Douglas Henderson (#107)

An Inventory of His Personal Papers, 1912-1969
In the John F. Kennedy Library
National Archives and Records Administration

Administrative Information
Biographical Note
Collection Overview
List of Series
Collection Description

Administrative Information

Abstract
Papers 1912-1969
Economist, diplomat, government official. Economic officer and Foreign Service officer, Mexico (1942-1943), Chile (1943), Bolivia (1943-1947), Department of Commerce (1947-1950), Switzerland (1950-1956); Assistant Director, Economic Defense Administration, Department of State (1956-1959); Economic Counselor, Deputy Chief of Mission and Chargé d'affaires, U.S. Embassy, Peru (1960-1963); Ambassador to Bolivia (1963-1968). Official, personal and family correspondence with speech files, clippings, scrapbooks, and subject files pertaining to Foreign Service work and life abroad.

Access
Open.

Usage Restrictions
According to the deed of gift signed May 1969, copyright of these materials has been assigned to the United States. Documents in this collection that were prepared by officials of the United States as part of their official duties are in the public domain. Users of these materials are advised to determine the copyright status of any document from which they wish to publish.

Copyright
The copyright law of the United States (Title 17, United States Code) governs the making of photocopies or other reproductions of copyrighted material. Under certain conditions specified in the law, libraries and archives are authorized to furnish a photocopy or other reproduction. One of these specified conditions is that the photocopy or reproduction is not to be "used for any purpose other than private study, scholarship, or research." If a user makes a request for, or later uses, a photocopy or reproduction for purposes in excess of "fair use," that user may be liable for copyright infringement. This institution reserves the right to refuse to accept a copying order if, in its judgment, fulfillment of the order would involve violation of copyright law. The copyright law extends its protection to unpublished works from the moment of creation in a tangible form. Direct your questions concerning copyright to the reference staff.

Provenance
Received from Douglas Henderson, in May 1969 (Acc. 1969-010).

Extent
About 14,750 items (13 cubic feet, 17 linear feet)

Classified and Withdrawn Items  
Classified and Withdrawn Items: 24
Selected folders may contain withdrawal sheets where documents containing national security classifiedinformation or documents, in accordance with the donor's deed of gift, were removed from this collection. Donor restrictions cover documents which may be used to injure or harass any living person. All withdrawn documents have been placed under seal and upon request the Kennedy Library will review any material which has been closed for a period of not less than 2 years for the purpose of opening items which no longer require restrictions. Researchers should consult the reference staff to obtain the appropriate form(s).

Items Separated
Items separated include photographs (P-107), oversized papers (OV-107), and a museum object (MO-107). Items were removed from the collection and returned to family members in 1998.

Date Opened
November 1991.

Finding Aid Prepared by
Megan F. Desnoyers

Processed by
Heather Soyka and Andrea Medina-Smith

Finding Aid Updated by
Heather Soyka and Andrea Medina-Smith on October 2, 2007

Related Collections
Douglas Henderson Oral History Interview, John F. Kennedy Presidential Library

The Personal Papers of Douglas Henderson

Biographical Note
Douglas Henderson was born on October 15, 1914. He graduated from Weston High School, earned a BA from Boston University in 1940 and a Master’s degree from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy the next year. From 1941 to 1942, he participated in the Ph.D. program at the Fletcher school while employed as an instructor of history at Tufts College. On February 12, 1942, he married Dorothy Henderson of Winthrop, Massachusetts. Henderson’s career in the Foreign Service began that same year. During the first five years he served at three consular posts: Nogales (Mexico), Arica (Chile), and Cochabamba (Bolivia). Henderson started at Nogales as the Vice Consul, was reassigned to Arica as the Vice Consul in Charge, and became the Consul in Charge at Cochabamba. From 1947 to 1950, Henderson worked at the Department of State and the Department of Commerce as financial analyst in the Latin American Branch of the Office of International Economics (1947-1950). Posted to Bern, Switzerland in 1950 as the Second Secretary, he remained at that post until 1956, spending the last two years as First Secretary. He returned to the United States in 1956, holding the position of Assistant Director of the Economic Defense Division at the Department of State until 1959. From 1959 to 1960, he participated in the Foreign Service Institute’s Senior Officers’ Course. In 1960, Henderson returned to Lima, Peru, where he acted as both Deputy Chief of Mission and the Charge d’Affairs before President Kennedy appointed him Ambassador to Bolivia in October, 1963. Henderson served in that capacity until the death of his wife in 1968, after which he returned to America and worked at the Bureau of Inter-American Affairs, Bureau of Latin America at the State Department from 1969 to1970, then acted as the Deputy U.S. Representative to the Organization of American States, from 1970 to 1974.

Dorothy Frances Henderson was raised in Winthrop, Massachusetts. She received her B.A. degree from DePauw University and a graduate certificate in dietetics from Massachusetts General Hospital. For two years, she was head dietician at Baker Memorial Hospital. On February 12, 1942, she married Douglas Henderson. They had six children: Peter; Bruce; Lee; Karen; Jennifer; and Mark. In addition to traveling with her husband to his various posts and raising the family, Dorothy Henderson was active in parent teacher groups, and the Girl Scouts. She was involved in local foreign women’s groups, and hosted events in her various residences. Dorothy Henderson died of cancer in 1968.

Collection Overview
The papers of Douglas Henderson consist of materials generated by him and his wife, Dorothy, during nearly 25 years as a Foreign Service couple assigned to posts in Washington, D.C., Mexico, Chile, Boliva, and Switzerland. The collection is arranged into two subcollections. Subcollection 1 contains records and materials created by Douglas Henderson, and Subcollection 2 contains records and materials collected by Dorothy Henderson. Series numbers run continuously throughout the subcollections. Douglas Henderson’s papers are arranged in three series: Series 1. Correspondence, Series 2. Subject Files, and Series 3. Writings. Dorothy Henderson’s papers are arranged in four series: Series 4. Correspondence, Series 5. Family Subject Files, Series 6. Scrapbooks, and Series 7. Appointment Books & Calendars. Folder titles are maintained throughout the collection wherever possible. In cases of ambiguity chronological order was imposed for ease of research and annotated or imposed folder titles are bracketed “[]” by Kennedy Library staff for clarity.

List of Series

Collection Description

Subcollection 1: Douglas Henderson.

This subcollection contains the personal and ambassadorial papers of Douglas Henderson, consisting of correspondence, subject files, and writings. The bulk of the material relates to Henderson’s service as the Ambassador to Bolivia. It also contains some personal and family correspondence, memorabilia, publications, and financial records.

Series 1. Correspondence.
About 4,200 items.

Series 1.1. Ambassadorial Correspondence, 1942-1968.
Extent: About 1,200 items.
Arrangement: chronological.

This series contains correspondence relating to Douglas Henderson’s time in the Foreign Service from 1942 until 1962, as well as during his role as Ambassador to Bolivia (1963-1968). Materials consist of incoming letters, carbon copies of outgoing letters, and a small amount of memorabilia. Many letters are congratulatory in nature.

Series 1.2. Personal Correspondence, 1953-1968.
About 3,000 items.
Arrangement: by type of material.

Materials in this series relate to Douglas Henderson’s family life and his activities outside his professional roles in the Foreign Service and as Ambassador. The correspondence has two main divisions: chronological files and files containing condolence letters sent to Ambassador Henderson after the death of his wife in 1968. Chronological files span the years 1953-1968 and end with a single folder of correspondence specifically from family members. Files are generally organized chronologically; however correspondence for the years 1963-1967 has been kept in the original reverse chronological arrangement within the folder. Condolence letters are primarily incoming letters to Henderson and are organized alphabetically by correspondent.

Series 2. Subject Files, 1941-1968.
About 5,200 items.
Arrangement: alphabetical.

This series contains subject files relating to Henderson’s life as a Foreign Service Officer and Ambassador to Bolivia. Types of materials include drafts of published documents on Latin American economics, appointment schedules, clippings, mementos from vacations and diplomatic events, plans for official parties and receptions, protocol and briefing notebooks concerning Henderson’s posts in Latin America, and class notes and readings from the Senior Officers’ Course Henderson attended as part of his professional training.

Series 3. Writings.
About 450 items.
Arrangement: alphabetical by title or topic.

This series contains speeches, lectures and articles written by Douglas Henderson between 1947 and 1965. Many speeches are from commencement exercises at American schools in Latin America.

Subcollection 2: Dorothy Henderson.

This subcollection contains the personal papers of Dorothy Henderson, consisting of correspondence, subject files, and appointment books and calendars. The bulk of the material relates to Dorothy Henderson and her family during their time at different foreign posts during her husband’s work in the U.S. Foreign Service and as an Ambassador to Bolivia. It also contains some personal and family correspondence, memorabilia, and financial records.

Series 4. Correspondence, 1922-1968.
About 2,200 items.
Arrangement: by type, thereunder chronological.

The series is arranged by personal and family correspondence. Personal correspondence includes letters from friends and acquaintances. Family correspondence includes incoming letters from friends and family, a few outgoing letters, as well as formal invitations, place cards and menus relating to Dorothy Henderson and her family.

Series 5. Family Subject Files.
About 2,800 items.
Arrangement: alphabetical.

This series consists of writings, photographs, financial materials, protocol notes, mementos, clippings, and other publications relating to Dorothy Henderson and her family during their time at different foreign posts during her husband’s work in the U.S. Foreign Service and as an Ambassador to Bolivia.

Series 6. Scrapbooks.
7 items.
Arrangement: Rough chronological.

This series consists of scrapbooks created by Dorothy Henderson from childhood through the birth of her first child, Peter Henderson, in 1943.

Series 7. Appointment Books & Calendars.
25 items.
Arrangement: alphabetical by type, thereunder chronological.