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Dana Gardner Munro Papers
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Held at: Princeton University Library: Public Policy Papers [Contact Us]
This is a finding aid. It is a description of archival material held at the Princeton University Library: Public Policy Papers. 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
Dana Gardner Munro was a leading authority on Latin America relations in the mid-twentieth century. He was actively involved with the United States Department of State as a diplomat and was also a professor at Princeton University for more than thirty years.
Munro was born in Providence, Rhode Island on July 18, 1892. He earned bachelor's degrees from both Brown University and the University of Wisconsin, and went on to receive a Ph.D. in economics from the University of Pennsylvania. Munro then spent two years studying economic and political conditions in Central America for the Carnegie Peace Foundation. After serving in the U.S. Army's Air Service during World War I, the State Department hired him as an economist in 1919; during the 1920s, he was the acting chief, and later chief, of its Latin American Division. Among his diplomatic positions, he was a secretary of legation in Panama and Nicaragua, charge d'affairs in Managua, a special envoy to Haiti, a consul to Chile, and minister to Haiti (1930-1932).
Munro's career as an educator began in 1930 when he was hired as a professor of Latin American History at Princeton University. Nine years later, he became director of the University's School of Public and International Affairs. After his retirement from academia in 1961, Munro returned to an earlier role as president of the Foreign Bondholders Protective Council, a component of the State Department intended to advise in the protection of American investors.
Munro contributed to journals such as the Hispanic American Historical Review and The American Political Science Review, and authored several monographs including The Latin American Republics: a History; A Student in Central America, 1914-1916; Intervention and Dollar Diplomacy in the Caribbean, 1900-1921; and The United States and the Caribbean Republics, 1921-1933.
He died in June 1990 at the age of 97.
Munro, Dana Gardner, 1892-1990Dana Gardner Munro was a leading authority on Latin America relations in the mid-twentieth century. He was actively involved with the United States Department of State as a diplomat and was also a professor at Princeton University for more than thirty years.
Munro was born in Providence, Rhode Island on July 18, 1892. He earned bachelor's degrees from both Brown University and the University of Wisconsin, and went on to receive a Ph.D. in economics from the University of Pennsylvania. Munro then spent two years studying economic and political conditions in Central America for the Carnegie Peace Foundation. After serving in the U.S. Army's Air Service during World War I, the State Department hired him as an economist in 1919; during the 1920s, he was the acting chief, and later chief, of its Latin American Division. Among his diplomatic positions, he was a secretary of legation in Panama and Nicaragua, charge d'affairs in Managua, a special envoy to Haiti, a consul to Chile, and minister to Haiti (1930-1932).
Munro's career as an educator began in 1930 when he was hired as a professor of Latin American History at Princeton University. Nine years later, he became director of the University's School of Public and International Affairs. After his retirement from academia in 1961, Munro returned to an earlier role as president of the Foreign Bondholders Protective Council, a component of the State Department intended to advise in the protection of American investors.
Munro contributed to journals such as the Hispanic American Historical Review and The American Political Science Review, and authored several monographs including The Latin American Republics: a History; A Student in Central America, 1914-1916; Intervention and Dollar Diplomacy in the Caribbean, 1900-1921; and The United States and the Caribbean Republics, 1921-1933.
He died in June 1990 at the age of 97.
The Dana Gardner Munro Papers document segments of the scholarly and diplomatic work of Munro. Included in the collection are drafts of articles, book chapters, book reviews, and lectures. Munro's time as a diplomat is reflected in subject files and State Department Press Releases chronicling United States relations with individual Latin American countries as well as larger regional themes. The papers also include correspondence written by Munro's wife Margaret Munro, documenting their time in the Nicaraguan capital of Managua, as well as letters from Munro's children regarding his publications.
Please see the series descriptions in the contents list for additional information about individual series.
The following sources were consulted during the preparation of the biographical note: Obituary, The New York Times, 19 June 1990. Obituary, The Trenton Times, 19 June 1990.
The collection was transferred to the Mudd Manuscript Library, Public Policy Papers in 1991.
Gift of Professor Dana Gardner Munro to the Manuscript Division of the Princeton University Library on March 3, 1986.
This collection was processed by Diann Benti in July 2007. Finding aid written by Diann Benti in July 2007.
Loose published articles not written by Munro have been removed from the collection.
Organization
Subject
- Diplomatic and consular service, American -- Latin America -- 20th century
- Diplomats -- United States -- 20th century
Place
- Publisher
- Public Policy Papers
- Finding Aid Author
- Diann Benti
- Finding Aid Date
- 2007
- Access Restrictions
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The collection is open for research use.
- Use Restrictions
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Single photocopies may be made for research purposes. For quotations that are fair use as defined under U. S. Copyright Law, no permission to cite or publish is required. For those few instances beyond fair use, researchers are responsible for determining who may hold the copyright and obtaining approval from them. Researchers do not need anything further from the Mudd Library to move forward with their use.
Collection Inventory
The Department of State Press Releases series is composed of press releases published by the Department of State regarding Latin America. The press releases relate economic, social, political, and military events, as well as United States relations with individual Latin American countries. Some folders are supplemented with reports.
Folders arranged alphabetically by country.
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The Subject Files series is comprised of clippings, working papers, reports, and research materials relating to the Latin American countries British Honduras, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Haiti, and Nicaragua, as well as general issues affecting the region. The topics are not covered exhaustively and copies of academic studies and reports comprise much of the series.
Arranged alphabetically by subject.
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The Articles and Book Reviews series contains drafts and copies of articles written by Munro. Most items deal with United States relations with Latin America. Some lectures appear to have been incorporated into this series, however most can be found in Series 4: Lectures. Some publication-related correspondence is included.
Arranged chronologically.
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The Lectures series contains typewritten speeches given by Munro on topics relating to Latin America, often including handwritten corrections and notes. In rare instances press clippings accompany the lectures. Some lectures also appear to be in Series 3: Articles and Book Reviews. The materials found in this series are not lectures presented to Princeton students, but rather are lectures given around the country and in Latin America.
Arranged chronologically.
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The Correspondence series begins with letters written by Munro to his mother during his travels to Europe in 1913 and Latin America in 1916. Munro's correspondence from the 1930s and 1940s deals mainly with Foreign Bondholders Protective Council matters. The series also contains letters written by Munro's wife, Margaret, (regarding their time living in Managua, Nicaragua), his children (regarding preparation of Munro's publications), and letters from President Hoover and Henry Stimson upon Munro's resignation as Minister of Haiti.
Arranged alphabetically by correspondent or subject.
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(Written from Managua, Nicaragua)
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(Correspondence mostly by Munro's children)
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