Finding aid to the Vernon McKay (1912–1988) papers, ca. 1935-1977
Collection Summary
Collection Title: Vernon McKay (1912-1988) papers, ca. 1935-1977
Call number/identifier: 8
Origination: Vernon McKay
Extent: 121 boxes
Physical location: Melville J. Herskovits Library of African Studies
Languages: All materials are in English
Repository: Melville J. Herskovits Library of African Studies , Evanston, IL
Abstract: Fundamentally a research file, the collection mainly consists of printed materials, government documents, seminar papers, research data, reports, broadsides, and newsclippings collected by McKay during his career as a scholar, teacher, administrator, and employee of the United States Department of State.
Subjects
McKay, Vernon--Correspondence
African American Institute--Records and correspondence
African Studies Association--Records and correspondence
United Nations--Africa
Africa--Foreign relations
Africa--Politics and government--20th century
Africa--Study and teaching--United States
Administrative Information
Provenance
The Vernon McKay Papers were purchased from Vernon McKay in June, 1979.
Processor
David Gaynon/Lisa B. Williams, May 1982
Separated material
The following material was transferred to the Africana Library:
5 feet of pamphlets
The following material was discarded:
2 feet of duplicates
3 feet of newsclippings and printed materials unrelated to Africa
Restrictions
None.
Abstract: Fundamentally a research file, the collection mainly consists of printed materials, government documents, seminar papers, research data, reports, broadsides, and newsclippings collected by McKay during his career as a scholar, teacher, administrator, and employee of the United States Department of State.
Biography
Vernon McKay was born in Independence, Kansas, on October 8, 1912, the son of Peter Miller and Myrtle Ethyl Pierson McKay. He received his A.B. degree from Baker University in Baldwin, Kansas, in 1933. After receiving his M.A. from Syracuse University in 1934, he was appointed to the position of Taft Teaching Fellow at the University of Cincinnati for the years 1934 through 1936. In the summer of 1935 he traveled to Europe to study at the School of International Studies in Geneva and conduct research for his dissertation at the Bibliotheque Nationale, returning to marry Lila Buck on September 22, 1935. Upon completion of his dissertation on the French acquisition of Tunisia, Cornell University awarded McKay the Ph.D. in history in 1939.
McKay was appointed lecturer in history at Syracuse University in 1936 and promoted to assistant professor in 1940. He left Syracuse in 1945 to become a research associate with the Foreign Policy Association. His first major publication, The Future of Italian Colonies, followed in 1946.
In 1948, McKay joined the United States Department of State as chief of the Political Section of the African Research Bureau. He subsequently became deputy director of the Office of Dependent Area Affairs and served on United States delegations to the United Nations' General Assembly, Trusteeship Council, and Committee on Information from Non-Self-Governing Territories. During his years with the State Department, McKay remained an active researcher and scholar of African affairs, producing many important publications, including “Nationalism in British West Africa,” Foreign Policy Reports (March 15, 1948); “British Rule in West Africa,” Foreign Policy Reports (May 15, 1948): “The Impact of the United Nations on Africa,” in Africa Today (Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 1955): and “Too Slow or Too Fast?”, Foreign Affairs (January 1957).
McKay resigned from the State Department in September 1956 to become Professor of African Studies and Director of the Program of African Studies at the School of Advanced International Relations, John Hopkins University, a position he held for more than twenty years. In addition to his teaching responsibilities, McKay participated in numerous professional activities and served as a consultant to the United States government and several private agencies during his tenure at Johns Hopkins. He also published several books and numerous articles about Africa, including: “External Political Pressures on Africa Today,” in The United States and Africa (New York: American Assembly, 1958); “Apartheid in a Hostile World,” Africa Report (December 1960); Africa in World Politics (New York: Harper and Row, 1963); “The Impact of Islam on Relations Among the New African States,” in Islam and International Relations (New York: Praeger, 1965); “South African Propaganda: Methods and Media,” Africa Report (February 1966); African Diplomacy, edited by Vernon McKay (New York: Praeger, 1966); Africa in the United States, edited by Vernon McKay (New York: MacFadden-Bartell, 1967); “The Research Climate in Eastern Africa,” African Studies Bulletin (April 1968); and “Southern Africa and its Implications for American Policy,” in Southern Africa and the United States (New York: Columbia University Press, 1968).
McKay's professional affiliations include the African Studies Association, the American Historical Association, the American Political Science Association, the Council on Foreign Relations, the International Africa Institute, the International Institute of Differing Civilizations, the Royal African Society, the South African Institute of Race Relations, and the Cosmos Club. He has served as a member of the United States Commission for UNESCO, 1960-1966; as chairman of the American Selection Committee, United States-South African Faculty Exchange Program, 1961; as president of the African Studies Association, 1961-1962; as chairman of the Advisory Council on African Affairs, United States Department of State, 1962-1968; as a member of the Advisory Committee of International Organization Affairs, United States Department of State, 1965-1969; as a member of the Board of Directors of the African-American Institute, 1965-1969; and as a consultant on African Affairs to the Carnegie Corporation, the Ford Foundation, the International Cooperation Administration, the Grolier Society, and Project Africa of Carnegie Mellon University. Baker University awarded him an honorary L.L.D. in 1961.
Poor health forced McKay to retire from Johns Hopkins in the late 1970s. He died on October 4, 1988.
Scope and Content note
The Vernon McKay Papers document McKay's career as a scholar, teacher, administrator, and employee of the United States Department of State. Fundamentally a research file, the collection mainly consists of printed materials, government documents, seminar papers, research data, reports, broadsides, and newsclippings collected by McKay. These materials, as well as some correspondence, are foldered together in three subseries: the Country File, the Topical File, and Personal Papers.
Insofar as possible, the arrangement scheme devised by McKay has been retained. While some simplifications of this arrangement have been introduced, the basic categories used are McKay's. Partial indexes indicating the original order of various subsections are included at the beginning of the subsection. No attempt has been made to date undated printed and research materials; dates on folders refer primarily to trips, conferences, instructional materials, and runs of correspondence. The Topical Files are arranged alphabetically by subject unless otherwise indicated. Within folders, correspondence (if any) is generally first, followed by printed and research materials.
Country File. This file contains miscellaneous information about African nations. Files on Pre-Independence Africa are followed by those on African nations; within each group, arrangement is alphabetical. The country file contains correspondence, government documents, reports, seminar papers, research data, and newsclippings. Some material included here documents McKay's work with the United States Department of State.
Topical File: African Studies and Research. This large file is divided into six subsections. Organizations contains information about numerous organizations concerned with African affairs and African studies, arranged alphabetically by organization name. This file consists primarily of printed material issued by particular organizations to publicize their respective programs or activities.
Universities consists chiefly of printed material issued by various colleges and universities to publicize their African studies programs or conferences, arranged alphabetically by university name.
Universities: African States contains correspondence and printed materials pertaining to higher education in African nations. Arrangement in alphabetical by nation.
Foundations documents the activities of various foundations with an interest in African affairs and illuminates McKay's activities as a consultant for several foundation. Arrangement of the material, which includes correspondence, reports, printed materials, and newsclippings, is alphabetical by name of foundation.
United States Government contains correspondence, reports, government documents, and curriculum materials documenting McKay's role in various agencies and programs of the United States government.
Conferences and Committees is composed of correspondence, printed materials, and newsclippings pertaining to scholarly conferences on African affairs, and meetings and other activities of advisory committees to the United States government.
Topical File: Background of Modern Africa. The arts, economics, politics, and religion in modern Africa are the focii of this file, which consists of correspondence, research notes and papers, printed materials, newsclippings, and reports.
Topical File: Foreign Policy in Africa. This file is divided into three subsections. The first, United States, contains information about interests affecting the formulation of American foreign policy in Africa, about foreign policy issues facing the United States, and about the policy machine that plans and implements American foreign policy. Correspondence, government documents, reports, research notes, articles, newsclippings, student research papers, and printed materials are included.
Soviet Union is composed of correspondence, reports, printed materials, newsclippings, and seminar papers concerning Russian foreign policy toward Africa.
Other includes principally Arab, European, Canadian, Indian, Israeli, and Japanese foreign policy in Africa, although information about the Arab slave trade and the concept of Eurafrica is included as well. The file consists of correspondence, newsclippings, printed material, reports, and seminar papers.
Topical File: International Organizations. This file deals mainly with the United Nations and the various African issues brought before it, including the Cameroons and Togoland colonial issues. Correspondence, reports, government documents, newsclippings, seminar papers, and printed materials are included.
Topical File: Pan Africanism. This file, consisting of printed materials, newsclippings, seminar papers, and correspondence, contains information about the political organizations and conferences that have arisen out of the Pan African movement. Material is filed alphabetically; folders filed under political conferences are arranged chronologically by date of conference.
Topical File: Propaganda About Africa. This file includes not only propaganda, but also information about the propaganda issued by various groups attempting to influence public opinion about African (particularly southern African) issues. There is also a considerable amount of information about American conservatives and their role in the determination of their nation's foreign policy regarding Africa. The file contains correspondence, printed materials, newsclippings, research notes, and seminar papers.
Topical File: Southern Africa. Apartheid, economics, education, politics, and social relations are among the topics covered in this file about southern Africa. Correspondence, newsclippings, reports, printed materials, letters, notes from McKay's southern Africa trip, and research notes and papers make up the file.
Personal Papers: Correspondence. This file, consisting of correspondence regarding professional activities, is subdivided into three sections: correspondence, position queries, and memos. Correspondence is arranged alphabetically by the correspondent's surname and, within this framework, arranged chronologically. Position queries (requests for information about possible vacancies) follow correspondence and are in chronological order. Memos to and from the Academic Board Committee, which McKay chaired at Johns Hopkins University, are followed by administrative memos, also dating from McKay's tenure at Johns Hopkins.
Personal Papers: Research Trips. This file documents McKay's various research trips to Europe and Africa through notes, correspondence, and printed material. Also included in this file is information about McKay's participation in the Research Liaison Committee of the African Studies Association, which visited Africa around 1967. The file is arranged chronologically by date of trip.
Personal Papers: Publications and Research. This file contains correspondence; drafts of papers, speeches, and articles by McKay; printed material and newsclippings; a bibliography of McKay's publications; and a biographical sketch. McKay's publishing activities are illuminated by the considerable correspondence with his publishers. Arrangement is alphabetical by subject.
Personal Papers: Photographs. These visual images of African life, apparently collected by McKay, are arranged in alphabetical order by country. Unidentified photographs are found at the end of the file.
Personal Papers: Instructional Materials. This file is separated into two segments, the first concerning McKay's course entitled “African Issues in International Relations,” the second concerning his course entitled “History and Politics of Southern Africa.” Each segment consists of printed materials, reports, correspondence, course syllabi, and seminar papers, arranged according to a topical scheme devised by McKay.
Container List
Country File
Pre-Independence Africa Belgian African Colonies [ Box 1 Folder 1 ] British Central Africa 1955-1958 [ Box 1 Folder 2 ] British East Africa [ Box 1 Folder 3 ] British West Africa 1947-1948 [ Box 1 Folder 4 ] French Equatorial Africa [ Box 1 Folder 5 ] French West Africa [ Box 1 Folder 6 ] Italian Colonies 1945 [ Box 1 Folder 7 ] Portuguese African Colonies [ Box 1 Folder 8 ] African Nations Index [ Box 1 Folder 9 ] Algeria [ Box 1 Folder 10 ] Angola [ Box 2 Folder 1 ] Basutoland [ Box 2 Folder 2 ] Botswana [ Box 2 Folder 3 ] Burundi [ Box 2 Folder 4 ] Cameroon [ Box 2 Folder 5 ] Cameroon 1970 [ Box 2 Folder 6 ] Central African Republic [ Box 2 Folder 7 ] Chad [ Box 2 Folder 8 ] Congo (Brazzaville) [ Box 2 Folder 9 ] Dahomey 1967 [ Box 2 Folder 10 ] Djibouti (French Territory of Afars and Issas) [ Box 2 Folder 11 ] Egypt 1957-1963 [ Box 3 Folder 1 ] Ethiopia [ Box 3 Folder 2 ] Economics [ Box 3 Folder 3 ] Eritrea [ Box 3 Folder 4 ] Government and Political Development [ Box 3 Folder 5 ] Italian Relations 1930 [ Box 3 Folder 6 ] United Nations [ Box 3 Folder 7 ] U.S. Relations [ Box 3 Folder 8 ] Gabon [ Box 3 Folder 9 ] Ghana [ Box 3 Folder 10 ] Ghana [ Box 3 Folder 11 ] Ghana [ Box 4 Folder 1 ] Ghana [ Box 4 Folder 2 ] Ghana [ Box 4 Folder 3 ] British Colonial Administration [ Box 4 Folder 4 ] Cocoa Industry [ Box 4 Folder 5 ] Correspondence 1961-1972 [ Box 4 Folder 6 ] Economics [ Box 4 Folder 7 ] Education [ Box 4 Folder 8 ] Gold Coast Gazette [ Box 5 Folder 1 ] Gold Coast Gazette [ Box 5 Folder 2 ] Information and Documents on Africa [ Box 5 Folder 3 ] Jon Krauss Manuscript [ Box 5 Folder 3 ] Book 1 [ Box 5 Folder 4 ] Book 2 [ Box 5 Folder 5 ] Book 3 [ Box 5 Folder 6 ] Newsclippings [ Box 5 Folder 7 ] Political Development [ Box 5 Folder 8 ] Political Development [ Box 6 Folder 1 ] Press [ Box 6 Folder 2 ] United Nations [ Box 6 Folder 3 ] Guinea [ Box 6 Folder 4 ] Guinea [ Box 6 Folder 5 ] Guinea-Bissau (Portuguese) [ Box 6 Folder 6 ] Ivory Coast [ Box 6 Folder 7 ] Ivory Coast [ Box 6 Folder 8 ] Ivory Coast [ Box 6 Folder 9 ] Ivory Coast [ Box 6 Folder 10 ] Kenya General [ Box 7 Folder 1 ] General [ Box 7 Folder 2 ] Economic [ Box 7 Folder 3 ] Emergency [ Box 7 Folder 4 ] Emergency [ Box 7 Folder 5 ] Newsclippings [ Box 7 Folder 6 ] Political [ Box 7 Folder 7 ] Political [ Box 8 Folder 1 ] Social [ Box 8 Folder 2 ] Lesotho 1956 [ Box 8 Folder 3 ] Liberia General [ Box 8 Folder 4 ] General [ Box 8 Folder 5 ] General [ Box 8 Folder 6 ] Articles by Vernon McKay [ Box 8 Folder 7 ] Economic Development [ Box 8 Folder 8 ] Issues in the U.N. [ Box 9 Folder 1 ] Politics [ Box 9 Folder 2 ] Public Health Program [ Box 9 Folder 3 ] Soviet Relations [ Box 9 Folder 4 ] U.S. Economic Cooperation [ Box 9 Folder 5 ] U.S. Relations [ Box 9 Folder 6 ] Libya [ Box 9 Folder 7 ] Madagascar [ Box 9 Folder 8 ] Madagascar [ Box 9 Folder 9 ] Malagasy Republic [ Box 9 Folder 10 ] Malawi [ Box 9 Folder 11 ] Mali [ Box 9 Folder 12 ] Mauritania [ Box 9 Folder 13 ] Mauritius [ Box 9 Folder 14 ] Morocco [ Box 9 Folder 15 ] Morocco [ Box 10 Folder 1 ] Morocco [ Box 10 Folder 2 ] Morocco [ Box 10 Folder 3 ] Mozambique [ Box 10 Folder 4 ] Niger [ Box 10 Folder 5 ] Niger [ Box 10 Folder 6 ] Nigeria [ Box 10 Folder 7 ] Nigeria [ Box 10 Folder 8 ] Nigeria [ Box 11 Folder 1 ] Nigeria [ Box 11 Folder 2 ] Nigeria [ Box 11 Folder 3 ] Nigeria [ Box 11 Folder 4 ] Anthropological Aspects [ Box 11 Folder 5 ] Biafra [ Box 11 Folder 6 ] Biafra [ Box 11 Folder 7 ] Biafra [ Box 11 Folder 8 ] Biafra [ Box 12 Folder 1 ] Biafra [ Box 12 Folder 2 ] Correspondence 1947-1948 [ Box 12 Folder 3 ] Correspondence 1967-1969 [ Box 12 Folder 4 ] Bibliographies [ Box 12 Folder 5 ] Economics [ Box 12 Folder 6 ] Newsclippings [ Box 12 Folder 7 ] Political Development and Administration [ Box 12 Folder 8 ] Political Development and Administration [ Box 12 Folder 9 ] United Nations Relations [ Box 12 Folder 10 ] United States Relations [ Box 12 Folder 11 ] Northern Rhodesia Copperbelt 1957 [ Box 12 Folder 12 ] Copperbelt [ Box 13 Folder 1 ] Nyasaland [ Box 13 Folder 2 ] Rhodesia [ Box 13 Folder 3 ] Rhodesia and Nyasaland Federation [ Box 13 Folder 4 ] Rhodesia and Nyasaland Federation [ Box 13 Folder 5 ] Rhodesia and Nyasaland Federation [ Box 13 Folder 6 ] Rhodesia and Nyasaland Federation [ Box 13 Folder 7 ] Africaners 1957 [ Box 13 Folder 8 ] Anti [ Box 13 Folder 9 ] Asians [ Box 13 Folder 10 ] Capricorn Africa Society [ Box 13 Folder 11 ] Capricorn Africa Society [ Box 13 Folder 12 ] Capricorn Africa Society [ Box 14 Folder 1 ] Correspondence 1957 [ Box 14 Folder 2 ] Correspondence 1957-1958 [ Box 14 Folder 3 ] Dominion States Issue [ Box 14 Folder 4 ] Economy [ Box 14 Folder 5 ] Education [ Box 14 Folder 6 ] Elections [ Box 14 Folder 7 ] Federation Issue [ Box 14 Folder 8 ] Franchise [ Box 14 Folder 9 ] Government [ Box 14 Folder 10 ] Immigration [ Box 14 Folder 11 ] Interracial Association 1957-1958 [ Box 14 Folder 12 ] Newsclippings [ Box 14 Folder 13 ] Newsclippings [ Box 14 Folder 14 ] Partnership 1955-1958 [ Box 14 Folder 15 ] Photography [ Box 14 Folder 16 ] Politics [ Box 14 Folder 17 ] Pro [ Box 15 Folder 1 ] Research [ Box 15 Folder 2 ] Segregation [ Box 15 Folder 3 ] University [ Box 15 Folder 4 ] Rwanda [ Box 15 Folder 5 ] Senegal [ Box 15 Folder 6 ] Senegal [ Box 15 Folder 7 ] Sierra Leone [ Box 15 Folder 8 ] Economic Development [ Box 15 Folder 9 ] Political Development [ Box 15 Folder 10 ] Somali [ Box 15 Folder 11 ] Somali [ Box 15 Folder 12 ] Correspondence 1961 [ Box 15 Folder 13 ] Southern Rhodesia [ Box 15 Folder 14 ] Southern Rhodesia [ Box 16 Folder 1 ] Southern Rhodesia [ Box 16 Folder 2 ] Southern Rhodesia [ Box 16 Folder 3 ] Southern Rhodesia [ Box 16 Folder 4 ] Southern Rhodesia [ Box 16 Folder 5 ] Southern Rhodesia Newsclippings [ Box 16 Folder 6 ] Southwest Africa [ Box 16 Folder 7 ] Southwest Africa [ Box 16 Folder 8 ] Southwest Africa [ Box 16 Folder 9 ] Southwest Africa [ Box 17 Folder 1 ] Southwest Africa [ Box 17 Folder 2 ] Southwest Africa Correspondence 1966 [ Box 17 Folder 3 ] Sudan [ Box 17 Folder 4 ] Swaziland 1961 [ Box 17 Folder 5 ] Tanzania [ Box 17 Folder 6 ] Tanzania [ Box 17 Folder 7 ] Tanzania [ Box 17 Folder 8 ] Correspondence 1951-1967 [ Box 17 Folder 9 ] Economic [ Box 18 Folder 1 ] Educational [ Box 18 Folder 2 ] Political [ Box 18 Folder 3 ] Political [ Box 18 Folder 4 ] Social [ Box 18 Folder 5 ] Trusteeship [ Box 18 Folder 6 ] Togo 1966 [ Box 18 Folder 7 ] All Ewe Conference [ Box 18 Folder 8 ] Anglo-French Administration of Trust Territory [ Box 18 Folder 9 ] Anglo-French Administration of Trust Territory [ Box 18 Folder 10 ] Anglo-French Administration of Trust Territory [ Box 19 Folder 1 ] Economics [ Box 19 Folder 2 ] The Ewe Problem General [ Box 19 Folder 3 ] General [ Box 19 Folder 4 ] As an Issue in the U.N. Trusteeship Council [ Box 19 Folder 5 ] Ewe-Togoland Unification [ Box 19 Folder 6 ] Newsclippings [ Box 19 Folder 7 ] Political Development [ Box 19 Folder 8 ] United Nations [ Box 19 Folder 9 ] United Nations [ Box 20 Folder 1 ] United Nations [ Box 20 Folder 2 ] U. S Relations [ Box 20 Folder 3 ] Tunisia [ Box 20 Folder 4 ] Uganda [ Box 20 Folder 5 ] Uganda [ Box 20 Folder 6 ] Economic [ Box 20 Folder 7 ] Educational [ Box 20 Folder 8 ] Political [ Box 20 Folder 9 ] Social [ Box 20 Folder 10 ] Union of South Africa [ Box 20 Folder 11 ] Upper Volta [ Box 20 Folder 12 ] Zaire [ Box 20 Folder 13 ] Zaire [ Box 21 Folder 1 ] Zaire [ Box 21 Folder 2 ] Zaire [ Box 21 Folder 3 ] Zaire [ Box 21 Folder 4 ] Zaire [ Box 21 Folder 5 ] Belgian Relations [ Box 21 Folder 6 ] Correspondence 1962-1974 [ Box 21 Folder 7 ] Economics [ Box 21 Folder 8 ] Education [ Box 21 Folder 9 ] Middle African Issues [ Box 21 Folder 10 ] Race Relations [ Box 21 Folder 11 ] Union Miniere Du Haut-Katanga [ Box 21 Folder 12 ] U.S. Policy [ Box 21 Folder 13 ] Zambia [ Box 22 Folder 1 ] Zambia [ Box 22 Folder 2 ] Zambia [ Box 22 Folder 3 ] Zambia [ Box 22 Folder 4 ] Zambia [ Box 22 Folder 5 ] Zambia [ Box 22 Folder 6 ] Correspondence 1957-1976 [ Box 22 Folder 7 ] Zanzibar [ Box 22 Folder 8 ]
Topical File
African Studies and Research Organizations Index to files [ Box 23 Folder 1 ] Africa Bureau 1965-1969 [ Box 23 Folder 2 ] Africa House 1960 [ Box 23 Folder 3 ] Africa Institute [ Box 23 Folder 4 ] Africa Investors and Placement Service [ Box 23 Folder 5 ] Africa League 1962 [ Box 23 Folder 6 ] Africa Report 1969 [ Box 23 Folder 7 ] Africa Research Bureau [ Box 23 Folder 8 ] Africa Service Institute 1964 [ Box 23 Folder 9 ] Africa Society of Japan 1963 [ Box 23 Folder 10 ] Africa Today 1970 [ Box 23 Folder 11 ] Africa Writing Center (Kitwe, Northern Rhodesia) [ Box 23 Folder 12 ] African American Institute Board of Trustees Minutes and Correspondence 1965 April-May [ Box 23 Folder 13 ] 1965 June August