JOHN P. BRADFORD:

An Inventory of his Papers at the Minnesota Historical Society

Manuscripts Collection

OVERVIEW


	Creator:	Bradford, John P., 1904-, creator.
	Title:	John P. Bradford papers.
	Dates:	1862-1864, 1928-1978.
	Abstract:	Personal files of a St. Paul (Minn.) man documenting his successive careers as an independent filmmaker (1928-1934); film editor for the March of Time (1935-1941); film editor for the U.S. Army (1941-1944); a member of the Allied military government in Germany (1944-1952); and a United Nations field worker in Korea (1952-1956), Palestine (1956-1964), India (1965-1969), and a Peace Corps worker in Liberia (1970-1972). The papers also include Civil War letters (1862-1864) of Bradford's grandfather and grandmother, John and Elizabeth Bradford.
	Quantity:	3.0 cubic feet (6 boxes).
	Location:	P1680: See Detailed Description for shelf locations.

John Pomeroy Bradford was born (May 15, 1904) and reared in St. Paul (Minn.), graduating from St. Paul Central High School (1922), Lake Forest Academy (1924), and Princeton University (1928). He set out upon a career in film editing and production, producing educational films for the University Film Foundation at Harvard University (1928-1931), producing travel films (1931-1933) for various clients in Haiti, Italy, the South Pacific, and Africa, and editing the March of Time newsreel series (1934-1941) for Time, Inc., in New York (N.Y.).

He joined the U.S. Army Signal Corps with a Captain's commission in 1941, producing army training films in the Training Film Production Laboratory at Wright Field (Dayton, Ohio) for the next two years. In 1943 Bradford was accepted into the army's School of Military Government at the University of Virginia (Charlottesville). After working in 1944 in London and Shrivenham, England, Bradford became deputy military governor of Aachen (Germany) in early 1945, served in the military government of Wurzburg (1945), and then became part of the Office of the Land Commissioner in the military government of Bavaria (1946-1952).

Bradford joined the United Nations field staff in 1952, serving in several administrative field positions in: the Korean Reconstruction Agency (1952-1956), the Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (1956-1964), and the World Food Program in India, Nepal, and Ceylon (1965-1969). He retired from the UN staff in 1969 and joined the Peace Corps the following year, serving in Liberia until he retired from the program in 1972, following which he returned to the United States.

Return to top

SCOPE AND CONTENTS

The film-related files document Bradford's work making travel, news, and Army Air Corps training films. The military government files relate to his work with the postwar allied governments--including reconstruction and denazification efforts--in Aachen, Wurzburg, and Munich. Some of this material is in German.

The remaining files document Bradford's field work assignments with the United Nations. They include stints with the Korean Reconstruction Agency, which worked to develop local industry; with the Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees, which worked to improve living conditions in the camps; with the start-up phase of the World Food Program in India, Ceylon, and Nepal; and with food distribution efforts in Liberia for the Peace Corps.

The Civil War materials consist of letters between John and Elizabeth Bradford while John served with Company B of the Fourth Regiment of Minnesota Volunteer Infantry and while Elizabeth remained at their McLeod County home.

Return to top

ARRANGEMENT

These documents are organized into the following sections:


		Film Projects, 1928-1941
		Allied Military Government in Germany, 1941-1952
		United Nations Projects, 1952-1969
		Peace Corps, 1970-1972
		Genealogical and Civil War Materials, 1861-1864

Return to top

ARRANGEMENT

Files are arranged in the numbered sequence established by their creator.

Return to top

ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION

Availability:

The collection is open for research use.

Preferred Citation:

[Indicate the cited item and/or series here]. John P. Bradford Papers. Minnesota Historical Society.

See the Chicago Manual of Style for additional examples

Accession Information:

Accession number: 12,638

Processing Information:

Processed by: Jeffrey Desannoy, July 2003

Catalog ID number: 990017334590104294

Return to top

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FILM PROJECTS, 1928-1941

Location

Box

P1680

1. University Film Foundation, 1928-1931.

Includes a booklet describing the University Film Foundation of Cambridge, Massachusetts, which was operated in conjunction with Harvard University. Working for the Foundation, Bradford helped make films of "educational, artistic and scientific value," covering topics such as botany, zoology, and anthropology.

Also includes newspaper clippings, various pamphlets and booklets, a Harvard Alumni bulletin, a November 1930 Film Foundation Report, and personal letters. Many of the letters are addressed to Bradford's parents, brother, and sister.

2. Haiti and Santo Domingo, 1931.

Information and correspondence about Bradford's voyage to Haiti, the Dominican Republic, and Puerto Rico to shoot film for a travelogue. Many letters to Bradford's family concern his adventures with the weather, boats, automobiles, etc. This folder includes two photographs.

There is a typed account of the filming work, though it could be just a personal log of travel and events. It is divided into nine chapters, totaling 92 pages. The story recounts Bradford's travel on a freighter, as well as his struggles in filming the citizens of Haiti and Santo Domingo.

3. Proposals for new films, 1932.

The papers show Bradford looking for a job, traveling to Cambridge and New York City. The letters are mainly addressed to his family, detailing his attempts at developing new films. Also included are telegrams sent and received by Bradford. Some of the papers are correspondence received by Bradford from prospective employers, one of which is the Saint Paul Institute Museum of Science and Natural History. Other letters detail work on movie scripts, and letters received from Movietonews, Inc. in New York City. Also, the first correspondence between Bradford and Louis de Rochemont, a movie producer for whom Bradford would later work at Time, Inc., while editing the newsreel series, March of Time.

In his personal correspondence Bradford asks for money, and describes outings and events, and the personalities of various family friends. Some correspondence mentions an unspecified lawsuit and trial that Bradford is preparing for. Letters mention illnesses in the family and Bradford's advice to his sister about what to study in school. Near the end of the correspondence Bradford is organizing a visit to New York City by his sister Jane and his brother Frederick. There are also letters Bradford sent while filming in northern and central Italy, including Rome.

4. World cruise, 1933.

A large booklet about the cruise provides details on where Bradford sailed while filming a travel movie for FitzPatrick Pictures, Inc. of New York City, accompanied by a signed agreement regarding Bradford's job duties. The trip took Bradford from New York City through the Panama Canal to California, then the Hawaiian Islands, Cook Islands, Samoan Islands, Fiji Islands, New Zealand, Australia, New Guinea, Indonesia (Bali and Java), Seychelle Islands, and finally to the African continent, where he ended the world cruise and took another job filming an expedition across Africa.

The correspondence details Bradford's activities on the cruise ship, such as swimming, sunbathing, and playing shuffleboard. Bradford comments on several of the other cruise passengers and talks about the assignment he was on. He mentions making test shots, testing the film, and working on the camera. A personal "log of the world cruise" provides facts about Bradford's experiences when shooting film and exploring different countries and cities at ports of call. Included are eight color photographs and postcards.

5. Timbuctoo [sic] expedition, 1933.

Mixture of typed and handwritten correspondence during the six-month expedition across the continent of Africa to Timbuktu, in the present day west African nation of Mali. Also includes photographs, undated and unidentified. Bradford traveled across the African continent from Mombasa, Kenya to Dakar, Senegal, having been hired by 18-year-old George Vanderbilt to shoot photos of the expedition.

Includes several telegrams between Bradford and his family. In his letters Bradford describes his traveling companions, the weather, wild animals, and troubles with the vehicles. The group took a hunting safari, traveled through military forts, and across deserts. Included is a copy of a 23-page commentary by Bradford about Timbuktu. At the end of the papers is a bill from a taxidermy studio in New York and a 1935 newspaper article about a missionary to Timbuktu.

6. Showings of and plans for more travel films, 1934.

The correspondence relates Bradford's struggle with unemployment, his social life, and his financial activities, such as buying stock and opening various bank accounts. In letters to his family Bradford prides himself on maintaining an active social life on a small budget. There are a small number of letters to Bradford from an American photographer in Moscow.

This folder includes lists of possible subjects for short films. There are notes about films on sea life, Paris, London, Africa, and Cuba. There is a projected budget for a film on Cuba, as well as detailed notes on a possible film to be photographed in east Africa. Included is a booklet on the Geographic Players national nights program.

7. The March of Time, 1935-1941, 1975-1978.

Personal correspondence as well as photographs and newspaper clippings during the time that Bradford worked as a film editor for Time, Inc. and the newsreel series, The March of Time.

The majority of the papers deal with Bradford's difficult work environment at the March of Time. Several memos and letters detail Bradford's interactions with, and treatment by, Louis de Rochemont, its producer. Several letters from Bradford are addressed to the grievance committee of the Newspaper Guild of New York, asking for assistance with, and investigation of, the staff of Time, Inc. to end workplace harassment and difficult working conditions. The letters and memos describe conversations and interactions with de Rochemont and another worker, Beverly Jones.

The folder contains papers about several different topics, including Bradford's application for volunteer work on a registration advisory draft board for the Selective Service System. There is a catalog of March of Time episodes from February 1, 1935 through August 7, 1936. Files give information on the Time unit of the Newspaper Guild of New York.

The correspondence and newspaper clippings in the 1970s deal with Temple University professor Raymond Fielding, and his book about the March of Time, in addition to book reviews and an obituary of Louis de Rochemont.

8. Film worker groups, 1936.

Bradford was a member of the board for the Association of Documentary Film Producers in 1939, and the folder contains its membership lists.

It also contains papers about the Motion Picture Film Editors Guild, of which Bradford became the treasurer. The organization later became the Motion Picture Film Editors Union Local 771. A 1944 newsletter, The Film Editor, lists Bradford as a member of the union who was serving in the armed forces, outside of New York. There is correspondence from 1978 concerning an article in a newsletter about the formation of union local 771.

9. Training Film Production Laboratory, 1941.

Correspondence, mainly between Bradford and Lieutenant Colonel Hoorn, regarding Bradford's application for a job in the U.S. Army Signal Corps motion picture division. One of the War Department's training film production laboratories was located at Wright Field in Dayton, Ohio, where Bradford began his military career. The letters detail Bradford's negotiation about salary, training, opportunity for promotion, and his past film experience.

During the negotiation between Bradford and Hoorn, a letter appeared from the War Department relating that a source had named Bradford as a communist and a labor union agitator. This prompted a loyalty and background investigation, which slowed down his application to work for the Army. Included in the folder are a series of letters addressed to Hoorn from Bradford's friends and coworkers serving as character witnesses, testifying to his patriotism and loyalty as an American citizen. Included in Bradford's correspondence are letters he sent resigning from the registration advisory board of the Selective Service, and the responses from the men he had worked with.

Bradford was commissioned as a captain on December 3, 1941. There is a photograph of Bradford working with Hoorn, and a photo of Bradford with his good friend Alice Fields.

Location

Box

P1680

10. Training Film Production Laboratory, 1942-1943.

A mix of personal and military correspondence, which includes memos and interoffice letters. The military correspondence includes a series of letters wherein Bradford promises to write an article to be published in a film trade newsletter, as well as letters about the creation of training films for the War Department. A copy of the February Film News newsletter is included. There are rosters and a letter of commendation from Colonel Hoorn. The correspondence about the cutting room provides some insight into film editing.

In December 1942 Bradford was promoted from captain to major. Near the end of the correspondence he expresses his interest in potential postwar problems and a national soldiers organization. There are notes about a legal case between Time, Inc. and the Newspaper Guild of New York. One of the last items is a letter in mid-1943 in which Bradford indicates his interest in an assignment to the Military Government School.

Return to top

ALLIED MILITARY GOVERNMENT IN GERMANY, 1941-1952

Location

Box

P1680

11. School of Military Government, 1943.

Official military correspondence about Bradford's transfer from the training film production laboratory in Ohio to the School of Military Government at the University of Virginia, Charlottesville. Bradford's May 1943 application contains what he believes are his qualifications to attend the school; the document reads like a r�sum� with respect to his education, travel, and work experience. There are lists of what a soldier is expected to bring for their transfer to an office or station in Europe.

Bradford's personal correspondence describes his experience as a student at the School of Military Government. A graduation booklet for the school offers photographs and biographies of the students. A separate photograph is included.

12. Shriven and Eastbourne, England, 1944.

Mix of correspondence, both personal and military, which include memos and interoffice letters. Several memos explore possible training films for Civil Affairs missions. In one memo, Bradford describes different foreign films and their possible usefulness in orienting civil affairs soldiers in Western European culture. As of early September 1944, Bradford was still stationed in England.

In several personal letters between Bradford and his friends Bob and Alice, Bradford describes U.S. military life in England, the city of London, and everyday occurrences and mishaps. He also discusses politics in the U.S.

Postcards show Shrivenham and Eastbourne, England. There is a 1947 photograph of John Bradford, Alice Field, and Bob (surname unknown). Newspaper clippings include a short article on civil affairs, and a cartoon deprecating military officers.

13. V-Mail from U.S.A., January-September 1944.

Two packets of V-Mail, comprising approximately 175 letters, arranged chronologically. Each letter was supposedly examined by a censor. Much of the writing focuses on family events, health, travels, and the weather.

The majority come from Bradford's aunt, Lillian C. Pomeroy, with most of the rest from his mother, Mrs. John M. Bradford, and his friend Lothar Wolff.

14. Capt. Arthur Olsen diary, January-November 17, 1944.

In his correspondence in subsequent folders Bradford refers to Olsen as his best (or very good) friend. Bradford writes that Olsen's death affected him deeply. The diary traces Arthur K. Olsen's military service from the United States to England, France, Holland, and Germany. His diary entries often mention waiting for orders, waiting to travel to a new camp or base, and waiting for action. He departed the U.S. on January 19, 1944 on a troop ship across the Atlantic Ocean, in a convoy with more than 32 ships. The trip took 11 days before arriving in Wales and traveling to an Army camp at Shrivenham, England. Olsen most likely met Bradford at Shrivenham. In his diary Olsen notes turning 40, Allied bombing raids across the English Channel into France and Germany, and various daily activities in preparation for the invasion of continental Europe: lectures, classes, weapons practice, hiking, trips to London, inspections, and trying to keep busy after the D-Day invasion into Normandy. Olsen didn't transfer from England to France until August 27. At various camps in France Olsen witnessed and survived bombing raids and shelling. On October 16 Olsen and his unit entered Germany, where he processed various kinds of paperwork and also inspected coal mines. On November 17 he was killed in action by German shelling.

15. Across the Channel and Occupation of Aachen, September-December 1944.

In the personal correspondence Bradford retyped some letters and did not note the author. In a letter dated November 18, 1944 he notes the news that a close friend was killed in action. In several letters, Bradford expresses his opinion about France. For example, after briefly living on the grounds of a chateau built in France in 1900, he states that it is a "most garish display and no good to live in as a house." Bradford mentions everyday events such as selling his motorcycle, traveling in convoys around France and Belgium, enjoying simple pleasures like a cup of wine, and enjoying the beautiful scenery. In a few letters he hints at maintaining security and not revealing the specific places he has traveled.

There is a German newspaper from November 13, 1944 and only a small portion of it has been translated. Some documents are in German and attached to their English translations. One German document is dated 1933, and another is an evacuation order from sometime in mid-1944. There is an American military message to the people of Aachen appealing for assistance in rebuilding the city. Newspaper clippings about the city of Aachen, which was Bradford's first assignment in occupied Germany, begin in October 1944. Other clippings offer details about the war and occupation elsewhere in Germany. There are unidentified photographs of city scenes, which may be Aachen.

Military memos are concerned with explaining to American forces what is expected in running the military government, such as reconstruction, housing, transportation, and public safety. Some memos request food and other aid for the citizens of Aachen.

16. V-Mail from U.S.A., September-December 1944.

A total of 89 V-mail letters, organized chronologically, are handwritten and difficult to read. Much of the writing focuses on family events, health, travels, and the weather.

17. Military Government Aachen, January-March 1945.

Several newspaper clippings about the war in Germany and occupied Aachen, some containing quotes from Bradford. Several articles are about former Nazi party members working for the military government in Aachen. One article, with a photo of Bradford, names him as the deputy military governor of Aachen and discusses his supervision of a labor union of miners. Clippings contain photos of Cologne and Remagen in Germany.

The correspondence focuses on Bradford's work with the Military Government and interactions with German civilians. In several letters Bradford says he wishes he could say what he wants to when newspaper reporters were around, both the good and the bad, but realizes that he cannot speak his mind and can only effect change within his military detachment.

Memos discuss the process of creating an educational council to help start up schools for the youth of Aachen. By late February 1945, 1,200 children lived in the city. The government expected the population of children to increase once they began returning from sites they had been evacuated to during Allied bombing. One memo that was prepared but not released to the press concerns the dismissal of the last six employees of the Aachen city government who were former members of the Nazi Party.

18. Military Government Aachen, April-June 1945.

A booklet ("Deutsches Lesebuch I") with photos lists military personnel that Bradford worked with in Aachen, and is followed by a military government telephone directory. Memos discuss the opening of schools in Aachen in April 1945. The military government intended the schools to teach children anti-Nazism, anti-militarism, and democratic principles with new textbooks. Other correspondence details a plan of instruction for German school children in grades one through four. Each grade was assigned subjects that included math, reading, gym, religion, music, and "legends of native areas." One memo deals with grades one through eight. Other memos discuss the discovered Aachen treasures and their return to the city.

Several newspaper articles describe the opening of schools in Aachen. One article from the New York Post Daily Magazine covers the new school textbooks in Germany as well as the return to Aachen of the remains of Charlemagne, which had been removed in 1939 for safekeeping. The American military government in Aachen handed its administration over to the British on June 16, 1945 as part of the plan for partitioning Allied areas of responsibility in Germany.

Location

Box

P1680

19. V-Mail from U.S.A., January-June 1945.

The V-mail letters, organized chronologically, are handwritten and difficult to read. Most focus on family events, health, travels, and the weather.

20. Military Government Wurzburg, also V-Mail, July-September 1945.

In July 1945 Bradford was assigned to work in the military government of Wurzburg, Germany. Some of the correspondence details the process of his promotion to lieutenant colonel. Other correspondence shows his friends in the United States trying to fulfill Bradford's request to locate books on democracy for use in Germany. Letters mention Bradford's job designing the education system in the city, as well as directing denazification. Memos give information on the investigation of school committees made up of German citizens.

A political activity report discusses the Communist Party, the Social Democratic Party, the Christian Democratic Party, and the Christian Social Union.

Photographs show scenes of Wurzburg and actress Ingrid Bergman with American troops. A magazine entitled Army Talks (November 1945), features articles on German propaganda. The folder includes a packet of 31 V-Mail letters from Bradford's mother and aunt.

21. Military Government Wurzburg, October-December 1945.

A memo awards Bradford the bronze star medal. Correspondence discusses Bradford's travels in Europe. Several political activity reports discuss the Communist Party, the Social Democratic Party, and the Christian Social Union. One document (6 pp.) details an October meeting between Bradford and the Wurzburg school board. There are typed notes from a speech Bradford delivered on the occasion of the first concert in Wurzburg (Oct. 31) of the Wurzburg Symphony Orchestra. An October report (11 pp.) details topics such as denazification, political activity, civil administration, education and religious affairs, public safety, food and agriculture, public health, and other matters. Some of the correspondence congratulates Bradford on his promotion to lieutenant colonel, and one gives information about the war crimes trials and the German defendants in Nuremberg, Germany in November. In a letter to the editor of the Army publication Stars and Stripes, Bradford suggests that the subject of education in postwar Germany has not received enough attention. Documents entitled historical reports give summaries of activities and conditions of the civilians in Wurzburg. Included is a picture postcard in German.

22. Military Government Wurzburg, January-March 1945.

Several political activity reports discuss the Communist Party, the Social Democratic Party, and the Christian Social Union. Historical reports give summaries of activities and conditions of the civilians in Wurzburg. In a January letter Bradford thanks another officer for his assistance to Bradford and other military government officers in gaining admission to the Nuremberg trials. A speech (5 pp.) commemorates the opening of the Julius-Maximilians University in Wurzburg. A March memo notes that Bradford will leave his current job in Wurzburg and become a Land Government Supervisor in the Civil Administration Branch of the office of military government for Bavaria.

23. Wurzburg local items, April 1945 and later.

A long 1947 article from the Wurzburg Post-Argus newspaper tells the story of the reconstruction of Wurzburg. There is also a 1949 article from the Stars and Stripes. A 1949 article from the German newspaper Main Post features an article on Bradford. There is a German newspaper titled Wien Prost. Some items are from the Amerika Haus in Wurzburg including a speech in German from Bradford at the Amerika Haus in May 1949. One packet contains a letter to Bradford in German, along with newspaper clippings from the Wurzburg Main Post containing photos of Bradford. There is a photograph of Montana Senator Lee Metcalf, as well as a 1978 obituary for him.

24. Time, New Yorker, etc., 1946.

Three 1946 issues of The New Yorker and two 1946 issues of Time magazine. There is a large poster in German that contains a message about Franklin D. Roosevelt.

25. Military government bulletins, 1945-1948.

Military government weekly informational bulletins: October 1945, March 1946, January 1948, March 1948, and September 1949. Also a large promotional pamphlet (1977) about the Time-Life Books series on World War II.

26. Office of Military Government for Bavaria, April 1946-1948.

A 1947 memo from the Office of Military Government for Bavaria recommends that Bradford receive an emblem for meritorious civilian service. There are several letters of thanks and recognition, a citation letter noting Bradford's job is chief of the governmental structures branch in the Office of Military Government for Bavaria, the Civil Administration Division, and several newspaper clippings concerning a "scandal" over a pro-Nazi mayor and other German appointees to governmental posts in Germany. A small booklet contains a 1946 Stuttgart speech by James F. Byrnes, Jr., the U.S. Secretary of State. The folder contains many invitations to Bradford, including the first meeting of the Union of Bavarian towns, the Constituent Land Assembly, an art exhibit, a performance by the Bayerische Hilfswerk, and the chance to make a speech at a Military Government class. Included are notes on the role of a military government. Many military documents discuss the struggle to give Germans control over elections and other democratic institutions. One military government proclamation sets out the United States' role in governing Germany. There is a printed text of a radio broadcast that Bradford participated in on March 25, 1947.

There are also a map and photos of Munich; a personnel roster listing the American soldiers, their home address in the United States, and their living quarters in Germany; and a memo (April 15, 1948) stating that Bradford would be returning for a visit to the United States during the coming summer. By mid-1948, Bradford's job title was chief of the government and policies branch for the Civil Administration Division of the Office of Military Government for Bavaria. He may have been working as a civilian at this point.

27. Constitutions of Bavaria, Hesse, Wurtemburg-Baden, [1947].

Printed constitutions of Bavaria, Hesse, and Wuerttemberg-Baden produced by the Office of Military Government for Germany (U.S.) in Berlin (Feb. 15, 1947). The document is in both English and German.

Location

Box

P1680

28. Office of Military Government Bavaria, 1949-1950.

There are four pages from the Weekly Intelligence Report for the military government concerning obstructionism and productivity and wages. Documents discuss implementing democratic reforms in Germany. Newspaper clippings from German newspapers deal with the military government, as do clippings from Time magazine. A letter from the White House notes the formation of the German Federal Republic (West Germany) in September 1949. An organizational chart of the Office of Land Commissioner for Bavaria sketches the chain of command. A memo notes that Bradford spoke on Bavarian radio Oct. 11, 1949 to discuss the subject of "a school for local government." In November 1950 Bradford was appointed acting chief of the Political Affairs Division of the Office of Land Commissioner for Bavaria. A memo notes that Bradford gave clearance for a friend to pick up a pistol from the U.S. Customs House in New York that Bradford intended to keep as a war trophy.

29. Military government in Germany, history and analysis, 1950.

Two booklets about military government in Germany: The Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science (January 1950), and History of the Allied Commission For Germany: Its Establishment, Structure, and procedures (December 1950).

30. Office of Land Commissioner for Bavaria reports, 1950.

Two documents from the political affairs division of the Office of the Land Commissioner for Bavaria: "Prospects for Democratic Development in Bavaria" (April 15, 1950, 47 pp.), and "OLCB Seminar for Resident Officers" (139 pp.).

31. Land Commissioner for Bavaria, Political Affairs Publications, 1951.

Four small booklets published in German: Was Halten Sie von einer Neuen: Bayerischen Gemeinde-Ordnung; Du, Bürger, bist der Staat!; Die Sendung des Landeskommissars für Bayern; Wohin des Wegs?

One booklet in English is entitled Where Do we Stand?. It is the text of a speech by Adam Stegerwald on May 11, 1945. The topics include: Denazification of German life, National Socialism without power to change the world, background of the last two world wars, the psychology and starting point of great conflicts, historical crisis, and the essence of democracy.

32. Land Commissioner for Bavaria, 1951-1952, and later.

In June 1951 Bradford was appointed chief (from acting chief) of the Political Affairs Division of the Office of the Land Commissioner for Bavaria. Memos discuss German parliamentary representatives and Radio Free Europe.

In January 1952 Bradford received an official letter terminating his employment with the High Commissioner for Germany. He left Germany that month to return to the United States. Letters thank him for his work and commend him on his accomplishments. In a farewell speech Bradford notes that he has recently been awarded a certificate for proficiency in the German language. A number of letters bid farewell to him, including several in German.

Return to top

UNITED NATIONS PROJECTS, 1952-1969

Location

Box

P1680

33. United Nations Korean Reconstruction Agency, 1952-1954.

In the summer of 1952 Bradford was traveling through the United States by car, and correspondence with friends describes his drive through Texas and Seattle. In a June 22 letter Bradford describes possible sources of employment: the National Geographic Society, lecturing with films, and starting a small business. He also mentions a trip to Mexico.

In one letter to friends Bradford states he began working in Korea in October 1952, and by April 1953 he was working in Pusan. There are notes from meetings of the United Nations Korean Reconstruction Agency staff association, and Bradford was the chairman of the mess and entertainment committee. In a June 1953 letter Bradford describes his job duties as a project officer, which included keeping track of 53 programs in the reconstruction agency. Bradford hinted that the U.S. State Department was responsible for keeping him in the job. A Korean Times newspaper dated July 28, 1953 notes the Korean armistice.

A series of letters from the United Nations note that some of Bradford's personal belongings were destroyed in November 1953 when storage buildings burned while he was on home leave. Two memos from early 1954 describe Bradford's new duties in coordinating fertilizer, flat glass, and cement projects. In some personal letters he mentions not enjoying his work, and also describes job tasks, such as helping to construct housing in Pusan. An April 1954 letter from the Army notes that he must complete a "Loyalty Certificate of Personnel of the Armed Forces" since he is an Army Reserve commissioned officer.

A copy of an affidavit by Bradford states that he can "maintain and support Mr. Shinn, Rinn-Sup in the United States" and it details Bradford's personal finances. No other information refers to Bradford's support of the Korean man. A large booklet details the reconstruction of housing at Pusan after a fire destroyed much of it. In addition, there is one photo of Bradford sitting at a desk.

34. Loyalty clearance, 1954.

In a 1953 presidential order, Dwight Eisenhower required that American citizens being considered for employment in a public international organization be subjected to a background investigation. The International Organizations Employees Loyalty Board required Bradford to undergo a loyalty clearance in order to continue working for the United Nations. A 1954 letter to Bradford indicates that certain reports at the loyalty board contained "information of a derogatory nature." Bradford was required to complete an "interrogatory" form and submit it to the loyalty board, which had received a 1941 report that accused Bradford of being a communist, propagating communist ideologies, and disseminating communist literature, among several other charges.

The file contains a copy of the "interrogatory" and Bradford's responses to the accusations. His writing describes the workplace harassment and difficult working conditions at the March of Time, as well as his role in the Newspaper Guild of New York. Much of this information is related to records in file 9. As in 1941, many of Bradford's friends and coworkers served as character witnesses and testified to his patriotism and loyalty.

35. U.N. Korean Reconstruction Agency, 1955.

A July 1955 interoffice memo recommends that Bradford be promoted from his position as a political officer, and that his position be reclassified. The memo notes that he had been acting chief of the Fisheries Division and briefly describes his job responsibilities. Memos document the United Nations' reasons for terminating his employment in October 1955. His certificate of service shows the three different positions he held while working in Korea. Several of the letters are personal correspondence to Bradford from Korean friends. In addition is a series of photos, presumably of South Korea.

36. UNKRA in Action, 1956.

This booklet of the United Nations Korean Reconstruction Agency, UKRA in Action describes the reconstruction agency's role in rebuilding South Korea and developing the country's natural resources.

Location

Box

P1680

37. U.N. Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees, 1956-1959.

A March 1956 contract describes Bradford's appointment as a projects analyst to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees. The headquarters were in Beirut and Bradford worked there as well as in Jordan, Syria, and Israel. A map details refugee camps in the Middle East and several letters discuss living conditions in them. In May 1957 Bradford was named chief of the Social Welfare Division. A July 1956 letter notes that he would visit Baghdad "from time to time" during a liaison officer's leave to the United States. In his personal correspondence Bradford describes such events as living and working conditions in Beirut, Damascus, and Amman. Bradford discusses purchasing an automobile, renting an apartment, dispersing U.N. aid, attending a funeral, and dealing with officials from different Middle Eastern countries.

38. U.N. Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees, 1960-1963.

Notes from a speech by Bradford regarding the U.N.'s Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees and welfare programs for them. A list gives details about organizations that the U.N. Welfare Division maintained contact with, such as the British Red Cross Society and American Middle East Relief. Other documents offer details about welfare programs, a summary of six years of budgets for the welfare and placement services to UNRWA refugees, and facilities for welfare activities.

A 1960 letter from the U.S. Army discharges Bradford from the Army Reserve after 28 years of commissioned service. Documents show that Bradford helped organize and lead an archaeological expedition to Egypt in early 1962. In a letter to the American University Hospital in Beirut Bradford notes that if he dies while living in Lebanon, he would like to donate his body "for its use in the teaching of medicine."

39. U.N. Relief and Works Agency Reports, 1960, 1962.

Two booklets: Secretary: Journal of the World Federation of Associations of Secretaries of YMCAs (1963), and Seminar on Cooperatives for UNRWA Social Welfare Staff (United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees, 1960).

40. U.N. Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees, 1964.

Contains sub-folders labeled by Bradford, the first of which is entitled "Efforts towards further employment." In the spring of 1963 Bradford was approaching 60, the age of U.N. retirement. There are copies of letters he sent to the World Health Organization, U.S. Committee for Refugees, and the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development, among others, as well as some rejection letters.

There is a station list for the U.N. Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees. An April 1964 letter indicates that Bradford intends to take a position with the World Food Program as a project officer in India beginning in the fall. Bradford was given the job after a trip to Geneva and Rome. He left Beirut in May, and there are copies of his own farewell letters, as well as letters wishing him luck and praising him.

Another sub-folder, entitled "Towards a new occupation," contains several letters between Bradford and the World Food Program in Rome. Some letters discuss Bradford's salary, travel arrangements, and the delay in his start date. A memo provides a detailed job description.

Printed matter includes a special issue of The Economist about Lebanon, a newsletter entitled Palestine Refugees Today, and three newspaper clippings from 1978 about the war in Lebanon.

41. U.N./F.A.O. World Food Program India, Ceylon, Nepal, 1965-1966.

Letters and memos document Bradford's work and travels in India. There is a 1965 booklet entitled UN/FAO World Food Program as well as one entitled World Food Program News. Several pages torn from assorted publications detail projects in India. A photograph explanation (photo not identified) notes that Bradford took an expedition in Nepal into the Himalayas.

42. U.N./F.A.O. World Food Program India, Ceylon, Nepal, 1967.

Letters detail work projects in India, Ceylon, and Nepal of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Correspondence between Food Program offices shows a strained relationship between officials in Rome and India. Bradford worked on projects that included livestock feed programs, poultry farms, milk production, and a canal and irrigation system.

There are also some booklets and pamphlets: World Food Program News (July-Aug. 1967); supplement to U.N. weekly newsletter; The Realist, with an article by Bradford on p. 26; and India and the UN Family Work Together on Projects for Development.

A series of photographs depict India, as well as Bradford unveiling a plaque bearing his name at a feed mixing plant in Ceylon.

43. U.N./F.A.O. World Food Program India, 1968.

A January letter congratulates Bradford on a promotion, and a letter by Bradford hints at his possible upcoming departure from his job. Several memos discuss administrative actions on food program projects, without mentioning much about the actual projects except for their titles. They include food assistance in drought-stricken areas, soil conservation, construction of roads, land development, livestock feeding, maize and milk supplies, and animal husbandry. There are memos and a photograph of Bradford studying in England at a project officers training course. There is also a series of photographs.

44. U.N./F.A.O. World Food Program India, 1969.

Memos offer information on a variety of projects that Bradford oversaw. Several pieces of correspondence deal with Bradford's departure from the food program in September 1969 and his plans to return to the United States. Also included is the text of a farewell address to Bradford at his retirement party in India. There are two copies of the of the World Food Program News. A sub-folder entitled "Visit to Angkor Wat" (Cambodia) contains an article by Bradford in an informal newsletter of the U.N. women's association bulletin.

Location

Box

P1680

45. World Food Program India, Social invitations, [1965-1969].

There are 84 invitations to a variety of events including: weddings, United Nations functions, social functions of the governments of India and the U.S.S.R., the U.S. ambassador's receptions, and events of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the U.N.

Return to top

PEACE CORPS, 1970-1972

Location

Box

P1680

46. Peace Corps, Liberia, 1970.

Correspondence between Bradford and the Peace Corps, as well as personal correspondence. A typed list gives details of nine months Bradford traveled (mostly within the U.S.) between December 17, 1969 and September 10, 1970. Another offers details on his "in-country orientation" schedule in Liberia in August. Bradford was assigned as an advisor to the program manager of the National Food Assistance Unit.

Included are photos of Liberia, a map of Liberia, a booklet entitled Liberia Public Administration Group XXII, and a pamphlet about Liberia by the American Geographical Society.

47. Peace Corps, Liberia, 1971.

A memo from Bradford in March notes that his job is to advise and assist in the development of the Liberian government's National Food Assistance Unit. Other documents describe specific projects, such as assisting thousands of high school and college students, and self-help programs in rural areas. Bradford also began designing plans for a combination meeting room, cafeteria, and classroom. There are a series of photos of a model of the building.

Correspondence from friends keep Bradford informed of their lives. Letters mention Bradford's medical concerns and also medical treatment in Washington, D.C. and New York. Particularly interesting are his written instructions to the men who watched over his home while he left on medical leave. A one-page document summarizes Bradford's itinerary during his two months in the United States. In his personal correspondence Bradford describes living conditions in Monrovia. A copy of the Liberian Star newspaper of July 28, 1971 notes the death of Liberian president William V. S. Tubman.

48. Peace Corps, Liberia, 1972.

In early 1972 Bradford struggled with increased job responsibility and uncertainty about the financial health of the Peace Corps in Liberia. Several letters in his personal correspondence discuss his plans to leave the Peace Corps, and include his letter of resignation. Professional correspondence details the financial difficulties of the Peace Corps in Liberia as it considers cutting back its operations there.

49. Peace Corps, Liberia pamphlets and reports, 1970-1971.

Included are: social invitations, annual report (1970-1971) of Liberia's National Food Assistance Program, a booklet entitled Liberian Cultural Patterns 1965, 26 pp.), the Liberian presidential inauguration, and a report on a 1971 visit of an inter-departmental team to Bong, Lofa, and Nimba.

50. Peace Corps, Liberia manuals and guides, 1971.

Includes National Food Assistance Unit policy manual, field inspection guide, and a nutrition guide.

Return to top

GENEALOGICAL AND CIVIL WAR MATERIALS, 1861-1864

Location

Box

P1680

51. "Reaching Back: Fifty Years in the Life of John Nice Bradford."

Contains letters between Bradford and his wife Elizabeth (McLeod County, Minnesota) while he fought with the Union Army in the southern campaigns, 1861-1864. Also gives genealogical information about the descendents of Thomas Bradford (b. 1814) and his wife Martha Parker (b. 1816). John P. Bradford appears to be the author and editor. This information is accompanied by copies of original letters in the three-ring notebook.

Letters, 1862-1864: J. N. Bradford and wife. 1 3-ring binder.

Originals of correspondence between John and Elizabeth Bradford.

Return to top

CATALOG HEADINGS

This collection is indexed under the following headings in the catalog of the Minnesota Historical Society. Researchers desiring materials about related topics, persons or places should search the catalog using these headings.

Topics:: Newsreels.; Motion pictures in military education.; Motion pictures -- Production and direction.; Refugees, Arab.; Denazification.; Military government -- Germany.; Food relief -- India.; Food relief -- Liberia.; Industrial development projects -- South Korea.; Reconstruction (1939-1951) -- Germany.

Persons:: Bradford, Elizabeth McCartney.; Bradford, John Nice.; Olsen, Arthur K., d. 1944.

Organizations:: Peace Corps (U.S.) -- Liberia -- Economic Assistance.; United Nations -- India -- Economic Assistance.; United Nations -- Korea -- Economic Assistance.; United Nations -- Lebanon -- Economic Assistance.; United Nations -- Officials and employees, American.; United Nations. Korean Reconstruction Agency.; United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East.; United States. Army. Minnesota Infantry Regiment, 4th (1861-1865). Company B.; World Food Programme.

Places:: United States -- History -- Civil War, 1861-1865.; India -- Economic conditions -- 1947-.; Sri Lanka -- Economic conditions -- 1947-.; Nepal -- Economic conditions -- 1947-.; Korea (South) -- Economic conditions -- 1948-1960.; Liberia -- Economic conditions -- 1971-1980.; Lebanon -- Economic conditions.; Germany -- Politics and government -- 1945-1990.; Germany -- History -- 1945-1955.

Return to top