Douglas Mendel papers, 1940-1978

Overview of the Collection

Creator
Mendel, Douglas Heusted, 1921-1978
Title
Douglas Mendel papers
Dates
1940-1978 (inclusive)
Quantity
10.26 cubic feet (13 boxes; 1 oversize folder)
Collection Number
4548
Summary
World War II veteran and former professor of political science at the University of Washington whose papers reflect his continuing interests in Japanese, Korean, Chinese and Taiwanese politics. The collection also involves research for his book The Politics of Formosan Nationalism
Repository
University of Washington Libraries, Special Collections
Special Collections
University of Washington Libraries
Box 352900
Seattle, WA
98195-2900
Telephone: 2065431929
Fax: 2065431931
speccoll@uw.edu
Access Restrictions

Open to all users.

Languages
English, Italian, Korean, Chinese, Japanese

Biographical NoteReturn to Top

Professor of political science and specialist in Japan and East Asia. Born 1921, died 1978. Mendel served in naval intelligence during WW II and conducted a national survey of Japanese opinion on wartime conditions during the U.S. occupation. He continued to conduct surveys of Japanese politics at the University of Michigan, where he taught from 1951-52 and completed his doctoral dissertation “Political Behavior in Post Treaty Japan” in 1955. Survey work also formed the basis of much of his research as professor of political science at UCLA (1954-61), the University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee (1963-1978), and as Far East representative for the Roper Public Opinion Research Center. These surveys cover such topics as the politics of the Japanese Diet, perceptions of political parties, Japanese views toward the United States, Okinawa reversion, Japan - Korea border disputes, and Japanese recognition of Communist China.

As a Fulbright scholar in Taiwan in 1961-62, he became involved with the underground Taiwanese independence movement and subsequently made contact with exile groups in Japan and the U.S. In spite of his ardent support and possibly because of concerns arising from Nixon’s visit to China, Mendel ultimately became disillusioned with the independence movement. In the seventies, he campaigned with equal ardor on behalf of the nationalist government on Taiwan.

In 1978 Mendel had to leave his teaching post for health reasons. He died later that year.

Content DescriptionReturn to Top

Correspondence, speeches and writings, reports, opinion surveys and polls, photographs, ephemera and clippings. The papers reflect Mendel’s continuing interests in Japanese, Korean, Chinese and Taiwanese politics and thus contain some materials in all of those languages. Much of the collection involves research for his book The Politics of Formosan Nationalism (1970) and his efforts on behalf of incarcerated activists. Of particular interest are the subject series which recount Mendel’s efforts in the 1960s on behalf of activists who had been imprisoned by the Nationalist government of Taiwan, including Chii-Ming Hwang, his student, and Peng Ming-Min, who became head of the Democratic Progressive Party on Taiwan. Mendel’s travel and interview notes include not only his impressions of Hong Kong, Taiwan, Japan, and Korea, but also accounts, ca 1957-1977, of interviews with such notables as Douglas MacArthur II, various members of the Japanese diet, Formosan dissident leader, Thomas Liao and other prominent politicians and scholars.

The Reports series consists largely of the observations of Mendel’s graduate student, Hung-Mao (Harold) Tien. Mendel has scribbled “Tien” on most of these reports, which describe the conditions of the Republic of China military as well as its treatment of political prisoners. Mendel in fact annotated many of the papers in the collection.

Major correspondents include Amnesty International of the USA, Ching-chih Chen, Chii-ming Hwang, Ikko Kasuga, Kuang-sheng Liao, Heijiro Ohta, Taiwan Chinglian Hue (later, United Young Formosans for Independence), Hung-mao Tien, and Ming-min Peng.

Use of the CollectionReturn to Top

Restrictions on Use

Creator's literary rights not transferred to the University of Washington Libraries.

Administrative InformationReturn to Top

Arrangement

Organized into 2 accessions.

  • Accession No. 4548-001, Douglas Mendel papers, 1953-1978
  • Accession No. 4548-002, Douglas Mendel papers, 1940-1976

Custodial History

The East Asia Library acquired these papers from the Mendel estate in 1979. Because of their sensitive nature, they were initially held, but the loosening of restrictions on Taiwan allowed their transfer to Manuscripts and University Archives in 1995. Another batch of materials was transfered from the East Asia Library in 2015.

Acquisition Information

Donated by Estate of Douglas Mendel via East Asia Library, 11/11/1995 and 8/13/2015

Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top

 

Accession No. 4548-001: Douglas Mendel papers, 1953-1978Return to Top

8.42 cu. ft. (11 boxes)

Scope and Content: Correspondence, speeches and writings, reports, opinion surveys and polls, photographs, ephemera and clippings; 1953-1978. Concerns Mendel's research and writings regarding politics in Japan, Taiwan and Korea and as a professor of Political Science. Also relates to Mendel's involvement with the Taiwanese nationalist movement, in the 1960s.

Separated Material: The East Asia Library retained 8 cartons of books, magazines, and other printed materials relating to China and Taiwan (including numerous publications of the Taiwanese independence movement), 6 cartons of publications related to Japan and one carton of printed materials concerning Korea. Three cartons of clippings dealing with Japan, Korea and China were also transferred to the East Asia Library following processing. Clippings dealing with Taiwan were retained in the Mendel papers, however. Four cartons of Japanese and U.S. government publications were transferred to Government Publications in the Libraries.

Restrictions on Access: Open to all users.

Restrictions on Use: Creator's literary rights not transferred to the University of Washington Libraries.

Acquisition Info: Bibliographic Source: Estate of Douglas Mendel via East Asia Library.

Accession No. 4548-002: Douglas Mendel papers, 1940-1976Return to Top

1.84 cubic feet (2 boxes) and 1 oversize folder

Scope and Content: Survey data reports from research in Japan, correspondence, conference presentations, writings and article reprints.

Restrictions on Access: Open to all users.

Restrictions on Use: Creator's literary rights not transferred to the University of Washington Libraries.

Acquisition Info: UW East Asia Library, 2015

Container(s) Description Dates
Box Accession
1 4548-002
Asian Forum
Oct-Dec 1972 & 1973
1 4548-002
Asian Survey
Mar. 1961 & Oct. 1964
1 4548-002
Asian Survey
July 1967 & Aug. 1969
1 4548-002
Asian Survey
Dec. 1970 & Mar. 1975
1 4548-002
Book Reviews
1959-1970
1 4548-002
Correspondence
1960-1970
1 4548-002
JIJI Survey
1971-1975
1 4548-002
Journal Publications
1955-1959
1 4548-002
Journal Publications
1964-1969
1 4548-002
Journal Publications
1970-1974
1 4548-002
Master's Thesis: The Life and Political Philosophy of Ozaki Yukio
June 1950
1 4548-002
Mercurio: French Publication
Dec. 1966
1 4548-002
Miscellaneous Asian Writings
1 4548-002
Miscellaneous Class Papers
1 4548-002
Misc. Survey Data
1 4548-002
Miscellaneous Undated Papers
1 4548-002
Pacific Community: An Asian Quarterly Review
Jan. 1970
1 4548-002
Academic Papers
1948, 1957 & 1970
1 4548-002
Academic Papers and Data
1960-1965
1 4548-002
Academic Papers and Reports
1965-1967
1 4548-002
Academic and Journal Articles
1971
1 4548-002
Academic|Conference Papers
1972
1 4548-002
Academic Papers
1973
1 4548-002
Academic, Conference and Meeting Papers
1974
1 4548-002
Academic/Seminar Papers
1975-1976
1 4548-002
Research
1 4548-002
Avarious Newspaper Clippings and papers
1965-1975
2 4548-002
Miscellaneous Asian Writings
2 4548-002
Paper (Draft)
1962
2 4548-002
Survey Data
7 folders
OS 4548-002
Newspaper Clippings
OS 4548-002
Survey Data

Names and SubjectsReturn to Top

Subject Terms

  • Personal Papers/Corporate Records (University of Washington)
  • Political science teachers--Archives

Personal Names

  • Liao, Thomas W. I
  • Mendel, Douglas Heusted, 1921-1978--Archives
  • Tien, Hung-mao, 1938-

Geographical Names

  • China--Politics and government--20th century--History--Sources
  • Japan--Politics and government
  • Japan--Politics and government--20th century--History--Sources
  • Korea--Politics and government
  • Korea--Politics and government--20th century--History--Sources
  • Taiwan--Politics and government
  • Taiwan--Politics and government--20th century--History--Sources

Other Creators

  • Personal Names
    • Chen, Ching Chih (creator)
    • Hwang, Chii-ming (creator)
    • Kasuga, Ikko, 1910- (creator)
    • Liao, Guangsheng, 1941- (creator)
    • Ohta, Heijiro (creator)
    • Peng, Ming-min (creator)
    • Tien, Hung-mao, 1938- (creator)
    Corporate Names
    • Amnesty International USA (creator)
    • Formosan Affairs Study Group (Madison, Wis.) (creator)
    • Formosan Association (creator)
    • United Young Formosans for Independence (Japan) (creator)