Collection of Ambassador J. William Middendorf

Biographical Note

John William Middendorf II was born 22 September 1924, in Baltimore, Maryland. He received a Bachelor of Naval Science from Holy Cross College in 1945 and a Bachelor of Arts degree from Harvard University in 1947. He also graduated from New York University Graduate School of Business Administration, receiving an M.B.A. in 1954.

Middendorf was the United States Ambassador to the Netherlands from1969-1973. After returning to the U.S., he became Under Secretary, then Secretary of the Navy from 1974-1977, and was President and Chief Executive Officer of Financial General Bankshares from 1977-1981. In 1981 he was named Permanent Representative of the United States of America to the Organization of American States, with the rank of Ambassador.

Scope and Content Note

This collection consists of photocopies of documents on early American history collected by Ambassador J. William Middendorf. Included are documents on the Revolutionary period and early republic, letters and documents from the Civil War, and a lesser number of items from the late 19^th century. Of note in the collection are a handwritten manuscript of "The American Soldier" from about 1820 and a proclamation of safety on the seas for the newly created American Navy.

The collection is organized in a single series, Historical Papers, and arranged alphabetically by subject.

Preferred Citation

Collection of J. William Middendorf, Operational Archives, Naval Historical Center, Washington D.C.

Subject Headings (LCSH)

United States--History--Civil War, 1861-1865.
United States. Navy--History--Civil War, 1861-1865.
United States--History--19^th century.
United States. Navy--History--19^th century.
United States--History--Revolution, 1775-1783.
United States--History--Constitutional period, 1789-1809.

Extent

0.25 cubic feet

19 August 2003

Collection of Ambassador J. William Middendorf, 1777-1865

Collection of Ambassador
J. William Middendorf,
1777-1865