Kenneth Waltz Papers, 1940-2012

Summary Information

Abstract

Kenneth Waltz (1924-2013) was a professor and scholar of Political Science and International Relations. Waltz was influential in helping to shape the field of International Relations and published extensively. The collection contains materials related to his scholarship and teaching, including many handwritten notes alongside articles and newspaper clippings on topics within International Relations, as well as a small amount of personal material and correspondence.

At a Glance

Arrangement

Arrangement

This collection is arranged in 3 series.

• Series I: Scholarship, 1950-2012
• Subseries I.1: Research, 1950-2007
• Subseries I.2: Writing, 1950-2012
• Series II: Teaching, 1950-2011
• Series III: Correspondence and Personal, 1940-2012

Description

Summary

The collection contains the papers of Kenneth Waltz, relating to his teaching and scholarship in the fields of Political Science and International Relations and to his work at Columbia's Institute of War and Peace Studies. The majority of the collection consists of printed articles and handwritten notes covering subjects about which Waltz taught or published. It also contains Waltz's published articles as well as some drafts of his books and related materials. There is a small amount of professional correspondence and personal material, including photographs and his stamp collection.

• Series I: Scholarship, 1950-2012

  Series I contains Waltz's research and writing from his graduate work through his later career. Much of the series consists of files of research on specific topics in International Relations and Waltz's collection of articles by other scholars. Some of this material relates directly to his published work, also contained in the series, while some is more generally on topics connected to studies in the field. A number of the topics covered here are also referenced in the files of teaching materials in series II.

• Series II: Teaching, 1950-2011

  Series II documents Waltz's teaching at Columbia University, Swarthmore College, Brandeis University, and the University of California Berkeley. It consists mainly of his lecture notes, some of which are organized by subject and others by course. These are handwritten and also include pages of articles and newspaper clippings. There are also course syllabi, student recommendation letters, and coursebooks containing class readings.

• Series III: Correspondence and Personal, 1940-2012

  Series III is a small series that includes a range of documents and objects related to Waltz's personal life and professional correspondence. There are folders of reviews and letters about his work, interviews, and copies of his CV and bio. There is also a file of materials from Waltz's wife Helen's (also called Huddie) death. The series also includes photographs, collected stamps, and military patches and ribbons. Gloves should be used when handling the photographs.

Using the Collection

Rare Book and Manuscript Library

Restrictions on Access

You will need to make an appointment in advance to use this collection material in the Rare Book and Manuscript Library reading room. You can schedule an appointment once you've submitted your request through your Special Collections Research Account.

This collection is located off-site. 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.

Student letters of recommendation are restricted for 75 years from date of creation.

Terms Governing Use and Reproduction

Single photocopies 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); Kenneth Waltz Papers; Box and Folder; Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Columbia University Library.

Related Material

William T. R. and Annette Fox Papers: William T. R. and Annette Fox were other leading scholars of International Relations at Columbia University. Waltz was a student of William T. R. Fox and later worked alongside Annette Fox at the Institute of War and Peace Studies.

Accruals

Materials may have been added to the collection since this finding aid was prepared. Contact rbml@columbia.edu for more information.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

The Kenneth Waltz Papers were the gift of the Saltzman Institute of War and Peace Studies to the Rare Book and Manuscript Library at Columbia University in 2014.

About the Finding Aid / Processing Information

Columbia University Libraries, Rare Book and Manuscript Library

Processing Information

Papers processed by Rachel Klepper. Finding aid written by Rachel Klepper, July 2018.

When the collection was acquired from the Institute of War and Peace Studies, the boxes were not numbered and there was not a clear order to them. Therefore they were reordered during processing. The physical arrangement of documents within boxes and folder titles were not changed. Moving boxes were replaced with record cartons and new folders were supplied when original folders were damaged or did not exist.

Duplicates of Waltz's publications and unfiled articles by other scholars were removed from the collection. In addition, two boxes of objects from Waltz's desk and shelf that were acquired along with his papers were removed.

Revision Description

2018-08-09 File created.

2018-07-25 Updated front matter after collection processing -- CLB

2019-05-20 EAD was imported spring 2019 as part of the ArchivesSpace Phase II migration.

Subject Headings

The subject headings listed below are found in this collection. Links below allow searches at Columbia University through the Archival Collections Portal and through CLIO, the catalog for Columbia University Libraries, as well as ArchiveGRID, a catalog that allows users to search the holdings of multiple research libraries and archives.

All links open new windows.

Genre/Form

Subject

History / Biographical Note

Biographical / Historical

Kenneth Waltz (1924-2013) was a Columbia University Professor and influential scholar of Political Science and International Relations. He received a B.A. from Oberlin College in Economics and a PhD in Political Science from Columbia. In the middle of his studies he served in the Army during both World War II and the Korean War. He then taught at Columbia until 1957, after which he held positions at Swarthmore College, Brandeis University and the University of California, Berkeley. In 1997 he returned to Columbia as an adjunct professor of Political Science and a Senior Research Scholar at the Arnold A. Saltzman Institute for War and Peace Studies.

Waltz was influential in helping to shape the field of International Relations. He is best known for his theory of neorealism, also called structural realism, which explains how states behave and interact with each other within the international system. Waltz's two most successful books included Man, the State, and War: a Theoretical Analysis (1959) and Theory of International Politics (1979). From 1987-1988 he was the President of the American Political Science Association and in 1999 won the association's James Madison award. His work later in life focused on nuclear weapons and he held a controversial position that nuclear proliferation would prevent nuclear war. Waltz continued to teach and write on the subject until his death in 2013.