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William Huntington papers

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Held at: Haverford College Quaker & Special Collections [Contact Us]370 Lancaster Ave, Haverford, PA 19041

This is a finding aid. It is a description of archival material held at the Haverford College Quaker & Special Collections. Unless otherwise noted, the materials described below are physically available in their reading room, and not digitally available through the web.

Overview and metadata sections

Call Number:
MC.1181
Repository:
Haverford College Quaker & Special Collections
Extent:
7 linear ft. (13 boxes)
Language:
English
Preferred Citation:
William Huntington papers (HC.MC.1181) Quaker and Special Collections, Haverford College, Haverford, PA.
Date:
1932-1984 (inclusive)
Creator:
Huntington, William R.
Abstract:
The collection relates primarily to William Huntington, (1907-1990), a 20th century Quaker peace activist and the ship The Golden Rule which Huntington and others used to protest atomic testing in the South Pacific. Included are correspondence, photographs, conference papers, newspaper articles, memoranda, and minutes.

William R. Huntington was a Quaker peace activist, active primarily 1942-1985. He was born in Manhattan on January 28, 1907, and lived until 1990. He graduated with an AB from Harvard in 1928, and attended architectural school at Columbia and the University of Virginia, receiving his BS in Architecture from the University of Virginia in 1932. During World War II Huntington was a conscientious objector, and was assigned to the Civilian Public Service Camp at Big Flats, NY, where he was appointed Assistant Director. After the war Huntington joined the American Friends Service Committee (AFSC). He served on the foreign staff 1945-1949, and was the Commissioner in Europe 1947-1949. With the AFSC, Huntington worked in France, Hungary, Germany, and Italy. After 1950, Huntington returned to his architectural work, but remained involved with the AFSC. He was a member of the Board of Directors 1954-1961, Chairman of the Foreign Service Executive Committee 1954-1959, and a member of the Russian-American Relations Committee 1949-1950. He also traveled to Poland during this time to help with the relief effort. Huntington was a mate and owner of the ketch Golden Rule, which sailed into the South Pacific in 1958 to protest atomic testing there by the United States. He was also involved with the Phoenix, which sailed a similar voyage in the same year. Huntington was arrested with the other crew members of the Golden Rule – James Peck, George Willoughby, Orion Sherwood, and Albert Bigelow – and sentenced to 60 days in jail. From 1961 to 1963, Huntington travelled to Algeria to aid in relief efforts during the independence war there. Huntington was involved with the Quaker United Nations Program (QUNP) and Quaker House 1963-1969. He remained active in the following decades in issues of nuclear disarmament, publishing numerous articles and letters to the editor, as well as touring Europe to speak with world leaders 1973-1978.

The collection includes materials collected by William Huntington (1907–1990), a 20th-century Quaker peace activist. The contents of the collection relate to Civilian Public Service Camps, specifically Big Flats, Conscientious Objection, the Quaker United Nations Program, American Friends Service Committee (AFSC), the ketch The Golden Rule, and nuclear disarmament. Included are correspondence, photographs, conference papers, newspaper articles, memoranda, and minutes. Notable letter writers include Willy Brandt, Chancellor of West Germany, 1969–1974, and AFSC members Stephen Cary, Julia Branson, and Louis Schneider.

The collection is divided into eight series, ordered roughly chronologically: Conscientious Objection and Civilian Public Service (1942-1946); American Friends Service Committee (1942-1960); Golden Rule and Phoenix (1956-1961); Algeria (1961-1963); Quaker United Nations Program (1963-1969); Disarmament (1973-1978); Letters to the Editor (1939-1989); Scrapbooks (1953-1967). Within these are subseries, grouped by type of material, including correspondence, photographs, official documents, and other materials.

The Conscientious Objection and Civilian Public Service series includes William Huntington's application for Conscientious Objector status, as well as other writings on the topics of conscientious objection, civilian public service, and conscription. There is material from the Episcopal Pacifist Fellowship, including articles written for Witness Magazine. Materials from Huntington's time at the CPS camp at Big Flats, NY, include official forms and information about the camp, evaluations of the camp by members (including information related to a strike protesting the CPS program), drawings, and photographs. Correspondence is found in a separate sub-series, and is arranged chronologically.

The AFSC series includes material from William Huntington's time as Commissioner in Europe, on the Board of Directors, the Foreign Service Executive Committee, and the Russian-American Relations Committee. Included are general and official AFSC materials, and materials from conferences Huntington attended: the AFSC Conference of Community, Neighborhood, and Youth Centers, 1947; the Bielefed Conference, 1949; the Conference on Church and War, 1950; the Scattergood Conference, 1954; the Mohonk Seminar for Diplomats, 1959; and others. There are minutes and memoranda from each of the committees Huntington served as a member of. Materials from Huntington's work abroad are arranged by country, and include materials from work in France, Hungary, Germany, Italy, and Poland. Photographs comprise a separate sub-series, and are found at the end of the series.

The Golden Rule and Phoenix series includes correspondence and photographs relating to the voyages of these two boats. The correspondence is ordered chronologically, and also includes letters regarding Huntington's speaking engagements and letters of support to the crew of the Golden Rule while they were in prison. There is also material relating generally to disarmament activism 1956-1960.

The Algeria series includes material from Huntington's work in Algeria and Tunisia during the Algerian War of Independence, in 1961-1963. These include six of Huntington's notebooks, reports and drawings (especially maps), official documents, correspondence (arranged chronologically), and photographs.

The Quaker United Nations Program (QUNP) series includes four notebooks, reports and notes, and correspondence. The notes are related generally to QUNP projects, and also to particular conferences and committees, including the Friends World Committee Covenant on Human Rights regarding Conscientious Objectors, 1950, a QUNP Mohonk Seminar, 1965, and the Mohonk Consultations, 1981. Also included is William Huntington's statement of personal belief, composed in 1963.

The Disarmament series is mostly comprised of materials from William Huntington's tours of Europe, 1973-1978, speaking with world leaders about nuclear disarmament. These materials include UN General Assembly official records, October-November 1976, correspondence, reports, and travel documents. There is also general correspondence regarding issues of disarmament, arranged chronologically, and material from the York Forum, 1976.

The series of Letters to the Editor contains letters and articles written by William Huntington throughout his entire career. Both drafts and published articles are included, and are arranged chronologically. Topics include conscientious objection, relations between nations and world powers, war, and nuclear disarmament.

There are five scrapbooks. These include materials - mostly newspaper clippings and some photographs - collected and arranged by William Huntington. The scrapbooks cover disarmament activism, the Golden Rule, and the Fourth Friends World Conference.

Series I. Conscientious Objection and Civilian Public Service (1942-1946)
Subseries I
Conscientious Objection
Subseries II
Episcopal Pacifist Fellowship
Subseries III
CPS Big Flats
Subseries IV
Correspondence
Series II. American Friends Service Committee (1942-1960)
Subseries I
Correspondence
Subseries II
General AFSC Materials
Subseries III
Conferences
Subseries IV
Board of Directors and Executive Committee
Subseries V
Europe and Latin America
Subseries VI
Photographs
Series III. Golden Rule and Phoenix (1956-1961)
Subseries I
Correspondence
Subseries II
Photographs
Series IV. Algeria (1961-1963)
Subseries I
Reports and Drawings
Subseries II
Correspondence
Subseries III
Photographs
Series V. Quaker United Nations Program - QUNP (1963-1969)
Subseries I
Notes and Official Documents
Subseries II
Correspondence
Series VI. Disarmament (1973-1978)
Subseries I
European Disarmament Tour
Subseries II
Correspondence

Series VII. Letters to the Editor (1939-1989)

Series VIII. Scrapbooks (1953-1967)

"AFSC" will always stand for "American Friends Service Committee".

"CPS" will always stand for "Civilian Public Service".

"QUNP" will always stand for "Quaker United Nations Program".

The William Huntington papers were donated to Special Collections, Haverford College, in 1996 and 1997 by Leonie Huntington (wife of William Huntington).

Processed by Elizabeth Peters; completed March 2015.

Some printed materials from this collection were moved into PG 6 - William Huntington.

People
Organization
Subject
Place

Publisher
Haverford College Quaker & Special Collections
Finding Aid Author
Elizabeth Peters
Finding Aid Date
March, 2015
Access Restrictions

The collection is open for research use.

Use Restrictions

Standard Federal Copyright Law Applies (U.S. Title 17).

Collection Inventory

Conscientious Objection.
Box 1 Folder 1
Writings on Conscientious Objection, Civilian Public Service, Conscription.
Box 1 Folder 2
Application to United Nations Organization, 1946.
Box 1 Folder 3
Application to State Department.
Box 1 Folder 4
Episcopal Pacifist Fellowship.
Box 1 Folder 5
Witness Magazine.
Box 1 Folder 6
Witness Magazine Articles.
Box 1 Folder 7
Notes from Pendle Hill.
Box 1 Folder 8
Information and official forms.
Box 1 Folder 9
Rosters and Personnel Lists.
Box 1 Folder 10
Memos and Notes.
Box 1 Folder 11
Evaluations (including strike).
Box 1 Folder 12
Arts.
Box 1 Folder 13
Photographs.
Box 1 Folder 14
1942-1944.
Box 2 Folder 1
January-April 1945.
Box 2 Folder 2
May-September 1945.
Box 2 Folder 3
October-December 1945.
Box 2 Folder 4
1946-1947 and undated.
Box 2 Folder 5

1942-1946.
Box 2 Folder 6
January-April 1947.
Box 2 Folder 7
May-December 1947.
Box 2 Folder 8
1948.
Box 2 Folder 9
1949.
Box 2 Folder 10
1950-1960.
Box 2 Folder 11
Undated.
Box 2 Folder 12
AFSC Materials 1946-1948.
Box 3 Folder 1
AFSC Handbook for Relief Workers.
Box 3 Folder 6
AFSC and the UN.
Box 3 Folder 7
AFSC on UN Mediation Labor Disputes, 1950.
Box 3 Folder 8
AFSC Peace Force, 1950.
Box 3 Folder 9
Atlantic City Conference, 1946.
Box 3 Folder 2
Amsterdam Conference, 1947.
Box 3 Folder 3
AFSC Conference of Community, Neighborhood, and Youth Centers, Freiburg, November 1947.
Box 3 Folder 4
Bielefeld Conference, 1949.
Box 3 Folder 5
Scattergood Conference, 1954.
Box 3 Folder 10
Westbury Meeting Peace and Social Order Committee, 1955.
Box 3 Folder 11
Mohonk Seminar for Diplomats, 1959.
Box 3 Folder 16
Conference on Church and War - Minutes, Correspondence, Attendees.
Box 5 Folder 9
Conference on Church and War - Notes.
Box 5 Folder 10
Board of Directors, 1956-1957.
Box 3 Folder 12
Committee on Program Priorities.
Box 3 Folder 13
Executive Committee Minutes.
Box 3 Folder 14
Executive Committee, 1956-1957.
Box 3 Folder 15
AFSC Reorganization, 1959.
Box 3 Folder 17
Essays A-M (by title).
Box 4 Folder 1
Essays N-Z (by title).
Box 4 Folder 2
Essays - untitled and drafts.
Box 4 Folder 3
Josiah Marvel, France, 1943.
Box 4 Folder 4
Hungary, 1946-1949.
Box 4 Folder 5
Germany, 1946-1949.
Box 4 Folder 6
Tour of Europe, 1956.
Box 4 Folder 7
Italy.
Box 4 Folder 8
Business Correspondence.
Box 4 Folder 9
Travel Documents.
Box 4 Folder 10
Personnel and Budgeting.
Box 4 Folder 11
Latin America.
Box 4 Folder 12
Russian-American Relations Committee, 1949.
Box 5 Folder 1
Russian-American Relations Committee, 1950.
Box 5 Folder 2
Russian-American Relations Committee, undated.
Box 5 Folder 3
Poland, 1945-1949.
Box 5 Folder 4
Poland, 1956, 1958-1959.
Box 5 Folder 5
Poland, January-July 1957.
Box 5 Folder 6
Poland, August-December 1957.
Box 5 Folder 7
Poland, undated.
Box 5 Folder 8
Poland (May 1947), Rheims (March 1947), Toulouse (March 1947).
Box 6 Folder 1
Germany, 1947.
Box 6 Folder 2
Italy, February 1948.
Box 6 Folder 3
La Chamberd, November 1948.
Box 6 Folder 4
Finland, 1948.
Box 6 Folder 5
Germany, 1948.
Box 6 Folder 6
Germany, 1949.
Box 6 Folder 7
Poland, 1957.
Box 6 Folder 8
Germany Conferences.
Box 6 Folder 9
Black Forest Conference.
Box 6 Folder 10
Rimdidim Odenwald Conference.
Box 6 Folder 11
Poland, undated.
Box 6 Folder 12
Hungary, undated.
Box 6 Folder 13
Berlin Mittelhof, undated.
Box 6 Folder 14
Frankfurt, undated.
Box 6 Folder 15
Germany, undated.
Box 6 Folder 16
Untitled and undated.
Box 6 Folder 17

Disarmament Activism Materials, 1956-1960.
Box 7 Folder 1
Golden Rule Correspondence, December 1957-March 1958.
Box 7 Folder 2
Golden Rule Correspondence, April-June 1958.
Box 7 Folder 3
Golden Rule Correspondence, July-September 1958.
Box 7 Folder 4
Golden Rule Correspondence, October 1958-December 1959.
Box 7 Folder 5
Golden Rule Correspondence, undated.
Box 7 Folder 6
Phoenix Correspondence, 1959-1969.
Box 7 Folder 7
Golden Rule and Phoenix - Notes by William Huntington.
Box 7 Folder 8
Correspondence re: speaking engagements, 1958-1961.
Box 7 Folder 9
Letters of support to crew of Golden Rule, 1958.
Box 7 Folder 10
Golden Rule Budgeting and Bills.
Box 7 Folder 11
Protest Marches (News photos), June 6, 1958 and August 6, 1958.
Box 7 Folder 12
Golden Rule Black and white photographs.
Box 7 Folder 13
Golden Rule Color photographs.
Box 7 Folder 14
Golden Rule and Phoenix Large photographs.
Box 7 Folder 15
Golden Rule slides.
Box 7 Folder 16

Notebooks (Six).
Box 8
Writings and Drawings.
Box 8 Folder 1
Official Documents (including AFSC reports, bills, travel documents, etc.).
Box 8 Folder 2
1961.
Box 8 Folder 3
1962.
Box 8 Folder 4
January-April 1963.
Box 8 Folder 5
May-December 1963.
Box 8 Folder 6
1964-1972.
Box 8 Folder 7
Undated.
Box 8 Folder 8
Picture postcards and calling cards.
Box 8 Folder 9
Photographs.
Box 8 Folder 10
Negative prints by Maurice Hatton.
Box 8 Folder 11
Postcards.
Box 8 Folder 12
Developed roll of film.
Box 8 Folder 13
Photographs by Fred Folland.
Box 8 Folder 14
Photographs of a port.
Box 8 Folder 15

Notebooks (Four).
Box 9
Handwritten notes.
Box 9 Folder 1
Typed reports.
Box 9 Folder 2
Formal Invitations and Nametags.
Box 9 Folder 3
Friends World Committee Covenant on Human Rights re: Conscientious Objectors, 1950.
Box 9 Folder 4
Statement of Personal Belief, 1963.
Box 9 Folder 5
QUNP Mohonk Seminar, June 1965.
Box 9 Folder 6
Mohonk Consultations, 1981.
Box 9 Folder 12
1965-1967.
Box 9 Folder 7
1968.
Box 9 Folder 8
1969.
Box 9 Folder 9
Correspondence re: Concern of Guy Solt, Tom Duthie, and Landsdowne Meeting for Strengthening the United Nations, 1969.
Box 9 Folder 10
1981-1983; undated.
Box 9 Folder 11

Correspondence, 1973-1975.
Box 10 Folder 1
Correspondence, 1976.
Box 10 Folder 2
Correspondence, 1977-1978.
Box 10 Folder 3
Reports.
Box 10 Folder 4
Travel Documents.
Box 10 Folder 5
UN General Assembly Official Records, October-November 1976.
Box 10 Folder 6
Reports on Disarmament, 1975-1977.
Box 10 Folder 7
York Forum, 1976.
Box 10 Folder 8
1969-1975.
Box 10 Folder 9
1976-1978.
Box 10 Folder 10

1939-1949.
Box 10 Folder 11
1950-1957.
Box 10 Folder 12
1970-1979.
Box 10 Folder 13
Letter to Mayors of US Cities, and responses, 1975.
Box 10 Folder 14
1980-1989.
Box 10 Folder 15
Letters to the Editor and other writings, undated.
Box 10 Folder 16

Scrapbook 1 - Golden Rule.
Box 13 (ovs)
Scrapbook 2 - Golden Rule.
Box 13 (ovs)
Scrapbook 3 - Golden Rule.
Box 12 Folder 1-5 Box 11 Folder 2-7
Scrapbook 4 - Golden Rule.
Box 12 Folder 6-8
Scrapbook 5 - Fourth Friends World Conference.
Box 13 (ovs)

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