Institute of Pacific Relations records, 1925 -- 1943

The first meeting of the Institute of Pacific Relations (IPR) was held in 1925. The purpose of the Institute was to serve and bring awareness to issues regarding the nations of the Pacific Rim. More specifically, according to the Certificate of Incorporation from December 1938, the objectives of the American Council of the IPR were to promote the study of the people and nations of the Pacific area by working with the general IPR and to stimulate attention to the problem areas, as well as to conduct research, hold conferences, study groups, create publications, and explore other avenues to bring attention to these issues. Various councils were responsible for the national, regional, and local programming. Much of the funding for the Institute came from philanthropies, businesses, and corporations. The American Council was an active member. The IPR international headquarters were in Honolulu until the early 1930s when they were moved to New York and the American Council emerged as the dominant national council. Well-known members of the group were Henry Robinson Luce, E. C. Carter, A. L. Warnshuis, Mrs. John D. Rockefeller Jr., Charles Harvey Fahs, and Daniel Johnson Fleming. The IPR became embroiled in various controversies after World War II and during the Cold War. Eventually the IPR lost its tax-exempt status. Centers for various studies were also on the rise during this time, which made the IPR no longer necessary. The Institute dissolved in 1960.