Gregory Sandford
Scope and Contents note
The Grenada Documents Collection contains copies of some of the documents which were captured on Grenada by the United States Defense Department when the U. S., at the urging of many of the smaller Caribbean nations, joined a rescue mission to end the rule of the Revolutionary Military Council which had taken control of the country when Maurice Bishop, formerly head of the PRG (People's Revolutionary Government), was assassinated along with many of the people at Fort Rupert in October, 1983, as a result of internal factions and power plays in the NJM (New JEWEL Movement) and PRG. The Documents "provide insight into the extensive nature of the nation's bond with Cuba, the Soviet Union...and the growing dissatisfaction of the Grenadian people with its government." [Document Exploitation Interim Report No. 1, 1 Nov 1983]
The copies contained in this collection were given to the Special Collections Division by Gregory Sandford, a State Department diplomat and co-author (with Richard Vigilante) of Grenada: The Untold Story, a fascinating examination of the formation of the New JEWEL Movement, its takeover of power from the Gairy government and the formation of the PRG, its policies, and eventual downfall. Sandford collected this material while researching and writing his book. The collection is arranged in five series : NJM Party Documents Series, NJM Subject Series, International Relations Series, Manuscripts Series, and Gregory Sandford Series.
The audiocassette recordings of interviews conducted by Sandford in April and May 1984 have been digitized. Please contact a staff member for access to these recordings.
Dates
- From the Collection: 1979 - 1988
Conditions Governing Access note
Most manuscripts collections at the Georgetown University Booth Family Center for Special Collections are open to researchers; however, restrictions may apply to some collections. Collections stored off site require a minimum of three days for retrieval. For use of all manuscripts collections, researchers are advised to contact the Booth Family Center for Special Collections in advance of any visit.
Extent
From the Collection: 3.77 Linear Feet (5 boxes)
Language of Materials
English
Container Summary
The final series, dubbed "The Gregory Sandford Series," contains some material which Sandford collected when writing Grenada: The Untold Story which was not part of the captured documents. This series comprises 12 folders and 12 audiotapes and contains some particularly fascinating items such as the audiotapes of Sandford's inteviews with many former PRG detainees or oppostion leaders, for example, Herbert Blaize, Teddy Victor, and Wynston Whyte. He also taped interviews with some former PRG members such as George Louison or Michael "Chicken" Roberts. The series also includes photos of Maurice Bishop, Bernard Coard, and the People's Revolutionary Army as well as indexes, reports, notes, and clippings. For those interested in a brief overview of the events in Grenada or our capture of the documents, this series would be the best place to begin. Reports and a list of the chronology of events provide a short summary of events in Grenada. Lists of references give the researcher a large range of books and articles about Grenada. Sandford's notes provide a short subject listing with the dates of meetings when items were discussed as well as a list of names with short identifications. The series also includes some of the Document Exploitation Interim Reports which provide information on and numbers of the documents. [Please Note: Not all the Documents described in these reports are contained in this collection.] The material in this series as well as the material in the rest of the collection represents Gregory Sandford's painstaking attempts to bring the truth of Grenada's tragic situation during the PRG's rule to light.
Repository Details
Part of the Georgetown University Manuscripts Repository
Lauinger Library, 5th Floor
37th and O Streets, N.W.
Washington DC 20057
speccoll@georgetown.edu