Collection context
Summary
- Creator:
- Gant, George F. and Ford Foundation
- Abstract:
- The Office Files of George Gant were transferred to the Archives in 1978 with other material from the International Division/Asia and Pacific. The papers were originally described as "conference files." The correspondence, agendas, working papers and reports were actually generated in connection with various seminars, meetings and study groups that Mr. Gant either attended or helped to organize. These files may not represent all the seminars/meetings that Mr. Gant participated in between 1962 and 1967 but only those retained in his office files. Researchers should be aware that there is additional Gant material in the Archives. There is approximately 50' of field office records from Bangkok, Thailand. These field office records include files that were created and maintained by Mr. Gant but continued by his successors and interfiled with their papers. This material was sent to the Archives when the Bangkok office closed in 1981.
- Extent:
- 0.38 Cubic Feet
- Language:
- English .
Background
- Scope and Content:
The Office Files of George Gant consist of a single series, Seminar/ Meeting Files. These files were generated as a result of Mr. Gant's participation as a member or organizer of various seminars, study groups, meetings and advisory groups. The seminars and meetings date from 1962 to 1967 and were sponsored by the Council on Foreign Relations, the Southeast Development Advisory Group, the United Nations and jointly, the Ford Foundation and the Comparative Administration Group (a branch of the American Society for Public Administration). The papers and reports, and measure onehalf foot.
The files have two research strengths. First is the documentation of the planning process for development and public administration in developing countries: how the questions of who would be trained and how and where they would be trained were considered. The topic of development administration is addressed in the Ford Foundation/Comparative Administration Group, Southeast Asia/ Development Advisory Group and United Nations folders. A second research strength is found in the Council on Foreign Affairs Study Group folders. These folders contain information on variety of topics (see container listing) but all have a common theme: the emerging roles of India and Pakistan in the strategic and political balance of Asia and the world.
The files do not document Mr. Gant's 22-year career with the Ford Foundation. However, they do indicate his interests and professional commitment to South Asia and development administration.
- Biographical / Historical:
George Franklin Gant was a member of the Ford Foundation staff from 1955 until his retirement in 1977. Throughout his career at the Foundation Mr. Gant worked in South and Southeast Asian affairs and served as follows:
July 1955, Representative, Pakistan
July 1958, Director, South and Southeast Asia Program
January 1967, Head, South and Southeast Asia International Division
August 1967, Special Representatives for Southeast Asian Affairs, Bang kok, Thailand
Mr. Gant also held the following positions prior to joining the Ford Foundation:
1935-1951, Tennessee Valley Authority, General Manager, Assistant Director and Director of Personnel; Assistant Chief and Chief of Training and Educational Relations; Research Asst.
1951-1954, Southern Regional Education Board, Consultant on Graduate Education
1955, Harvard Advisory Group, Consultant on Education to the Pakistan Planning Board
1965, University of Wisconsin, Visiting Professor (on leave from FF)
Mr. Gant was born 26 April 1909. He received his B.A. and M.A. degrees from the University of Nebraska in 1930 and 1931 respectively. He received his Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin in 1934.
Mr. Gant also published a number of articles in professional journals on administration, education and overseas development.
- Arrangement:
Series I, Seminar/Meeting Files, 1962-1967, consists of one-half foot of correspondence, memoranda, agendas, working papers and reports. The folders are arranged alphabetically by conference/seminar sponsor. Most of the series consists of Council on Foreign Relations material but includes a small amount of material from other national and international organizations interested in development administration in South and Southeast Asia.
- Rules or conventions:
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Access
- RESTRICTIONS:
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Records more than 10 years old are open for research with select materials restricted as noted. Brittle or damaged items are available at the discretion of RAC.
- TERMS OF ACCESS:
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Ford Foundation has title, copyright and literary rights in the collection, in so far as it holds them.
The Rockefeller Archive Center has authority to grant permission to cite and publish material from the collection. Permission to publish extensive excerpts, or material in its entirety, will be referred to the Ford Foundation.
- LOCATION OF THIS COLLECTION:
- CONTACT:
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