John J. Corson (#56)

An Inventory of His Personal Papers
1927-1983
At the John F. Kennedy Library
National Archives and Records Administration

Administrative Information
Biographical Note
Collection Overview
List of Series
Series Description
 

Administrative Information

Abstract
Papers 1927-1983
Management consultant, Presidential adviser. Case files, writings, and speeches relating to the Presidency and to public administration.

Access
Open.

Usage Restrictions
According to the deed of gift signed June 1981, copyright of these materials has been assigned to the United States.

Copyright
The copyright law of the United States (Title 17, United States Code) governs the making of photocopies or other reproductions of copyrighted material.  Under certain conditions specified in the law, libraries and archives are authorized to furnish a photocopy or other reproduction.  One of these specified conditions is that the photocopy or reproduction is not to be “used for any purpose other than private study, scholarship, or research.”  If a user makes a request for, or later uses, a photocopy or reproduction for purposes in excesses of “fair use,” that user may be liable for copyright infringement.  This institution reserves the right to refuse to accept a copying order if, in its judgment, fulfillment of the order would involve violation of copyright law.  The copyright law extends its protection to unpublished works from the moment of creation in a tangible form.  Direct your questions concerning copyright to the reference staff.

Provenance
Received from John J. Corson of McLean, VA, in July 1978 (Acc. 1979-024).

Extent
About 30,000 pages (13 linear feet, 2 linear inches ; 15.0 cubic feet)

Date Opened
January 1998

Processed by
Jared Crellin

Encoded by
James M. Roth

Biographical Note

Collection Overview
The Personal Papers of John J. Corson document Mr. Corson’s careers as a journalist, professor, consultant, writer, and Presidential advisor for the period 1927-1983, with the bulk of the material ending in 1977. The collection is comprised of correspondence, papers, reports, and speeches. The strength of the collection lies in its subject matter, especially information on higher education, business administration, and governmental administration. A large portion of the collection is devoted to Mr. Corson’s work with the Bureau of Old Age and Survivors Insurance, the International Executive Service Corps, and the Restaff committee to the Executive Branch of the Federal Government at the Policy Level. There are also a number of files from the mid 1920's through the mid 1930's, from Corson’s early work as a journalist.

List of Series

Series Description

Series 1. Subject File, 1927-1977.
Arrangement:alphabetical.

Subject files span the majority of Corson’s professional career, beginning with files relating to his position as a research assistant at the University of Virginia Institute for Research in the Social Sciences. Though the contents of this series consists of a variety of subjects, the majority fall under the broad categories of Higher Education, Labor, or Business/Governmental Administration. The type of materials that are found within the files include; correspondence, reports, reference materials, and daily schedules.

Series 2. Speeches and Writings, 1927-1983.

This series consists of three subseries: Speeches; Writings; and Books. The topics of the speeches and writings reflect the issues pertaining to Corson’s various positions.

Subseries 2.1. Speeches, 1929-1977.
Arrangement: chronological.

Speeches given by Corson, 1929-1977. There is a vast range of subjects.

Subseries 2.2. Writings, 1927-1977.
Arrangement: chronological.

Various writings written between 1927 and 1977. There is a vast range of materials, from small pieces for The Richmond New Leader to more substantial articles for such journals as, Public Administration Review . Included is a work of fiction entitled, "The Lost Moment," which Corson wrote using the pen name J. Turner Nance in 1944.

Subseries 2.3. Books.
Arrangement: chronological.

Books written, co-written, or edited by Mr. Corson or which mention Mr. Corson. Arranged chronologically by publication date, except for the revised edition of The Governance of Colleges and Universities , which is placed with the original edition. Includes Mr. Corson’s 1932 doctoral dissertation and an unpublished autobiography that he wrote in 1983 for his grandchildren, Your Grandfather (What He Did and What He Was Like, Or Thereabouts) .