William E. Colby Papers, 1935-1996 (bulk 1975-1995): Finding Aid

Permanent URL: http://arks.princeton.edu/ark:/88435/ff365525h

William E. Colby Papers, 1935-1996 (bulk 1975-1995): Finding Aid

MC113

William E. Colby, circa 1990s

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 2002

Summary Information

Creator:: Colby, William Egan, 1920-
Title and dates:: William E. Colby Papers, 1935-1996 (bulk 1975-1995)
Abstract:: William E. Colby, Princeton University Class of 1940, was a career agent in the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and Director of Central Intelligence from 1973-1976. However, the bulk of the collection documents his post-CIA career and contains correspondence, speeches, writings, newspaper clippings, and subject files that reflect Colby's professional and private interests.
Size:: 8.31 linear feet (15 archival boxes, 3 8x10 boxes)
Call number:: MC113
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.
Storage note:: This collection is stored onsite at the Mudd Manuscript Library.

Biography of William Egan Colby

Born on January 4, 1920 in St. Paul, Minnesota, William Egan Colby was the son of an Army officer, and he grew up on various U.S. Army posts as well as spending a three-year stint in Asia (Tientsin, China and Japan). In 1936 he entered Princeton University with the Class of 1940; while a student there, his extracurricular activities included the Triangle Club, Theatre Intime, and Whig-Clio. After graduating cum laude from Princeton with an A.B. in Political Science (International Affairs), Colby entered Columbia University to pursue a law degree. However, military service soon beckoned, and in August 1941 he enlisted in the Army.

Colby's service in World War II primed him for his future work in the Foreign Service and CIA. He was awarded the Bronze Star for his service on behalf of the Office of Strategic Services (OSS) as an organizer and director of resistance forces in France from August 14, 1944 to September 26, 1944. Other awards garnered from the war include the Silver Star, St. Olaf's Medal (Norway), and the Croix de Guerre (France).

Colby married Barbara Heinzen on September 15, 1945; the couple had five children over the next fifteen years: Jonathan, Catherine, Paul, Carl, and Christine. In November 1945, Colby was discharged from the Army with the rank of major. He then returned to Columbia to complete his law degree, graduating in 1947. He was a member of the Columbia Law Review's Editorial Board.

Colby's first job out of law school was as an associate attorney for the New York City firm of Donovan, Leisure, Newton, & Irvine, headed by William J. Donovan, the OSS director during World War II. After about two years, Colby desired experience in government litigation, and accepted an associate position with the National Labor Relations Board in Washington, D.C.

In early 1951 Colby ostensibly joined the Department of State's Foreign Service, and his first tour was as a political officer in Stockholm, Sweden where he was responsible for following and reporting on Swedish political affairs. In October 1953 he was transferred to Rome, Italy with a similar job description. This tour ended in 1958, when he came back to the United States for a few months as a desk officer in Washington, D.C. In January 1959 he was assigned to Saigon, Vietnam where he was a Special Assistant to the U.S. Ambassador. Four years later, in early 1963, he was named the CIA's Far East Division Chief and stationed in Washington, D.C.

Colby went back to Vietnam in March 1968 to work for the Agency for International Development as the Assistant Chief of Staff for Civil Operations and Rural Development Support (CORDS). He was then promoted to the rank of ambassador and served as the Deputy to Commanders United States Military Assistance Command, Vietnam (COMUSMACV). In this position he was the principal U.S. advisor to the Government of Vietnam on pacification and local development matters.

In June 1971 Colby was reassigned to the Department of State in Washington, D.C. Six months later, however, he was appointed Executive Director-Comptroller of the CIA and then, in March 1973, was promoted to Deputy Director for Operations. He did not remain long in the latter position, for in early May of that year, President Nixon announced Colby's nomination as the Director of Central Intelligence (DCI).

After an intense summer of confirmation hearings, Colby became the tenth Director of the CIA in September 1973. However, his tenure came at a time of great controversy for the Agency, and he spent much of 1975 enmeshed in congressional hearings. Towards the end of that year, President Ford asked for Colby's resignation, which became official in January 1976.

In 1977 Colby went back to practicing law, as an attorney and partner with the Washington, D.C. firm of Colby, Miller, and Hanes. While working there, he devoted his spare time to writing his memoirs, Honorable Men, published in 1978. In 1979 Colby joined the law firm of Reid & Priest, where he stayed through 1984. During these years he branched out into international consulting, taking on the additional position of Senior Advisor at International Business-Government Counselors Inc. in 1981. It was at this corporation that he met his future second wife, Sally Shelton, a former ambassador to countries in Latin America. They married in November 1984.

Colby used his prior experience to help start a new international consulting firm called Colby, Bailey, Werner, and Associates. However, this partnership did not last long. Robert Werner was the first to leave, and Colby followed in mid-1987 to accept a position as counsel in the firm he started out in, Donovan, Leisure, Newton, & Irvine. He continued to be heavily involved in international business, especially in Japan, Korea, Taiwan, and Thailand.

Colby remained active in the professional world up until his death. On April 27, 1996 he disappeared while canoeing on the Wicomico River near his home in Maryland, and his body was found several days later. His death was ruled an accident, and authorities presumed he had suffered a stroke or heart attack before falling into the water.

A timeline of Colby's career can be found at the end of this finding aid.

Timeline of William Colby's Career

August 10, 1941 - November 30, 1945: Active military service, U.S. Army, discharged as a major
February 1947 - October 1949: Associate Attorney for Donovan, Leisure, Newton & Irvine in New York City
October 1949 - November 1950: Associate Attorney for the National Labor Relations Board in Washington, D.C.
March 1951 - September 1953: Political officer in Stockholm, Sweden for the Department of State, responsible for following and reporting on Swedish political affairs
October 1953 - September 1958: Political officer in Rome, Italy, followed and reported on Italian political affairs
October 1958 - January 1959: Political officer in Washington D.C.
January 1959 - February 2, 1963: Political officer and 1st Secretary in Saigon, Vietnam, as Special Assistant to the Ambassador
February 3, 1963 - February 28, 1968: Far East Division Chief of CIA in Washington D.C., executive manager and administrator
March 1, 1968 - February 8, 1969: Assistant Chief of Staff for Civil Operations and Rural Development Support (CORDS) for Agency for International Development in Saigon, Vietnam
November 1968 - June 1971: Deputy to Commanders United States Military Assistance Command, Vietnam (COMUSMACV) for CORDS (rank of ambassador) in Saigon, Vietnam
June 30, 1971: Reassigned to Department of State
January 10, 1972: Appointed Executive Director-Comptroller of the CIA
March 3, 1973: Appointed Deputy Director for Operations of the CIA
September 1973: Director of Central Intelligence
1977 - 1979: Attorney and Partner, Colby, Miller, and Hanes in Washington, D.C.
1979 - 1984: Attorney and Partner, Reid & Priest in Washington, D.C.
1981: Senior Advisor for International Business-Government Counselors Inc. in Washington D.C.
1985 - 1987: International Consultant and Partner, Colby, Bailey, Werner and Associates in Washington, D.C.
August 1, 1987 - 1996: Counsel at Donovan, Leisure, Newton & Irvine in Washington, D.C.

Description

The William E. Colby Papers reflect primarily Colby's post-CIA career as a consultant in international relations. However, there is a small amount of materials from his tenure at the CIA, including the texts of his testimony before Congress. Also of interest is material relating to the forty-year reunion of OSS officers who had served in France and Norway (including a thesis manuscript on the group's activities during the war). No classified materials are found within this collection, and materials in Colby's possession relating to Vietnam were donated to the Vietnam Collection at Texas Tech University in Lubbock, Texas.

Arrangement

Organized into the following series:

Series 1, Correspondence, 1943-1996
Series 2, Congressional Testimony and Speeches, 1970-1996
Series 3, Writings, 1935-1995
Series 4, Subject Files, 1944-1996
Series 5, Photographs and Oversize Materials, circa 1940s-circa 1990s

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 William E. Colby Papers were donated to Princeton University by Colby's wife, Sally Shelton-Colby, in 1997 (ML#1997-5).

Processing and Other Information

Processing Information

This collection was processed by Anastasia Karel in Summer 2002. Finding aid written by Anastasia Karel in Summer 2002.

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 E. Colby 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

Series 1, Correspondence, 1943-1996

Series Description

Series 1, Correspondence, 1943-1996, arranged alphabetically, contains a great deal of thank-you notes and other routine letters that he mailed out to each of his international contacts when appropriate. Very little correspondence exists from Colby's early career, although there are a few personal letters that can be found in the Colby family folder. This folder includes V-Mail that Colby's father, Colonel Elbridge Colby, sent to his wife while he was stationed in Europe during World War II. The majority of the correspondence is post-1976. As a public figure, politicians and other important figures often contacted Colby. Letters from noteworthy individuals include: Stephen Ambrose, Les Aspin, William Bundy, George H.W. Bush, Jimmy Carter, William Casey, William Donovan, Gerald Ford, Robert Gates, John Glenn, Lyndon Johnson, Ted Kennedy, Henry Kissinger, George McGovern, Dan Rather, Carl Sagan, and Stansfield Turner.

Series Arrangement

[arranged alphabetically]

Ab-Ash, 1977-1995
Box 1, Folder 1
Asp-Av, 1986-1992
Box 1, Folder 2
Ba-Bl, 1982-1995
Box 1, Folder 3
Bo-Bu, 1976-1996
Box 1, Folder 4
Bird, Robert and Bird, Willis, 1987-1988
Box 1, Folder 5
Ca-Cha, 1978-1994
Box 1, Folder 6
Che-Coh, 1976-1992
Box 1, Folder 7
Coh-Cos, 1972-1994
Box 1, Folder 8
Cou-Cu, 1978-1995
Box 2, Folder 1
CIA publication board letters, 1977-1993
Box 2, Folder 2
Colby family, 1943-1992
Box 2, Folder 3
D-De, 1980-1996
Box 2, Folder 4
De-Dy, 1950-1995
Box 2, Folder 5
E, 1981-1996
Box 2, Folder 6
Fa-Fre, 1973-1996
Box 2, Folder 7
Fri-Fu, 1981-1993
Box 2, Folder 8
Ga-Go, 1981-1996
Box 2, Folder 9
Go-Gw, 1976-1995
Box 2, Folder 10
Ha-Har, 1978-1995
Box 3, Folder 1
Har-Hil, 1973-1995
Box 3, Folder 2
Hil-Hon, 1978-1992
Box 3, Folder 3
Hon-Hy, 1978-1993
Box 3, Folder 4
Heimark, Bruce (includes thesis on OSS), 1989-1995
Box 3, Folder 5-8
I, 1978-1992
Box 4, Folder 1
J, 1968-1995
Box 4, Folder 2
Ka-Ken, 1978-1994
Box 4, Folder 3
Ken-Kim, 1973-1991
Box 4, Folder 4
Kin-Kor, 1976-1995
Box 4, Folder 5
Kor-Ky, 1977-1991
Box 4, Folder 6
La-Lev, 1976-1993
Box 4, Folder 7
Lev-Lip, 1976-1993
Box 4, Folder 8
Lo-Ly, 1985-1995
Box 5, Folder 1
M-McE, 1977-1995
Box 5, Folder 2
McF-Mi, 1976-1995
Box 5, Folder 3
Min-My, 1975-1994
Box 5, Folder 4
N, 1978-1996
Box 5, Folder 5
O, 1978-1995
Box 5, Folder 6
Pa-Pen, 1976-1995
Box 5, Folder 7
Pen-Pro, 1973-1995
Box 5, Folder 8
Pu-Q, 1984-1995
Box 6, Folder 1
Ra-Ro, 1972-1995
Box 6, Folder 2
Ros-Ry, 1976-1990
Box 6, Folder 3
Sa-Ser, 1976-1996
Box 6, Folder 4
Sew-Smi, 1977-1996
Box 6, Folder 5
Smi-Ste, 1978-1996
Box 6, Folder 6
Ste-Swe, 1978-1994
Box 6, Folder 7
Stone, Jeremy, 1989-1992
Box 6, Folder 8
Ta-Thu, 1972-1995
Box 6, Folder 9
Thun, Eric, 1989
Box 7, Folder 1
Thur-Tsu, 1981-1992
Box 7, Folder 2
U-V, 1978-1995
Box 7, Folder 3
Wa-Wat, 1976-1994
Box 7, Folder 4
Wea-Wil, 1977-1996
Box 7, Folder 5
Win-Wy, 1979-1995
Box 7, Folder 6
Y-Z, 1969-1994
Box 7, Folder 7
Miscellaneous, 1976-1995
Box 7, Folder 8
Miscellaneous–hate mail, 1978-1986
Box 7, Folder 9
Miscellaneous–letters in support of Colby as DCI, 1975 Jan-Aug
Box 7, Folder 10
Miscellaneous–Record of Correspondence notebooks, 1978-1983
Box 7, Folder 11

Series 2, Congressional Testimony and Speeches, 1970-1996

Series Description

Series 2, Congressional Testimony and Speeches, 1970-1996, is divided into Congressional testimony, and speeches, both arranged chronologically. The speeches are a combination of texts of speeches given by Colby and programs or newspaper clippings that give information about these speeches and other public appearances.

Series Arrangement

[arranged chronologically]

Congressional testimony, 1970-1992 May
Box 8, Folder 1-3
Speeches, 1974-1979
Box 8, Folder 4-7
Speeches, 1979-1996
Box 9, Folder 1-2

Series 3, Writings, 1935-1995

Series Description

Series 3, Writings, 1935-1995, is arranged into three groups: articles written by Colby, articles about Colby, and interviews with Colby, each arranged chronologically. The second group includes a folder with articles written in French, Italian, Japanese, and Norwegian, among other languages. In the collection of articles written by Colby, the published form of the article is often accompanied by one or more rough drafts.

Series Arrangement

[arranged chronologically]

Articles by Colby, 1976-circa 1990s
Box 9, Folder 3-7
Articles by Colby–“Food Stamps for International Neighbors” (includes statistics and notes), 1975-1978
Box 10, Folder 1
Articles by Colby–“Intelligence in the 1980s” (multiple revisions and correspondence), 1980-1981
Box 10, Folder 2
Articles about Colby, 1935, 1968-1995
Box 10, Folder 3-4
Articles about Colby–in foreign periodicals, 1945, 1977-1995
Box 10, Folder 5
Articles about Colby–World War II, 1945-1947
Box 10, Folder 6
Interviews with Colby, 1974-1994
Box 10, Folder 7

Series 4, Subject Files, 1944-1996

Series Description

Series 4, Subject Files, 1944-1996, contains an alphabetical run of folders organized by specific subject. Professional organizations to which Colby belonged, such as the Committee for National Security (CNS), and information collected by Colby on subjects like the Office for Strategic Services (OSS) are well documented in this series. There is a significant amount of material from Identix, a corporation that included Colby on its board of directors. Also included throughout the series is a sampling of hand-written notes that Colby took at conferences or meetings.

Series Arrangement

[arranged alphabetically]

Air America, 1987-1992
Box 11, Folder 1
American Committee on U.S.–Soviet Relations, 1988-1990
Box 11, Folder 2
BASIC (British American Security Information Council), 1989-1992
Box 11, Folder 3
Bulgaria, 1991-1992
Box 11, Folder 4
Cambodia, 1990-1991
Box 11, Folder 5
Cambodia Study Group, 1990
Box 11, Folder 6
Campaign for New Priorities; Center for Defense Information, 1991-1992
Box 11, Folder 7
Center for War, Peace, and the News Media; China (1 item), 1989-1991
Box 11, Folder 8
CIA and intelligence, 1975-1976, undated
Box 11, Folder 9
CIA and intelligence, 1977-1995
Box 12, Folder 1
Coalition for Democratic Values, 1991-1992, undated
Box 12, Folder 2-3
Colby–CIA, 1973-1977
Box 12, Folder 4
Colby–family (Carl, Christine, Elbridge, Jonathan, Paul, Sally Shelton), 1968-1991
Box 12, Folder 5
Colby–personal, 1945-1987, circa 1990s
Box 12, Folder 6
Colby–post-CIA work, 1978-1995, undated
Box 12, Folder 7
Colby–miscellaneous, 1972-1992, undated
Box 12, Folder 8
Committee for National Security, 1988-1989
Box 12, Folder 9
Committee for National Security, 1990-1995, undated
Box 13, Folder 1-2
Committee on Common Security, 1989
Box 13, Folder 3
Comprehensive Test Ban Coalition, 1990-1991
Box 13, Folder 4
Financial statements, 1981-1996
Box 13, Folder 5
France; Germany; Hong Kong, 1981-1991
Box 13, Folder 6
Identix, 1986-1996
Box 13, Folder 7-10
India, 1983
Box 13, Folder 11
Iran; Iraq, 1985-1992
Box 14, Folder 1
Italy; Jamaica; Japan, 1985-1993
Box 14, Folder 2
Korea, 1984-1988, undated
Box 14, Folder 3
Laos; LAWS (Lawyers Alliance for World Security), 1984-1994, undated
Box 14, Folder 4
NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization), 1988-1995
Box 14, Folder 5
OSS (Office of Strategic Services) (contents in alphabetical order by military unit), 1944-1945
Box 14, Folder 6-7
OSS, 1945, 1976-1988
Box 14, Folder 8
OSS, 1988-1995, undated
Box 15, Folder 1
Peru; Philippines, 1985-1992, undated
Box 15, Folder 2
Russia, 1991, undated
Box 15, Folder 3
Search for Common Ground; Singapore (1 item), 1989-1990, undated
Box 15, Folder 4
SOPAG (Special Operations Policy Advisory Group), 1980-1993, undated
Box 15, Folder 5-6
SALT (Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty), 1976-1978
Box 15, Folder 7-8
Sweden; Taiwan, 1986-1992
Box 15, Folder 9
Thailand, 1986-1987, undated
Box 15, Folder 10
Turkey, 1986-1987
Box 15, Folder 11
“U.S. Foreign Policy for the 1970s: Shaping a Durable Peace,” by Richard Nixon, 1973
Box 15, Folder 12
Vietnam, 1989-1993, undated
Box 15, Folder 13

Series 5, Photographs and Oversize Materials, circa 1940s-circa 1990s

Series Description

Series 5, Photographs and Oversize Materials, circa 1940s-circa 1990s, is arranged in approximate chronological order, with many of the photographs unlabeled or undated, and includes portraits of Colby as well as casual snapshots taken by others. There are also several black and white photographs of Colby as an officer during World War II.

Series Arrangement

[arranged chronologically]

Photographs, circa 1940s-circa 1970s
Box 16
Photographs, circa 1980s-circa 1990s
Box 17
Photographs, circa 1990s
Box 18
Japanese promotional poster; Russian diagram, circa 1978, undated
Cabinet Cabinet 1, Drawer Drawer 6

Permanent URL: http://arks.princeton.edu/ark:/88435/ff365525h

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