Speech Files (Background Material)., 01/01/1958-12/31/1958

The J. Graham Parsons Papers consist of personal and professional correspondence files, memoranda, and photographs accumulated by Ambassador Parsons during his many years as a U.S. diplomat. Of note are files from his tenure as ambassador to Laos (1956-58); to Sweden (1961-67); and as deputy U.S. representative at the Strategic Arms Limitation Talks held in Vienna and Helsinki (1970-72).

The collection is enriched by many original signed letters from notable names in U.S. diplomacy including Dean Acheson, Dwight D. Eisenhower, Joseph C. Grew, Herbert Hoover, Lyndon B. Johnson, Douglas MacArthur II, Myron C. Taylor, Harry S. Truman; as well as other famous individuals with whom Ambassador Parsons was acquainted, such as Bing Crosby, John Glenn, and Rose Kennedy.

Articles and speeches by Ambassador Parsons on Southeast Asia reveal that he was a strong advocate of the Eisenhower administration's foreign policies, strongly supporting the Chinese nationalist leader Chiang Kai-shek against communism. Ambassador Parsons' writings also reflect his experiences as a participant in negotiations for diplomatic agreement between political factions in Laos during the late 1950s and early 1960s.

The collection is arranged into 16 series -

Series 1 Foreign Service Regions: postings from 1947-1969 (see chronology below for more details). Series 2 The Joseph C. Grew Years 1932-36 Series 3 Foreign Service 1936-47 Series 4 Foreign Service 1947-72 Series 5 Foreign Service (Miscellaneous): primarily relating to the American Foreign Service Association (AFSA). Series 6 Subject Files: miscellaneous topics, including material on the Anti-ballistic Missile Treaty (1984-90). Series 7 Strategic Arms Limitation Talks (SALT) Series 8 Personal Correspondence: Individuals (1973-91) Series 9 Personal Correspondence: Alphabetical (pre-1935/post 1973 retirement years) Series 10 Parsons Family Correspondence Series 11 Speeches and Speech Files Series 12 Diaries/interviews/manuscripts/notebooks Series 13 Photographs Series 14 Awards/certificates Series 15 Printed matter including newspaper/journal article clippings Series 16 Oversized (photographs, awards, souvenirs, map of Laos)