Papers, 1922-1970. This collection contains the
papers of H. Merle Cochran. The bulk of the material is comprised of documents
relating to Cochran's professional activities, including: his various posts in
the U.S. Foreign Service (1914-1953), his role as deputy managing director of
the International Monetary Fund (1953-1962), and his service as chairman of the
Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (O.E.C.D.) Consortium
for Greece. Also included in the collection are photographs, mostly depicting
official travel and social activities from the span of Cochran's
career.
Collection Number:
MS
409
Repository:
University of Arizona Libraries, Special Collections
University of Arizona
PO Box 210055
Tucson, AZ 85721-0055
Phone: 520-621-6423
Fax: 520-621-9733
URL: http://speccoll.library.arizona.edu/
Biographical Note
1892
Horace Merle Cochran born in Crawfordsville, Indiana
1913
B.S. University of Arizona
1914
M.S. University of Arizona
1914
Vice Consul; Mannheim, Germany
1914-1916
Vice Consul; Nogales, Mexico
1916
Vice Consul; Guatemala
1918-1919
Vice Consul; Luagno, Switzerland
1919
Vice Consul; Kingston, Jamaica
1920
Vice Consul; Port au Prince, Haiti
1920-1923
Vice Consul; Montreal, Canada
1923-1927
Deputy Liaison Officer; Washington (Department of State)
1927-1930
Consul; Paris, France
1930-1932
Consul; Basle, Switzerland
1932-1939
Financial Secretary of the Embassy; Paris, France
1939-1941
Technical Assistant to Secretary of Treasury; Washington
(Department of State)
1941
Special Mission to China, (Stabilization Fund)
1941-1948
Senior Foreign Service Inspector
1949
U.S. Ambassador to Pakistan
1949-1953
U.S. Ambassador to Indonesia
1953
Retired from U.S. Foreign Service
1953-1962
Deputy Managing Director; International Monetary Fund
1963-1969
Chairman of Consortium for Greece; Organisation for Economic
Co-operation and Development (O.E.C.D.)
Scope and Content Note
This collection is composed of the papers of H. Merle Cochran, primarily
including records from his work for three agencies: the U. S. Department of
State (1927-1954), the International Monetary Fund (1954-1962), and the
Organisation for the Economic Co-operation and Development (1962-1969).
Foreign Service Files contain material primarily pertaining to Cochran's
role as a U.S. State Department Consular and Financial Secretary in Europe from
1927-1941, where he was assigned to report on international finance and
banking. These activities are documented through Cochran's dispatches to the
U.S. Department of State, correspondence, and reports (both his own and those
compiled from various financial agencies). Travel files include meeting
agendas, travel details, conference notes, and trip-related correspondence.
Most series contain some non-English language documents, particularly
the Foreign Service Files, which contain materials in French, Swiss, and
German, among other languages.
H. Merle Cochran's later administrative positions as Deputy Managing
Director of the International Monetary Fund and Chairman of the Organisation
for Economic Co-operation and Development (O.E.C.D.) Consortium for Greece are
documented extensively through correspondence, diaries, and chronological files
comprised of mixed materials: primarily speeches, memoranda, minutes,
correspondence, and notes.
Organization
This collection is organized into six series. Three of the series
contain subseries.
It is the responsibility of the user to obtain permission to publish
from the owner of the copyright (the institution, the creator of the record,
the author or his/her transferees, heirs, legates, or literary executors). The
user agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Arizona Board of Regents for the
University of Arizona, its officers, employees, and agents from and against all
claims made by any person asserting that he or she is an owner of
copyright.
Access Terms
Personal Name(s)
Cochran, H. Merle.
Corporate Name(s)
Bank for International Settlements.
International Monetary Fund.
Organisation for Economic Co-operation and
Development.
Personal Files contain biographical materials on the career and
personal life of H. Merle Cochran, including correspondence, new clippings
(from both Indonesian and English-language publications), biographical
information, financial information, and his State Department Record of Service.
The "Family History" folder contains materials collected on H. Merle Cochran's
father--Lew Cochran--in addition to a Cochran family tree.
Foreign Service Files contain material from H. Merle Cochran's
tenure as a Foreign Service officer, primarily relating to his consular service
in Europe as a financial observer and reporter for the State Department between
1927 and 1941.
The Foreign Service Files Series is divided into five subseries:
Correspondence (1931-1953) contains correspondence of a general
nature regarding Cochran's appointments and travels, as well as specific
correspondence regarding the League of Nations Commission for the Study of
International Loan Contracts (1937).
Dispatches (1929-1939) contains those writings and materials
dispatched directly from H. Merle Cochran at the U.S. Embassies in Basle and
Paris to the U.S. Department of State in Washington D.C.
Miscellaneous (1927-1939) contains a State Department manual for
Foreign Service officers and a small number of publications regarding the Bank
for International Settlements.
Reports (1927-1954) contains various reports either written or
compiled by H. Merle Cochran, supporting his research on international finance
and economic trends. Of note are World War II era pamphlets and publications
from various countries in the British Commonwealth, found attached to Cochran's
extensive report on American-British Relations (circa 1942).
Travel Files (1930-1941) contains correspondence, travel
arrangements, and meeting and conference materials pertaining to Cochran's
State Department trips.
The International Monetary Fund Files contain materials relating to
H. Merle Cochran's nine year tenure as Deputy Managing Director of the Fund.
The International Monetary Fund Files are divided into three subseries:
Chronological Files (1953-1962) are composed of mixed materials
pertaining to Cochran's role as Deputy Managing Director of the International
Monetary Fund, including: correspondence, meeting minutes, speeches, financial
reports, and travel information.
Correspondence (1953-1963) contains official correspondence between
H. Merle Cochran and the two managing directors he reported to while at the
International Monetary Fund: Per Jacobsson and Rooth Ivar.
Miscellaneous (1952-1929) contains internal publications and
policies produced by the International Monetary Fund.
The Organisation for the Economic Co-operation and Development
(O.E.C.D.) Consortium for Greece Files document Chairman H. Merle Cochran's
effort to foster the economic development of Greece through bilateral
negotiations with the Greek government and international agencies, as well as
the solicitation of pledges of credit from O.E.C.D. member countries. The
O.E.C.D. Consortium for Greece Files are divided into four subseries:
Chronological Files (1963-1968) contain mixed materials reflecting
the activities of the consortium, including: meeting minutes, memoranda,
research materials, reports, speeches, and notes.
Diaries (1963-1969) contain H. Merle Cochran's daily agendas and
recollections of meetings, travel, and other events, reflecting his
professional activities as chairman of the Consortium for Greece.
Miscellaneous (1963) contains a publication of the regulations,
rules and instructions for O.E.C.D. employees.
Reports (1962-1967) contain compiled financial reports and other
research materials regarding the Greek economic situation.
The Photographs Series contains photographs from throughout H. Merle
Cochran's career, with the bulk of the material documenting his professional
travel, meetings, and social engagements: first as a foreign service officer in
Europe, then as the first United States Ambassador to Indonesia, and later, as
a representative of the International Monetary Fund. Of note are the
photographs documenting Eleanor Roosevelt's 1952 visit to Indonesia.
box
folder
8
18-21
Asian Trip.
, 1955
8
22
Bank of Holland.
, undated
8
23
Cochran, H. Merle.
, undated
8
24-25
Indonesia--Eleanor Roosevelt, Official Visit.
, 1952
The Oversized Items Series contains certificates, diplomas, and
awards received by H. Merle Cochran, Indonesian newspapers containing cartoons
editorializing Cochran, and group and individual portraits from throughout his
professional career.
box
folder
10
1
Certificates--Department of State.
, 1938,
1944
10
2
Certificates--French.
, 1927
10
3
Certificates--Presidential.
, 1922, 1932,
1949
10
4
Diplomas and Awards--University of Arizona.
, 1909-1949
10
5
Newsclippings--Indonesian.
, 1949-1951
10
6
Photographs--Group Portrait (Foreign Service Persons).
, 1933