Permanent URL: http://arks.princeton.edu/ark:/88435/st74cq497
Allen W. Dulles Papers: Digital Files Series, 1939-1977: Finding Aid
MC019.09
Allen Dulles's identification card from the Office of Strategic Services, the United States' intelligence gathering agency during World War II. Dulles was stationed in Bern, Switzerland for much of the war where he gained his reputation as a spymaster.
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Published on October 22, 2007
©2007 Princeton University Library
Summary Information
- Creator:
- Dulles, Allen Welsh, 1893-1969.
- Title and dates:
- Allen W. Dulles Papers: Digital Files Series, 1939-1977
- Abstract:
- Allen W. Dulles (1893-1969), though a diplomat and lawyer, was renowned for his role in shaping United States intelligence operations, including the longest service as director of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). The Allen W. Dulles Digital Files contain scanned images of professional correspondence, reports, lectures, and administrative papers, declassified and released by the CIA in 2007. The collection spans Dulles's time as Chief of the Office of Strategic Services office in Bern, Switzerland during World War II, his work at the Central Intelligence Agency, and his retirement.
- Size:
- 1.58 Gigabites (7824 PDF files)
- Call number:
- MC019.09
- 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, French, German.
- Storage note:
- This collection is stored onsite at the Mudd Manuscript Library.
Biography of Allen W. Dulles
Allen W. Dulles (1893-1969), though a diplomat and lawyer, was renowned for his role in shaping United States intelligence operations, including the longest service as director of the Central Intelligence Agency.
Born in Watertown, New York, and a Princeton University graduate (BA, Class of 1914; MA 1916), Dulles was the nephew of Robert Lansing, Woodrow Wilson's Secretary of State, and attended the peace negotiations to end the First World War as a member of the American Commission. During his stint in the diplomatic corps, he served in Vienna (1916), Berne (1917), Berlin (1919) and Constantinople (1920) before becoming Division Chief for Near Eastern Affairs (1922). While serving in Washington, D.C., Dulles studied law at night at George Washington University. In 1925, he served as an American delegate to the International Conference on Arms Traffic in Geneva. After earning his LL.D in 1926, Dulles joined the Wall Street law firm of Sullivan and Cromwell, where his brother John Foster was a managing partner. But Dulles did not practice law so much as utilize his knowledge of government processes and officials to assist the firm's corporate clients conduct business. (In fact, Dulles would not pass the bar until 1928.) However, diplomacy would always be Dulles's primary interest and in 1927, he spent six months in Geneva as legal adviser to the Naval Armament Conference.
In New York, Dulles joined the Council on Foreign Relations, eventually was named a director and enjoyed the friendship of fellow Princetonian Hamilton Fish Armstrong ‘16, the editor of the Council's journal, Foreign Affairs. Together they authored two books ( Can We Be Neutral? (1936) and Can America Stay Neutral? (1939)). He also continued to serve the United States government in diplomatic capacities, including representing the United States at a League of Nations arms conference in 1932-1933.
During the Second World War, Dulles took a step that changed his life and ultimately American history. He joined the Office of Strategic Services (OSS), the intelligence service, serving as chief of the Bern, Switzerland office. From there he established himself as a highly successful intelligence gatherer and operator, penetrating the German Foreign Ministry Office as well as the “July 1944” anti-Hitler conspirators. He also played a role in the events that led to the surrender of the German Army in northern Italy.
In 1948, Dulles's reputation led to his being named chairman of an intelligence review committee that faulted the organization of the then fledgling Central Intelligence Agency. In 1950, he was named Deputy Director of Plans of the CIA, the covert operations arm of the agency; in 1951 he became the number two person in the organization. After Eisenhower's election in Nov 1952, Dulles was appointed to the CIA's directorship. His brother, John Foster Dulles, served as Eisenhower's Secretary of State, and the two men would work closely during their joint service.
The CIA under Dulles's leadership established the dual policy of collecting intelligence through a wide variety of means, as well as taking direct action against perceived threats. In the former category fell such notable achievements as the U-2 spy plane program, the cooptation of Soviet Lieutenant General Pyotr Popov, and the tapping of a sensitive East Berlin phone junction by tunneling under the Berlin Wall.
The CIA's efforts in the area of direct action during Dulles tenure were notable for both their successes and failures. CIA operatives orchestrated the overthrow of the government of Iran in 1953 and Jacob Arbenz's regime in Guatemala in 1954. However, efforts to oust Castro from Cuba following his rise to power consisted of a serious of failures culminating in the disastrous Bay of Pigs invasion in April 1961. Though John F. Kennedy had asked Dulles to remain at CIA, after the invasion and the political fallout, Dulles, already past retirement age, resigned.
In retirement, Allen Dulles wrote books (including two autobiographical works) about his career in intelligence and appeared on numerous television programs to discuss foreign policy. He was called to public service once again, in 1963, when he was named to the Warren Commission. His connection to the CIA and its activities in Cuba would fuel later speculation about possible government complicity in Kennedy's assassination.
Dulles married Martha Clover Todd (known as Clover) of Baltimore, Maryland in 1920. She died in 1974. They had three children, Clover Todd (known as Toddy), Joan, and Allen Macy. Dulles's son sustained a near-fatal head wound while serving with the Marines in Korea, relegating him to supervised care for life.
Description
The Allen W. Dulles Digital Files contain scanned images of professional correspondence, reports, lectures, and administrative papers. The Agency culled these documents from Dulles's home office immediately after his death in 1969 and they continue to maintain the originals. The Agency redacted the documents and provided PDF scans to Princeton University in Spring 2007. The collection spans Dulles's time as Chief of the Office of Strategic Services office in Bern, Switzerland during World War II, his work at the Central Intelligence Agency, and his retirement.
While the collection is comprised of more than 7,800 digital objects, most areas are not covered in depth as the files are scattered over more than 30 years. The collection does provide a fair amount of correspondence and narrative statements documenting Dulles's activities during World War II, especially relating to the work of individuals involved in the war effort in Europe. The files also include more than 1,000 war telegrams from the OSS office to Washington. Documents from the 1950s and 1960s deal almost exclusively with the Cold War. While there are documents occasionally dealing with Senator Joseph McCarthy and the Communist threat in the United States, most materials focus outwards on intelligence and the Soviet Union.
Items relating to Dulles' time with the CIA have been heavily redacted, obscuring the names of correspondents as well as individuals and events mentioned in reports and letters, greatly reducing the research potential of these materials.
Please see series descriptions in contents list for additional information about individual series.
Arrangement
The filing notations on many of the scanned documents as well as the organizational structure of the paper records of the Dulles collection suggest that in their original form, the materials were organized by subject or correspondent. The electronic records retain no original order and instead are reduced solely to the item level, with each file named by date and a sequential number.
The PDF files have been arranged into series based on material type, such as correspondence, calendars, and reports. The series are very loosely defined because the context which often identifies records is missing from the electronic files.
Organized into the following series:
- Series 1: Agendas, Itineraries, and Programs, 1950-1964
- Series 2: Calendars, 1942-1967
- Series 3: Clippings and Articles, 1939-1967
- Subseries 3A: Danish, 1961
- Subseries 3B: English, 1939-1967
- Subseries 3C: French, 1943-1961
- Subseries 3D: German, 1940-1963
- Subseries 3E: Italian, 1943-1946
- Subseries 3F: Norwegian, 1955
- Subseries 3G: Spanish, undated
- Series 4: Correspondence, Memoranda and Communications, 1939-1974
- Subseries 4A: Appointment and Call Diaries, 1945-1968
- Subseries 4B: Exhausted Number Lists, 1943-1945
- Subseries 4C: File Lists, 1943-1951
- Subseries 4D: General, English, 1942-1974
- Subseries 4E: General, French, 1940-1966
- Subseries 4F: General, German, 1943-1945
- Subseries 4G: General, Italian, 1944-1945
- Subseries 4H: Legibility Lists, 1939-1944
- Subseries 4I: Name Keys, 1943-1944
- Subseries 4J: Phone Calls, 1943-1945
- Subseries 4K: Telegrams d'etat, 1942-1945
- Series 5: Guest Lists, 1954-1962
- Series 6: Illegible and Unavailable Documents, 1943-1960
- Series 7: Lectures, Speeches, and Talk Notes, 1946-1961
- Series 8: Maps, 1943-1945, 1959
- Series 9: Miscellaneous, 1943-1960
- Series 10: Notes, 1940-1960
- Series 11: Personal Information, 1951-1961
- Series 12: Photographs, 1943-1964
- Series 13: Press, 1943-1969
- Series 14: Receipts and Finances, 1939-1962
- Series 15: Reports, 1939-1977
- Subseries 15A: English, 1943-1977
- Subseries 15B: French, 1939-1950
- Subseries 15C: German, 1943-1960
- Subseries 15D: Italian, 1943-1945
- Series 16: Transcripts, 1953-1965
Files are arranged chronologically within series.
Access and Use
Access
Collection is open for research use.
Restrictions on Use and Copyright Information
Single copies may be made for research purposes. Permission to publish materials from the collection must be requested from the Curator of the Public Policy Papers. Copyright has been retained by the Dulles family for Mr. Dulles's intellectual property until the year 2019. The Library has no information on the status of literary rights for the work of others found in these papers; researchers are responsible for determining any question of copyright.
Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements
The Allen W. Dulles Digital Files are available to researchers in PDF format. Users must have access to a portable document format reader, such as Adobe Acrobat Reader (available for free download at: http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep2.html) to view these files.
Other Finding Aid(s)
The Allen W. Dulles Digital Files form part of the Allen W. Dulles Papers. The full finding aid for the Allen Dulles Papers is available online: http://arks.princeton.edu/ark:/88435/736664491.
Acquisition and Appraisal
Custodial History
The papers of Allen W. Dulles were donated by Mrs. Clover Todd Dulles in 1973. The Central Intelligence Agency removed documents determined to be federal records pursuant to Title 44 of the U.S. Code and/or requiring protection from public disclosure pursuant to Executive Order or statute. In 2007, papers declassified under the Freedom of Information Act were provided in electronic form. The originals remain with the CIA. Those wishing to seek further declassification of any documents should contact the CIA.
Provenance and Acquisition
The electronic images of the Allen W. Dulles papers were transferred to the Mudd Manuscript Library on three compact discs from the Central Intelligence Agency in 2007.
Appraisal
Appraisal has been conducted in accordance with Mudd Library guidelines. No material has been separated from the files during processing in 2007.
Related Materials
Location of Originals
The originals of the Allen Dulles Papers Digital Files are held by the Central Intelligence Agency.
Related Archival Material
The Allen W. Dulles Digital Files form part of the Allen W. Dulles Papers. The full finding aid for the Allen Dulles Papers is available online: http://arks.princeton.edu/ark:/88435/736664491.
Processing and Other Information
Processing Information
This collection was processed by Diann Benti in August 2007. Finding aid written by Diann Benti in August 2007. Biography of Dulles written by Susan J. Illis, Daniel Linke, Kristine Marconi, and Thomas Rosko.
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 Jennifer Cole on October 31, 2007.
Finding aid written in English.
Preferred Citation
Identification of specific item; Date (if known); Allen W. Dulles Papers, Digital Files, Folder Name; 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.
- United States. Central Intelligence Agency -- History.
- United States. Foreign Service.
- United States. Office of Strategic Services.
- Intelligence officers -- United States -- 20th century.
- Intelligence service -- United States -- 20th century.
- Spies -- United States -- 20th century -- Correspondence.
- World War, 1939 - 1945 -- Secret service -- United States.
- United States -- Foreign relations -- Soviet Union -- 20th century.
- United States -- Foreign relations -- 20th century.
- Articles.
- Correspondence.
- Speeches.
Browse other finding aids related to the following terms:
Contents List
Series 1: Agendas, Itineraries, and Programs, 1950-1964
(3.67 MB, 25 digital objects)
Description
The Agendas, Itineraries, and Programs series contains documents listing various event schedules, such as business and defense committee meetings, seminars, and occasionally itineraries of visiting military and diplomatic individuals.
Arrangement
Arranged chronologically.
Digital Files: Agendas, Itineraries, and Programs
Series 2: Calendars, 1942-1967
(62.1 MB, 282 digital objects)
Description
The Calendar series is comprised of engagement and standard calendar pages which provide minimal information about Dulles' schedule. The calendars are not continuous, as large gaps exist between dates.
Arrangement
Arranged chronologically.
Digital Files: Calendars
Series 3: Clippings and Articles, 1939-1967
(178 MB, 458 digital objects)
Description
The Clippings and Articles series includes newspaper clippings, cartoons, and published articles. Clippings collected from the 1940s deal with World War II and include topics such as Mussolini, the Ciano Diaries, and Hitler and the Nazis. In the late 1940s the subjects transition to the Cold War and secrecy and security, focusing more on public statements by Dulles and articles relating to the Central Intelligence Agency.
Arrangement
Divided into seven subseries based on language of materials. Arranged chronologically within subseries.
Subseries 3A: Danish, 1961
(0.62 MB, 1 digital object)
Digital Files: Clippings and Articles, Danish
Subseries 3B: English, 1939-1967
(110 MB, 173 digital objects)
Digital Files: Clippings and Articles, English
Subseries 3C: French, 1943-1961
(13.0 MB, 35 digital objects)
Digital Files: Clippings and Articles, French
Subseries 3D: German, 1940-1963
(48.7 MB, 238 digital objects)
Digital Files: Clippings and Articles, German
Subseries 3E: Italian, 1943-1946
(4.74 MB, 9 digital objects)
Digital Files: Clippings and Articles, Italian
Subseries 3F: Norwegian, 1955
(0.22 MB, 1 digital object)
Digital Files: Clippings and Articles, Norwegian
Subseries 3G: Spanish, undated
(0.21 MB, 1 digital object)
Digital Files: Clippings and Articles, Spanish
Series 4: Correspondence, Memoranda, and Communications, 1939-1974
(853 MB, 5,910 digital objects)
Description
The Correspondence and Memoranda series is comprised of an assortment of different communication types as well as administrative records relating to communication. Most messages relate to the World War II intelligence gathering activities, especially among the non-English correspondence.
Arrangement
Divided into eleven subseries based on type and, when applicable, language. English correspondence is further divided in chronological groupings.
Subseries 4A: Appointment and Call Diaries, 1939-1974
(47.1 MB, 318 digital objects)
Description
The Appointment and Call Diaries subseries provides secretarial summaries of phone calls to Dulles as well as lists of his appointments. The diaries are most plentiful from 1962-1967; while gaps exist, the diaries do provide detailed information about Dulles' daily communication.
Arrangement
Arranged chronologically.
Digital Files: Appointments and Call Diaries
Subseries 4B: Exhausted Number Lists 1943-1945
(0.68 MB, 12 digital objects)
Description
The Exhausted Number Lists subseries holds lists of exhausted numbers used to identify communications during World War II.
Arrangement
Arranged chronologically.
Digital Files: Exhausted Number Lists
Subseries 4C: File Lists, 1943-1951
(6.62 MB, 5 digital objects)
Description
Description: The File Lists subseries includes two lists of the "Personal Files of Allen W. Dulles, 'Edda Ciano Diaries,'" descriptions of the contents of Dulles' file cabinet, and a note on destroyed memoranda.
Arrangement
Arranged chronologically.
Digital Files: File Lists
Subseries 4D: General, English, 1942-1974, and undated
Description
The General English Correspondence and Memoranda subseries is the largest of the collection. During the 1940s, correspondence focuses on World War II intelligence and generally relates to the war activities of others as opposed to that of Dulles himself.
Portions of the correspondence written after the war have been redacted by the Central Intelligence Agency, and consequently much of what remains unclassified is routine or administrative in nature. While correspondents include Presidents, senators, and notable individuals, there is little ongoing correspondence, and topics are generally not explored in depth. Post-World War II topics include events relating to the Soviet Union and the Cold War, books written about the CIA, the U-2 spy plane incident, and the 1962 book CIA: The Inside Story by Andrew Tully.
The value of the correspondence is greatly diminished by the above-mentioned redaction as well as the date order filing structure, which makes it difficult to determine follow-up to any particular letters. In addition, some files appear to have been dated incorrectly by the CIA. These files may be found in the "Miscellaneous and Incorrect Dates" file grouping.
Arrangement
Arranged chronologically with undated and incorrectly dated files grouped together at the end of the subseries.
Digital Files: General Correspondence, English
Subseries 4E: General, French, 1940-1966
(20.9 MB, 216 digital objects)
Description
The bulk of the General French Correspondence and Memoranda subseries consists of telegrams from an individual identified as "Iris" with specific intelligence information during World War II. The series also includes letters from individuals to Dulles.
Arrangement
Arranged chronologically.
Digital Files: General Correspondence, French
Subseries 4F: General, German, 1943-1945
(12.2 MB, 29 digital objects)
Description
The General German Correspondence and Memoranda subseries consists of correspondence sent during World War II.
Arrangement
Arranged chronologically.
Digital Files: General Correspondence, German
Subseries 4G: General, Italian, 1944-1945
(2.24 MB, 12 digital objects)
Description
The General Italian Correspondence and Memoranda subseries consists of correspondence sent during World War II.
Arrangement
Arranged chronologically.
Digital Files: General Correspondence, Italian
Subseries 4H: Legibility Lists, 1939-1944
(1.46 MB, 37 digital objects)
Description
The Legibility Lists subseries holds monthly notes kept by Dulles during World War II of legible, illegible, and missing letters identified by number.
Arrangement
Arranged chronologically.
Digital Files: Legibility Lists
Subseries 4I: Name Keys, 1943-1944
(1.29 MB, 13 digital objects)
Description
The Name Keys subseries provides lists of individuals and their code names used in correspondence.
Arrangement
Arranged chronologically.
Digital Files: Name Keys
Subseries 4J: Phone Calls, 1943-1945
(172 MB, 188 digital objects)
Description
The Phone Calls subseries is comprised of texts of telephone calls (probably by Dulles) providing updates on various European countries relating to World War II. In some documents, events are described broadly, while others include analysis of situations.
Arrangement
Arranged chronologically.
Digital Files: Phone Calls
Subseries 4K: Telegrams d'etat, 1942-1945
(96.1 MB, 1,160 digital objects)
Description
The Telegrams d'etat subseries provides a substantial collection of telegrams from Bern to Washington and American legations during World War II.
Arrangement
Arranged chronologically.
Digital Files: Telegrams d'etat
Series 5: Guest Lists, 1954-1962
(2.72 MB, 19 digital objects)
Description
The Guest Lists series is comprised of documents naming individuals attending or invited to events such as parties, meetings, and seminars.
Arrangement
Arranged chronologically.
Digital Files: Guests Lists
Series 6: Illegible and Unavailable Documents, 1943-1960
(0.97 MB, 13 digital objects)
Description
The Illegible and Unavailable Documents series holds scanned images that are unreadable as well as PDFs with the text "Image Temporarily Not Available."
Arrangement
Arranged chronologically.
Digital Files: Illegible and Unavailable Documents
Series 7: Lectures, Speeches, and Talk Notes, 1946-1961
(20.1 MB, 59 digital objects)
Description
The Lectures, Speeches, and Talk Notes series contains outlines of remarks given by Dulles, sometimes including handwritten additions and corrections. The lectures are often focused on United States intelligence and the Soviet Union and were presented to war colleges, business councils, and defense committees.
Arrangement
Arranged chronologically.
Digital Files: Lectures, Speeches, and Talk Notes
Series 8: Maps, 1943-1945, 1959
(2.43 MB, 11 digital objects)
Description
The Maps series consists of hand drawn maps of German bunkers, regions of France and Italy, and a 1959 map of Mediterranean oil fields.
Arrangement
Arranged chronologically.
Digital Files: Maps
Series 9: Miscellaneous, 1943-1960, undated
(1.97 MB, 17 digital objects)
Description
The Miscellaneous series is comprised of unidentifiable scraps of paper with various handwritten names or numbers written on them.
Arrangement
Arranged chronologically.
Digital Files: Miscellaneous
Series 10: Notes, 1940-1960
(14.0 MB, 60 digital objects)
Description
The Notes series holds mostly handwritten notes by Dulles that appear to be rough first drafts of reports or correspondence relating mainly to World War II activities.
Arrangement
Arranged chronologically.
Digital Files: Notes
Series 11: Personal Information, 1951-1961
(.58 MB, 6 digital objects)
Description
The Personal Information series contains a small assortment of documents relating to Dulles, such as a medical history, a personnel form, and a personal history.
Arrangement
Arranged chronologically.
Digital Files: Personal Information
Series 12: Photographs, 1943-1964
(3.95 MB, 7 digital objects)
Description
The Photographs series is a small collection of miscellaneous, generally unidentified photographs which are of very poor quality due to scanning. The series includes a photograph of Dulles at the 1957 graduation of the Strategic Intelligence School and photographs of a ceremony including President Lyndon B. Johnson.
Arrangement
Arranged chronologically.
Digital Files: Photographs
Series 13: Press, 1943-1969
(19.1 MB, 74 digital objects)
Description
The Press series is comprised mainly of radio bulletins, news flashes, and press releases from World War II along with later statements made by Dulles, as well as miscellaneous press from the United States government regarding the Cold War and the Soviet Union.
Arrangement
Arranged chronologically.
Digital Files: Press
Series 14: Receipts and Finances, 1939-1942
(2.44 MB, 11 digital objects)
Description
The Receipts and Finances series consists of miscellaneous financial statements including deposit slips from the Guaranty Trust Company of New York in 1939, records regarding annual salaries, and reimbursement calculations regarding postage.
Arrangement
Arranged chronologically.
Digital Files: Receipts and Finances
Series 15: Reports, 1939-1977
(436 MB, 845 digital objects)
Description
The Reports series is a broad series that comprises most written documents that could not be distinguished as correspondence. Most of the non-English materials, as well as many of the English records, document intelligence missions of the Office of Strategic Services during World War II. They include narratives of spies and resistance workers. The reports created in the 1950s and 1960s focus on the Cold War and foreign policy in regards to the Soviet Union. This series also contains book chapters from Dulles' writings as well as other authors.
Arrangement
Divided into four subseries based on the language of the materials.
Subseries 15A: English, 1943-1977
(320 MB, 554 digital objects)
Digital Files: Reports, English
Subseries 15B: French, 1939-1950
(85.3 MB, 224 digital objects)
Digital Files: Reports, French
Subseries 15C: German, 1943-1960
(24.1 MB, 48 digital objects)
Digital Files: Reports, German
Subseries 15D: Italian, 1943-1945
(6.35 MB, 19 digital objects)
Digital Files: Reports, Italian
Series 16: Transcripts, 1953-1965
(21.6 MB, 23 digital objects)
Description
The Transcripts Series includes transcripts from various sources including television shows and government proceedings; only a portion of the transcripts include Dulles.
Arrangement
Arranged chronologically.
Digital Files: Transcripts
Permanent URL: http://arks.princeton.edu/ark:/88435/st74cq497