Naval History and Heritage Command

Finding aid (Word)

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 from 1969 to 1973. After returning to the U.S., he became Under Secretary, then Secretary of the Navy from 1974 to 1977, and was President and Chief Executive Officer of Financial General Bankshares from 1977 to 1981. In 198,1 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, Archives Branch, Naval History and Heritage Command, 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.

For associated photographic materials, please visit the photo archive donated collections related to J. William Middendorf