FULL APPENDIX: CAPITALS OF THE WORLD

At the height of world capital boosterism in December 1945, the United Nations and newspaper accounts typically reported that between thirty and fifty suggestions for the headquarters site had been received. That size and scope of interest has since been repeated in historical accounts. The more extensive list below has been compiled from the United Nations Archives, the Harry S. Truman Presidential Library, the Congressional Record, various local newspapers, local government records, and collections of personal papers. The range and scope of proposals indicates the previously unexplored public fascination with the prospect of creating a capital of the world and offers a source base for investigating the evolving relationship between local, regional, and national identity, and global consciousness.
Alaska 1. Anchorage (suggestion) In November 1945, an editorial in the Anchorage Daily Times suggested that Anchorage could meet all of the UNs requirements as well as offer land already owned by the federal government and favorable business conditions. The suggestion was ridiculed in the San Francisco Chronicle, whose reporter noted that the town recently added a few cement walks and could be counted upon to provide a magnificent one-story world capitol of slat board, modern even to the extent of inside toilet facilities.1 Arizona 2. Douglas (suggestion) James L. Kennedy, a private citizen, wrote to the UN on December 24, 1945, to suggest Douglass location on the dividing line between the Spanish Republics and the English-speaking countries of the Western hemisphere and its position midway between the capital of China on the West, and the capital of U.S.S.R. on the East. He also pointed out the climate, water supply, and access to rail transportation.2 3. Grand Canyon (suggestion) Lee F. Jones of Pasadena, California, wrote to President Harry S. Truman on December 3, 1945, to suggest that the UN headquarters be placed within the depths of the Grand Canyon.3

1 2

Jack Foisie, Anchorages Hat in Ring for World Capital, San Francisco Chronicle, November 16, 1945. James L. Kennedy to United Nations Organization, December 24, 1945, Records of the Preparatory Commission of the United Nations Registry Files (S-0539), Box 4, File 15, UN Archives. 3 Suggestion acknowledged by William D. Hassett to Lee F. Jones, December 7, 1945, Truman Official Files (OF85), Box 522, Harry S. Truman Presidential Library, Independence, Mo.

Arkansas 4. Intersection of Arkansas, Missouri, and Oklahoma (suggestion) An Oklahoma City man, Henry T. Miller, wrote to President Truman on December 29, 1945, to suggest that the UN be placed on a tract of land at this location, which he proposed to rename as Roosevelt, I.D. (International District).4 California 5. Berkeley (invitation) In a resolution passed during the UNs first conference in San Francisco in May 1945, the Berkeley City Council argued that because of close proximity to San Francisco, the birthplace of the United Nations charter, it would be exceedingly appropriate to have the [world] Capital situated in this City.5 6. Catalina Island (suggestion) A resident of Los Angeles, Maria Wolters, wrote to Governor Earl Warren on February 27, 1946, to suggest Catalina Island.6 7. Crystal Springs (campaign) Sites north and south of the Crystal Springs chain of lakes were offered in October 1946 as San Francisco boosters sought counterparts to the UNs favored but controversial suburban sites near New York City.7 8. Los Angeles (suggestion) Although the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors and Chamber of Commerce endorsed San Franciscos campaign, Los Angeles appeared among suggestions from individuals. Interest in making L.A. the world capital was reported by the Philadelphia Record on March 30 1945; an individual from Santa Monica wrote to the UN in December 1945 to suggest Los Angeles County for its association with Spanish missionaries, its friendly people, transportation services, climate, and varied environment; and in October 1946, local resident R.A. Vanderlinde wrote to Governor Earl Warren to suggest L.A.s Elysian Park.8 9. Marin County San Pablo Bay (suggestion) A real estate agent in Berkeley, Calif., E.E. Webster, suggested the northern shore of San Pablo Bay in Marin County to Governor Earl Warren in a letter on November 13, 1945.9 10. Monterey Peninsula (suggestion) S.F.B. Morse, president of Del Monte Properties Company, suggested Monterey on the basis of its climate, beauty, resort hotels, and location 100 miles from San Francisco. The city of Monterey is the most historically important town in California, he stated in a letter on October 27, 1945. It was the capital of this region both under the Spanish and Mexican regimes, and is situated dead center of the state. A resident of Los Angeles, Jack Brunt, also suggested to the Governor of California that the UN be placed somewhere along the 17-mile drive between Monterey and Carmel by the sea. The

William D. Hassett to Henry T. Miller, January 9, 1946 (acknowledging letter of December 29, 1945), Box 524, Truman Official Files (OF85A), Harry S. Truman Presidential Library, Independence, Mo. 5 Berkeley City Council Resolution 27,979-N.S., document undated, Records of the Preparatory Commission of the United Nations Registry Files (S-0539), Box 4, File 15, UN Archives. 6 Maria Wolters to Earl Warren, February 27, 1946, Federal Files United Nations Conference (F3640:17358), California State Archives, Sacramento, Calif. 7 S.F.s Bid For U.N., San Francisco Chronicle, October 12, 1946. 8 Los Angeles, Our Sister, San Francisco Chronicle, November 14, 1945; L.A. Backs UNO Bid, San Francisco Call Bulletin, November 21, 1945; La Pobre Nadie to Members of the UN Conference, December 11, 1945, Records of the Preparatory Commission of the United Nations Registry Files (S0539), Box 4, File 15, UN Archives; R.A. Vanderlinde to Earl Warren, October 29, 1946, Federal Files United Nations Conference (F3640:17358), California State Archives, Sacramento, Calif. 9 E.E. Webster to Earl Warren, November 13, 1945, and Jack Brunt to Earl Warren, November 15, 1946, Federal Files United Nations Conference, Earl Warren Papers, California State Archives, Sacramento.

11.

12.

13. 14. 15. 16.

17.

Monterey Peninsula was discussed by visiting site inspectors a year later but rejected as too distant from San Francisco.10 Moraga Valley / Contra Costa County (campaign) Interest in Contra Costa County was reported by the press as early as March 30, 1945, and a campaign to bring the UN to the Moraga Valley was endorsed by the Contra Costa Supervisors and underway by September. The campaign called attention to large expanses of land in the valley as well as its accessibility by highway from San Francisco. The Moraga Valley idea revived a year later as part of San Franciscos efforts to offer regional locations, but site inspectors eliminated this East Bay site in favor of other possibilities closer to San Francisco.11 [reference to brochures in UN files origins?] Palm Springs (invitation) The Palm Springs Chamber of Commerce delivered an early invitation for a UN headquarters to President Roosevelt in March 1945, but additional interest emerged in connection with an elaborate plan to create a peace memorial called the Tower of Civilization and World Unity in Palm Springs. The promoter of the memorial project, Parker W. Meade of San Diego, submitted an extensive proposal to expand his memorial plans into a world capital, with a world university, to be located near San Francisco.12 Palo Alto (suggestion) Andrew Swanson, a resident of San Francisco, suggested to California Governor Earl Warren on January 6, 1946, that the UN locate in Palo Alto to be close to Stanford University.13 Pleasanton (suggestion) The old Hearst ranch in Pleasanton, east of San Francisco, was suggested by the ranch manager, John A. Marshall, in a letter to Governor Earl Warren on November 20, 1946.14 Redwood Empire (invitation) In an early move to secure the UN in California, the California Legislature passed a resolution on April 7, 1945, to place the headquarters in the Redwood grove in the Wests Redwood Empire.15 San Francisco (campaign) Extensive efforts to retain the UN at the site of its first conference were initiated by the San Francisco Chamber of Commerce in March 1945 and followed up by offers of countryside sites near Crystal Springs on the San Francisco Peninsula and in Contra Cost County later in the year. UN site inspectors also took interest in the Presidio, but ultimately rejected the West Coast as being too distant from European capitals. (See Chapters 1, 2, 3, 5, and 9). San Simeon (suggestion) Despite the strong isolationist position of William Randolph Hearst, a resident of San Francisco, Jerome Landfield, suggested the Hearst Estate at San Simeon because of its magnificent buildings and available land. I take it for granted that [Hearst] must realize what white elephant San Simeon would be after his death, since it is

10

S.F.B. Morse to Gladwyn Jebb, October 27, 1945, Records of the Preparatory Commission of the United Nations Registry Files (S-0539), Box 7, File 18, UN Archives; UN Delegates Eye Presidio and Skyline, San Francisco News, November 22, 1946. 11 Philadelphia Record, March 30, 1945; Governors Office Inter-Office Memorandum, September 28, 1945, Earl Warren Papers, Federal Files United Nations Conference, California State Archives, Sacramento; Capital of the United Nations in the Moraga Valley on San Francisco Bay, promotional booklet, n.d. [c. September-October 1945], California Historical Society, San Francisco; UN Delegates Eye Presidio and Skyline, San Francisco News, November 22, 1946. 12 Parker W. Meade to Earl Warren, March 22, 1945, Earl Warren Papers, Federal Files United Nations Conference, California State Archives, Sacramento; various documents and clippings on peace memorial plan also in Warren Papers, Federal Files UNCIO, January-April 1945. 13 Andrew Swanson to Earl Warren, January 6, 1946, Federal Files United Nations Conference (F3640:17358), California State Archives, Sacramento, Calif. 14 John A. Marshall to Earl Warren, November 20, 1946, Federal Files United Nations Conference (F3640:17358), California State Archives, Sacramento, Calif. 15 Resolution quoted in telegram to Earl Warren, October 28, 1946, Federal Files United Nations Conference (F3640:17358), California State Archives, Sacramento, Calif.

18.

19. 20. 21.

not suited to any public use and that it is most unlikely that anyone could be found able and willing to acquire it for a residence, Landfield wrote to Governor Earl Warren on March 12, 1946.16 Santa Barbara (suggestion) A private citizen, Mary M. Simpson, proposed Santa Barbara in a letter to Governor Earl Warren on November 21, 1946. Where is there a more cultural, educational atmosphere, wonderful climate, winter sports, beaches, etc., etc., than in Santa Barbara? she asked, reflecting some of the UN diplomats expectations for a world capital.17 Santa Clara County (invitation) The chairman of the Board of Supervisors, C.P. Cooley, wrote to the UN on January 9, 1946, to invite consideration of Santa Clara County on the basis of its climate and available sites.18 Santa Rosa (suggestion) A private citizen, Leo B.F. Jenkins, wrote on January 18, 1946, to urge consideration of this location where God has seen fit to create the fairest and most beautiful valley in all the world.19 Treasure Island and Yerba Buena Island (suggestion) Harold French, a resident of Oakland, suggested these world known islands near San Francisco to California Governor Earl Warren in a letter on November 12, 1945. Man-made Treasure Island was the site of the Golden Gate International Exposition in 1939-40, and nearby Yerba Buena Island served as the connecting point for the two spans of the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge, completed in 1936.20

Colorado 22. Colorado Springs (suggestion) Robert Barnstone of the Colorado Sterling Silver Company wrote to President Truman and to Adlai Stevenson in December 1945 to promote Colorado Springs as a quiet restful town with Americas most healthful climate. He described Colorado Springs as having the charm and peace of Geneva plus the best of American living. Officially, however, the Colorado Springs Chamber of Commerce endorsed Denvers bid to become the world capital.21 23. Denver (campaign) James A. Marsh, an attorney and Democratic National Committeeman, launched the campaign in October 1945 to make Denver the Geneva of the Western Hemisphere. With the backing of Mayor Benjamin Stapleton and the Denver Chamber of Commerce, University of Colorado President Robert L. Stearns carried the case directly to

16

Jerome Landfield to Earl Warren, March 12, 1946, Federal Files United Nations Conference (F3640:17358), California State Archives, Sacramento, Calif. 17 Mary M. Simpson to Earl Warren, November 21, 1946, Earl Warren Papers, Federal Files United Nations Conference, California State Archives, Sacramento, Calif. 18 C.P. Cooley to UN General Assembly, January 9, 1946, Records of the Preparatory Commission of the United Nations Registry Files (S-0539), Box 4, File 16, UN Archives. 19 Leo B.F. Jenkins to UNO, January 18, 1946, Records of the Preparatory Commission of the United Nations Registry Files (S-0539), Box 4, File 16, UN Archives. 20 Harold French to Earl Warren, November 12, 1945, Earl Warren Papers, Federal Files United Nations Conference, California State Archives, Sacramento, Calif.; Jack James and Earle Weller, Treasure Island: The Magic City, 1939-40 (San Francisco: Pisani Printing and Publishing Co., 1941), 3-19. 21 Quoted in Adlai Stevenson to Gladwyn Jebb, December 19, 1945, Records of the Preparatory Commission of the United Nations Registry Files (S-0539), Box 4, File 15, UN Archives; William D. Hassett to Robert Barnestone, December 28, 1945, Truman Official Files (OF85), Box 522, Harry S. Truman Presidential Library, Independence, Mo.; George Collisson to True C. Adams, November 20, 1945, in Denver Chamber of Commerce Records, Box 141 (November 1, 1945, to May 1, 1946), Denver Public Library, Denver, Colorado.

the UN in London, but all sites west of the Mississippi River were eliminated because of their distance from Europe. (See Chapters 5 and 6.)22 24. Dolores (suggestion) On the letterhead of New Age Gardens, private citizen Parker C. Kendall wrote to President Truman and to his fellow world citizens in November and December 1945, to suggest this location in the San Juan Basin, offering also our Light of Reason on any debatable question.23 25. Una (suggestion) The idea to transform this small community into a new city for the UN came from Anna C. Hoyt, an employee of the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, Mass., who wanted the new world capital to be called Una, for United Nations Association. She discovered that Una already existed on the Colorado River between the De Beque and Grand Valleys.24 Connecticut Governor Raymond E. Baldwin invited UN site inspectors to review possible locations in Connecticut in a telegram on December 31, 1945, following the diplomats decision to focus on areas near New York City and Boston. The site inspection group included parts of Fairfield County in its tour and ultimately ignited a public controversy by selecting a site that included parts of Greenwich. (See Chapters 7 and 8.)25 26. Hartford (invitation) Mayor Cornelius A. Moylan called the UNs attention to Hartfords location midway between Boston and New York in a telegram on December 24, 1945, and indicated the organization could locate in the city or in one of the nearby small towns. Along with climate, transportation, and educational institutions, Hartford was one of the few world capital hopefuls to mention its high class industries.26 27. New Haven (invitation) Charles A. Williams, president of the New Haven Chamber of Commerce, wired the UN on December 18, 1945, to call attention to New Havens rail connections to major U.S. cities, its equable climate, available sites, and the experts in international law, politics, and economics at Yale University.27 28. New London / Waterford (invitation) Mayor James A. May and other city officials wrote to Edward Stettinius on December 29, 1945, to promote the Greater New London area, including New London, Waterford, and Groton, as a location between New York and Boston with railroad connections and no labor troubles.28

22

Drive to Make Denver UNO Capital Begun, Rocky Mountain News, November 1, 1945; Denvers campaign is documented in the Records of the Denver Chamber of Commerce, Box 141 (November 1, 1945, to May 1, 1946), Denver Public Library, Denver Colorado. 23 Parker C. Kendall to UN Preparatory Commission, December 28, 1945, Records of the Preparatory Commission of the United Nations Registry Files (S-0539), Box 4, File 16, UN Archives; suggestion to Truman acknowledged by William D. Hassett to Parker C. Kendall, December 7, 1945, Truman Official Files (OF85), Box 522, Harry S. Truman Presidential Library, Independence, Mo. 24 Woman Wants UNO Site Located at Una, Colorado, Denver Post, December 18, 1945. 25 Raymond E. Baldwin to Gladwyn Jebb, December 31, 1945, and related correspondence in RG 5 Office of the Governor, Raymond E. Baldwin, Box 476, Connecticut State Archives, Hartford, Connecticut. 26 Cornelius A Moylan to Chairman, Committee on Site of the United Nations Organization, December 24, 1945, Records of the Preparatory Commission of the United Nations Registry Files (S-0539), Box 4, File 15, UN Archives. 27 Charles A. Williams to UN, December 18, 1945, copy of telegram in RG 5 Office of the Governor, Raymond E. Baldwin, Box 476, Connecticut State Archives, Hartford, Connecticut. 28 James A. May and others to Edward R. Stettinius Jr., December 29, 1945, Records of the Preparatory Commission of the United Nations Registry Files (S-0539), Box 4, File 16, UN Archives.

29. New Milford (suggestion) Secretary of State James F. Byrnes received the suggestion of New Milford from George Harvey, a local resident and former borough president of Queens County, New York.29 30. Ridgefield (invitation) Ruth Sunny Cutten offered her estate known as Sunset Hall in an invitation relayed to the UN by U.S. Senator Brien McMahon on December 15, 1945, and she dispatched a representative to London to issue a personal appeal. In January 1946, the UN inspection group toured her property during its circuit of suburban locations north of New York City. Chamber of Commerce officials 15 miles to the south in Norwalk, Connecticut, encouraged the UN to consider Cuttens property together with about a dozen other estates as the setting for its headquarters. (See Chapters 5 and 7).30 31. Stamford (invitation) A local real estate developer, Arthur I. Crandall, conceived of the idea of Stamford as world capital, leading to a formal invitation from the Stamford Board of Selectmen on December 1, 1945. Stamfords invitation drew attention to a larger site including parts of nearby Greenwich, the UNs first controversial choice for its headquarters.31 Florida 32. Jacksonville (invitation) Pointing out that Florida had an international heritage including France, Spain, England, and the United States, the Jacksonville Chamber of Commerce invited the UN to place the world capital on St. Johns Bluff, where Admiral Jean Ribault of the French Navy established a settlement in 1562. The invitation, sent to the UN on September 12, 1945, called attention to Jacksonvilles location on the main line of world aviation as well as its railroads and steamship lines.32 33. Miami (campaign) In Miami, which served as a World War II hub for military transportation, housing, training, and hospitalization, the campaign to attract the UN originated with a Navy officer, Rear Admiral C.D. Leffler Jr. In addition to offering an East Coast location with a favorable climate year-round, the Miami Chamber of Commerce argued that as a resort city, Miami would spare the UN any entanglements with industrial labor conflicts. In a promotional booklet filled with statistics and photographs of seaside hotels and grand estates, the boosters suggested that the UN place its headquarters in Villa Vizcaya, the Bicayne Bay estate of the late James Deering, an International Harvester executive. U.S. Senator Claude Pepper made a personal appeal for Miami while in London in December 1945, but the city was eliminated with all other contenders in the South.33

29 30

New Milford in Race, Providence Journal, January 17, 1946. Brien McMahon to Gladwyn Jebb, December 15, 1945, and other correspondence in Records of the Preparatory Commission of the United Nations Registry Files (S-0539), Box 4, File 16, and Box 8, File 1, UN Archives; Ralph Kellogg to Walter Sharp, January 7, 1946, RG 5 Office of the Governor, Raymond E. Baldwin, Box 476, Connecticut State Archives, Hartford, Connecticut. 31 Area of Stamford Boosted as Site for Home of UNO, Stamford Advocate, December 24, 1945; Crandall, Author of UNO Site Idea, Offers New Plan to Meet Objections, Stamford Advocate, February 15, 1946. 32 W.S. Johnson to Preliminary Organization, UN Council, September 12, 1945, Records of the Preparatory Commission of the United Nations Registry Files (S-0539), Box 4, File 15, UN Archives. 33 Miami Tells Charms in Bid for UNO Home, Miami Herald, December 10, 1945; Advantages of Establishing the Headquarters of the United Nations Organization in Miami, Florida, Records of the Preparatory Commission of the United Nations Registry Files (S-0539), Box 5, File 1, UN Archives; Claude S. Pepper Personal Diaries, December 1-12, 1945, Series 439, Box 2, Folder 2, Claude Pepper Library, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Fla.

Georgia 34. Warm Springs (suggestion) An Atlanta lawyer, Piromis Bell, wrote of his idea for creating a world capital at Warm Springs as a memorial to Franklin Roosevelt in correspondence in May 1945 with his friend Chase S. Osborn, the former governor of Michigan.34

Hawaii
35. Honolulu County (campaign) After learning of the developing competition at the National Governors Conference in July 1945, Governor Ingram M. Stainback initiated a campaign to attract the UN to Honolulu. (Earlier, President Roosevelt also commissioned a secret inquiry into the possibility of placing the UN on the Hawaiian island of Niihau.) In contrast to other contenders who stressed their proximity to world capitals, the Hawaiians stressed the advantages of being far enough removed from any of the potentially explosive situations of the world. Aided by a public relations firm, the Kudner Agency, Hawaiis bid included a 55pound, large-format promotional book delivered to London in October 1945.35 Idaho 36. Farragut (suggestion) Clark Collins of the Spirit Lake Chamber of Commerce and E.G. Younger of the Coer dAlene Chamber of Commerce wrote to President Truman in December 1945 to recommend the U.S. Naval Training Station on Lake Pend Oreille in Northern Idaho.36 Illinois 37. Champaign County (invitation) Champaign appeared on a list of the UNs received invitations in December 1945.37 38. Chicago (campaign) In June 1945, Mayor Edward Kelly initiated a vigorous campaign to create a world capital in Chicago on the site of the Century of Progress Exposition. Chicago appealed directly to the UN in London, but the city was eliminated with the rest of the Midwest region because of its reputation for isolationism. (See Chapter 3, 5, and 6.) 39. Morris (suggestion) Jo Ann Chally, a local resident, wrote to President Harry Truman to suggest this location in November 1945.38 Indiana Indiana took the unusual booster stance of stressing the advantages of being typical, along with calling attention to some particular attributes. Governor Ralph F. Gates initiated a campaign to bring the United Nations to Indiana, writing to the UN on October 17, 1945, that Indiana is the typical state of the United States containing the center of population. He also called attention to the states transportation facilities and its residents sacrifices for the war effort. As possible sites, Indiana offered several of its parks (described below). Lieutenant Gov. Richard T. James
34

Piromis Bell to Chase Osborn, May 11, 1945, and Chase Osborn to Piromis Bell, May 16, 1945, Box 92, Chase S. Osborn Papers, Bentley Historical Library, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. 35 Officials Get Hawaiis Bid for UN Site, Honolulu Advertiser, October 11, 1945; Alger Hiss to Edward Stettinius Jr., October 12, 1945, Records of the Preparatory Commission of the United Nations Registry Files (S-0539), Box 4, File 21, UN Archives; Hathaway Watson to Ingram Stainback, December 4, 1945, Truman Official Files (OF85), Box 522, Harry S. Truman Presidential Library, Independence, Mo.; Memorandum, Conversation between the President, the Secretary of State, and the Under Secretary, September 6, 1944, Reel 34, Cordell Hull Papers, New York Public Library. 36 Suggestion acknowledged by William D. Hassett to Clark Collins and E.G. Younger, December 28, 1945, Truman Official Files (OF85), Box 522, Harry S. Truman Presidential Library, Independence, Mo. 37 Interim Committee on Headquarters, Document PC/ICH/W7, December 27, 1945, UN Archives. 38 Suggestion acknowledged by William D. Hassett to Jo Ann Chally, November 20, 1945, Truman Official Files (OF85), Box 522, Harry S. Truman Presidential Library, Independence, Mo.

traveled to London to present Indianas claims, but the state was eliminated with the rest of the Midwest, which diplomats viewed as too isolationist. (See Chapters 5 and 6).39 40. Dunes State Park (campaign) If the UN desired a site near a city, Indiana officials offered Dunes State Park, located on Lake Michigan only 14 miles from downtown Chicago. Such a site will be only a few minutes from the Illinois metropolis when hydroplane service is established, an Indianapolis newspaper columnist imagined.40 41. French Lick Springs (suggestion) While promoting Indianas parks for the UNs consideration, Governor Ralph F. Gates also suggested the possibility of this internationally famous spa. Earlier, French Lick also was mentioned as a contender for the UNs first conference by Secretary of State Edward Stettinius Jr., who thought it could be useful to hold such a meeting in an isolationist section of the country.41 42. Indianapolis (suggestion) An editorial in The Indianapolis News on May 15, 1945, suggested that Indianas capital city should be promoted to the UN because its facilities could match anything being offered by Chicago, Philadelphia, and San Francisco. Setting aside this early suggestion, Indiana officials looked instead to state parks as potential sites for the UN.42 43. Lincoln State Park (campaign) Indianas governor described this park northeast of Evansville as a location with both a practical and symbolic appeal because of its scenic beauty and its association with Abraham Lincoln and the tremendous blow which he struck for human freedom.43 44. Madison (suggestion) Overlooking the Ohio River, Madisons bluffs should be offered to the UN as Riviera of America, a resident of Indianapolis, John Coulter, suggested to Governor Ralph Gates in November 1945. Other sites near Madison mentioned in Indianas proposals, but not among the featured offers of the campaign, included Clifty Falls State Park and the government-owned Jefferson Proving Ground.44 45. Michigan City / International Friendship Gardens (campaign) At the instigation of its public relations director, F.I. Lackens, International Friendship Gardens became a featured site in the Indiana governors appeal to the UN and nearby Michigan City considered itself a contender by virtue of proximity. Governor Ralph F. Gates described the gardens as 100 acres of land dedicated to the various nations of the world and noted the projects origins at the Century of Progress Exposition in Chicago in 1933. He called attention to the gardens location just one hour from Chicago by train or highway.45

39

Ralph F. Gates to Executive Committee, UN Preparatory Commission, October 17 and 18, 1945, and additional correspondence in Records of the Preparatory Commission of the United Nations Registry Files (S-0539), Box 5, File 8, UN Archives; additional correspondence related to Indianas campaign in Papers of Ralph F. Gates, 1944-48, Indiana State Library, Indianapolis, Ind. Brief accounts of the campaign also appear in documents of the Indiana Department of Commerce and Public Relations, in Governors Papers, Ralph F. Gates, Indiana State Archives, Indianapolis, Ind. 40 Maurice Early, The Day in Indiana, Indianapolis Star, December 2, 1945; Dunes Area Up as UN Capital, Indianapolis Star, December 9, 1945. 41 Ralph F. Gates to Gladwyn Jebb, November 7, 1945, Records of the Preparatory Commission of the United Nations Registry Files (S-0539), Box 5, File 8, UN Archives; Memorandum of the Under Secretary of State, September 2, 1944, Reel 34, Cordell Hull Papers, New York Public Library. 42 Why Not Indianapolis? Indianapolis News, May 15, 1945. 43 Ralph F. Gates to Gladwyn Jebb, November 7, 1945, Records of the Preparatory Commission of the United Nations Registry Files (S-0539), Box 5, File 8, UN Archives. 44 Maurice Early, The Day in Indiana, Indianapolis Star, November 30, 1945. 45 Ralph F. Gates to Gladwyn Jebb, November 7, 1945, Records of the Preparatory Commission of the United Nations Registry Files (S-0539), Box 5, File 8, UN Archives; Michigan City May Furnish Capital Site, Michigan City News-Dispatch, November 8, 1945; City May Be Permanent UNO Center, Michigan City News-Dispatch, November 16, 1945.

46. Pokagon State Park (campaign) The governor of Indiana promoted this state park as a possible UN location on the basis of its available acreage and the recreational opportunities of Lake James. He noted the land was once ruled by the powerful Potawatomi Indian tribes.46 47. South Bend (invitation) The executive secretary of the South Bend Association of Commerce, E.L. Bach, invited the UN to consider his citys location on cross-country transportation routes and its cultural, educational, and medical facilities. South Bend is typically American and middle-west in character and would offer much insight to visitors of other nations, he wrote on November 9, 1945. In turn, the middle-west of this country would be further enlightened by the proximity of such an international institution. His view of the Midwest differed from UN diplomats, who eliminated all prospects in the region because of its reputation for isolationism.47 48. Straw Town (suggestion) Clara J. Nuzum, the manager of the Auto License Branch in Elwood, Indiana, wrote to her governor to suggest this location on October 19, 1945. She described Straw Town, northeast of Indianapolis, as ideal: It is almost the geographical center of the state; it lacked only one vote when the site of the state capital was chosen; transportation facilities are available; there is all the room wanted for great airports; White River at that spot offers opportunity for scenic effects, natural and artificial; it does not encroach upon existing cities in carrying out the plan of making the peace city an entirely new one. She suggested naming the new city Gates, after the governor.48 Kansas 49. Lebanon (suggestion) Forest R. Rees, president of the American Explorers organization, wrote to President Truman in December 1945 to nominate Lebanon, the U.S. geographical center. Mrs. Ira Lauderdale of Austin, Texas, also wrote to President Truman to urge that the UN be located somewhere in the state of Kansas as that is the geographical center of the United States.49 50. Newton (suggestion) A real estate salesman, Jacob J. Regler, wrote to Eleanor Roosevelt on October 24, 1946, to suggest his town as a location for an underground headquarters to protect the UN from atomic bombs. Regler wrote that Newton would be ideal for this purpose because of its deep water table and lack of earthquakes.50 51. Olathe (invitation) Blanche Worrell Nicholson of Clearfield, Utah, wrote to President Truman in December 1945 to offer a 42-acre site at Olathe, which she identified as the exact geographical center of the United States. The Presidents staff noted that she owns it and would give it gratis.51 Louisiana 52. New Orleans (campaign) The New Orleans Association of Commerce campaigned for the UNs consideration beginning in October 1945. The boosters promoted their city as the most centrally located city in this country with reference to all the Americas, especially Latin
46

Ralph F. Gates to Gladwyn Jebb, November 7, 1945, Records of the Preparatory Commission of the United Nations Registry Files (S-0539), Box 5, File 8, UN Archives. 47 E.L. Bach to Location Committee, United Nations, November 9 and November 14, 1945, Records of the Preparatory Commission of the United Nations Registry Files (S-0539), Box 7, File 17, UN Archives. 48 Clara J. Nuzum to Ralph Gates, October 19, 1945, Box 3, Folder 9, Papers of Ralph F. Gates, 1944-48, Indiana State Library, Indianapolis, Ind. 49 William D. Hassett to Mrs. Ira Lauderdale, December 28, 1945, Truman Official Files (OF85), Box 522, and Forest R. Rees to President Truman, December 31, 1945, Truman Official Files (OF85A), Box 524, Harry S. Truman Presidential Library, Independence, Mo. 50 Jacob J. Regler to Eleanor Roosevelt, October 24, 1946, Box 4563, Eleanor Roosevelt Papers, Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library, Hyde Park, N.Y. 51 Acknowledged by William D. Hassett to Blanche Worrell Nicholson, January 4, 1946, Truman Official Files (OF85A), Box 524, Harry S. Truman Presidential Library, Independence, Mo.

America. They also called attention to the citys French and Spanish heritage and plans for other international projects such as a Pan-American exposition or Olympic Games. They proposed two possible sites: on the south shore of Lake Ponchartrain within the city limits, or on the north shore of the Lake on property including parts of the parishes (counties) of St. Tammany, Washington, and Tangipahoa. Unable to make air travel arrangements in time to make a pitch personally to the UN, the boosters relied on presentation delivered by a journalist, foreign correspondent Frederick Oechsner, a former resident of New Orleans. Like all other southern hopefuls, New Orleans lost its chance when the diplomats excluded the South because of expectations of racial discrimination. (See Chapters 5 and 6).52 Maine 53. Bar Harbor (invitation) Although Governor Horace Hildreth stated publicly that Maine did not have the educational or housing facilities the UN needed, he nevertheless relayed an invitation from Bar Harbor stressing its qualities as a summer resort and accessibility via great circle route [from Europe] only thirteen hours by air. UN delegates discussed the invitation but concluded that Bar Harbor was too far away from major metropolitan areas. (See Chapter 6.)53 54. Lucerne (suggestion) Responding to reports that the British desired a small town in the East, the Bangor Daily News on December 20, 1945, suggested Lucerne, a town nine miles from Bangor with a touch of the old world in the new with scenery beyond compare. The newspaper pointed out that Bangors airport would permit travel from London within twelve hours time.54 55. Presque Isle (invitation) In a telegram on December 30, 1945, the local Chamber of Commerce invited the UN to consider the accessibility of the Presque Isle Army Air Field.55 56. Sanford (suggestion) A woman who signed her letter Mary Elizabeth wrote to the UN on December 27, 1945, to suggest Sanford. We do not have the worldlyness of our great cities to offer you, she wrote. We have only one air port, the best on the east coast. Yet God has given us the most wonderful gifts of nature. She closed her letter with a prayer for peace.56 57. York (invitation) The Selectmen of York invited the UN with a telegram on January 2, 1946, that promoted their towns advantages from an unspecified historical, cultural, geographic, and practical standpoint.57 Maryland 58. Baltimore (invitation) Mayor Theodore R. Keldin extended an invitation by writing to the U.S. Secretary of State on July 25, 1945. The Baltimore City Council followed up with a resolution on October 8, 1945, that promoted the citys proximity to the national capital and

52

A.P. Fant to Edward R. Stettinius Jr., October 30, 1945, and other correspondence in Records of the Preparatory Commission of the United Nations Registry Files (S-0539), Box 7, File 6, UN Archives; Association of Commerce Board of Directors Minutes, November 13, 1945, Special Collections, University of New Orleans; New Orleans Bid is Given to UNO, Times-Picayune, December 21, 1945. 53 Associated Press, Cites Maines Housing Lack, Boston Post, November 25, 1945; Horace Hildreth to Gladwyn Jebb, December 28, 1945, and Owen Brewster to Gladwyn Jebb (n.d.), Records of the Preparatory Commission of the United Nations Registry Files (S-0539), Box 4, File 15, UN Archives. 54 Bangor Daily News to the Secretary, UN Preparatory Committee, December 20, 1945, Records of the Preparatory Commission of the United Nations Registry Files (S-0539), Box 4, File 15, UN Archives. 55 Chamber of Commerce, Presque Isle, to Preparatory Council, December 30, 1945, Records of the Preparatory Commission of the United Nations Registry Files (S-0539), Box 4, File 16, UN Archives. 56 Mary Elizabeth to UN Preparatory Commission, December 27, 1945, Records of the Preparatory Commission of the United Nations Registry Files (S-0539), Box 4, File 16, UN Archives. 57 Selectmen, Town of York, to UNO, January 2, 1946, Records of the Preparatory Commission of the United Nations Registry Files (S-0539), Box 4, File 16, UN Archives.

other major metropolitan areas as well as its location on the Chesapeake Bay and its world renowned Johns Hopkins Hospital, Medical School, and University.58 59. Kent Island (suggestion) A resident of Kent Island wrote to U.S. Senator Millard Tydings on February 5, 1946, to suggest a property south of his farm as more affordable than the Connecticut site recommended by the UN site inspectors.59 Massachusetts 60. Andover (invitation) With UN site inspectors on the way to Boston, the Andover Town Selectmen notified Governor Maurice Tobin of their desire to offer a site in Andover.60 61. Auburn (invitation) Frank H. Allan, chairman, Board of Selectmen extended Auburns invitation on Christmas Day, 1945, with promises of access to an airport, railroad center, four colleges, and golf courses.61 62. Belmont (invitation) A committee of civic leaders chaired by Harvard history professor Donald C. McKay presented Governor Maurice Tobin with a map identifying 315 acres of Belmont and suggested that this might be connected with additional property in Lexington, Waltham, and Concord to provide a sufficient site for the UN.62 63. Beverly (campaign) A civic committee including Mayor Daniel E. McLean, the Chamber of Commerce, and the managing editor of the Beverly Evening Times, mobilized at the end of December 1945 to attract the UN this North Shore community. Boosters stressed Beverlys history as a site of summer homes for diplomats, its transportation connections, and recreational opportunities including bathing, yachting, and polo.UN site inspectors visited Beverly in January 1946 and again in November 1946, but opted for a New York-area location instead of Boston. (See Chapters 6 and 7.)63 64. Boston (campaign) Led by Governor Maurice Tobin, Boston initiated its campaign in October 3, 1945, and carried its proposal directly to the UN in London. Their efforts succeeded in repeated visits to the Boston area by UN site inspection teams, but the diplomats opted instead for the suburbs of New York and ultimately New York City. (See Chapters 4, 5, 6, 7, and 9.) 65. Boylston (suggestion) See Worcester. 66. Bridgewater (invitation) An offer from Bridgewater arrived during the UNs narrowing of site choices at the end of December 1945.64 67. Cambridge (invitation) To support the effort to attract the UN to the Boston area, in November 1945 the City Manager of Cambridge, John B. Atkinson, commissioned plans for a headquarters to be constructed facing the Charles River or on the shore of Fresh Pond. Drawings by an unidentified architect showed a mid-rise, four-sided headquarters with a lagoon at its center, a dome resembling the Massachusetts State House, and a surrounding park. Atkinson argued that Cambridge, the original laboratory in democracy, is, as a result
58

Theodore R. Keldin to Secretary of State, July 25, 1945, and Resolution No. 497, City Council of Baltimore, October 8, 1945, Records of the Preparatory Commission of the United Nations Registry Files (S-0539), Box 6, File 8, UN Archives. 59 PGS to Millard Tydings, February 5, 1946, copy in Box 575, Clare Booth Luce Papers, Library of Congress. 60 Town of Andover, Near State Forest, Offered to UNO, Boston Globe, January 4, 1946. 61 Frank H. Allan to UN Organization, December 25, 1945, Records of the Preparatory Commission of the United Nations Registry Files (S-0539), Box 4, File 15, UN Archives. 62 Belmont Joins Bidders for UNO Capital Site, Boston Globe, January 3, 1946. 63 Propose Beverly as UNO Site, Beverly Evening Times, December 27, 1945; Daniel E. McLean and others to Ben Cohen, December 30, 1945, Records of the Preparatory Commission of the United Nations Registry Files (S-0539), Box 4, File 15, UN Archives; Beverly, Massachusetts Welcomes United Nations Organization, promotional booklet (January 1946), Box 40, Huntington Gilchrist Papers, Library of Congress. 64 Interim Committee on Headquarters, Document PC/ICH W.7/Rev. 1, December 28, 1945.

of the war, one of the worlds greatest scientific research centers, an important matter for the UNO to consider. The Cambridge City Council questioned the potential loss of taxable property, but Atkinson prevailed and submitted a formal invitation to the UN.65 68. Canton (campaign) See Quincy. 69. Cape Cod (invitation) The Cape Cod Chamber of Commerce and Barnstable County Commissioners offered a free site with the advantages of historical significance, good transportation, and an ideal climate in a telegram to the UN on December 25, 1945. An additional telegram from a supportive citizen, Charles Davis, on December 30 noted Cap Cods distance from governmental and financial circles and their influence.66 70. Concord / Lexington (suggestion) On November 9, 1945, Congresswoman Edith Nourse Rogers received this suggestion from a constituent and then forwarded it to Adlai Stevenson. Rogers cited the historic character of the towns, but the UNs interest prompted resistance among residents who feared that the presence of the world organization would destroy that character. UN site inspectors visited in January 1946 but later opted for sites in the area of New York rather than Boston. (See Chapter 7.)67 71. Dedham (campaign) See Quincy. 72. Greenfield (invitation) Reported by Springfield Union, December 29, 1945. 73. Hamilton (invitation) As the home of the late General Patton, Hamilton invited the UNs consideration in late December 1945. The town selectmen also endorsed nearby Beverlys campaign to place the UN on the Princemere estate.68 74. Hingham (invitation) This invitation would have placed the UN on the peninsula known as Worlds End a site with a fine view of Boston, but an inauspicious name for a peacekeeping organization in the atomic age.69 75. Holden (invitation) See Sterling. 76. Lenox (invitation) J. Joseph McCabe, chairman of the Board of Selectmen, described Lenox to the UN as unique and modern as well as rooted in the tradition of New England towns. Here people of all races and creeds live and worth together in harmony, he wrote to UN officials on December 12, 1945. Here industry, the arts, educational institutions, the spiritual leaders, the landed gentry and the modest home owner have combined their efforts to create a place unique in the annals of America. Here are all the conveniences of a modern, progressive civilization together with the dignity and charm of an old New England village.70 77. Malden (campaign) See Medford. 78. Manchester (invitation) Reported by Boston Globe, January 1, 1946. 79. Marthas Vineyard (invitation) A telegram from Marthas Vineyard residents in November 1946 invited the UNs interest and promised a suitable environment for harmonious living and exchange of opinion.71
65

UNO Is Offered Choice of 2 Cambridge Sites for Capitol, City Manager Reveals to Council, Boston Globe, November 27, 1945; Council Raps Atkinson on UNO Plans, Boston Herald, November 27, 1945. 66 Charles W. Megathlin and Donald G. Trayser to United Nations, December 25, 1945, and Charles Davis to United Nations, December 30, 1945, Records of the Preparatory Commission of the United Nations Registry Files (S-0539), Box 4, File 15, UN Archives. 67 Urges Concord as UNO Capital, Boston Post, November 9, 1945; Adlai Stevenson to Gladwyn Jebb, December 1, 1945, Records of the Preparatory Commission of the United Nations Registry Files (S0539), Box 4, File 15, UN Archives. 68 Associated Press, Mass. Towns Await News from London on Site for UNO, Quincy Patriot-Ledger, December 27, 1945. 69 Boston Globe, January 1, 1946; The Trustees of Reservations, Worlds End, http://www.thetrustees.org, viewed July 18, 2010. 70 J. Joseph McCabe to Gladwyn Jebb, December 12, 1945, Records of the Preparatory Commission of the United Nations Registry Files (S-0539), Box 4, File 15, UN Archives. 71 Marthas Vineyard Seeks U.N., New York Times, November 30, 1946.

80. Medford / Middlesex Fells (campaign) In the Middlesex Fells woodlands north of Boston, a site including parts of Medford and Stoneham first drew attention in October 1945 when mentioned by Governor Maurice Tobin as a possible location for the World Court. As interest broadened to creating a UN headquarters in or near Boston, Congressman Angier Goodwin again suggested a site in the Middlesex Fells, and local officials in Medford organized a campaign. By January 1946, the Medford-centered campaign grew to involve other nearby towns north of Boston Malden, Melrose, Reading, Stoneham, Wakefield, Winchester, and Woburn but UN diplomats deemed the area too densely populated.72 81. Melrose (campaign) See Medford. 82. Milton (campaign) See Quincy. 83. Needham (campaign) See Quincy. 84. Northampton (suggestion) After reading news reports of British interest in small towns in the East, attorney Luke F. Ryan wrote to the chairman of the British delegation on December 31, 1945, to suggest the beautiful and unspoiled small city of Northampton. Placing the UN in a large city could be only tragic for world government, he wrote.73 85. Norwood (campaign) See Quincy. 86. Orange (invitation) If the UN desired a location away from a large city, officials in Orange, population 5,000, invited consideration of their town. Edward F. Haley, chairman of the Board of Selectmen, wrote on December 23, 1945, to point out that Orange had the finest civilian airport in the east with three runways ... able to withstand the largest planes. He suggested property between the airport and the Quabbin Reservoir as a UN site. In addition to transportation facilities and the scenic White Mountains, Orange and surrounding communities offered populations that are congenial, educated, and free of racial prejudice and discrimination.74 87. Pittsfield (invitation) Reported by Springfield Union, December 29, 1945. 88. Plymouth (invitation) County Commissioners in Plymouth invited the UNs attention with a telegram on December 24, 1945, that emphasized the towns historic associations. Describing Plymouth as the site where a great nation had its beginning, the commissioners wrote, We believe the nations of the world might here find the answers which would give birth to a greater and better world of nations. The UNs selection group visited Plymouth during its tour of Boston-area sites in January 1946 but found locations closer to the city to be more suitable. (See Chapter 7.)75 89. Princeton (invitation) See Sterling. 90. Quincy / Blue Hills (campaign) After the UN selected the Boston area for consideration in December 1945, telephone calls from interested readers prompted the Quincy Patriot Ledger to publish a front-page editorial promoting the Blue Hills state reservation lands as ideal because of their proximity to Boston, scenic beauty, and large mansions in the town of Milton. Soon, a campaign emerged from the efforts of Congressman Avery W. Gilkerson, Quincy city officials, and Quincy Chamber of Commerce, although not all approved. Calling attention to more local concerns, one city councilman, William W. Jenness, said: I think we have colossal nerve to suggest to the United Nations where to locate the International capital when we dont even know where in the hell we are going to locate the city hall. The campaign nevertheless succeeded in attracting UN site inspectors in January 1945 as well as
72

Boston Bids for U.N. World Court, Worcester Telegram, October 4, 1945; UNO Headquarters Site Discussed Today, Medford Daily Evening Mercury, November 26, 1945; Eight Communities Organize Seek Fells Area as UNO Site, Medford Daily Evening Mercury, January 7, 1946. 73 Luke F. Ryan to Chairman, British Delegation, December 31, 1945, Records of the Preparatory Commission of the United Nations Registry Files (S-0539), Box 4, File 16, UN Archives. 74 Edward F. Haley to Committee of Eight, December 23, 1945, Records of the Preparatory Commission of the United Nations Registry Files (S-0539), Box 4, File 16, UN Archives. 75 Frederick T. Bailey, Elva M. Bent, and Leo F. Nourse to Gladwyn Jebb, December 24, 1945, Records of the Preparatory Commission of the United Nations Registry Files (S-0539), Box 4, File 16, UN Archives.

later in the year to consider a Blue Hills site six miles from Quincy (and 12 miles from Boston) spanning parts of Milton and Canton. Based in Quincy, the campaign expanded into a coordinated effort with other nearby towns Canton, Needham, Dedham, Norwood, Randolph, Milton, and Braintree.76 (See Chapters 7 and 9.) 91. Randolph (campaign) See Quincy. 92. Reading (campaign) See Medford. 93. Rockland (invitation) The chairman of the Rockland Chamber of Commerce, Joseph Lelyveld, on December 22, 1945, invited the UN to locate in this ideal conservative New England town.77 94. Shrewsbury (suggestion) See Worcester. 95. South Weymouth (invitation) The suitability of the South Weymouth naval air base as a UN city self-sufficient in itself was pointed out in to Governor Maurice Tobin in late December 1945 by the chairman of the Weymouth Selectmen, Harry Christensen.78 96. Springfield (invitation) On November 2, 1945, Congressman Charles R. Clason relayed a constituents suggestion to Secretary of State James F. Byrnes that the UN consider placing its headquarters on the site of the Springfield Armory. Mayor J. Alvin Anderson Jr. followed in December with a telegram elaborating the advantages of Springfields transportation facilities, cultural institutions, and nearby colleges and universities. As a practical matter, Springfield could supply skilled office workers, research and analysis people, as well as librarians, the mayor promised.79 97. Sterling (invitation) As UN site inspectors toured areas near Boston, a group of civic leaders in Sterling sought to expand the itinerary to include Mount Wachusett, a site embracing part of Sterling as well as Princeton, Holden, and Westminster.80 98. Stoneham (campaign) See Medford. 99. Taunton (invitation) Reported by Boston Globe, December 18, 1945. 100. Wakefield (campaign) See Medford. 101. Westminster (invitation) See Sterling. 102. West Newbury (invitation) Reported by Boston Globe, January 13, 1946. 103.Winchester (campaign) See Medford. 104.Woburn (campaign) See Medford. 105.Worcester (invitation) The Worcester Chamber of Commerce and City Council invited the UNs consideration in late December 1945. In a telegram to the UN on December 24, the president of the Chamber of Commerce, Chandler Bullock, described his city as located almost exactly at population center [of the] New England states. Along with historical educational, and cultural organizations, the UN would find good transportation, hotels, climate, and scenery. He called Worcester one of few places where metropolitan facilities are coupled with location in [the] country. As it became clear that the UN preferred a location outside a city, Chamber of Commerce officials suggested a site including the nearby

76

UNO for Blue Hills, Quincy Patriot-Ledger, December 27, 1945; Promotion of Quincy as Site for UNO Headquarters is Urged, Quincy Patriot-Ledger, December 27, 1945; City Council Awakens to UNO Chances, Quincy Patriot-Ledger, December 28, 1945; C. of C. Picks Milton Area for UNO Site, Quincy Patriot-Ledger, December 31, 1945; Towns Support South Shore Bid to UNO Committee, Quincy Patriot-Ledger, January 14, 1946. 77 Joseph Lelyveld to UNO Committee, December 22, 1945, Records of the Preparatory Commission of the United Nations Registry Files (S-0539), Box 4, File 16, UN Archives. 78 South Shore Towns Due for UNO Mention, Quincy Patriot, December 26, 1945. 79 J. Alvin Anderson Jr. and Daniel B. Brunton to Gladwyn Jebb (n.d., reply dated December 18, 1945), Records of the Preparatory Commission of the United Nations Registry Files (S-0539), Box 4, File 16, UN Archives. 80 See UNO Visit to Mt. Wachusett, Worcester Evening Gazette, January 21, 1946.

town of Boylston, together with part of Shrewsbury; and UN site inspectors visited the property in January 1946.81 Michigan 106. Battle Creek-Kalamazoo (suggestion) A site between these two communities was suggested on January 18, 1946, in a letter to President Truman from a private citizen, Mary Frederiksen of Los Angeles, Calif.82 107. Detroit (campaign) Initiated as an invitation by the Convention and Tourist Bureau through a City Council resolution in August 1944, Detroits interest in the UN revived and grew into a campaign during October and November 1945. Detroit promoted its centrality in the United States and the world, its climate, and its contributions to the war effort. Detroits contribution to the United Nations Victory was so tremendous that the very name Detroit is fraught with deep significance throughout the world and carries a romantic appeal that will redound to enhance the prestige and influence of the United Nations Organization, Frank A. Picard, president of the convention bureau, wrote to Secretary of State James F. Byrnes. Detroit offered Belle Isle, where a race riot had begun during the war, and Memorial Park as possible UN locations.83 (See Chapter 1.) 108. Muskegon (suggestion) Dr. R.A. Vanderlinde of Los Angeles suggested a site near the town of Muskegon, which is my birthplace in a letter to California Governor Earl Warren on October 29, 1946. Vanderlinde also suggested Elysian Park in Los Angeles.84 109. Sault Ste. Marie (campaign) A front-page article in the Sault St. Marie Evening News on May 22, 1945, launched the world capital hopes of the two Sault Ste. Maries, in Michigan and Ontario. Carried forward by town officials, business leaders, and especially author and activist Stellanova Osborn, the campaign emphasized the symbolism of the peaceful U.S.Canadian border and included architectural plans for an island headquarters featuring inscriptions of the tale of Hiawatha.85 (See Chapter 3.) 110. Three Rivers (suggestion) Local resident Chet Shafer wrote to President Truman during December 1945 to suggest his town because of its distinction as the International Headquarters of the Guild of Former Pipe Organ Pumpers.86 Minnesota 111. Brainerd (invitation) Clyde R. Gorham, president of the Brainerd Civic Association called attention to Brainerd as the capitol of Paul Bunyans playground with beautiful scenery and pleasant climate in a telegram to Adlai Stevenson, December 23, 1945. The location was

81

Chandler Bullock to Gladwyn Jebb, December 24, 1945, and City of Worcester City Council Resolution, December 31, 1945, Records of the Preparatory Commission of the United Nations Registry Files (S0539), Box 4, File 16, UN Archives; UNO May View Site Near City, Worcester Evening Gazette, January 5, 1946. 82 Memorandum of Correspondence, January 18, 1946, Box 524, Truman Official Files (OF85), Truman Presidential Library. 83 City of Detroit, Journal of the Common Council, January 4, 1944 to December 26, 1944 (Detroit: The Inland Press, 1945), 2289; Frank A. Picard to James P. Byrnes, November 8, 1945, Records of the Preparatory Commission of the United Nations Registry Files (S-0539), Box 4, File 15, UN Archives. 84 R.A. Vanderlinde to Earl Warren, October 29, 1946, Federal Files United Nations Conference (F3640:17358), California State Archives, Sacramento, Calif. 85 Why Not Sault as Permanent Home for United Nations Peace Organization? Sault Ste. Marie Evening News, May 22, 1945, and subsequent coverage of campaign through the rest of the year; further documentation of the campaign in Chase S. Osborn Papers, Bentley Historical Library, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Mich. 86 Chet Shafer to President Truman, n.d. (handwritten notation, 12/21/45), Truman Official Files (OF85), Box 522, Harry S. Truman Presidential Library, Independence, Mo.

removed from large centers of population yet only three hours by air from Chicago, and the Brainerd boosters promised, Race problem unheard of here.87 112.Duluth (invitation) Responding to news reports that the UN might desire a cool climate, the Duluth Chamber of Commerce extended an invitation in December 1945. Like Brainerd, Duluth pointed out its location three hours by air from Chicago and declared, Racial discrimination unknown.88 113.Minneapolis (invitation) Mayor Hubert H. Humphrey and the Minnesota United Nations Committee, a citizens group promoting support for the UN, extended an invitation on December 26, 1945. Describing Minneapolis as an ideal location halfway between the Atlantic and the Pacific, Milwaukee boosters stressed transportation facilities and their citys internationalism. We are proud to claim amongst our citizens the men and women of over fifty different nationalities and of all races colors, and creeds, they boasted. Here is a city without racial intolerance a community where both negro and white, along with Protestant, Jew and Catholic work together and live in the spirit of cooperation.89 Missouri 114. Jefferson City (suggestion) Missouri Governor Phil M. Donnelly urged consideration of Jefferson City in a telephone call to the office of UN Delegate Stoyan Gavrilovic in London on December 19, 1945.90 115. Kansas City / Jackson County (suggestion) The President of the University of Kansas City, Clarence R. Decker, proposed bringing the UN to Kansas City during a ceremony awarding an honorary degree to native son Harry S. Truman on June 28, 1945. He proposed the university campus or Swope Park as locations, and later in the year eight other potential sites in surrounding Jackson County were identified by the county plan commission. Members of the Kansas City Rotary Club went so far as to telegram Truman and Stalin at the Potsdam Conference in July to argue, By every standard of measurement Kansas City Missouri is the heart of America and indeed the heart of the world. Nevertheless, Truman asked his political allies to stop the effort to place the UN in his home county.91 116. Lake of the Ozarks (suggestion) C.H. Spink of Fort Worth, Texas, wrote to President Truman in December 1945 to recommend Lake of the Ozarks in Missouri.92 117. St. Louis / Weldon Spring (campaign) A campaign initiated by Mayor Aloys P. Kaufmann and the St. Louis Chamber of Commerce called the UNs attention to surplus federal land at the Weldon Spring Ordnance Plant northwest of the city. A former St. Louis mayor, Bernard F. Dickmann, also suggested sites to the north (between the Missouri river and Florissant) and south (along the Mississippi River from Jefferson Barracks to the Meramec). Without comment on the prospect of turning a TNT plant into a headquarters for peace, the Chamber promoted Weldon Spring for its immediate availability of vacant land, utilities in place, and St. Louiss existing communications and transportation networks. In a
87

Clyde R. Gorham to Adlai Stevenson, December 23, 1945, Records of the Preparatory Commission of the United Nations Registry Files (S-0539), Box 4, File 15, UN Archives. 88 Quoted in Adlai Stevenson to Gladwyn Jebb, December 23, 1945, Records of the Preparatory Commission of the United Nations Registry Files (S-0539), Box 4, File 15, UN Archives. 89 Hubert H. Humphrey and York Langton to Edward Stettinius, December 26, 1945, Records of the Preparatory Commission of the United Nations Registry Files (S-0539), Box 4, File 16, UN Archives. 90 Phil M. Donnelly, telephone message for Stoyan Gavrilovic, December 19, 1945, Records of the Preparatory Commission of the United Nations Registry Files (S-0539), Box 4, File 15, UN Archives. 91 Truman Sets Fast Pace, Kansas City Star, June 28, 1945; Two Sites for Center, Kansas City Star, July 28, 1945; To Plan World Center, Kansas City Times, November 29, 1945; Bryce Smith to Harry S. Truman, August 22, 1945, Box 175, Truman Personal Files (PPF109), Harry S. Truman Presidential Library, Independence, Mo. 92 Acknowledged by William D. Hassett to C.H. Spink, December 28, 1945, Truman Official Files (OF85), Box 522, Harry S. Truman Presidential Library, Independence, Mo.

presentation to the UN in London, a representative for St. Louis also offered the citys Municipal Auditorium as an interim meeting place. When the diplomats excluded St. Louis along with other Midwest sites considered overly isolationist, Mayor Kaufmann declared the entire region to be concerned and incensed. (See Chapters 5 and 6.)93 Also see Arkansas, Site 4. Montana 118. Glacier National Park (suggestion) The Junior Chamber of Commerce of Cut Bank, Montana, wrote to their local newspaper in February 1946 to advocate Glacier National Park as a scenic, inspirational place far removed from the foggy and soggy locales of the eastern seaboard or the congested industrial stress of the western coastal country. They also called attention to the presence of the Blackfeet Indians and their service in two world wars.94 Nebraska 119. Lincoln (invitation) Mayor Lloyd J. Mart and other city officials assured the UN that local citizens fully supported the organizations principles. In an invitation extended on December 23, 1945, they described Lincolns residents as cosmopolitan and tolerant and the community as free from slums, racial dissention, and crime. Lincolns location slightly east of the Geographical Center of the United States would offer equal accessibility from all directions, and the citys facilities included colleges and universities, business and government buildings, transportation services, a municipal park, and a shopping center noted throughout the country.95 New Hampshire 120. Conway (invitation) World Fellowship Inc., a peace and social justice organization, wrote on January 1, 1946, to encourage the UN to choose its 274-acre site near Conway. World Fellowship Founder and President Charles F. Weller offered a detailed plan for a small-city community created by an architect involved in planning Australias new capital, Canberra.96 New Jersey 121. Asbury Park (invitation) Mayor George A Smock II wrote to the UN Preparatory Commission on December 20, 1945, to promote Asbury Park as a wholesome community free of racial discrimination, with a cosmopolitan understanding of the worlds people, their customs, and habits based on 75 years of entertaining visitors from all sections of the globe in our resort city. The local Chamber of Commerce and Kiwanis club joined in appealing to the UN while its representatives visited the United States in January 1946, but UN staff members declined to add Asbury Park to the site inspection itinerary.97
93

George C. Smith to UN Preparatory Commission, November 5, 1945, Records of the Preparatory Commission of the United Nations Registry Files (S-0539), Box 6, File 10, UN Archives; Movement to Locate Home of United Nations Here, St. Louis Post-Dispatch, October 18, 1945; St. Louis Invites the United Nations, promotional brochure, St. Louis Historical Society Library. 94 Wilbur P. Werner, Jaycees Send Invitation to UNO, Cut Bank Pioneer Press, February 8, 1946, reprinted in Appendix to the Congressional Record, February 13, 1946. 95 Lloyd J. Mart and others to Gladwyn Jebb, December 23, 1945, Records of the Preparatory Commission of the United Nations Registry Files (S-0539), Box 4, File 15, UN Archives. 96 Charles F. Weller and Eugenia Winston Weller to UN Organization Committee to Select Its Capital City Site, January 1, 1946, Records of the Preparatory Commission of the United Nations Registry Files (S0539), Box 4, File 15, UN Archives. 97 George A. Smock II to UN Preparatory Commission, December 20, 1945, Records of the Preparatory Commission of the United Nations Registry Files (S-0539), Box 4, File 15; additional correspondence from January 1946 in the same records group, Box 6, File 6, UN Archives.

122. Atlantic City (campaign) The Atlantic City Press promoted the seaside resort as a UN location, with the invitation made official by resolution of the Atlantic City Board of Commissioners on October 25, 1945. The commissioners argued that Atlantic City presents an ideal location because of its beautiful Boardwalk, beach and ocean, temperate climate, superb hotel accommodations, mammoth Convention Hall, its proximity and accessibility to cosmopolitan centers, and its rail and airport travel facilities. The State of New Jersey backed the campaign, and representatives were dispatched to London to make a personal appeal for Atlantic City and offer a headquarters site on Brigantine Island. During January 1946, site inspectors from the UN visited Atlantic City as a potential interim location in connection with a proposal for placing the permanent headquarters near Princeton. Later in the year, U.S. officials also considered Atlantic City an option if the UN could not find suitable temporary facilities in New York City. (See Chapters 5 and 7.)98 123. Atlantic Highlands (suggestion) A private citizen, H.P. Brainard, recommended the Cliff Lodge scenic drive in Atlantic Highlands.99 124. Brigantine Island (invitation) Originally included in Atlantic Citys campaign to attract the UN, Brigantine issued its own invitation in November 1946. Responding to resistance against UN plans in the suburbs north of New York City, Brigantine Mayor Paul Burgess promised that the diplomats could occupy up to two square miles of undeveloped land without disturbing the islands 500 residents.100 125. Cape May (invitation) Grant Scott, Cape May Commissioner of Public Safety, wrote to UN officials on January 2, 1946, to promote this historic seashore community for its available land, scenic beauty, and reputation as a resort retreat for presidents and other government officials.101 126. Central Region (suggestion) A consulting engineer, H.E. Kuntz, wrote to the Governor of New Jersey on January 11, 1946, to suggest an 11,000-acre site southeast of Princeton that he had surveyed in 1911 for a proposed great capitol of aviation and University of the Air. He offered to reproduce his layout for a town and university as a headquarters for the United Nations.102 127. Essex County (suggestion) A local resident, Dr. Cornell Grossman, telephoned the UN staff in New York on January 21, 1946, to suggest a county park near Millburn.103 128. Flemington (suggestion) John H. Elder, a resident of the rural area north of Flemington, suggested this location in a letter to the UN.104 129. Fort Lee (invitation) The municipal clerk of Fort Lee, W.S. Corker, relayed his towns invitation to the UN on January 24, 1946.105 130. Hackensack (invitation) The City Council invited the UN to consider Hackensack with a resolution sent to the UN on January 7, 1946.106
98

United Nations to be Urged to Build Headquarters in Atlantic City Shore Area, Atlantic City Press, October 18, 1945, and extensive subsequent coverage through January 1946; Resolution of the Board of Commissioners, Atlantic City, N.J., October 25, 1945, and other correspondence in Records of the Preparatory Commission of the United Nations Registry Files (S-0539), Box 6, File 5, UN Archives. 99 H.P. Brainard to Stoyan Gavrilovic, n.d., Records of the Preparatory Commission of the United Nations Registry Files (S-0539), Box 6, File 8, UN Archives. 100 Brigantine Island Offered to U.N., Philadelphia Record, November 11, 1946. 101 Grant Scott to Gladwyn Jebb, January 2, 1946, Records of the Preparatory Commission of the United Nations Registry Files (S-0539), Box 4, File 15, UN Archives. 102 H.E. Cuntz to Walter Edge, January 11 and January 20, 1946, Governor Walter Evans Edge Correspondence, 1944-1947, Book 240, New Jersey State Archives, Trenton, N.J. 103 R.S. Childs, telephone message, January 21, 1946, Records of the Preparatory Commission of the United Nations Registry Files (S-0539), Box 6, File 8, UN Archives. 104 John H. Elder to UNO Committee, n.d., Records of the Preparatory Commission of the United Nations Registry Files (S-0539), Box 6, File 8, UN Archives. 105 W.S. Corker to UNO, January 24, 1946, Records of the Preparatory Commission of the United Nations Registry Files (S-0539), Box 6, File 8, UN Archives.

131. Hawthorne (suggestion) W.E. Fairhurst, a resident of Hawthorne, created a sketch to show how a UN headquarters at this location would be a beacon light to approaching ships at sea ... as well as a guide to all planes, from all the world. His plan, sent on January 8, 1946, to the UN site inspection group then in New York, proposed buildings dedicated to Roosevelt, Churchill, and Stalin, whose leadership certainly brought the nations closer together.107 132. Highlands (suggestion) Anna V. Drew, a local resident, suggested this location in a letter to the UN on January 6, 1946.108 133. Lakewood (invitation) Prompted by press reports that the UN desired a site in the East, the Ocean County Board of Freeholders gathered on Christmas Eve 1945 and agreed to offer the UN property in Lakewoods Ocean County Park, formerly part of an estate owned by the late John D. Rockefeller. A former resident, E. Francis Applegate, also wrote to President Truman on February 10, 1946, to suggest Lakewood as well as to offer his services as grounds superintendent if the site were chosen.109 134. Monmouth County (suggestion) Senator Haydon Proctor suggested Monmouth County in a telegram to the UN on January 28, 1946.110 135. Morristown (campaign) Mayor Clyde Potts pursued the UN site selection group touring the New York City area in January 1946 but did not succeed in diverting attention from Princeton and Atlantic City. Potts promoted Morristowns heritage as a headquarters site for George Washington during the American Revolution, and residents voted their support during a town meeting. (See Chapter 7.)111 136. Northvale (suggestion) Raymond A. Hellstern of New York City suggested this location in a letter to the UN staff on January 3, 1946.112 137. Palisades State Park (suggestion) Leo F. Caproni, an architect from New Haven, Conn., wrote to New York Governor Thomas E. Dewey on February 8, 1946, to suggest this park as an alternative to controversial sites in Connecticut and New York.113 138. Princeton (invitation) The President of Princeton University, Harold Dodds, suggested that Princeton seemed to match the British delegations desire to locate the UN in a small town with accessibility to a large city. Writing to Adlai Stevenson in December 1945, he offered to make arrangements for diplomats to tour Princeton, an invitation which they accepted. The site inspection group visited two Princeton-area properties, one about six miles

106

Hackensack City Council Resolution, January 7, 1946, Records of the Preparatory Commission of the United Nations Registry Files (S-0539), Box 6, File 8, UN Archives. 107 W.E. Fairhurst to UNO Site Committee, January 8, 1946, Records of the Preparatory Commission of the United Nations Registry Files (S-0539), Box 6, File 8, UN Archives. 108 Anna V. Drew to UNO, January 6, 1946, Records of the Preparatory Commission of the United Nations Registry Files (S-0539), Box 6, File 8, UN Archives. 109 Ocean Offers Site, Atlantic City Press, December 29, 1945; Memorandum of Correspondence, February 10, 1946, Box 524, Truman Official Files (OF85), Truman Presidential Library 110 Haydon Proctor to UNO Site Selection Committee, Records of the Preparatory Commission of the United Nations Registry Files (S-0539), Box 6, File 8, UN Archives. 111 Clyde Potts to UNO Preparatory Commission (n.d.) and other correspondence in Records of the Preparatory Commission of the United Nations Registry Files (S-0539), Box 4, File 16, and Box 6, File 7, UN Archives; Town Offered as Capital for UNO, Morristown Daily Record, December 24, 1945, and continuing coverage through February 4, 1946. 112 Raymond A. Hellstern to Huntington Gilchrist, January 3, 1946, Records of the Preparatory Commission of the United Nations Registry Files (S-0539), Box 6, File 8. 113 Leo F. Caproni to Thomas E. Dewey, February 8, 1946, Thomas E. Dewey Papers, Series 4, Box 267, File 40, University of Rochester Special Collections, Rochester, N.Y.

away in Hopewell Valley and another in the vicinity of Rocky Hill and Kingston, about four miles from the university. (See Chapter 7.)114 139. Ridgewood Borough (suggestion) A New York real estate agent, E. Irving Huntington, wrote to a UN staff member on January 11, 1946, to offer to arrange an inspection of the Clarence Lewis estate in Ridgewood.115 140. Ventnor (suggestion) A private citizen, H. Lee of New York City, wrote to New York Governor Thomas E. Dewey on February 5, 1946, to call attention to the assets of seaside Ventor: fresh air, board walk, trains service, no factories, no smoke, plenty of help. Ocean, entertainments, piers, roller chairs, and other things too numerous to mention here.116 141. West Orange (invitation) With a telegram to the UN on December 29, 1945, Mayor Bernard H. Dagnan invited consideration of West Orange because of its available sites and location sixteen miles from New York City.117 New York 142. Bear Mountain / Berne (suggestion) Irma Fueslein of East 91st Street in New York City suggested this site in a letter to Governor Thomas E. Dewey on February 11, 1946.118 143. Brookhaven, Long Island (invitation) Elected officials invited the UNs attention to Brookhaven in January 1946.119 144. Center Island, Long Island (suggestion) Paul J. Bungart, an architect from Rockville Centre, N.Y., suggested this bird sanctuary on Long Island Sound in a letter to the New York governors office on January 21, 1946.120 145. Clayton (suggestion) Gus Charlebois, a local resident, recommended his town in a letter to the UN on December 31, 1945.121 146. Cooperstown (suggestion) Emil W. Spumy, a resident of Springfield Center, N.Y., suggested Cooperstown in a letter to Governor Thomas E. Dewey on December 27, 1945.122 147. Croton-on-Hudson (invitation) Despite widespread resistance to the UNs plans for a headquarters in Westchester County, residents of Croton-on-Hudson voted to welcome the UN by a margin of 84-22 in a community meeting in August 1946.123 148. Glens Falls (invitation) Mayor John Bazinet sent a one-sentence telegram inviting consideration of Glens Falls on December 28, 1945.124

114

Harold Dodds to Adlai Stevenson, December [?], 1945, Records of the Preparatory Commission of the United Nations Registry Files (S-0539), Box 4, File 16, UN Archives; Town Desirable Say UNO Delegates on Visit Here, Princeton Packet, January 17, 1946. 115 E. Irving Huntington to Huntington Gilchrist, January 11, 1946, Records of the Preparatory Commission of the United Nations Registry Files (S-0539), Box 6, File 8, UN Archives. 116 H. Lee to Thomas E. Dewey, February 5, 1946, Thomas E. Dewey Papers, Series 4, Box 267, File 40, University of Rochester Special Collections, Rochester, N.Y. 117 Bernard N. Dagnan to Gladwyn Jebb, December 29, 1945, Records of the Preparatory Commission of the United Nations Registry Files (S-0539), Box 4, File 16, UN Archives. 118 Irma Fueslein to Thomas E. Dewey, February 11, 1946, Thomas E. Dewey Papers, Series 4, Box 267, File 40, University of Rochester Special Collections, Rochester, N.Y. 119 New York Sun, January 11, 1946. 120 Paul J. Bungart to Paul E. Lockwood, January 21, 1946, Thomas E. Dewey Papers, Series 4, Box 267, File 40, University of Rochester Special Collections, Rochester, N.Y. 121 Gus Charlebois to Gladwyn Jebb, December 31, 1945, Records of the Preparatory Commission of the United Nations Registry Files (S-0539), Box 4, File 16, UN Archives. 122 Emil W. Spumy to Thomas E. Dewey, December 27, 1945, Thomas E. Dewey Papers, Series 4, Box 267, File 40, University of Rochester Special Collections, Rochester, N.Y. 123 Croton-on-Hudson Wants U.N. to Build Headquarters for Organizations There, New York Times, August 9, 1946. 124 John Bazinet to Interim Committee, UNO, December 28, 1945, Records of the Preparatory Commission of the United Nations Registry Files (S-0539), Box 4, File 15, UN Archives.

149. Governors Island (suggestion) Ralph Albert Senesi of Youngstown, Ohio, wrote to New York Governor Thomas E. Dewey on December 19, 1945, to suggest Governors Island as the place where the U.S. government should spend $10 million to improve the grounds and to build there a permanent Temple of Peace to be known as the Franklin D. Roosevelt Memorial Hall.125 150. Harmon-on-Hudson (suggestion) E.E. Walker, the president of Wizard Granite Renovator in New York City, wrote to Governor Thomas E. Dewey on February 13, 1946, to suggest this location as an alternative to controversial sites in Westchester County.126 151. Huntington Township, Long Island (invitation) A Chamber of Commerce committee invited the UN on December 30, 1945, to consider Huntington Townships proximity to New York airports, a seaplane base, and parkways for driving in to New York City. The boosters noted the area homes of internationally known citizens such as Marshall Field and John Foster Dulles as well as the waterfront resorts and recreational opportunities of Long Island Sound.127 152. Hyde Park (campaign) Boosters and public officials in Poughkeepsie launched a campaign on August 28, 1945, to bring the UN to the late President Roosevelts estate. (See Chapter 7). 153. Irvington-on-Hudson (suggestion) A real estate agent, John P. Streb of Dobbs Ferry, N.Y., offered the UN a five-and-one-half-acre property with a sixteen-bedroom residence on December 29, 1945.128 154. Kingston (invitation) The Kingston Chamber of Commerce prepared an illustrated prospectus to demonstrate that a world capital in Kingston would fulfill the diplomats desires for a non-urban location yet still allow them easy access to New York City. Kingstons speculative rendering of a world capital facing the Hudson River, prepared by architect Albert Edward Milliken and landscape architect Burton Davis, resembled the national mall in Washington, D.C., with an office tower in the Washington Monument position. The appeal resulted in a visit by UN site inspectors in January 1946.129 155. Lake Placid (invitation) This site of the 1932 Winter Olympic Games was suggested by local government officials who pointed out its hotels, arena, transportation services, and location relative to Boston and New York City. Town Supervisor Willis Wells of North Elba, N.Y., pointed out that Lake Placid was still sufficiently far removed form large cities to make it the ideal location for your organization to carry on its important work with a minimum of unscheduled and conflicting distractions.130 156. Lake Seneca (suggestion) A federal employee, Clarkson J. Beall, wrote from Washington to Governor Thomas E. Dewey to suggest the Sampson Naval Training Station on Lake Seneca. It seems a shame to dispossess other whole communities of people in Westchester County with such an open site also available, he wrote on February 25, 1946.131
125

Ralph Albert Senesi to Thomas E. Dewey, December 19, 1945, Thomas E. Dewey Papers, Series 4, Box 267, File 40, University of Rochester Special Collections, Rochester, N.Y. 126 E.E. Walker to Thomas E. Dewey, February 13, 1946, Thomas E. Dewey Papers, Series 4, Box 267, File 40, University of Rochester Special Collections, Rochester, N.Y. 127 Huntington Township Committee on UNO Site to UN Preparatory Commission, December 30, 1945, Records of the Preparatory Commission of the United Nations Registry Files (S-0539), Box 4, File 15, UN Archives. 128 John P. Streb to UN Preparatory Commission, December 29, 1945, Records of the Preparatory Commission of the United Nations Registry Files (S-0539), Box 4, File 15, UN Archives. 129 Kingston, N.Y. Invites the United Nations Organization, promotional brochure, n.d. [c. January 1946], Box 40, Papers of Huntington Gilchrist, Library of Congress; UNO is Impressed by Kingston Site, New York Times, January 10, 1946. 130 Willis Wells to Gladwyn Jebb (n.d.), Records of the Preparatory Commission of the United Nations Registry Files (S-0539), Box 4, File 15, UN Archives. 131 Clarkson J. Beall to Thomas E. Dewey, February 25, 1946, Thomas E. Dewey Papers, Series 4, Box 267, File 40, University of Rochester Special Collections, Rochester, N.Y.

157. Mohansic State Park (invitation) As an alternative to a site identified by the United Nations in Yorktown, where he lived, private citizen Daniel Rochford proposed this unpopulated park space in a letter to Governor Thomas E. Dewey on August 29, 1946. The site subsequently was offered by Westchester County and visited by United Nations officials prior to their selection of New York City.132 158. Montauk Point, Long Island (suggestion) Foster Bailey, a New York City resident, suggested this beautiful garden spot on December 4, 1945.133 159. New York (campaign) The official campaign for New York City focused on Flushing Meadow in Queens, site of the New York Worlds Fair of 1939-40, but several private citizens wrote to public officials and John D. Rockefeller Jr. to suggested Fort Tryon Park, Campaign initiated by Chamber of Commerce, October 3, 1945. Another New Yorker, Mrs. J. Sergeant Cram, offered the use of Peace House at 109th Street and Fifth Avenue. New York boosters took advantage of homeowner resistance to proposed sites in the suburbs to lure the UN first to Flushing Meadow and ultimately to the Midtown Manhattan site made possible by an $8.5 million gift from John D. Rockefeller Jr. (See Chapters 6 through 9.)134 160. Niagara Falls / Navy Island (campaign) On May 2, 1945, the Niagara Falls Gazette published an editorial that gave new life to an old idea. During the First World War, Congressman Robert H. Gittins had proposed an international conference at Niagara Falls to form a league of nations. Thirty years later, as a private citizen, Gittins proposed the location once again for the UN and the Gazettes editorial launched a civic campaign to create a world capital on an island between the United States and Canada. Business leaders and public officials from Niagara Falls, Ontario, joined their counterparts in New York in an extensive campaign that included traveling to London to appeal directly to the UN. Originally aiming to place the UN on Canada-owned Navy Island, they quickly changed their proposal to nearby Grand Island, in U.S. territory, after the UNs decision to place its headquarters in the United States.135 161. Ogdensburg (invitation) Mayor-elect Homer M. Wallace promoted his citys U.S.Canadian border location on the St. Lawrence River in a telegram to the UN on December 22, 1945. He invited the diplomats to consider Ogdensburgs unlimited space for construction of suitable new structures, its accessibility by rail and sea, and its proximity to Ottawa, Boston, New York, and Washington.136 162. Plattsburgh (invitation) Edward B. Doherty, president of the Plattsburgh Chamber of Commerce, requested permission to submit a proposal after reading news reports on December 19, 1945, about the social and geographic conditions desired by the UNs British delegation.137
132

Daniel Rochford to Thomas E. Dewey, August 29, 1946, Thomas E. Dewey Papers, Series 4, Box 267, File 40, University of Rochester Special Collections, Rochester, N.Y.; Westchester Offers Site, New York Times, November 15, 1946. 133 Foster Bailey to Gladwyn Jebb, December 4, 1945, Records of the Preparatory Commission of the United Nations Registry Files (S-0539), Box 4, File 16, UN Archives. 134 Orville C. Sanborn to John D. Rockefeller Jr., December 17, 1945, Box 27, Office of the Messrs Rockefeller World Affairs (RG III 2 Q), Rockefeller Archive Center; Joseph Freeling to Thomas E. Dewey, January 21, 1946, Thomas E. Dewey Papers, Series 4, Box 267, File 40, University of Rochester Special Collections, Rochester, N.Y.; William D. Hackett to Regina M. Gressler, January 3, 1946, and Mrs. J. Sergeant Cram to Harry S. Truman, December 19, 1945, Truman Official Files (OF85), Box 522, Harry S. Truman Presidential Library, Independence, Mo. 135 Make Niagara World Capital for Peace, Niagara Falls Gazette, May 2, 1945, and subsequent coverage through December 1945; Area Has 50-50 UNO Chance After Switch to Grand Island, Buffalo Evening News, December 1945. 136 Homer M. Wallace to Gladwyn Jebb, December 22, 1945, Records of the Preparatory Commission of the United Nations Registry Files (S-0539), Box 4, File 16, UN Archives. 137 Edward B. Doherty to Gladwyn Jebb (n.d.), Records of the Preparatory Commission of the United Nations Registry Files (S-0539), Box 4, File 16, UN Archives.

163. Port Jervis (suggestion) Signing himself as G.I. Joe, a resident of Ossining, N.Y., suggested Port Jervis in a letter to Governor Thomas E. Dewey on March 24, 1946.138 164. Potsdam (invitation) Pointing out Potsdams reputation as the Switzerland of America, Harry Bullard, president of the Potsdam Chamber of Commerce, invited the UNs consideration with a telegram on December 29, 1945. Potsdam has everything to offer, Bullard wrote, including colleges, hotels, churches, a modern hospital, and the Adirondack Mountains, all easily accessible to every North American metropolis.139 165. Riverdale, the Bronx (campaign) Borough President James J. Lyons launched a campaign to bring the UN to the Bronx despite the efforts of other New York officials to place the organization at the site of the 1939 Worlds Fair in Flushing Meadow, Queens. In a letter to the UN on December 14, 1945, he described Riverdale as practically virgin territory with all of the quiet solitude of the country but within short range of the very center of our busy city. As a result of Lyons initiative, the UN Security Council met at Hunter College beginning in March 1946, but the facilities were deemed not suitable for the UNs longerterm operations. (See Chapter 8.)140 166. Saratoga Springs (campaign) Starting with an invitation from the Saratoga Springs Chamber of Commerce in September 1945, efforts grew by November into a Committee on Advocation of Saratoga Spring for the Permanent Headquarters of the United Nations Organization. The Chamber of Commerce promoted Saratoga as the Birthplace of Freedom for its role in the American Revolution as well as the worlds largest spa. The booster committee, distancing itself from more aggressive competitors, pledged to provide the UN with the basic facts but nothing in technicolor, no elaborate brochures, no fanfare of publicity. Writing to the UN on November 8, 1945, they called attention to Saratogas transportation facilities, healthful climate, and the availability of federally-owned land.141 167. Skaneateles (invitation) The president of the Chamber of Commerce, Charles T. Major, wrote on December 15, 1945, to invite the UN to consider a site on Skaneateles Lake, pointing to its reputation as the Luzerne of America. Selection of this small, peaceful community would put a stop to the competition among large cities, he argued.142 168. Southampton, Long Island (invitation) Mayor Alex Cameron sent a brief telegram of invitation to the UN on December 29, 1945.143 169. Staten Island (invitation) The Staten Island Chamber of Commerce promoted its home borough with a telegram to Governor Thomas E. Dewey on December 19, 1945. Later in December, private citizens also wrote to the United Nations, to the Governors of New Jersey and New York, and to John D. Rockefeller Jr. to suggest Staten Island.144
138

G.I. Joe to Thomas E. Dewey, March 24, 1946, Thomas E. Dewey Papers, Series 4, Box 267, File 40, University of Rochester Special Collections, Rochester, N.Y. 139 Harry Bullard to Secretary, UNO, December 29, 1945, Records of the Preparatory Commission of the United Nations Registry Files (S-0539), Box 4, File 16, UN Archives. 140 James J. Lyons to Preparatory Commission Site Committee, December 14, 1945, Records of the Preparatory Commission of the United Nations Registry Files (S-0539), Box 4, File 16, UN Archives. 141 Stewart H. Johnson to Edward R. Stettinius, September 12, 1945, William E. Benton to Gladwyn Jebb, November 8, 1945, and other correspondence in Records of the Preparatory Commission of the United Nations Registry Files (S-0539), Box 7, File 10, UN Archives; Harry G. Fisher to Thomas E. Dewey, January 25, 1946, Thomas E. Dewey Papers, Series 4, Box 267, File 40, University of Rochester Special Collections, Rochester, N.Y. 142 Charles T. Major to Gladwyn Jebb, December 15, 1946, Records of the Preparatory Commission of the United Nations Registry Files (S-0539), Box 4, File 16, UN Archives. 143 Alex Cameron to UNO, December 29, 1945, Records of the Preparatory Commission of the United Nations Registry Files (S-0539), Box 4, File 16, UN Archives. 144 A.S. Fraction to Preparatory Commission, December 31, 1945, Records of the Preparatory Commission of the United Nations Registry Files (S-0539), Box 4, File 16, UN Archives; A.E. Moxley to Edward M. Gilroy, December 31, 1945, Governor Walter Evans Edge Correspondence, 1944-1947, Book 240, New Jersey State Archives, Trenton, N.J., and Moxley to Thomas E. Dewey, December 31, 1945, Thomas E.

170. Sterling Park (suggestion) Seeking to steer the UN away from their own towns, in November 1946 an alliance of Westchester County homeowners produced an elaborate brochure to promote Sterling Park, in Orange County, as a superior location. Earlier in 1946, New Jersey industrialist Frederick Neuberger also wrote to Laurance S. Rockefeller to recommend the countryside of Orange County where millions have enjoyed this open land and now for the further interests of peace of the world, the Home of the United Nations Organization resting in the hills would be beneficial to all.145 171. Syracuse (suggestion) After reading an editorial published in the Syracuse Post-Standard, private citizen John Elton Whiteside wrote to the UN on December 24, 1945, to call attention to the advantages of the Syracuse Army Air Base and the citys location between the capitals of the United States and Canada. He also portrayed distance from a major metropolitan area as an advantage: The other countries would want the world capital to be independent of the regional influence that a very large city would have. There is also worldwide dislike to having it near a seacoast or a national or state capital.146 172. Ticonderoga (suggestion) After reading news reports that the UN might desire a small town in upstate New York, State Assemblyman A. Judson Moorhouse wrote on December 29, 1945, to recommend the towns Revolutionary-era significance. Here, at Fort Ticonderoga, England, France, and the United States, three of the key powers and permanent members of the [UN] Security Council fought over the same territory, he wrote, also noting the congenial climate and beauty of Lake George. This region is, of course, as accessible as any place in the United States to Russia, England, France and Canada, he concluded.147 173. Watertown (invitation) The President of the Watertown Chamber of Commerce, H.J. French, sent a telegram to the UN on January 2, 1946, to invite attention to his town because of its modern airport, railroad, improved streets, utilities, and available sites including property held by the U.S. government.148 174. Westchester County (invitation) County Executive Herbert C. Gerlach extended an invitation to the UN on December 15, 1945, calling attention to his countys beauty and repose of a countryside located just north of New York City. Gerlach pointed out that Westchester had hosted conventions of international associations and that it offered unexcelled climate, transportation, parks and recreation, homes, and cultural institutions. A UN site inspection group toured Westchester County in January 1946 and sites in the county were among the suburban locations seriously considered the following summer. However, homeowner resistance led the UN to reconsider urban locations, ultimately New York City. (See Chapters 7, 8, and 9.)149 175. Westhampton Beach, Long Island (invitation) Inviting the UN on December 21, 1945, Mayor Ernest H. Bishop described his town as an ideal location for the UN because of its

Dewey Papers, Series 4, Box 267, File 40, University of Rochester Special Collections, Rochester, N.Y.; Helen Hotchkiss to John D. Rockefeller Jr., Box 27, Office of the Messrs. Rockefeller World Affairs (RG III 2 Q), Rockefeller Archive Center. 145 United Westchester Citizens Committee to Save Our Homes, A Report to the United Nations on a Suggested Site for Its Permanent Headquarters (November 1946), Truman Presidential Library; Frederick Neuberger to Laurance S. Rockefeller, January 3, 1946, Box 27, Office of the Messrs. Rockefeller World Affairs (RG III 2 Q), Rockefeller Archive Center. 146 John Elton Whiteside to Gladwyn Jebb, December 24, 1945, Records of the Preparatory Commission of the United Nations Registry Files (S-0539), Box 4, File 16, UN Archives. 147 A. Juson Moorhouse to Gladwyn Jebb, December 29, 1945, Records of the Preparatory Commission of the United Nations Registry Files (S-0539), Box 4, File 16, UN Archives. 148 H.J. French to Gladwyn Jebb, January 2, 1946, Records of the Preparatory Commission of the United Nations Registry Files (S-0539), Box 4, File 16, UN Archives. 149 Herbert Gerlach to Gladwyn Jebb, December 15, 1945, Records of the Preparatory Commission of the United Nations Registry Files (S-0539), Box 4, File 16, UN Archives.

commuting distance to New York, resort facilities, and the runways of the Suffolk County Army Air Base. Invitation from mayor, December 21, 1945.150 176. Yorktown Heights (invitation) Lydia Locke wrote to Governor Dewey on January 5, 1946, to offer the United Nations her estate in Yorktown Heights, consisting of 250 acres, two lakes, two large houses (23 and 17 rooms), and other structures.151 North Carolina 177. Asheville (suggestion) Walter B. Smith of St. Petersburg, Florida, wrote to President Truman in December 1945 to suggest Asheville as the ideal location for the United Nations.152 178. Bald Head Island (suggestion) As the UN encountered resistance from suburban New York homeowners in September 1946, U.S. Senator Josiah Bailey wrote the UN to suggest this island near Southport, N.C., at the mouth of the Cape Fear River. The island offered 17,000 undeveloped acres, enough to give all the foundation for whatever the United Nations could desire.153 179. Pinehurst (invitation) A delegation of local residents met with Governor Joseph Broughton in August 1945 to promote Pinehurst as a UN location.154 North Dakota 180. Border with Manitoba (suggestion) Edwin E. Prong, describing himself as an American youth and world citizen living in Detroit, wrote on December 19, 1945, to suggest the North Dakota border as a location where an international territory could be created by the U.S. and Canada.155 181. International Peace Gardens (suggestion) This location on the U.S.-Canadian border was suggested by Governor Fred Aandahl at the National Governors Conference in July 1945, and subsequently advocated to President Truman by U.S. Senator Milton R. Young. The Senator argued that gardens, dedicated in 1932, should be seen as a precedent for the UN and therefore an ideal setting for the organization upon which all humanity builds its hopes.156 Ohio 182. Cincinnati (campaign) The Cincinnati Chamber of Commerce, beginning on November 12, 1945, organized a coalition of business, government, and media organizations to court the UN. In less than two weeks time, Cincinnati dispatched a team to London to make a direct appeal, which took place in a hearing on December 20. The city subsequently appeared on a draft itinerary for UN site inspectors, but was dropped when the Midwest region was eliminated from consideration. (See Chapters 5 and 6.)157
150

Ernest H. Bishop to Secretary of UNO, December 21, 1945, Records of the Preparatory Commission of the United Nations Registry Files (S-0539), Box 4, File 16, UN Archives. 151 Lydia Locke to Thomas E. Dewey, January 5, 1946, Thomas E. Dewey Papers, Series 4, Box 267, File 40, University of Rochester Special Collections, Rochester, N.Y. 152 Memorandum of Correspondence, Walter B. Smith, December 6, 1945, Truman Official Files (OF85), Box 522, Harry S. Truman Presidential Library, Independence, Mo. 153 Bids Pour In on U.N. to Shift Site Plan, New York Times, September 19, 1946. 154 United Nations, Survey No. 2 of Public Reaction to the Activities of the United Nations Headquarters Commission, October 9, 1946, Papers of the Executive Assistant to the Secretary General (S-0186-01-13), UN Archives. 155 Edwin E. Prong to UN Preparatory Commission, December 19, 1945, Records of the Preparatory Commission of the United Nations Registry Files (S-0539), Box 4, File 16, UN Archives. 156 Milton R. Young to Harry S. Truman, February 12, 1946, Box 524, Truman Official Files (OF85), Truman Presidential Library 157 William L. Barlow to Stoyan Gavrilovic, December 14, 1945, Records of the Preparatory Commission of the United Nations Registry Files (S-0539), Box 4, File 15, UN Archives.

183. Cleveland (suggestion) Responding to controversy over the UNs selected sites near New York, an editorial in the Cleveland News stated that Cleveland would be honored to have the UN.158 184. Greenville (invitation) Chamber of Commerce officials called attention to peace established by the 1795 Treaty of Greenville between the United States government and Ohio Indian tribes. In their telegram of December 18, 1945, the boosters of the treaty city omitted the violence that had continued over contested land, instead promoting Greenville with its romantic historical background, its simple and democratic atmosphere, its strategic location, and concluding, no spot in America could be more appropriate.159 Oklahoma 185. Claremore (campaign) As a tribute to world citizen Will Rogers, Claremore citizens joined in a campaign initiated by Mayor Elmer Tanner with a telegram to the UN on December 1, 1945. Their persistence continued into November 1946, when a delegation from Claremore showed up in Tulsa in the middle of the night to greet UN site-searchers whose airplane touched down en route to San Francisco. (See Chapters 4 and 9.)160 186. Stillwater (suggestion) An editorial in the Stillwater Daily News Press on December 17, 1945, assured readers that proposing Stillwater as a UN capital is not as fantastic as it may at first seem to you. At this Oklahoma town, the UN would be away from complexities of unreal things as found in coastal areas. Encouragement for the idea came in jest from servicemen stationed at the U.S. Navy Japanese Language School, who wrote fictitious letters to the editor.161 187. Tuskahoma (campaign) With a letter to President Truman on October 6, 1945, Oklahoma State Representative Ben P. Choate initiated a campaign to place the UN at Tuskahoma, the former capital of the Choctaw Nation. While Choate promoted the location as a matter of social justice for minority groups, the state of Oklahoma joined the effort to enhance economic development. (See Chapter 4.)162 Also see Arkansas, Site 4. Pennsylvania 188. Bethlehem (invitation) The Mayor of Bethlehem, Robert A. Pfeiffle, invited the UN Site Inspection Group to his city during the diplomats first tour of possible sites near New York City. He extended the invitation to the groups chairman, Stoyan Gavrilovic, on January 17, 1946, and wrote to Pennsylvania Governor Edward Martin, We wonder if there is any more appropriate site name than Bethlehem for the home of an organization dedicated to putting into practice the teachings of the Prince of Peace.163
158

United Nations, Survey No. 2 of Public Reaction to the Activities of the United Nations Headquarters Commission, October 9, 1946, Papers of the Executive Assistant to the Secretary General (S-0186-01-13), UN Archives. 159 Chamber of Commerce to Conference of United Nations, December 18, 1945, Records of the Preparatory Commission of the United Nations Registry Files (S-0539), Box 4, File 15, UN Archives. 160 Elmer Tanner to Council of the United Nations, December 1, 1945, Records of the Preparatory Commission of the United Nations Registry Files (S-0539), Box 4, File 15, UN Archives; City Seeks U.N. Capitol, Claremore Progress, December 5, 1945. 161 Stillwater Should Be the World Capital, Stillwater Daily News Press, December 17, 1945; Robert Bruns, JLS Sophisticates Out on the Prairie, The Interpreter (newsletter of the Archives, University of Colorado Boulder Libraries), May 1, 2003, 1. 162 Ben P. Choate to Harry S. Truman, October 6, 1946, Records of the Preparatory Commission of the United Nations Registry Files (S-0539), Box 4, File 16, UN Archives. 163 Robert Pfeiffle to Stoyan Gavrilovic, January 17, 1946, copy in Thomas E. Dewey Papers, Series 4, Box 267, File 40, University of Rochester Special Collections, Rochester, N.Y.; Robert Pfeiffle to Edward Martin, January 17, 1946, Governor Edward Martin Papers, Pennsylvania State Archives, Harrisburg, Pa.

189. Delaware and Chester Counties (campaign) Robert Gray Taylor, a resident of Media, Pa., in October 1945 launched an extensive personal campaign to interest the United Nations in the general area of Media and Paoli, eventually identifying two potential sites: 8,200 acres between the towns of Newtown Square, Wawa, Media, and Edgmont (priced at $6.3 million) and an additional 2,550 acres adjacent to Newtown Square including parts of Ithan, Bryn Mawr, Foxcroft, Springfield Township, and Swarthmore (price $5.1 million). Taylor also formed the Delaware Valley Association for United Nations Headquarters and extended his efforts to various northeastern Pennsylvania communities because of their proximity to the UNs desired radius around New York City. Taylor succeeded in meeting with UN officials at the highest levels, including the Secretary General, and a site-inspection team visited the site near Paoli during a tour of Philadelphia. The UN team preferred a site offered without cost in Philadelphias Fairmount Park, but then opted for New York after John D. Rockefeller Jr.s gift of $8.5 million for a Manhattan site.164 190. Easton (campaign) Seeking to capitalize on its location within the UNs desired sixty-mile radius of New York City, Easton organized a campaign in December 1945 to promote a site directly north of the city on the basis of its scenic environment near the Pocono Mountains, its railroads and highways, and the presence of eight colleges within twenty miles. The movement for Easton originated with local business leader Hugh Moore, chairman of the board of the Dixie Cup Company and an activist in international peace organizations. (Also see Poconos Region / Monroe County.)165 191. Falls Township / Bucks County (invitation) Charles Henry Moon, an advisory board member of the Pennsbury Memorial historic site, suggested the site of William Penns reconstructed home on the Delaware River. Along with its secluded location and access by water, he recommended the site based on the spiritual background of William Penn and the respect that the vanquished Nations have for the Society of Friends. According to a report by the Delaware Valley Committee for United Nations Headquarters, the Monroe County Commissioners also were prepared to offer sites between New Hope and Yardley.166 192. Gettysburg (invitation) Offering historical inspiration as Americas greatest historic shrine and the symbolism of Lincolns inspiring concept of peace and freedom for all mankind, the local Chamber of Commerce delivered an invitation to the UN in December 1945. Along with ideal climate, Gettysburgs boosters noted their location well removed though accessible without difficulty from great centers of population.167 193. Lancaster (invitation) Mayor Dale E. Cary stressed Lancasters eastern U.S. location, transportation services, and heritage in his invitation to the UN. Lancaster was founded in the eighteenth century by English immigrants and is rich in historical heritage and scenic beauty, he wrote. Most of our people are descendants of original settlers making for a conservative and truly patriotic atmosphere.168

164

Robert Gray Taylor to Gladwyn Jebb, December 27, 1945, and other correspondence in Records of the Preparatory Commission of the United Nations Registry Files (S-0539), Box 7, File 16, UN Archives; Hopkinson to Greet U.N. Delegates, Philadelphia Record, November 17, 1946. 165 Joseph Morrison to Gladwyn Jebb, December 25, 1945, and Hugh Moore to Huntington Gilchrist, December 29, 1945, Records of the Preparatory Commission of the United Nations Registry Files (S0539), Box 4, File 15, UN Archives; Eastons Invitation to the United Nations Organization, promotional brochure, Edward Martin Papers, Pennsylvania State Archives. 166 Charles Henry Moon to Edward Martin, January 19, 1946, and Robert Gray Taylor to Edward Martin, January 14, 1946, Edward Martin Papers, Pennsylvania State Archives. 167 Henry Garvin and others to Secretary General and the Executive Committee, Preparatory Commission, UN, December 25, 1945, Records of the Preparatory Commission of the United Nations Registry Files (S-0539), Box 4, File 15, UN Archives. 168 Dale E. Cary to UN Preparatory Commission (n.d.), Records of the Preparatory Commission of the United Nations Registry Files (S-0539), Box 4, File 15, UN Archives.

194. Philadelphia (campaign) Among the earliest and most persistent campaigners for the UNs attention, Philadelphias interest began with a newspaper editorial published in The Philadelphia Record on March 5, 1945. A coalition of boosters including the President of Temple University traveled to San Francisco and London to present their proposal to the UN. Although initially ruled out as being too close to Washington, D.C., Philadelphia nearly succeeded in its efforts in the fall of 1946, after a UN site inspection group visited the citys proposed site in Fairmount Park. But John D. Rockefellers gift of $8.5 million for a Manhattan location ended Philadelphias chances. (See Chapters 1, 2, 5, 6, and 8.)169 195. Phillipsburg (invitation) A local booster committee offered a site north of Phillipsburg in and around Forks Township.170 196. Pike County (invitation) As UN diplomats toured potential sites around New York City and Boston in January 1946, the Pike County Commissioners wrote to invite inspection of several sites along the Delaware River between Matamoras and Bushkill or any site selected within the limits of the county. The commissioners pointed out that their county fulfilled all of the UNs criteria, including locations within 80 miles of New York.171 197. Poconos Region / Monroe County (suggestion) Roy M. Houser, president of the Monroe County Chamber of Commerce in Stroudsburg, Pa., wrote to the UN on December 29, 1945, to urge consideration of this internationally famous resort area. In 1946, as the UN visited Philadelphia and leaned toward an urban location, members of the Chambers U.N. Site Committee wrote to Pennsylvanias governor to advocate the Tobyhanna Military Reservation. They informed the governor that the cities of Scranton, Wilkes-Barre, and Easton joined with Monroe County to promote this site because it would be a colossal blunder if the World Peace Shrine were to be located within the congested areas of any large city, where it would be just another suburb.172 198. Punxsutawney (invitation) M.R. Tibbey, secretary of the Punxsutawney Chamber of Commerce, wrote to President Truman in December 1945 to invite the UN to place its headquarters at this site for the annual February ritual of watching to see if a groundhog would see its shadow.173 199. Valley Forge John Robbins Hart, rector of Washington Memorial Chapel and President of the Valley Forge Historical Society, wrote to boosters promoting Philadelphia on November 19, 1945, to suggest this historic site of the American Revolution. Bostonians naturally prefer Boston, New Yorkers New York, etc., but all people have a special devotion to Valley Forge and would come to a harmonious agreement in its selection, he argued. Failing to persuade the Philadelphians to change their focus on a site in the city, Hart sent the same letter directly to the UN on December 29. Another private citizen, James H. Johnston of Narberth, Pa., also submitted the suggestion of Valley Forge.174
169

The most extensive documentation of Philadelphias effort is the coverage provided by The Philadelphia Record, the originator of the campaign; Memorandum of Conversation, May 19, 1945, and other documentation in Records of the Preparatory Commission of the United Nations Registry Files (S-0539), Box 5, File 5, UN Archives. 170 Robert Gray Taylor to Edward Martin, January 14, 1946, Edward Martin Papers, Pennsylvania State Archives. 171 Jay Schroeder and Asa S. Martin to Stoyan Gavrilovic, January 18, 1946, copy in Walter Evans Edge Correspondence (1944-1947), New Jersey State Archives, Trenton. 172 Roy M. Houser to Gladwyn Jebb, December 29, 1945, Records of the Preparatory Commission of the United Nations Registry Files (S-0539), Box 4, File 16, UN Archives; Montgomery F. Crowe and Leroy Dengler to Edward Martin, November 20, 1946, and Robert Gray Taylor to Edward Martin, January 14, 1946, Edward Martin Papers, Pennsylvania State Archives. 173 Acknowledged by William D. Hassett to M.R. Tibby, December 28, 1945, Truman Official Files (OF85), Box 522, Harry S. Truman Presidential Library, Independence, Mo. 174 John Robbins Hart to Ricardo McEachen, December 29, 1945, and James H. Johnston to UNO Committee for Site Selection, December 30, 1945, Records of the Preparatory Commission of the United Nations Registry Files (S-0539), Box 4, File 16, UN Archives.

200. Williamsport Two sites in Lycoming County near Williamsport were offered as part of a regional effort by the Delaware Valley Association for United Nations Headquarters. (See Chester County-Delaware County.)175 Philippines 201. Baguio (suggestion) A newspaper editorial on August 1, 1945 in The Philippines Mail, published in Salinas, Calif., advocated this city in the Philippines, then a possession of the United States.176 Rhode Island Congressman John E. Fogarty sought consideration of Rhode Island in a letter to Secretary of State James F. Byrnes on October 26, 1945. Fogarty described his state as the birthplace in America of true religious liberty and noted that every race and every creed is represented among the citizens. Rhode Island also offered a geographic advantage as closest of all the States to Europe and the countries form which the bulk of the delegates will come. The UN site inspection group included Rhode Island sites in its tour of the Boston area in January 1946. (See Chapter 4.)177 202. Bristol (invitation) After learning that Newport had been eliminated from consideration, the Town Council of Bristol invited the UN to use any facilities at the command of the town. The UNs inspection group visited Bristol in January 1946 to consider a plan that would combine sites in Bristol and Portsmouth to the south.178 203. Cranston (invitation) See Providence. 204. Glocester (invitation) See Providence. 205. Johnston (invitation) The Town Council of Johnston invited the UN to consider a headquarters location on Neutaconkanut Hill, a proposal that also emerged from a coalition of civic leaders in nearby Providence.179 206. Newport (campaign) After a Navy Day speech in Newport by Congressman John E. Fogarty, Newport residents launched a campaign to convince the UN that their community would meet all of the organizations requirements. However, the UNs early interest in a very large tract of land for a capital city eliminated Newport from consideration. (See Chapters 4, 5, and 6.)180 207. Portsmouth (invitation) See Bristol. 208. Providence (invitation) Just days before the UNs site inspectors arrived in Rhode Island in January 1946, political and business leaders in Providence invited the UN site inspectors to consider land on Neutaconkanut Hill outside the city, incorporating 85 square miles of land in the towns of Johnston, Cranston, Scituate, Foster, and Glocester. The site inspectors viewed a portion of the area by climbing a radio tower on Chopmist Hill, a site used for monitoring enemy radio transmissions during the war.181 209. Scituate (invitation) See Providence.

175

Delaware Valley Association for United Nations Headquarters, Press Release, August 27, 1946, Papers of the Executive Assistant to the Secretary General (S-0186), UN Archives. 176 The Philippines Mail, August 1, 1945. 177 John E. Fogarty to James F. Byrnes, October 26, 1945, Records of the Preparatory Commission of the United Nations Registry Files (S-0539), Box 4, File 16, UN Archives. 178 Bristol Vicinity Advanced as UNO Conference Site, Providence Journal, January 2, 1946. 179 Council Invites UNO to Pick Site, Providence Journal, January 10, 1946. 180 John Nicholas Brown to Gladwyn Jebb, November 22, 1945, and other correspondence in Records of the Preparatory Commission of the United Nations Registry Files (S-0539), Box 7, File 3, UN Archives. 181 Area West of Neutaconkanut Hill Proposed as Site for UNO Home, Providence Journal, January 20, 1946; Chopmist Hill District is Rated One of Top Potential Locations for UNO Quarters by Committee, Providence Journal, January 24, 1946.

210. Warwick (suggestion) U.S. Senator William B. Sweeney received suggestions of Warwick from local residents suggesting the Spring Green section or areas on the Warwick Neck peninsula.182 211. Westerly (invitation) The Town Council of Westerly voted to extend an invitation to the UN on December 28, 1945, in response to the UNs interest in locations within a 60-mile radius of Boston. Support from the local Chamber of Commerce emphasized the towns transportation connections to New York and Boston, its solid utility infrastructure, and its reputation as a famous health resort.183 South Carolina 212. Myrtle Beach (suggestion) D. Stowe Crouse wrote on behalf of the Myrtle Beach American Legion Post on December 24, 1945, to suggest this location as an accessible point midway between New York City and Miami. The veterans also listed Myrtle Beachs amenities as beautiful gardens, the Army Air Field and bombing range, and numerous antebellum plantations owned by distinguished men such as Bernard Baruch, George Vanderbilt, and Nicholas Roosevelt.184 South Dakota 213. Black Hills Region (campaign) Originating as a proposal on November 3, 1944, by Paul E. Bellamy, a Rapid City businessman whose son had been killed in the war, the campaign to place the UN in the Black Hills grew into a three-state effort by South Dakota, Nebraska, and Wyoming. The Black Hills boosters promoted their region as central, accessible, spacious, and politically neutral. They continued to hold hope until the organization finally settled in New York. (See Chapters 1, 2, 3, and 5.)185 Tennessee 214. Carthage (invitation) In letters during December 1945, Congressman Albert Gore, Tennessee Governor Jim McCord, Nashville Mayor Thomas L. Nummings, and Carthage Mayor Guy A. Drake invited the UN to consider Carthage as a tribute to the home town of former Secretary of State Cordell Hull. The officials described Carthage as within three or four hours by plane to every part of the United States together with ideal climatic conditions and every other advantage which would make a pleasant location for the capital of the world.186 215. Great Smoky Mountains (invitation) A Great Smoky Mountain UNO Invitation Committee, headed by Tennessee attorney Hansel Proffitt, promoted the central location and accessibility of the region, along with its climate and recreational facilities. In a telegram on December 28, 1945, the committee also pointed out that underground shelters from nuclear
182

Area West of Neutaconkanut Hill Proposed as Site for UNO Home, Providence Journal, January 20, 1946. 183 Westerly Prepares to Make Bid for UNO Headquarters in Town, Providence Journal, December 29, 1945; Westerly Chamber of Commerce Lists Attractions as UNO Site, Providence Journal, January 3, 1946. 184 D. Stowe Crouse to Preparatory Commission, December 24, 1945, Records of the Preparatory Commission of the United Nations Registry Files (S-0539), Box 4, File 16, UN Archives. 185 The most extensive record of the Black Hills campaign is in the Paul E. Bellamy Papers, Richardson Manuscript Collections, I.D. Weeks Library, University of South Dakota, Vermillion, S.D., and in articles published in 1945 and 1946 in the Rapid City Daily Journal and Sioux Falls Argus-Leader; M.Q. Sharpe to Gladwyn Jebb, October 23, 1945, and other correspondence in Records of the Preparatory Commission of the United Nations Registry Files (S-0539), Box 4, File 19, UN Archives. 186 Albert Gore to Gladwyn Jebb, December 14, 1945, and Jim McCord and others to Gladwyn Jebb, December 15, 1945, Records of the Preparatory Commission of the United Nations Registry Files (S0539), Box 4, File 15, UN Archives.

bombs could be constructed in the mountains. Knowing of the UNs growing concern about racial tensions in the South, the committee described the Great Smokies region as having no racial problems or distinctions such as can be found in the confusion of sociological conditions in Northern, Eastern, and Southern areas.187 Texas 216. Corpus Christi (invitation) Promoters described Corpus Christi as centrally located in almost the exact geographical center of the world and noted the citys name dedicated to the Prince of Peace and Lord of Lords was symbolic of the great purpose, World Peace to which the United Nations Organization is dedicated. Gabe Garrett, publisher of the Corpus Christi Chronicle extended the invitation to President Truman in December 1945, and a subsequent invitation to the UN from Mayor Roh L. Self and other local officials on January 9, 1946, included a letter written to Eleanor Roosevelt from Citizens of Corpus Christi, Texas. Corpus Christi boosters emphasized the towns international character because of its Spanish-speaking population and proximity to Mexico, and suggested that Jewish people might establish a homeland in South Texas, where there is enough land and wealth and happiness for each, and everyone is welcome to find here a new and happier home.188 217. Eastland (invitation) The local Chamber of Commerce invited the UN to Eastland with a telegram to President Truman on March 16, 1946. Ample space is available located in West Texas in an area of the United States which makes for clear calm thinking and away from an atmosphere of discord and animosity, wrote the Chambers president, C.J. Rhodes.189 218. Galveston (invitation) The Galveston Junior Chamber of Commerce invited the UNs interest in December 1945 to the islands year-round climate, excellent facilities of fishing, hunting, swimming and other recreations which have been attracting thousands of visitors here annually in addition to hundreds of conventions. Galveston would be accessible by air and by sea, the boosters noted.190 219. Mason County (suggestion) George L. Denman, a private citizen, wrote to Eleanor Roosevelt on December 22, 1945, to enclose an article from the Spokesman-Review of Spokane, Washington. The article described Mason County in central Texas as having 968 square miles of ample room for construction of the worlds greatest capital.191 220. San Antonio (invitation) Mayor Gus B. Mauermann and Chamber of Commerce President C.W. Miller invited the UNs consideration in a telegram on December 7, 1945.192 Utah 221. Salt Lake City (invitation) On October 1, 1945, Mayor Earl J. Glade invited consideration of his city for its comparative isolation which experience has shown is so much desired by governmental administrative bodies. Nevertheless, it is easily accessible by air or surface

187

Great Smoky Mountains UNO Invitation Committee to UNO, December 28, 1945, Records of the Preparatory Commission of the United Nations Registry Files (S-0539), Box 4, File 15, UN Archives. 188 William D. Hassett to Gabe Garrett, December 28, 1945, Truman Official Files (OF85), Box 522, Harry S. Truman Presidential Library, Independence, Mo.; Mayor Roh L. Self and others to UN Inspection Committee and Citizens of Corpus Christi to Eleanor Roosevelt, January 9, 1946, Records of the Preparatory Commission of the United Nations Registry Files (S-0539), Box 4, File 15, UN Archives. 189 C.J. Rhodes to Harry S. Truman, March 16, 1946, Box 524, Truman Official Files (OF85), Truman Presidential Library. 190 Julea Lauve Jr. quoted in Adlai Stevenson to Gladwyn Jebb, December 23, 1945, Records of the Preparatory Commission of the United Nations Registry Files (S-0539), Box 4, File 15, UN Archives. 191 George L. Denman to Eleanor Roosevelt, December 22, 1945, Records of the Preparatory Commission of the United Nations Registry Files (S-0539), Box 4, File 16, UN Archives. 192 Gus B. Mauermann and C.W. Miller to Adlai E. Stevenson, December 7, 1945, Records of the Preparatory Commission of the United Nations Registry Files (S-0539), Box 7, File 9, UN Archives.

transportation. He suggested a location at the base of Ensign Peak one mile from citys business district.193 Vermont 222. Burlington (invitation) Donald L. Anderson, executive director of the Burlington Chamber of Commerce, promoted Burlingtons centrality and its non-urban character in an invitation to the UN Preparatory Commission, December 16, 1945. A study of the great circles and azimuths from Eastern United States to all points on the earths surfaces reveals that Burlington, Vermont, is the city in the United States which is nearest to many of the capitals and centers of the world, Anderson wrote. Burlington boosters also promoted their areas scenic reputation as the Switzerland of America.194 223. Fort Ethan Allen/Essex After an offer of interim facilities by Vermont Governor Mortimer R. Proctor in January 1946, UN staff members investigated the feasibility of Fort Ethan Allen.195 Virginia Governor Colgate W. Darden Jr. and the president of the Virginia Chamber of Commerce, Wilfred A. Roper, promoted their state to the UN with a telegram on December 22, 1945. They stressed Virginias history as site of the first free legislative assembly in [the] New World named for Britains virgin queen, and reached for further international significance by identifying their state as the birthplace of Washington and Jefferson, who were friends of Lafayette, Rochambeau and DeGrasse and idols of Simon Bolivar. In addition to Virginias accessibility by air, rail, and sea, It would be most fitting to locate the first home of the international assembly of the United Nations in the state where the first written constitution of a free and independent state based on the Declaration of Rights of Man by George Mason was framed.196 224. Alexandria (invitation) Twenty-one acres of beautiful unimproved land overlooking the Potomac River in the Seminary Hill section of Alexandria were offered to the UN by Sarah Daingerfield Stirling in a telegram to President Truman on January 6, 1946.197 225. Charlottesville (campaign) Residents of Charlottesville, including officers of the local Chamber of Commerce, formed a Peace Headquarters Location Committee that pursued the UN beginning with a telegram to Edward Stettinius on October 5, 1945. They called attention to the peaceful countryside of Virginia and their association with Thomas Jefferson and Monticello. Inspiration obtainable from the philosophy and teachings of Jefferson should be invaluable, they argued. They later elaborated on Charlottesvilles proximity to other cities, its plans for an airport, its climate, and cultural and educational institutions. Charlottesville was eliminated from contention along with all other sites in the South, a region that UN diplomats associated with racial discrimination.198

193

Earl J. Glade to James F. Byrnes, October 11, 1945, Records of the Preparatory Commission of the United Nations Registry Files (S-0539), Box 4, File 16, UN Archives. 194 Donald L. Anderson to Dr. R.E. McEachen, December 19, 1945, Records of the Preparatory Commission of the United Nations Registry Files (S-0539), Box 4, File 15, UN Archives. 195 Walter R. Sharp to Huntington Gilchrist, January 23, 1946, and telephone message, January 28, 1946, Box 40, Papers of Huntington Gilchrist, Library of Congress. 196 Colgate W. Darden Jr. and Willfred A. Roper to Gladwyn Jebb, December 22, 1945, Records of the Preparatory Commission of the United Nations Registry Files (S-0539), Box 4, File 16, UN Archives. 197 Sarah Daingerfield Stirling to President Truman, January 6, 1946, Box 524, Truman Official Files (OF85), Truman Presidential Library. 198 Thomas L. Farrar to Edward Stettinius, October 5, 1945, and other correspondence in Records of the Preparatory Commission of the United Nations Registry Files (S-0539), Box 5, File 10, UN Archives; Enough Land Available at Monticello Site, Charlottesville Daily Progress, December 6, 1945.

226. Fredericksburg (invitation) Promoting Fredericksburg as Americas most historic city located fifty miles from the capitol of the United States, Chamber of Commerce President Edward H. Cann called attention to the boyhood home of George Washington as well as the local climate, recreational opportunities, and proximity to Washington-based embassies. Fredericksburg would be most suitable for a worldwide aviation terminal, he wrote to UN officials.199 227. Northern Neck (suggestion) Walter Johnson, a resident of Heathsville, Va. and onetime Republican candidate for Congress, wrote to Congressman S. Otis Bland on December 8, 1945, to suggest this region of Virginia for its association with George Washington and because it was one of the finest spots in all the world to live.200 228. Portsmouth (invitation) Roy J. Dunn, managing director of the Portsmouth Chamber of Commerce, promoted Portsmouth as the Souths City of the Future, in a request for UN consideration sent to U.S. Secretary James F. Byrnes on August 10, 1945. Dunn called attention to the port of Hampton Roads significance in the war effort and its business potential in times of peace. Dunn renewed the invitation with a telegram to the UN in December that stressed the availability of undeveloped land and transportation services, but a UN committee soon ruled out all southern sites because of concern about racial discrimination.201 229. Richmond (invitation) The president of the Richmond Chamber of Commerce, Lewis G. Chewning, wrote to the UN on November 28, 1945, to invite consideration of his city as a cultural center with proximity to Washington and the housing, hotels, and offices that the UN would need. Richmond is rich in New World history and tradition, he wrote. Virginians nurtured and helped develop the ideals of our Republic. This historical background is a notable community asset, providing an atmosphere appreciated by representatives of older nations. Like other southern sites, Richmond was eliminated from consideration because of diplomats concern about racial discrimination in the South.202 230. Uno (suggestion) A short item circulated by the Associated Press in December 1945 noted that the tiny town of Uno, population 30, would be a typographically perfect choice for the United Nations Organization but hasnt much to offer beyond its name.203 231. Virginia Beach (invitation) The directing manager of the Virginia Beach Chamber of Commerce wrote on November 23, 1945 to invite the UN to consider this ideal location from the standpoint of available space, climate, transportation, recreation, and all the conveniences which tend to make life attractive and pleasant. He noted Virginia Beachs close proximity to the Jamestown settlement of 1607, quoting Captain John Smiths report that Heaven and earth never agreed better to frame a place for mans habitation.204 232. Williamsburg / Newport News (campaign) Encouraged by the publisher of the Newport News Times-Herald and Newport News City Council, a Virginia Peninsula Committee Sponsoring Williamsburg for United Nations Home organized a campaign to advocate a
199

Edward H. Cann to Committee on Selection on Permanent Site (n.d.), Records of the Preparatory Commission of the United Nations Registry Files (S-0539), Box 4, File 15, UN Archives. 200 Walter Johnson to S. Otis Bland, December 8, 1945, Records of the Preparatory Commission of the United Nations Registry Files (S-0539), Box 4, File 16, UN Archives; Northern Neck Is Proposed As Site for UNO Capital, Richmond Times-Dispatch, December 11, 1945. 201 Roy J. Dunn to James F. Byrnes, August 10, 1945, and Roy J. Dunn to Gladwyn Jebb, December 12, 1946, Records of the Preparatory Commission of the United Nations Registry Files (S-0539), Box 4, File 16, UN Archives. 202 Lewis G. Chewning to Gladwyn Jebb, November 28, 1945, Records of the Preparatory Commission of the United Nations Registry Files (S-0539), Box 7, File 5, UN Archives. 203 Associated Press, Uno Can Provide (Typographically) Perfect UNO Seat, Norfolk Virginian-Pilot, December 14, 1945. 204 Joseph E. Spruill to Gladwyn Jebb, November 23, 1945, Records of the Preparatory Commission of the United Nations Registry Files (S-0539), Box 4, File 16, UN Archives.

headquarters site at Camp Peary, a Navy training camp on the York River. The campaign called attention to the historic resonance of nearby Colonial Williamsburg as well as to Camp Pearys modern facilities and room for future growth. Armed with promotional volumes bound in white leather, two representatives headed for London to make a direct appeal, but while they were en route the diplomats eliminated all southern sites from contention because of concerns about racial discrimination.205 Washington 233. Grand Coulee (suggestion) Local resident Edwin L. Rice wrote to President Truman on December 20, 1945, to suggest the Grand Coulee Dam as a site for the United Nations; he enclosed an American Airlines advertisement depicting Grand Coulee as the Heart of the World.206 234. Seattle (suggestion) Interest in Seattle was reported without further elaboration by Philadelphia Record on March 30, 1945, but by the end of the year the Seattle Chamber of Commerce announced support for San Francisco.207 West Virginia 235. Berkeley Springs (suggestion) As the UN struggled in February 1946 with controversy over its recommended near Greenwich, Conn., U.S. Senator Harley M. Kilgore suggested the alternative of this site in his state with ample land and no need to displace population.208 236. Harpers Ferry (suggestion) Quoting Thomas Jefferson, who said the scene at Harpers Ferry is worth crossing the ocean to see, James M. Thomson of Gaylord, W. Va., suggested this location in a telegram to President Truman on January 7, 1946. He pointed out the sites accessibility from Washington and Baltimore and judged the climate more suitable than the UNs favored sites in the Northeast.209 237. White Sulphur Springs (suggestion) Congressman E.H. Hedrick wrote to President Truman on January 14, 1946, to advocate White Sulphur Springs. Referring to the UNs decision reject sites in the south, Hedrick stated, Though White Sulphur Springs is below the Mason Dixon line there is no discrimination. The site offered attractive scenery, housing, an airport and railroad facilities, he pointed out. The Charleston Gazette also editorialized in favor of the springs and town of White Sulphur.210 Wisconsin 238. Apostle Islands (suggestion) An editorial in the Washburn (Wisc.) Times suggested these islands in Lake Superior as an alternative to the UNs controversial site choices in the New York suburbs. Its location, climate, and scenery would be idea, the newspaper suggested, and, With a history going back to the very dawn of time, the Apostle Islands offer an appropriate

205

Ashton Dovell to Gladwyn Jebb, December 6, 1945, Records of the Preparatory Commission of the United Nations Registry Files (S-0539), Box 4, File 16, UN Archives; Newport News Advocates Camp Peary as Site for United Nations, Virginia Gazette, November 16, 1945; Virginians Refused Hearing in London, Virginia Gazette, January 4, 1946. 206 Edwin L. Rice to President Truman, December 20, 1945, Truman Official Files (OF85), Box 522, Harry S. Truman Presidential Library, Independence, Mo. 207 Peace Capital Bid Supported, San Francisco Examiner, November 19, 1945. 208 Sydney Gruson, Site Vote Blocked by Minority in UNO, New York Times, February 11, 1946. 209 James M. Thomson to Harry S. Truman, January 7, 1946, Box 524, Truman Official Files (OF85), Truman Presidential Library. 210 E.H. Hedrick to Harry S. Truman, January 7, 1946, Box 524, Truman Official Files (OF85), Truman Presidential Library; Why Not White Sulphur? Charleston Gazette, January 27, 1946, reprinted in Congressional Record, January 30, 1946.

location for an organization that seeks to bring the dawn of a new era in the unhappy annals of mankind.211 239. Beloit (invitation) H.F. Halverson, President, Beloit Chamber of Commerce, wrote to President Truman on September 13, 1945, after reading press reports of the UNs interest in small communities. While it may appear presumptuous for us to even harbor a hope that a southern Wisconsin beauty spot would be selected, Halverson wrote, We do feel that we have much to offer and that failure to ask consideration might well justify a charge that we are not alert to our community responsibilities. Beloit promoted its location 100 miles from Chicago; transportation connections; paved highways; schools; churches; Beloit College; and beautiful scenery.212 240. Kenosha (invitation) City Manager James G. Wallace proposed a site of 1,503 acres along the Lake Michigan shore south of Kenosha, a beautiful city, a healthful city, an orderly city; a pleasant city in which to love, a delightful city in which to spend a summer vacation. The invitation to the UN on December 27, 1945, stressed Kenoshas proximity to Chicago and Milwaukee and the availability of transportation and necessary utilities.213 241. Milwaukee (invitation) Mayor John L. Bohn invited the UN to consider Milwaukee with a telegram on December 27, 1945, promoting his citys advantages: central world location, excellent railroad and air transportation facilities, great industries, fine hotels, excellent harbor, fine education institutions, ideal climatic conditions, excellent sites available, wholesome environment and a loyal and patriotic citizenry. A site between Milwaukee and Chicago also was suggested by U.S. Sen. Alexander Wiley in a speech on the Senate floor on November 1, 1945. Wiley called for a city started anew and hoped that selecting this location would spur completion of the St. Lawrence Seaway.214 242. South Milwaukee (suggestion) A local resident, Frank S. Markarian, wrote to Adlai Stevenson on December 17, 1945, to suggest South Milwaukees Grant Park as an ideal site about in the middle of North America in the heart of the Middle West wherein flourishes the cradle of American culture.215

211

Why Not the Apostle Islands? Washburn Times, n.d., reprinted in Congressional Record, February 26, 1946. 212 H.F. Halverson to Harry S. Truman, September 13, 1945, Records of the Preparatory Commission of the United Nations Registry Files (S-0539), Box 4, File 15, UN Archives; Acknowledge Beloit Bid as Site for UNO, Beloit Daily News, October 24, 1945. 213 James G. Wallace to Members of UNO Preparatory Commission, December 27, 1945, Records of the Preparatory Commission of the United Nations Registry Files (S-0539), Box 4, File 15, UN Archives. 214 John L. Bohn to Edward R. Stettinius, December 27, 1945, and Alexander Wiley, text of Senate address, November 1, 1945, Records of the Preparatory Commission of the United Nations Registry Files (S0539), Box 4, File 16, UN Archives. 215 Frank S. Markarian to Adlai Stevenson, December 17, 1945, Records of the Preparatory Commission of the United Nations Registry Files (S-0539), Box 4, File 16, UN Archives.