COLLECTION Identifier: hyl00013

Papers of Joseph Buttinger, 1945-1979

Scope and Contents

Contains personal papers of Buttinger, including correspondence, drafts of speeches and typescripts of position papers relating to Vietnam and to his activities with the International Rescue Committee. A significant portion of the papers are copies of outgoing letters to American political leaders expressing Buttinger's views on U.S. involvement in Vietnam. Also includes handwritten drafts of Buttinger's books; and copies of Buttinger's published articles on Vietnam, with related correspondence and published reviews of his books. 415 black and white photos ( 18 x 13 cm. in 1 box)relating to Vietnam are also included in this collection.

Dates

Creation: 1945-1979

Language of Materials

English

Extent

15 boxes

Additional Description

Biographical / Historical

Buttinger was born in Austria in 1906, came to the U.S. in 1939, becoming a U.S. citizen in 1943. From 1934 to 1938 he served as Chairman of the Central Committee of the Austrian Social-Democratic underground movement. He served as European director of the International Rescue Committee (a private American refugee relief organization) from 1945 to 1947 and again after the Hungarian Revolution of 1956; and continued to be a member of the board. From 1957 to 1965 he was executive chairman of the American Friends of Vietnam. He spent time in Vietnam in 1954, working for the International Rescue Committee, and in 1958 and 1973. He has written several books on Vietnam.