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William Cattell Trimble Papers, 1931-1976 (bulk 1954-1968): Finding Aid

MC027

William Trimble and Juscelino Kubitschek circa 1955

William Trimble and Juscelino Kubitschek circa 1955

Seeley G. Mudd Manuscript Library
65 Olden Street
Princeton, New Jersey 08540 USA
Phone: 609-258-6345
Fax: 609-258-3385
mudd@princeton.edu
http://www.princeton.edu/~mudd

Published in 2001

Summary Information

Creator:
Trimble, William.
Title and dates:
William Cattell Trimble Papers, 1931-1976 (bulk 1954-1968)
Abstract:
William C. Trimble, Princeton University Class of 1930, was a career diplomat, serving as United States ambassador to Cambodia (1959-1962) and Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs (1965-1968) as well as serving in Brazil and Germany. The collection contains correspondence, speeches, newspaper clippings, photographs, and assorted memorabilia documenting Trimble's career.
Size:
10.08 linear feet (8 archival boxes, 1 half-size archival box, 7 8x10 photo boxes, 2 11x15 oversized boxes)
Call number:
MC027
Location:
Princeton University Library. Department of Rare Books and Special Collections.
Seeley G. Mudd Manuscript Library.
Public Policy Papers.
Princeton, New Jersey 08540 USA
Language(s) of material:
English. Other languages in the collection include French, German, Portuguese, and Spanish.
Storage note:
This collection is stored onsite at the Mudd Manuscript Library.

Biography of William Cattell Trimble

William Cattell Trimble was born May 2, 1907 in Baltimore, Maryland. A member of the Princeton University Class of 1930, he graduated cum laude with an A.B. in history. In 1931, he joined the Foreign Service and was posted to Seville, Spain. While steadily rising in the ranks of the Foreign Service he worked in legations and embassies in Argentina, Estonia, and Mexico, among other locations.

After World War II, Trimble was a member of the first class at the National War College. Upon completion of his studies, he went to Reykjavik, Iceland as Chargé d'Affaires and Second Secretary and then as First Secretary in 1948. Two years later he became Counselor of the embassy at London. The State Department transferred him in late 1951 to The Hague where he remained until spring 1954 as Counselor and Deputy Chief of Mission.

In March 1954, Trimble moved to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil as second in command of the embassy. That same year he attained the personal rank of minister, the second highest rank in the Foreign Service. While in Brazil, Trimble witnessed the end of the Vargas era that culminated with Getulio Vargas's suicide and elections for a new president in 1955. At the end of January 1956, the embassy played host to Vice President Richard Nixon during his visit to Brazil as the United States representative at the inauguration of Juscelino Kubitschek as President of Brazil.

In September 1956, Trimble returned to Europe to serve as Deputy Chief of Mission at Bonn, Germany. He served under Ambassador James Conant and then welcomed David Bruce as ambassador in 1957. Trimble served in Germany during the dissolution of the U.S. High Commission after it was abolished by the Allied High Commission. Its functions were transferred to the U.S. embassy in Bonn, and Trimble played an integral role in this process.

The culmination of Trimble's long diplomatic career came in February 1959 when he became the United States Ambassador to Cambodia. Trimble arrived in Cambodia in the midst of a political crisis over Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) involvement with Dap Chhuon, a political adversary of Prince Sihanouk, who headed a brief rebellion. This crisis was shortly followed on August 31 by the death of a palace staff member who opened a suitcase containing the card of an American engineer. The general consensus among Cambodians was that the United States was responsible for an attempt on Prince Sihanouk's life. Trimble's position was very difficult due to Sihanouk's distrust of the United States. In September 1960, Sihanouk effectively ended American hopes of gaining Cambodia as an ally against Communism by expressing Cambodian neutrality during a United Nations speech.

Upon his return to the United States in September 1962, Trimble became Director of the Office of West Coast and Malian Affairs. The Office oversaw U.S. relations with seven countries: Guinea, Nigeria, Liberia, Togo, Mali, Sierra Leone, and Ghana. Trimble visited four of these countries - Nigeria, Togo, Ghana and Liberia - to gain first-hand experience for his new post. To deal with increasingly important African affairs, the Africa Desk was reorganized as the Office of West African Affairs with seven additional countries placed under its supervision: Mauritania, Senegal, Gambia, Dahomey (now Bénin), Côte d'Ivoire, Niger, and Upper Volta (now Burkina Faso). Five more countries, Chad, the Central African Republic, Gabon, Cameroon, and Madagascar, were added in September 1964.

In May 1965, Trimble was promoted to Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs under Assistant Secretary of State G. Mennen Williams. Trimble was responsible for the Department's African Bureau.

Trimble retired from the State Department in February 1968, and lived in Maryland until his death on June 24, 1996.

Summary of William Cattell Trimble's Foreign Service Career
  1. June 13, 1931: Appointed Clerk, Seville, Spain
  2. Sept. 4, 1931: Vice-Consul at Seville, Spain
  3. Dec. 17, 1931: Foreign Service Officer (FSO) Unclassified, Vice-Consul Career, and Secretary in Diplomatic Service
  4. Aug. 1, 1932: Foreign Service School
  5. Dec. 22, 1932: Vice-Consul at Buenos Aires, Argentina
  6. Apr. 8, 1936: 3rd Secretary at Buenos Aires, Temp.
  7. June 10, 1936: Vice-Consul and 3rd Secretary at Tallinn, Estonia
  8. June 17, 1938: IS Dept., For Special Study in Economics (Princeton University)
  9. April 1, 1939: FSO 8
  10. June 27, 1939: 3rd Secretary and Vice-Consul-Economic at Paris
  11. Sept. 9, 1940: Vice-Consul at Vichy, Temp.
  12. July 22, 1941: 3rd Secretary at Mexico City, Mexico
  13. Aug. 16, 1941: FSO 7
  14. Nov. 1, 1941: Vice-Consul and 3rd Secretary at Mexico City
  15. Dec. 1941: Vice-Consul and 2nd Secretary at Mexico City
  16. Aug. 24, 1942: Department of State-FSO Desk officer
  17. Jan. 25, 1943: Assistant Chief, American Hemisphere Exports Office
  18. Feb. 1-Nov. 6, 1943: Assistant Chief, Division of Exports & Requirements Division
  19. Nov. 7, 1943: FSO - Desk Officer, Division of Northern European Affairs
  20. Nov. 16, 1943: FSO 6
  21. Nov. 16, 1944: Assistant Chief of Division of Northern European Affairs
  22. May 16, 1945: FSO 4
  23. May-June 1945: Technical Advisor, U.S.-Sweden Safehaven Negotiations
  24. Sept. 1-Dec. 15, 1946: Detailed to National War College
  25. Nov. 13, 1946: FSO 3
  26. Dec. 30, 1946: 2nd Secretary at Reykjavik, Iceland
  27. Jan. 23, 1947: 1st Secretary, Consul, and Chargé d'Affaires at Reykjavik
  28. Apr. 14, 1948: FSO 2
  29. June 11, 1948: 1st Secretary and Counsel at London
  30. June 20, 1951: FSO 1
  31. Sept. 10, 1951: Counselor at London
  32. 1951: Counselor at The Hague
  33. Mar. 10, 1954: Counselor at Rio De Janeiro
  34. Sept. 25, 1954: Granted Personal Rank of Minister
  35. Sept. 9, 1956: Chief of Mission and Counsel, Bonn, Germany
  36. April 22, 1958: Granted Personal Rank of Career Minister
  37. Feb. 1959: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary, Cambodia
  38. July 1962: State Department
  39. Sept. 1962: Africa Desk, Director, Office of West Coast and Malian Affairs
  40. July 1965: Deputy Assistant Secretary for African Affairs
  41. Jan. 31, 1968: Retired from State Department

Description

The William C. Trimble Papers reflect Trimble's career in the Foreign Service, with more documentation from his years in Brazil, Cambodia, Germany, and from his work covering Africa. Most of the material is routine in nature, but letters detailing his views and the challenges he faced in his various postings can also be found.

Arrangement

Organized into the following series:

Access and Use

Access

Collection is open for research use.

Restrictions on Use and Copyright Information

Single photocopies may be made for research purposes. Permission to publish materials from the collection must be requested from the Curator of the Public Policy Papers. Researchers are responsible for determining any copyright questions.

Acquisition and Appraisal

Provenance and Acquisition

The Trimble Papers were donated to Princeton University by his wife, Nancy Trimble in 1997.

Processing and Other Information

Processing Information

This collection was processed by Catherine Stearns with assistance from Patrick Shorb, 1997-1998. Updated and revised by Rachel Ban with assistance from Kathryn Grzenczyk, 2001. Finding aid written by Catherine Stearns in 1997-1998.

Descriptive Rules Used

Finding aid content adheres to that prescribed by Describing Archives: A Content Standard.

Encoding

Machine-readable finding aid encoded in EAD 2002 by Techbooks and Cristela García-Spitz on October 13, 2006.

Finding aid written in English.

Preferred Citation

Identification of specific item; Date (if known); William C. Trimble Papers, Box and Folder Number; Public Policy Papers, Department of Rare Books and Special Collections, Princeton University Library.

Subject Headings

These materials have been indexed in the Princeton University Library online catalog using the following terms. Those seeking related materials should search under these terms.

Browse other finding aids related to the following terms:

Contents List

  1. Series 1, Correspondence, 1942-1968

    Series Description

    Series 1, Correspondence, 1942-1968, is arranged chronologically, and consists primarily of carbon copies of letters Trimble sent, though there are some letters that he received. As he rose in rank, the volume of correspondence increases. Each posting created a different range of correspondents and concerns. In general, Trimble's correspondence is routine in nature. Primarily in English, some correspondence is in the local language of the country in which he served, specifically Spanish, Portuguese, German and French.

    The earliest period of correspondence, 1942-1954, is rather sparse. Nothing is included in these papers from Trimble's earliest postings nor from his service during World War II. The only exception is three items in Spanish dating from 1942-1943 while he was posted to Mexico. While posted to Iceland, most of the correspondence is personal in nature, much of it congratulations on promotion. Little has been preserved of his service in London. While at The Hague, most of the correspondence refers to matters such as reductions in embassy staff and Dutch aid. Correspondents include Tyler Thompson, Executive Director of the Bureau of European Affairs, and Livingston T. Merchant, Assistant Secretary of State.

    Trimble's correspondence increases with his appointment as Counselor at Rio de Janeiro in 1954. Correspondence between Trimble and the consulates around Brazil detail the information exchange process. Trimble and Sterling Cottrell (Officer in Charge, Brazilian Affairs, Bureau of Inter-American Affairs) regularly corresponded on the political, military, and social aspects of Brazil. This correspondence continued with Edward Rowell, Cottrell's successor. Several memorandas to the Ambassador relating to a variety of topics, such as the Southeast Asia Treaty Organization (SEATO), United States Information Service (USIS) operations, and conversations held with members of the Brazilian government are found. A charged political atmosphere is strongly evident in his correspondence to Washington and elsewhere. Surprisingly, there is little correspondence in reference to Vice President Nixon's attending the inauguration of President Kubitschek, but there is correspondence suggesting the invitation of president-elect Kubitschek to the United States.

    In September 1956, Trimble transferred to Bonn, Germany serving under Ambassador James Conant and later Ambassador David Bruce. Correspondence between Trimble and both men is found in the collection. As the second in command, much of the correspondence is routine, detailing problems with staff, budget cuts, and visits by Congressmen and other high ranking governmental officials. Also found is regular correspondence with Jacques Reinstein, Director of the Office of German Affairs in the Department of State, primarily reporting on day-to-day matters, politics, and war criminals. There are again memoranda to the Ambassador on subjects such as incidents involving U.S. forces and German nationals and records of conversations with other members of the diplomatic community, but little correspondence regarding U.S.-Soviet relations in this period.

    When Trimble became head of the embassy in Cambodia in 1959, he corresponded with other members of the diplomatic corps and the Cambodian government. Trimble kept a regular correspondence with J. Graham Parsons, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State in Washington, on the state of Cambodia and the needs of the embassy. Another regular correspondent was the American Ambassador to Vietnam, initially Elbridge Durbrow and later Frederick Nolting, Jr. A series of cables to and from Washington and other posts dating from August 1960 to June 1962 are preserved. These cables are often more detailed than the correspondence of the same period. There is little direct correspondence on the Sam Sary “letter” published in 1960 alleging a conspiracy between the United States and an opponent of Prince Sihanouk. There is a large volume of correspondence from late 1960 to early 1961 on the political upheavals in Laos and Prince Sihanouk's concern on the subject. In late 1960 a large section of the Khmer-American Friendship Highway buckled, an issue Trimble raised frequently with Washington, including a detailed overview sent to newly appointed Assistant Secretary for Far Eastern Affairs, Averell Harriman.

    From September 1962 to February 1968 Trimble oversaw aspects of the African Desk at the State Department. He was first appointed Director of the Office of West Coast and Malian Affairs overseeing seven countries and eventually responsible for nineteen African nations. Trimble visited Nigeria, Togo, Ghana, and Liberia in December 1962 and Kenya and Tanganyika (now Tazmania) in January 1964 to gain an understanding of these countries. Much of the correspondence is between him and the ambassadors under his supervision. Some of the issues discussed in his correspondence in this period are how to maintain good relations with Ghana, the coup in Togo in January 1963, problems faced by Peace Corps volunteers, and reactions within these countries to major political events, such as the Cuban Missile crisis. In May 1965 Trimble was promoted to Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs and placed in charge of the African Bureau. In this role, he became the person responsible for forwarding Dean Rusk's letter notifying the Congolese government that the United States was closing its embassy. Unfortunately, there is little correspondence relating to this important event. Between 1966 and Trimble's retirement in 1968, most of the correspondence is personal in nature with little reference to his work as Deputy Assistant Secretary.

    Sereis Arrangement

    [arranged chronologically]

  2. Spain, 1931, circa 1937

    Box 1, Folder 1
  3. Mexico, 1942-1943

    Box 1, Folder 2
  4. Reykjavik, Iceland, 1947-1948

    Box 1, Folder 3
  5. London, United Kingdom, 1949-1950

    Box 1, Folder 4
  6. The Hague, The Netherlands, 1951-1954

    Box 1, Folder 5
  7. Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, 1954-1956

    Box 1, Folder 6-9
  8. Bonn, Germany - Personal, 1957

    Box 1, Folder 11
  9. Bonn, Germany, 1957-1958

    Box 2, Folder 1-5
  10. Congratulations on Career Minister Appointment, 1958

    Box 3, Folder 1
  11. Bonn, Germany, 1958 Dec-1959 Feb

    Box 3, Folder 2
  12. Appointment as Ambassador to Cambodia, 1959 Feb

    Box 3, Folder 3
  13. Phnom Penh, Cambodia, 1959 Feb-1960 Sept

    Box 3, Folder 4-7
  14. Phnom Penh, Cambodia, 1960 Oct-Dec

    Box 4, Folder 1
  15. Phnom Penh, Cambodia, 1961 Jan-1962 Jan

    Box 4, Folder 2-4
  16. Phnom Penh, Cambodia - Cables, 1960 Aug-Dec

    Box 4, Folder 5
  17. Phnom Penh, Cambodia - Cables, 1961

    Box 4, Folder 6
  18. Southeast Asian Affairs (S.E.A.), 1961

    Box 4, Folder 7
  19. Phnom Penh, Cambodia, 1962 Feb-Jul

    Box 5, Folder 1-2
  20. Phnom Penh, Cambodia - Cables, 1962

    Box 5, Folder 3
  21. Phnom Penh, Cambodia - Personal, 1962

    Box 5, Folder 4
  22. Africa Desk, 1962 Sep-1965 Jun

    Box 5, Folder 5-9
  23. Africa Desk, 1965 Jul-Dec

    Box 6, Folder 1
  24. Appointment to Deputy Assistant Secretary, African Affairs, 1964-1965

    Box 6, Folder 2
  25. Personal, 1966-1968

    Box 6, Folder 3
  26. Series 2, Speeches and Writings, 1937-1968

    Series Description

    Series 2, Speeches and Writings, 1937-1968, is arranged chronologically and consists primarily of speeches delivered by Trimble as part of his duties. Many of them are written in the local language, i.e. German for his time in Germany and French for his time in Cambodia. A majority of the speeches are routine in nature with such subjects as the celebration of American holidays abroad, dedication ceremonies, and speeches delivered to organizations, such as the National War College.

    Series Arrangement

    [arranged chronologically]

  27. “Status of the Estonian Market for American Goods”, 1937 Apr 30

    Box 5, Folder 4
  28. Article on Iceland (The Department of State Bulletin), 1944 Jun 17

    Box 5, Folder 5
  29. Dissertation on American Communist Party, undated (post-1945)

    Box 5, Folder 6
  30. London - Given to American Students Visiting England, 1951 May 22

    Box 5, Folder 7
  31. On Departure of Ambassador and Mrs. Dunn, 1956 Jul 4

    Box 5, Folder 8
  32. Brazil - American Independence Day, Fourth of July, 1956 Jul 4

    Box 5, Folder 9
  33. Germany, 1957-1958

    Box 5, Folder 10
  34. Inauguration of Khmer-American Friendship Highway, 1959 Jul 22

    Box 6, Folder 11
  35. Cambodia, 1959-1961

    Box 6, Folder 12-13
  36. Cambodia, circa 1959-1962

    Box 7, Folder 1-2
  37. Cambodia - Holiday Commemoration, 1959-1962

    Box 7, Folder 3
  38. Africa Desk, 1963-1968

    Box 7, Folder 4
  39. Retirement, 1968 Jan

    Box 7, Folder 5
  40. Series 3, General Subject Files, 1940-1968

    Series Description

    Series 3, General Subject Files, 1940-1968, is arranged alphabetically primarily by Trimble's service location and then by subject. The subjects covered by these files include statistical data on Africa in the mid-1960s, a personal diary from 1958 while in Germany, material relating to Vice President Nixon's visit to Brazil in 1956, notes on his time in Cambodia, and a copy of a lecture given at the National War College by George Kennan (“Structure of Internal Power in U.S.S.R.”). Box 18 of the collection contains oversized items related to this series.

    Sereis Arrangement

    [arranged alphabetically]

  41. Africa Desk: Charter of the Organization of African Unity, 1963

    Box 7, Folder 6
  42. Africa Desk: Conference of the U.S. Ambassadors at Pennsylvania State University, 1963 Nov

    Box 7, Folder 7
  43. Africa Desk: Miscellaneous, undated

    Box 7, Folder 8
  44. Africa Desk: Personnel Listing, 1967 Dec

    Box 7, Folder 9
  45. Africa Desk: Statistics, 1965-1968

    Box 7, Folder 10
  46. Africa Desk: Trip to Africa, 1962 Dec

    Box 7, Folder 11
  47. Brazil: Coffee Prices Interview by Ambassador Kemper, 1954 Oct

    Box 7, Folder 12
  48. Brazil: Description of Vargas' Suicide by Trimble, 1954 Aug 24-25

    Box 7, Folder 13
  49. Brazil: Diplomatic Directories, 1956

    Box 7, Folder 14
  50. Brazil: Miscellaneous, 1954-1956

    Box 7, Folder 15
  51. Brazil: Nixon's Trip for Inauguration of Kubitschek, Clippings, 1956 Jan

    Box 7, Folder 16
  52. Brazil: Nixon's Trip for Inauguration of Kubitschek, Handbook, 1956 Jan

    Box 7, Folder 17
  53. Brazil: Nixon's Trip for Inauguration of Kubitschek, Programs, 1956 Jan-Feb

    Box 7, Folder 18
  54. Cambodia: Background Material, 1959

    Box 8, Folder 1
  55. Cambodia: Diary, 1959-1960

    Box 8, Folder 2
  56. Cambodia: Miscellaneous, 1959-1962

    Box 8, Folder 3
  57. Cambodia: Presentation of Credentials, 1959 Apr

    Box 8, Folder 4
  58. Cambodia: Prince Sihanouk speeches, undated

    Box 8, Folder 5
  59. Cambodia: Trimble's Notes, 1959-1962

    Box 8, Folder 6
  60. Foreign Service Forms, 1955-1963

    Box 8, Folder 7
  61. France: Economy, 1940-1941

    Box 8, Folder 8
  62. Germany: Diary, 1958

    Box 8, Folder 9
  63. Germany: Diplomatic Directories, 1958

    Box 8, Folder 10
  64. Germany: Guest Lists, 1956-1958

    Box 8, Folder 11
  65. Germany: Miscellaneous, 1956-1959

    Box 8, Folder 12
  66. Germany: Trip, 1949 Apr

    Box 8, Folder 13
  67. Germany: U.S. Policy Toward, circa 1957

    Box 8, Folder 14
  68. National War College: Course Notes, undated

    Box 8, Folder 15
  69. National War College: Lecture by George F. Kennan and Notes on Lecture, 1946 Oct 10

    Box 8, Folder 16
  70. National War College: Reunion, 1976

    Box 8, Folder 17
  71. Trimble, Mrs. Nancy: Correspondence, Speeches, Guest Lists, 1956-1962

    Box 8, Folder 18
  72. Series 4, Newspaper Clippings, 1955-1967

    Series Description

    Series 4, Newspaper Clippings, 1955-1967, is arranged chronologically and consists of American and local newspaper clippings primarily relating to activities of Trimble. The bulk of the clippings date to Trimble's service in Cambodia, including a series from four Cambodian newspapers between October and December, 1961.

    Series Arrangement

    [arranged chronologically]

  73. Brazil: Salk Vaccine Formula, 1955 May

    Box 8, Folder 19
  74. Brazil: Trimble, 1955-1956

    Box 8, Folder 20
  75. Germany: Trimble, 1956-1958

    Box 8, Folder 21
  76. Cambodia, 1959-1962

    Box 8, Folder 22
  77. Cambodia: Trimble, 1959-1962

    Box 8, Folder 23
  78. Cambodia: Sam Sary, 1960

    Box 8, Folder 24
  79. Cambodia: Miscellaneous, 1960

    Box 8, Folder 25
  80. Cambodia: from La Depeche du Cambodge (French), 1961 Oct-Nov

    Box 8, Folder 26
  81. Cambodia: from La Vérite (French), 1961 Oct-Nov

    Box 9, Folder 1
  82. Cambodia: from Meatophum (Cambodian), 1961 Oct-Nov

    Box 9, Folder 2
  83. Cambodia: from Réalités Cambodgiennes (French), 1961 Oct-Nov

    Box 9, Folder 3
  84. Africa Desk: Trimble, 1964-1967

    Box 9, Folder 4
  85. Series 5, Ephemera, 1950-1968

    Series Description

    Series 5, Ephemera, 1950-1968, is arranged chronologically. The material includes invitations, programs, identity cards, passes to conferences, and awards.

    Series Arrangement

    [arranged chronologically]

  86. Intergovernmental Study Group on Germany, 1950 Jul, 1951 Jan

    Box 9, Folder 5
  87. Brazil, 1954-1956

    Box 9, Folder 6
  88. Germany, 1956-1959

    Box 9, Folder 7
  89. Cambodia, 1959-1962

    Box 9, Folder 8
  90. Africa Desk, 1962-1968

    Box 9, Folder 9
  91. Series 6, Photographs, 1946-1968

    Series Description

    Series 6, Photographs, 1946-1968, is arranged chronologically and consists primarily of black and white photographs which depict Trimble in the course of his duties at activities such as presenting his credentials in Cambodia, dedicating a building in Germany, and accepting Salk's vaccine in Brazil. Some of the photographs have been at least partially identified by Mrs. Trimble.

    Series Arrangement

    [arranged chronologically]

  92. Photographs, 1946-1968

    Box 10-17
  93. Series 7, Oversize Items
  94. National War College: Class Photo, 1946

    Box 18, Folder 1
  95. Brazil: Rio Magazine, 1954

    Box 18, Folder 2
  96. Germany: Festschrift der Stadt Stuttgart, 1958

    Box 18, Folder 3

Permanent URL: http://arks.princeton.edu/ark:/88435/1j92g7452

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