Contents

Collection Overview

Biographical Note

Scope and Contents of the Collection

Organization of the Collection

Search Terms

Helen Paull Kirkpatrick Papers, 1930-1998

Finding Aid

Finding aid prepared by Susan Boone.

Encoding funded by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.

2003

Biographical Note

Helen Kirkpatrick was born October 18, 1909, in Rochester, NY, daughter of Lyman B. and Lyde Paull Kirkpatrick. She graduated from the Master's School, Dobbs Ferry, New York, in 1927 and from Smith College in 1931. In 1932, following postgraduate work at the University of Geneva, she became an assistant buyer at R. H. Macy & Co. in New York City. She married Victor H. Polacheck, Jr. in 1934. They were divorced in 1936. Between 1935 and 1937 Kirkpatrick worked in Geneva and England. During that time she was a writer, then editor, of Research Bulletin published by the Foreign Policy Association; research assistant for the Geneva Research Center (Foreign Policy Association) editing their "Geneva: A Monthly Review of International Affairs"; and correspondent for the New York Herald Tribune, Manchester Guardian, and London Daily Telegraph. Together with Victor Gordon-Lennox of the Daily Telegraph and Graham Hutton of the Economist she started the weekly Whitehall News Letter, which analyzed current state of European affairs. She was diplomatic correspondent for London Sunday Times in 1938 during the Munich crisis. Kirkpatrick expanded her views into two books, This Terrible Peace (1938) and Under the British Umbrella (1939).

As the war approached in 1939 Kirkpatrick began her career as a foreign correspondent. During the war she came to know many important figures in the European theatre. She traveled extensively under dangerous conditions and was respected and trusted for her political acumen and integrity. She was hired by the Chicago Daily News in 1939 and from their London office she covered the London blitz and the campaigns in Algiers, Italy, and Corsica (1943-45). She was the first correspondent after D-Day assigned to the headquarters of French forces inside France. She entered Paris in August 1944 riding in a tank of General Leclerc's 2nd Armored Division. As foreign correspondent for the New York Post, she covered the Nuremberg Trials and Council of Foreign Ministers in Moscow (1946-48). During the late 1940s she was with the Washington Bureau of the Post and was Chief of the Office of Information of the Economic Co-operation Administration's mission to France (1949-51). Between 1949 and 1953 she worked for the State Department with Voice of America, the Economic Cooperation Administration and as Public Affairs Advisor to the Assistant Secretary of State for European Affairs (1951-53). In 1953 she become assistant to the president of Smith College. In 1954 she married Robbins Milbank.

Following her retirement in 1955, she was engaged in many civic activities including the Democratic Party, Citizens Advisory Committee to the Attorney General on Crime Prevention (1956-59), Public Advisory Committee for Trade Negotiations (1964), the League Of Women Voters, and the Harvard University Board of Overseers. Kirkpatrick received the French Medallion de la Reconnaissance (1945), French Legion of Honor (1947), U.S. Medal of Freedom (1947), an honorary degree from Smith College (1948), and Rockefeller Public Service Award (1953). Following the death of her husband in 1985, she moved to Williamsburg, Virginia, where she died on December 29, 1997.

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Scope and Contents of the Collection

The Kirkpatrick Papers consist of 5 linear feet of correspondence, clippings, writings, photographs, scrapbooks, memorabilia, and biographical material dating from 1930 to 1998. It is a well balanced collection that documents both her personal and professional lives. Of particular interest in these papers is Kirkpatrick's extensive correspondence to her family from overseas. She kept scrapbooks over the years and these, plus articles in SERIES II, provide extensive evidence of her writing.

Notable correspondents include Adlai Stevenson, Katharine Graham, Dean Acheson, Stewart Alsop, Styles Bridges, J. William Fulbright, General George C. Marshall, and Abe Ribicoff.

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Search Terms

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Organization of the Collection

This collection is organized into four series:

• I. Biographical Material
• II. Professional Activities
• III. Correspondence
• IV. Photographs and Scrapbooks

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SERIES I. BIOGRAPHICAL MATERIAL (1931-1979) 5 linear inches

This series provides an overview of Helen Kirkpatrick's personal and professional lives. It consists of college and university related items (1931-79); wedding clippings and correspondence (1934, 1955); a short run of diaries (1932-36); unpublished poetry and essays (1931, n.d.); awards (1946-72); articles and clippings (1932-98); and memorabilia (1937-78).

The Smith College material includes not only undergraduate records and memorabilia, but also general correspondence and items related to Kirkpatrick's life long relationship to the College. Additional Smith material can be found in material related to her position as Assistant to the President of Smith College (1953-55) and her relationship with the Smith College Alumnae Association (1948-81), both of which are included in SERIES II. PROFESSIONAL AND CIVIC ACTITIVIES. There are also Smith related photographs in SERIES IV. The diaries, consisting of a combination of typed originals, carbons, and handwritten material, relate to her life in Geneva (1932-36). Included with the articles and clippings which document her life and career from 1932 to her death in 1997 is a college term paper written about her in 1943. Memorabilia consists of passports, war correspondent items, financial material, and miscellaneous items.

SERIES II. PROFESSIONAL AND CIVIC ACTIVITIES (1935-1981) 2.75 linear feet

This series is divided into four subseries: Professional, Civic, Miscellaneous and freelance writings, and Lectures. The Professional subseries follows Kirkpatrick's professional employment beginning with her work for the Geneva Research Center in 1935 and ending with her position as Assistant to the President of Smith Co llege in 1955. Arranged chronologically, it contains printed material, correspondence, writings, and typescripts. Related material can also be found in SERIES IV. PHOTOGRAPHS AND SCRAPBOOKS. The Geneva Research Center material consists of publications authored and/or edited by Kirkpatrick. Contained in the files of the three major newspapers for whom Kirkpatrick worked (The New York Herald Tribune, Chicago Daily News, and New York Post) are typescripts, correspondence, clippings, expense accounts, and financial material. The Chicago Daily News kept Kirkpatrick's mother appraised of her daughter's whereabouts and activities, so there are letters from her editor to Mrs. Kirkpatrick. There is material related to the three positions she held with the State Department before she resigned to become Assistant to Smith College President Benjamin Wright.

The Civic subseries, arranged alphabetically, consists of correspondence, reports, memorabilia and clippings related to Kirkpatrick's civic activities mostly dated from her retirement from Smith College in 1955. Kirkpatrick led an active life supporting causes ranging from the environment to the Democratic Party. Her interest in higher education is reflected in her service not only to Smith College, but also Harvard, Dartmouth, Mills College, and the California State Coordinating Council for Higher Education. A friend of Adlai Stevenson, Kirkpatrick was a delegate to the 1956 Democratic Convention and an active member of the Democratic Party. There is correspondence from Stevenson in this section.

Miscellaneous and freelance writings, arranged alphabetically, contains articles Kirkpatrick wrote for various newspapers and magazines (1936-68); book reviews and letters to the editor (1939-80); scripts of her broadcasts (1944-60); miscellaneous publications (1930-80); and her two books, This Terrible Peace (1939) and Under the British Umbrella (1938).

The final subseries, Lectures, reflects Kirkpatrick's active lecture schedule (1937-80). It contains clippings, correspondence, bills, contracts, and schedules.

SERIES III. CORRESPONDENCE (1930-1982) 7.5 linear inches

This series contains Professional and Personal correspondence to and from Kirkpatrick.

The Professional correspondence (1946-82) is arranged alphabetically. Kirkpatrick knew many well known figures in government and she wrote many letters to members of Congress commenting on the issues of the day. There are responses to her from many of these people. Many of her professional associates were also personal friends.

The bulk of the Personal correspondence consists of letters Kirkpatrick wrote to her family, which she did often and in much detail. These letters (1930-50) are of particular interest because they not only describe her personal and professional life, but also provide rich descriptions of her surroundings. Included are her views of Europe in the late 1930s just before the outbreak of World War II; air raids in London (1939-42); Allied Headquarters in North Africa (1943); France, particularly the armistice in Paris (1944); and post war Germany and Europe (1946-47). She socialized with many important people who are part of the life she describes.

Her letters with friends (1931-68) reflect her wide and varied network. There is also correspondence in this file with many of her Smith College connections. Related to these are letters from author and Smith College professor, Mary Ellen Chase (1954-66), as well as several from Chase's friend Eleanor Shipley Duckett, keeping Kirkpatrick appraised of Chase's battle with breast cancer (1958-66).

SERIES IV. PHOTOGRAPHS AND SCRAPBOOKS (1930-1964) 1.25 linear feet

The last series consists of approximately 55 photographs and scrapbook contents. It is divided into two subseries: Photographs and Scrapbooks.

There are three sections of photographs: Smith College, Professional, and Miscellaneous. They are arranged chronologically within each section. The Smith College photographs consist of several undergraduate photos; they also document her honorary degree and other later Smith College activities. There are other related Smith College photographs located in the Smith College Archives. The second section contains photographs of Helen Kirkpatrick involved in many of her professional and civic activities (1936-64). The final section of miscellaneous photographs are not of Kirkpatrick. Six of the eight include Dean Acheson.

The bulk of the scrapbooks (1936-44) contain clippings which have been photocopied for preservation purposes

SERIES I. BIOGRAPHICAL MATERIAL (1931-1979)

SERIES II. PROFESSIONAL AND CIVIC ACTIVITIES (1935-1981)

SERIES III. CORRESPONDENCE (1930-1982)

SERIES IV. PHOTOGRAPHS AND SCRAPBOOKS (1930-1964)