Arthur David Kemp Owen papers, 1938-1970

Collection context

Creator:
Owen, A. D. K (Arthur David Kemp), 1904-1970
Extent:
18 linear feet 39 boxes 1 volume
Language:
English .
Scope and content:

Correspondence and professional files of Owen. Most of the materials in this collection relate to his activities at the UN. These include numerous documents and reports pertaining to the United Nations' technical assistance programs. Some of Owen's speeches and publications are also in the collection. The reports Owen received from Gunnar Myrdal and those concerning the private meetings of the Secretary General are especially interesting. A few of the people with whom Owen corresponded are Lady Astor, Clement Attlee, Chester Bowles, Sir Stafford Cripps, John Diefenbaker, Dag Hammarskjöld, Julian Huxley, B.H. Liddell Hart, Trygve Lie, Selwyn Lloyd, Gunnar Myrdal, Adlai Stevenson, and U Thant. Also, papers on regional planning and social services in Great Britain from 1938 to 1944, with emphasis on Scotland. There are manuscripts, manuscript notes, social surveys, government reports, and related correspondence on such topics as hospitals, housing, youth, and the aged. There is some correspondence regarding Owen's association with a private research group Political and Economic Planning (PEP). Among the Scotland files are Owen's manuscripts, notes, and related material for his Stevenson Lectures in Citizenship at the University of Glasgow, 1939-1944.

Biographical / historical:

Co-administrator for the United Nations Development Program. 1966-1969, and executive chairman of the United Nations Technical Assistance Board, 1957-1965. Owen was a distinguished British civil servant who attended the San Francisco Conference in 1945 and worked thereafter for the United Nations (UN).

Access and use

Restrictions:

The following boxes are located off-site: Boxes 4-39. You will need to request this material at least three business days in advance to use the collection in the Rare Book and Manuscript Library reading room.

This collection has no restrictions.

Terms of access:

Reproductions may be made for research purposes. The RBML maintains ownership of the physical material only. Copyright remains with the creator and his/her heirs. The responsibility to secure copyright permission rests with the patron.

Preferred citation:

Identification of specific item; Date (if known); Arthur David Kemp Owen papers; Box and Folder; Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Columbia University Library.

Location of this collection:
6th Floor East Butler Library
535 West 114th Street
New York, NY 10027, USA
Before you visit:
Researchers interested in viewing materials in the RBML reading room must must book an appointment at least 7 days in advance. To make the most of your visit, be sure to request your desired materials before booking your appointment, as researchers are limited to 5 items per day.
Contact:
rbml@library.columbia.edu