Collection: Lev E. Dobriansky Papers | Georgetown University Archival Resources

Scope and Contents

The Lev Dobriansky Papers comprise the personal papers of economist, educator, and diplomat Lev E. Dobriansky, who taught at Georgetown University from 1948 to 1986 and served as director of the Institute on Political and Economic Systems at Georgetown University from 1970 to 1986. The papers include personal correspondence; printed materials; and documents about the Fund for American Studies, the University Club, the Victims of Communism Memorial, and the National Captive Nations Committee.

Contents of the unprocessed portions of the collection have not been evaluated.

Dates

1950 - 2002
Majority of material found within 1980 - 1998

Creator

Dobriansky, Lev E. (Person)

Conditions Governing Access

Portions of this collection are currently unprocessed and access to those portions may therefore be limited. Researchers are advised to contact the Booth Family Center for Special Collections for more information.

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.

Conditions Governing Use

Researchers are solely responsible for determining the copyright status of the materials being used, establishing who the copyright owner is, locating the copyright owner, and obtaining permission for intended use.

Biographical Note

Economist, educator and diplomat, Lev E. Dobriansky, born in New York City in 1918, received his B.A. and M.A. in Economics from New York University while simultaneously studying philosophy at Fordham University from 1938-1942. After receiving his Ph.D. in Economics from New York University in 1951 he began a teaching career that would continue at Georgetown University (1948-1986) and the National War College (1957-1958). Professor Dobriansky served as director of the Institute on Political and Economic Systems at Georgetown University from 1970 to 1986, and was a longtime participant in the Georgetown University Radio and TV Forum in the 1950s and 1960s. As a member of the U.S. Army Reserve, 352nd Civil Affairs Unit at Georgetown between 1958-1967, Dobriansky earned the rank of colonel. He wrote over 500 articles and congressional testimonies on communism, foreign policy and the USSR as well as the congressional resolutions establishing Captive Nations Week (Public Law 86-90), Public Law 86-749, authorizing the erection of a statue of the Ukrainian poet laureate and national leader, Taras Shevchenko, and the Religious Freedom in the U.S.S.R. Resolution (97th congress, Joint Congressional Resolution 18). Lev E. Dobriansky authored, co-authored and edited many books including Veblenism, A New Critique (1957), The Vulnerable Russians (1967) and The Soviet Myth (1971). As an advisor, Dobriansky served as the chairman of the National Captive Nations Committee and since 1994, the Victims of Communism Foundation as well. He also led Global Economic Action from 1987 to 1992 as president, and served as the president of the American Council for World Freedom from 1976 to 1979 and the Ukrainian Congress Committee of America from 1949 to 1982. From 1982 to 1986 Dobriansky represented the U.S. as the Ambassador to the Bahamas. Lev E. Dobriansky died on January 30, 2008.