Warren, George L. Papers

Adviser on Refugees and Displaced Persons, Department of State, 1944-1968; U.S. Representative to the Intergovernmental Committee for European Migration, 1953-1966

The papers of George L. Warren consist of addresses and articles by Warren, correspondence, publications from the Intergovernmental Committee for European Migration, and reports and other printed material pertaining to Warren’s work as a government adviser and expert on refugees, displaced persons, and European migration.

[Administrative Information | Biographical Sketch | Collection Description | Series Descriptions | Folder Title List]

---

ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION

Size: 1 linear foot (about 2,000 pages).
Access: Open.
Copyright: George L. Warren donated his literary property rights in his writings in this collection, and in any other collection of papers at the Harry S. Truman Library, to the United States of America.
Processed by: Erwin J. Mueller (1974)
Updated by: Ryan R. Roedel (2005) as part of the Truman Library Internship Program.
Supervising Archivists: Randy Sowell and David Clark.

[ Top of the page | Administrative Information | Biographical Sketch | Collection Description | Series Descriptions | Folder Title List ]

---

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH

1890, (March 13)		Born, Wellesley Massachusetts
1909-1910		Worked with the Associated Charities of Boston caring for homeless men during his last two years at Harvard
1910		Received A.B. degree, Harvard University
1919 (October 15)		Married Gertrude Cunniff
1919-1928		Lived in Bridgeport, Connecticut where he served as Chairman of the Homer Service Committee of the American Red Cross
1928-1938		Worked for the International Migration Service
1938		Adviser to the U.S. Representative, Evian Conference on Refugees, Evian, France
1938-1944		Served on the President's Advisory Committee on Political Refugees
1944-1946		Member of the U.S. delegation to the Second, Third, Fourth, and Fifth Sessions of the Council of United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration
1944-1968		Adviser on Refugees and Displaced Persons, Department of State
1946		U.S. Representative to the U.N. Special Committee on Refugees and Displaced Persons
1946		Adviser to the U.S. Representative, U.N. Economic and Social Council
1947-1948		U.S. Representative to the Preparatory Commission, International Refugee Organization
1948-1950		Adviser to the U.S. delegates, U.N. General Assembly
1948-1952		U.S. Representative to the General Council and Executive Committee, International Refugee Organization
1953-1966		U.S. Representative to the Intergovernmental Committee for European Migration
1981 (March 28)		Died, Washington D.C.

[ Top of the page | Administrative Information | Biographical Sketch | Collection Description | Series Descriptions | Folder Title List ]

---

COLLECTION DESCRIPTION

The papers of George L. Warren consist mostly of documents relating to his position as the adviser on refugees and displaced persons, Department of State, 1944-1968, and his position as the U. S. Representative to the Intergovernmental Committee for European Migration, 1953-1966. The bulk of the material is from publications dealing with the refugee problem in Europe before, during, and after World War II.

As World War II approached in Europe, President Franklin D. Roosevelt began to understand the impact refugees and displaced persons within Europe were going to have on the world and the United States. Roosevelt called for the Evian Conference on Refugees and organized the President’s Advisory Committee on Political Refugees. Warren was appointed the secretary for the President’s Advisory Committee on Political Refugees and was made the adviser to Myron Taylor, the U.S. representative at the Evian Conference.

In 1944, Warren began work for the Department of State as the principal advisor on refugees and displaced persons, a post he would hold until 1968. For thirteen years (1953-1966) during his time with the Department of State, Warren was also the U.S. Representative to the Intergovernmental Committee for European Migration, which produced many of the documents in this collection.

The Warren Papers deal with mostly refugees and displaced persons. The collection contains some biographical information on Warren as well as addresses given and articles written by Warren for publication in the Encyclopedia Britannica, the New International Year Book, and miscellaneous magazines. The Warren Papers contain published reports dealing with the U.S. involvement in the international refugee problem and the Office of the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees. Mostly, this collection contains publications and writings by Warren dealing with the refugee problem from 1930-1964. In these documents, there are facts and figures concerning displaced persons and their repatriation from World War II, the Arab and Israeli conflicts, Korea, Africa, Latin America, and other areas of the world impacted by internal and external refugees.

The Truman Library has other archival collections relating to refugees and displaced persons after World War II, including the Myron C. Taylor Papers, the Harry N. Rosenfield Papers, and the Records of the President’s Committee on Immigration and Naturalization.

[ Top of the page | Administrative Information | Biographical Sketch | Collection Description | Series Descriptions | Folder Title List ]

---