William W. Lancaster papers
Scope and Contents
This collection includes photographs and memoranda related to a trip taken by William W. Lancaster to Europe in 1948. It covers meetings held by Lancaster with European financial officials, as well as information on the International Sugar Agreement, correspondence regarding Lancaster's experience as a European traveler, personal correspondence, and correspondence regarding Lancaster's business interests.
This collection also includes personal letters and telegrams to Lancaster, as well as copies of letters sent by him on personal matters (though often touching official topics, and often on official stationery); information and correspondence related to the Soviet Union and its relationship with the United States; and correspondence with and about Sir Stafford Cripps, a Labour member of the Atlee government in the United Kingdom who served as the Chancellor of the Exchequer.
Finally, much of the collection is made up of “day notes,” which are handwritten accounts of what Lancaster did each day, written on the pages of a daily planner pad which were then torn out. They are as short as a description of where Lancaster went on a given day, or long enough to require several additional stapled pages. Some notes also include memos regarding Lancaster's official activities on that day. During the time period covered by the notes, Lancaster worked for the National City Bank of New York, later Citibank.
Dates
- Creation: 1942 - 1955
Creator
- Cripps, Richard Stafford, Sir (Person)
Access Restrictions
The collection is open for research use.
Use Restrictions
Standard Federal Copyright Laws Apply (U.S. Title 17).
Biographical / Historical
William Woart Lancaster (1874-?) worked for and with the United States State Department. He received an undergraduate (1897) and law degree (1899) from Harvard University. He was involved with international banking issues and relations with Great Britain and the U.S.S.R. during and after World War II. He worked for National City Bank (he may have served as chairman) as well as serving as the head of Foreign Policy Association and possibly the American-Soviet Friendship Society.
Lancaster married Elizabeth Lansing Greig in 1918, and had at least three children: Stephen Symonds Lancaster, born 1919; Mary Lancaster, born 1921; and William Woart Lancaster II. He was Episcopalian.
Source: internal evidence, Who's Who in New York (City and State), Issue 7, Harvard Class of 1897, Twenty-Fifth Anniversary Report, The Letters of Allen Ginsberg (Ginsberg was the college roommate of William Woart Lancaster II).
Extent
1.5 linear ft.
Language of Materials
English
Abstract
This collection includes correspondence, day notes (a rough daily diary), photographs, and other documents related to William W. Lancaster's work as an international financial expert and advocate of closer American-Soviet ties in both a public and private capacity during World War II and the early Cold War era.
Acquisition
The William W. Lancaster papers were donated to Special Collections, haverford College in 1969 by Elmore Jackson.
Processing Information
Processed by Jon Sweitzer-Lamme.
Subject
- American Society for Russian Relief, Inc. (Organization)
Source
- Jackson, Elmore, 1910-1989 (Person)
- Title
- William W. Lancaster papers, 1942-1955
- Status
- Completed
- Author
- Jon Sweitzer-Lamme
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
- Language of description note
- English
Find It at the Library
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