The collection contains materials primarily documenting the public side of diplomacy, especially Henry Kissinger's public statements and press conferences (1974-75) and Robert Anderson's later positions as U.S. Ambassador to Morocco and the Dominican Republic.
Series Description and Container List
Container List
Collection Overview
Scope and Content Note
During his long career in the Foreign Service, Robert Anderson served in a succession of posts both overseas and in Washington, culminating in his work as Special Assistant for Press Relations to Secretary of State Henry Kissinger and as U.S. Ambassador to three different countries.
His papers cover mostly the public face of diplomacy - speeches, remarks, testimony, trips, and events. The collection contains only occasional glimpses of behind-the-scenes discussions or exchanges of cables with other State Department officials.
Only fragmentary files covering his early years in the Foreign Service are included, but the collection contains more substantive and complete materials for the period 1965 to 1970 when his assignments focused on Europe (especially France).
His files from his work as State Department spokesman from April 1974 to late 1975 contain transcripts of his press briefings, his notes on Kissinger trips and events, and press releases of Kissinger speeches, remarks, and press conferences.
Among Anderson's files on his three posts as U.S. Ambassador, the materials on Dahomey (now Benin) contain only congratulatory letters, guest lists, clippings, and schedules. They are the least informative about his work as Ambassador. The files on his work as Ambassador to Morocco (1976-78) and the Dominican Republic (1982-85) are much more complete. The focus is on the public aspects of the position - speeches, travels, events, and social affairs.
Related Materials (December 2012)
The many Library collections that fall under the heading National Security Adviser have much on the work of Secretary of State Kissinger and also contain copies of many Department of State cables to and from American embassies. Some of Anderson's 1976 cables to and from Washington appear in Box 4 of the Presidential Country Files for Africa.
Details
16.4 linear feet (approximately 32,800 pages)
Mark Anderson (Accession number 1997-NLF-005))
Access
Open. Some items may be temporarily restricted under terms of the donor's deed of gift, a copy of which is available on request, or under National Archives and Records Administration general restrictions (36 CFR 1256).
Copyright
Mark Anderson donated to the United States of America his copyrights in all of his father's unpublished writings in National Archives collections. The copyrights to materials written by other individuals or organizations are presumed to remain with them. Works prepared by U.S. Government employees as part of their official duties are in the public domain.
Processed by
William H. McNitt, January 2013
Biography
Robert Anderson
January 6, 1922 - Born in Boston, Massachusetts
1944 - B.A., Yale University
1943-1946 - First Lieutenant, U.S. Army
1946-72 - Foreign Service Officer in China, Thailand, India, and France, along with State Department assignments as International Relations Officer, Staff Assistant to the Assistant Secretary of Public Affairs, Special Assistant to the Undersecretary, and Country Director for France-Benelux in the Bureau of European Affairs
1972-74 - U.S. Ambassador to Dahomey (now known as Benin)
1974-76 - Special Assistant to Secretary of State Henry Kissinger and Department spokesman
1976-78 - U.S. Ambassador to Morocco
1978-82 - Special Assistant for International Affairs to Supreme Allied Commander, Atlantic and to U.S. Commander-in-Chief, Atlantic
1982-1985 - U.S. Ambassador to the Dominican Republic
1985-1996 - International business advisor
April 5, 1996 - Died in Fairfax County, Virginia