Harold H. Tittmann, Jr. Papers
Collection
Identifier: GTM-GAMMS439
The Harold H. Tittmann, Jr. Papers chiefly concern his role as Assistant to the U.S. Special Representative to the Vatican Myron C. Taylor and his post as Charge d'Affaires to the Vatican during World War II. Corespondents include Dwight D. Eisenhower, Cordell Hull, D'Arcy Osborne, Mark W. Clark, Rev. Robert A. Graham, S.J., Myron C. Taylor, and Tittmann's family. The papers also contain Tittmann's research materials and rough drafts for his memoirs which were published by his son Harold H. Tittmann, III as "Inside the Vatican of Pius XII: The Memoir of an American Diplomat During World War II" (New York: Doubleday, 2004). Tittmann's papers document Vatican diplomacy during the critical period of World War II. Topics discussed include the bombing of Rome, reaction to Nazi atrocities, efforts to make Rome and "open city," the status of diplomats stationed in the Vatican, Allied prisoners entering Vatican City, and the progress of the Allied forces in Italy, to name a few. Also of interest is a diary kept by Harold H. Tittmann, III describing his experiences at ages 14 and 15 inside Vatican City from 1943 to 1944. The Harold H. Tittmann, Jr. Papers are contained in 9 archival boxes (4.5 linear feet).
SERIES SYNOPSIS:
SERIES 1 - Correspondence with Individuals. Arranged alphabetically.
SERIES 2 - Mark W. Clark Correspondence. Arranged chronologically.
SERIES 3 - Rev. Robert A. Graham, S.J. Correspondence. Arranged chronologically.
SERIES 4 - Correspondence with Myron C. Taylor. Arranged chronologically.
SERIES 5 - Correspondence with Eleanor Tittmann. Arranged chronologically.
SERIES 6 - Correspondence from Harold H. Tittmann, Jr. to Harold H. Tittmann, III. Arranged chronologically.
SERIES 7 - Correspondence from Harold H. Tittmann, Jr. to his Mother. Arranged chronologically.
SERIES 8 - Correspondence from Barclay Tittmann. Arranged chronologically.
SERIES 9 - Correspondence from Harold H. Tittmann, III. Arranged chronologically.
SERIES 10 - Manuscripts. Arranged alphabetically.
SERIES 11 - Rough Drafts of Harold H. Tittmann, Jr.'s memoirs. Arranged roughly by chapter.
SERIES 12 - Audio Cassette Tapes. Arranged chronologically.
SERIES 13 - Additional Materials.
SERIES 14 - Subsequent Materials.
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.
Harold H. Tittmann, Jr. (1893-1980) was a career foreign service official who had a distinguished career spanning 38 years of service. He was born on January 8, 1893, in St. Louis, Missouri, the son of Harold Hilgard Tittmann and Emma Roe (Copelin). Tittmann graduated from Yale in 1916. During World War I, he served in the U.S. Army Air Service, and he was seriously wounded in an attack. After World War I, Tittmann embarked on a foreign service career. In 1921, he became Third Secretary to the American Embassy in Paris. Then, in 1925, he was assigned to Italy. Tittmann married Eleanor Dulaney Barclay in 1928, and the couple had two sons, Harold H. Tittmann, III (born in 1929) and Barclay Tittmann (born in 1932). In 1936, the elder Tittmann worked in the U.S. State Department Division of Western European Affairs. In 1939, he was appointed Consul General in Geneva, Switzerland. Soon thereafter, in 1940, Tittmann became a part-time assistant to Myron C. Taylor, who had been appointed by President Franklin D. Roosevelt as a Special Representative to Pope Pius XII. In 1940, Tittmann worked as a Counselor to Rome, but was re-posted at the Vatican, this time as Charge d'Affaires. He stayed on as Taylor's assistant in Rome from 1944 through 1946 when he was transferred to serve as U.S. Ambassador to Haiti. From 1948 until 1955, Tittmann was U.S. Ambassador to Peru. From 1955 to 1958, he was Director of Intergovernmental Committee for European Migration. Tittmann retired from the foreign service in 1958. He devoted himself to writing his memoirs, which were published by his son in 2004. Harold H. Tittmann, Jr. died at age 87 in Manchester, Massachusetts on December 29, 1980.
Sources:
-Tittmann, Harold H., III. "Inside the Vatican of Pius XII: The Memoir of an American Diplomat During World War II" (New York: Doubleday, 2004).
- "Who Was Who in America." Vol. 8, 1985, p. 399.
4.5 Linear Feet (9 boxes)
English
Gift of Harold H. Tittmann, III 3/5/2009.
Part of the Georgetown University Manuscripts Repository