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Karl L. Rankin Papers, 1916-1973: Finding Aid

MC110

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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 1997

Summary Information

Creator:
Rankin, Karl L. (Karl Lott), 1898-1991.
Title and dates:
Karl L. Rankin Papers, 1916-1973
Abstract:
The Karl L. Rankin Papers consist of correspondence, writings, memoranda, diaries, scrapbooks, and photo albums kept by Mr. Rankin which span his lifetime and career as an ambassador.
Size:
12.5 linear feet (13 archival boxes, 5 oversize boxes)
Call number:
MC110
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 Karl Lott Rankin

Karl Lott Rankin was born on September 4, 1898 in Manitowc, Wisconsin to Emmet Woollen and Alberta Rankin. He grew up and lived in Topeka, Kansas before attending the California Institute of Technology from 1917-1919. In the 1920-1921 academic year, Rankin studied at the Federal Polytechnic Institute in Zurich. He received his degree in civil engineering from Princeton University in 1922.

His studies were interrupted by active duty in the U.S. Navy during World War I. Following his Princeton graduation, Rankin became a field engineer in Turkey and supervised construction for Near East Relief in the U.S.S.R. (Caucasus region) between 1922 and 1925. After this, he returned to the United States to run a New Jersey real estate company. This career was short-lived, however, and, in 1927, he enlisted in the Foreign Commerce Service. He served in Prague (1929), Athens (1932), Tirana (1932), Albania, and Brussels (1939). By 1940, he achieved the rank of consul while serving in Belgrade. In 1941, he was interned by the Japanese in Manila while en route to an assignment in Egypt. He held subsequent assignments in Athens (1944-1945, 1947-1949) and Belgrade (1945-1946), Vienna (1946-1947), Canton (1949), Hong Kong (1949), and Taipei (1950-1953). He was an ambassador to China from 1953-1957 and to Yugoslavia from 1958-1961. He officially retired in 1961, and in 1964, he wrote a book, China Assignment which discusses his years in Taiwan.

Rankin's first wife, Pauline Jordan (they were married in 1925) died in 1976. In 1978, Rankin married Ruth Thompson Garcelon. Rankin died on January 15, 1991 at the age of 92.

Description

This collection contains mostly correspondence and memoranda between Rankin and other Government officials. There exist some writings, mostly official reports. A list of correspondents and subjects identified by year follows the container listing.

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

Ambassador Rankin deposited his papers in the Princeton Library in 1973 and then formally donated them in 1977.

Related Materials

Related Publications

Rankin, Karl Lott, China Assignment (Seattle: University of Washington Press, 1964)

Processing and Other Information

Processing Information

This collection was processed by Edward J. Jaramillo (Princeton Class of 1996) in 1993. Finding aid written by Edward J. Jaramillo (Princeton Class of 1996) in 1993.

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 September 20, 2006.

Finding aid written in English.

Preferred Citation

Identification of specific item; Date (if known); Karl L. Rankin 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: Diaries, 1931-1953

    Series Description

    These diaries are just basic reminders about what events occurred on a given day. There exist few details about conversations and meetings. Rankin probably used his diaries to remember important events about a given day. He apparently stopped writing diaries after 1953.

    Series Arrangement

    Arranged chronologically.

  2. 1931-1935

    Box 1, Folder 1
  3. 1936-1946

    Box 1, Folder 2
  4. 1937,1940

    Box 1, Folder 3
  5. 1947-1949

    Box 1, Folder 4
  6. 1951-1953

    Box 1, Folder 5
  7. Series 2: Personal Records, 1917-1958

    Series Description

    This folder contains personal information regarding Rankin's academic and employment records. One can find information such as his employment salary, academic transcripts, transfer records, and certificates of service. Also, one can see Rankin's identification cards, passports, visas, and unusual personal objects (such as meal cards) here.

    Series Arrangement

    Arranged chronologically.

  8. 1916-1958

    Box 1, Folder 6
  9. Series 3: Correspondence, 1916-1988

    Series Description

    This series is a collection of Rankin's correspondence with other government officials, friends, and family. It covers a broad range of topics, from business schedules to official requests and thank you notes. See the index, pp.# 13-25, for a list of names and subjects by date for this series.

    Series Arrangement

    Arranged chronologically.

  10. 1917

    Box 1, Folder 7
  11. 1921

    Box 1, Folder 8
  12. 1922

    Box 1, Folder 9
  13. Near East Relief, 1922

    Box 1, Folder 10
  14. Near East Relief, 1923-1924

    Box 1, Folder 11
  15. 1925

    Box 1, Folder 12
  16. Berlant Development Company, 1925

    Box 1, Folder 13
  17. Near East Relief, 1925

    Box 1, Folder 14
  18. 1926

    Box 1, Folder 15
  19. Near East Relief, 1926

    Box 1, Folder 16
  20. 1927

    Box 1, Folder 17
  21. 1928

    Box 1, Folder 18
  22. 1929

    Box 1, Folder 19
  23. 1930

    Box 1, Folder 20
  24. 1931

    Box 2, Folder 1
  25. 1932

    Box 2, Folder 2
  26. 1933

    Box 2, Folder 3
  27. 1934

    Box 2, Folder 4
  28. 1935

    Box 2, Folder 5
  29. 1936

    Box 2, Folder 6
  30. Bureau of Foreign and Domestic Commerce, 1936

    Box 2, Folder 7
  31. 1937

    Box 2, Folder 8
  32. Albania, 1937

    Box 2, Folder 9
  33. 1938

    Box 2, Folder 10
  34. Foreign Commerce Service Officer Retirement, 1938

    Box 2, Folder 11
  35. 1939

    Box 2, Folder 12
  36. 1940

    Box 2, Folder 13
  37. 1941

    Box 2, Folder 14
  38. Belgrade, 1941

    Box 2, Folder 15
  39. 1942

    Box 2, Folder 16
  40. Philippine Imprisonment, 1942-1943

    Box 2, Folder 17
  41. 1943

    Box 2, Folder 18
  42. 1944

    Box 2, Folder 19
  43. Egypt, 1944

    Box 2, Folder 20
  44. 1945

    Box 3, Folder 1
  45. Greece, 1945

    Box 3, Folder 2
  46. 1946

    Box 3, Folder 3
  47. Greece, 1946

    Box 3, Folder 4
  48. 1947 Jan - 1947 Jun

    Box 3, Folder 5
  49. 1947 Jul - 1947 Dec

    Box 3, Folder 6
  50. Austria, 1947

    Box 3, Folder 7
  51. 1948 Jan - 1948 Mar

    Box 3, Folder 8
  52. 1948 Apr - 1948 Jul

    Box 4, Folder 1
  53. 1948 Aug - 1948 Dec

    Box 4, Folder 2
  54. 1949 Jan - 1949 Feb

    Box 4, Folder 3
  55. 1949 Mar - 1949 Aug

    Box 4, Folder 4
  56. 1949 Sep - 1949 Dec

    Box 4, Folder 5
  57. 1950 Jan - 1950 May

    Box 4, Folder 6
  58. 1950 Jun - 1950 Nov

    Box 5, Folder 1
  59. 1950 Dec

    Box 5, Folder 2
  60. 1951 Jan - 1951 Jul

    Box 5, Folder 3
  61. 1951 Aug - 1951 Dec

    Box 5, Folder 4
  62. 1952 Jan - 1952 May

    Box 5, Folder 5
  63. 1952 Jun - 1952 Dec

    Box 5, Folder 6
  64. 1953 Jan - 1953 Apr

    Box 5, Folder 7
  65. 1953 May - 1953 Sep

    Box 6, Folder 1
  66. 1953 Oct - 1953 Dec

    Box 6, Folder 2
  67. 1954 Jan - 1954 Mar

    Box 6, Folder 3
  68. 1954 Apr - 1954 Jul

    Box 6, Folder 4
  69. 1954 Aug - 1954 Sep

    Box 6, Folder 5
  70. 1954 Oct - 1954 Dec

    Box 6, Folder 6
  71. 1955 Jan - 1955 Mar

    Box 7, Folder 1
  72. 1955 Apr - 1955 Jun

    Box 7, Folder 2
  73. 1955 Jul - 1955 Oct

    Box 7, Folder 3
  74. 1955 Nov - 1955 Dec

    Box 7, Folder 4
  75. 1956 Jan - 1956 Mar

    Box 7, Folder 5
  76. 1956 Apr - 1956 May

    Box 7, Folder 6
  77. 1956 Jun - 1956 Oct

    Box 8, Folder 1
  78. 1956 Nov - 1956 Dec

    Box 8, Folder 2
  79. 1957 Jan - 1956 Mar

    Box 8, Folder 3
  80. 1957 Apr - 1956 May

    Box 8, Folder 4
  81. 1957 Jun - 1956 Jul

    Box 8, Folder 5
  82. 1957 Aug - 1957 Nov

    Box 8, Folder 6
  83. 1957 Dec

    Box 8, Folder 7
  84. 1958 Jan - 1958 Mar

    Box 9, Folder 1
  85. 1958 Apr - 1958 Dec

    Box 9, Folder 2
  86. 1959 Jan - 1959 Jun

    Box 9, Folder 3
  87. 1959 Jul - 1959 Dec

    Box 9, Folder 4
  88. 1960 Jan - 1960 Jul

    Box 9, Folder 5
  89. 1960 Aug - 1960 Dec

    Box 9, Folder 6
  90. 1961 Jan - 1961 Apr

    Box 9, Folder 7
  91. 1961 May - 1961 Dec

    Box 10, Folder 1
  92. 1962

    Box 10, Folder 2
  93. 1963

    Box 10, Folder 3
  94. 1964

    Box 10, Folder 4
  95. 1965

    Box 10, Folder 5
  96. 1966

    Box 10, Folder 6
  97. 1967

    Box 10, Folder 7
  98. 1968

    Box 10, Folder 8
  99. 1969

    Box 10, Folder 9
  100. 1970

    Box 10, Folder 10
  101. 1971

    Box 10, Folder 11
  102. 1972

    Box 10, Folder 12
  103. 1973

    Box 10, Folder 13
  104. 1974-1988

    Box 10, Folder 14
  105. Series 4: Writings, 1921-1984

    Series Description

    This series is composed mostly of official reports created by Rankin regarding the situation in a given region. In this section one can also find some of his writing (poetry, mostly) during his Philippine imprisonment during the 1940s. See the index, pp.# 13-25, for a list of names and subjects by date for this series.

    Series Arrangement

    Arranged chronologically.

  106. 1921 Jan - 1933 Feb

    Box 10, Folder 15
  107. 1934

    Box 10, Folder 16
  108. 1935

    Box 10, Folder 17
  109. 1936 Jan - 1938 Dec

    Box 11, Folder 1
  110. Philippines/Prisoner, 1940s

    Box 11, Folder 2
  111. 1939 Jan - 1949 Dec

    Box 11, Folder 3
  112. 1950 Jan - 1952 Dec

    Box 11, Folder 4
  113. 1953 Jan - 1956 Dec

    Box 11, Folder 5
  114. 1957 Jan - 1967 Dec

    Box 11, Folder 6
  115. 1968 Jan - 1973 Dec

    Box 11, Folder 7
  116. 1975 - 1984

    Box 11, Folder 8
  117. Series 5: Clipping Files, 1927-1937

    Series Description

    This section contains clippings about Czechoslovakia and Greece during the later 1920s and earlier 1930s. Rankin was interested in gaining knowledge on the economic aspects of these regions in order to increase his effectiveness as consul. Most papers here have multiple dates and/or scribbles which make them difficult to classify chronologically.

    Series Arrangement

    Arranged chronologically.

  118. Czechoslovakia, 1927

    Box 12, Folder 1
  119. Czechoslovakia, 1928

    Box 12, Folder 2
  120. Czechoslovakia, 1929

    Box 12, Folder 3
  121. Czechoslovakia, 1930

    Box 12, Folder 4
  122. Czechoslovakia, 1931

    Box 12, Folder 5
  123. Czechoslovakia, 1932

    Box 12, Folder 6
  124. Greece, 1932

    Box 12, Folder 7
  125. Greece, 1933

    Box 12, Folder 8
  126. Greece, 1935

    Box 12, Folder 9
  127. Greece, 1936

    Box 12, Folder 10
  128. Greece, 1933 Jan - 1937 Dec

    Box 12, Folder 11
  129. Series 6: Scrapbooks, 1941-1973

    Series Description

    Rankin or his staff collected several scrapbooks of newspaper clippings about important events that involved him either directly or indirectly. These volumes have been disbound and reformatted on acid free paper. Generally, the scrapbooks are grouped by region(s).

    Series Arrangement

    Loosely arranged chronologically and then by country.

  130. Yugoslavia, China, Taiwan, 1941-1973

    Box 13, Folder 1
  131. Greece (mostly), 1944-1968

    Box 13, Folder 2
  132. Hong Kong, China (Taiwan), 1949-1950

    Box 13, Folder 3
  133. China (Taiwan), 1950-1958

    Box 13, Folder 4
  134. Series 7: Photograph Albums, 1920-1965

    Series Description

    Rankin kept photos of himself, family, friends, and others in photograph albums. He also has photos of certain regions during wartime, as evidenced in his pictures of South Korea. Like the scrapbooks, they lack organization for the most part. Estimates have been made regarding the time frames of these albums when possible.

    Series Arrangement

    Loosely arranged chronologically and/or by country.

  135. Athens, 1947-1949

    Box 13, Folder 5
  136. Saigon, Bangkok, Angkor Vat trip, 1951 Feb

    Box 13, Folder 6
  137. Free China Relief Association Comforting Team Visit to Chinese POWs in South Korea, 1951? Aug

    Box 13, Folder 7
  138. Greece, 1925-1935

    Box 14, Folder 1
  139. Taipei, 1950s?

    Box 14, Folder 2
  140. Taipei, 1957-?

    Box 14, Folder 3
  141. Hong Kong, 1949-?

    Box 15, Folder 1
  142. Taipei (Formosa), 1950-1955

    Box 15, Folder 2
  143. Newspaper Clippings/Memoranda, 1963-1965

    Box 15, Folder 3
  144. Belgrade, 1940s?

    Box 16, Folder 1
  145. Random Photographs, 1958-1961

    Box 16, Folder 2
  146. Greece, 1935-1945

    Box 17, Folder 1
  147. Yugoslavia, 1958 Feb-1961 Apr

    Box 17, Folder 2
  148. Taiwan, 1957

    Box 18, Folder 1
  149. Random Photographs, 1961?

    Box 18, Folder 2
  150. Formosa, 1951

    Box 18, Folder 3
  151. Athens, 1944-1946

    Box 18, Folder 4
  152. Athens, 1920-1939

    Box 18, Folder 5
  153. Oversize Materials

    Box 18, Folder 6

Index

The following is a list of individuals or subjects identified by date. In general, items relating to these individual terms are found in the correspondence or writings series.

Permanent URL: http://arks.princeton.edu/ark:/88435/pz50gw091

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