programs compromised the academic integrity of the university. He describes his military assignments during World War II, which led to his discovery of the Chancellery Papers and Hitler's personal library. (OH 13).

Wittenstein [George] Oral History. Includes account of the White Rose resistance movement in Germany during WWII. (OH 103).

Indexed terms

Subjects:

World War II
Third Reich
Holocaust, Jewish (1939-1945)

Names:

Davidson, Eugene, 1902-2002
Speer, Albert, 1905-1981.

Restrictions:

None. Majority of materials stored off-site; advance notice required for retrieval.

Terms of access:

Copyright has not been assigned to the Department of Special Collections, UCSB. All requests for permission to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted in writing to the Head of Special Collections. Permission for publication is given on behalf of the Department of Special Collections as the owner of the physical items and is not intended to include or imply permission of the copyright holder, which also must be obtained.

Preferred citation:

Eugene Davidson Collection. Mss 185. Department of Special Collections, Davidson Library, University of California, Santa Barbara.

Location of this collection:

UC Santa Barbara, Special Research Collections

UC Santa Barbara Library

Santa Barbara, CA 93106-9010, US

Contact:

(805) 893-3062

special@library.ucsb.edu

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