Archives West Finding Aid
Table of Contents
- Overview of the Collection
-
Biographical Note
- Content Description
- Use of the Collection
- Administrative Information
-
Detailed Description of the Collection
- Diaries and calendars
- Biographical information
- Biographical information - condolences
- Incoming letters
- Reports
- Speeches and writings
- Photographs
- Organizational directives
- Memo
- Subject series
- Proceedings
- Hearings transcript - U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Near Eastern and South Asian Affairs Committee
- Ephemera
- Publications
- Financial records
- Newsletters
- News releases
- Maps
- Clippings
- Miscellany
- Names and Subjects
Robert L. Fisher papers, 1951-1989
Overview of the Collection
- Creator
- Fisher, Robert L. (Robert Light), 1910-1989
- Title
- Robert L. Fisher papers
- Dates
- 1951-1989 (inclusive)19511989
- Quantity
- 3.04 cubic feet (5 boxes)
- Collection Number
- 4249 (Accession No. 4249-001)
- Summary
- Papers of an American official of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency primarily concerning his work in Jordan and Gaza during the late 1950s to early 1970s.
- 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
-
The papers are open to all users.
- Languages
- English
- Sponsor
- Funding for encoding this finding aid was partially provided through a grant awarded by the National Endowment for the Humanities.
Biographical NoteReturn to Top
Robert Light Fisher was born in York, Pennsylvania, in 1910. He received his teaching credential from Western Washington Normal School, Bellingham, Washington, where his father, Charles Henry Fisher, had been president, and went on to receive degrees from Stanford and Columbia in political science. Fisher joined the State Department in 1940 and worked in the U.S. Army's Intelligence Section during World War II. After the war, he served as the Army's liaison for displaced persons in Europe. Fisher joined the United Nations' Commission for Displaced Arabs in the Middle East in the late 1940s and in 1950 was appointed its chair. In 1953 he became assistant director of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) in Jordan, and in 1958 he was appointed director of the UNRWA in Gaza. In 1961 Fisher became director of UNRWA affairs in Jordon. He supervised the establishment of refugee camps and the building of schools and health centers. Fisher obtained a senior post at UNRWA headquarters in Beirut in 1968 and returned to the State Department in 1970. Upon his retirement in 1980, Fisher returned to the state of Washington, where he died in 1989.
Content DescriptionReturn to Top
Diaries, photographs, reports, newsletters, correspondence, cables, memos, clippings, publications, and news releases, 1951-1989 (bulk 1956-1971), concerning Fisher's work on behalf of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East.
The papers consist almost exclusively of materials relating to Fisher's work in Gaza and Jordan during the late 1950s to early 1970s, with some material from later years. The largest series is the subject series, which is organized according to Fisher's original topical scheme. Photocopies of deteriorating thermofaxes are filed with the original copies. A substantial number of photographs of UNRWA projects and events are included in the papers.
Use of the CollectionReturn to Top
Restrictions on Use
The creator's literary rights have been transferred to the University of Washington Libraries.
Preferred Citation
Robert L. Fisher Papers. Special Collections, University of Washington Libraries, Seattle, Washington.
Administrative InformationReturn to Top
Acquisition Information
Gift of Helen S. Fisher (Robert L. Fisher's wife) of Lacey, Washington, 1991.
Processing Note
Processing of the papers was completed in 1993.
Separated Materials
Official United Nations documents have been transferred to the Government Publications division of the University of Washington Libraries. Publications from the Institute for Palestine Studies have been transferred to the main collection of the UW Libraries.
Related Materials
Researchers interested in Robert L. Fisher's personal life may wish to consult the Charles Henry Fisher papers, Accession No. 1987-14, which consists of 49 letters from Robert Fisher's father during the time when he was field director of the UNRWA (1962-1964).
Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top
Diaries and calendars, 1956-1958, 1964-1971Return to Top
Container(s): Box 1-2
Biographical information, 1964-1990Return to Top
Container(s): Box-folder 3/1
Biographical information - condolences, 1989Return to Top
Container(s): Box-folder 3/2
Incoming letters, 1978Return to Top
Container(s): Box-folder 3/3
ReportsReturn to Top
Container(s) | Description | Dates |
---|---|---|
Box/Folder | ||
3/4 | United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine
Refugees in the Near East |
1969-1970 |
3/5 | Miscellaneous |
1986 |
Speeches and writings, 1957-1968Return to Top
Container(s): Box-folder 3/6
PhotographsReturn to Top
Container(s) | Description | Dates |
---|---|---|
Box/Folder | ||
3/7-8 | "Official" |
1967-1969 |
3/9-13 | Jordan |
1965-1968 |
3/14-18 | Miscellaneous |
1964-1976 |
Box | ||
5 | Photo albums |
1954-1974 |
Organizational directives, 1959-1962Return to Top
Container(s): Box-folder 3/19
Memo, 1964Return to Top
Container(s): Box-folder 3/20
Subject seriesReturn to Top
Container(s) | Description | Dates |
---|---|---|
Box/Folder | ||
3/21 | Conciliation Commission for Palestine |
1962-1964 |
3/22 | Confidential draft paper of 1958 |
1958 |
3/23 | Development Bank of Jordan, Ltd. |
1951-1979 |
3/24 | Gaza basic papers |
1960-1962 |
3/25 | Humor |
1956-1960 |
3/26 | Ideas, etc. |
1959 |
3/27 | Ideas for publications |
1969 |
3/28 | Materials for articles |
1963 |
3/29 | Middle East crisis |
1967 |
3/30 | Problems facing UNRWA as it changes
directors |
1958-1959 |
3/31 | "The Refugee Problem" |
1969 |
3/32 | Refugee resettlement through the medium of individual
grants in Jordan |
1960 |
3/33 | Relations between UNRWA and UAR government |
1960-1961 |
3/34 | Solution to the Palestine (refugee) problem |
1953-1967 |
3/35 | Statistics |
1950-1973 |
3/36 | Status of the Gaza mission, UNRWA |
1959 |
3/37 | Transfer from Jordan to Beirut |
1968 |
3/38 | United Nations Emergency Force - miscellaneous
items |
1960-1961 |
3/39 | West Bank data base project |
1984 |
3/40 | Women's Auxiliary of UNRWA |
1958-1965 |
Proceedings, 1978Return to Top
Container(s): Box-folder 3/41
Hearings transcript - U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Near Eastern and South Asian Affairs Committee, 1976Return to Top
Container(s): Box-folder 3/42
Ephemera, undatedReturn to Top
Container(s): Box-folder 3/43
PublicationsReturn to Top
Container(s) | Description | Dates |
---|---|---|
Box/Folder | ||
3/44 | UNRWA |
undated |
4/1 | American Friends Service Committee |
1958 |
4/2 | Middle East Institute |
1974 |
4/3 | Miscellaneous |
1956-1989 |
Financial records, 1974-1978Return to Top
Container(s): Box-folder 4/4
NewslettersReturn to Top
Container(s) | Description | Dates |
---|---|---|
Box/Folder | ||
4/5 | UNRWA |
1962-1986 |
4/6 | Miscellaneous |
1974-1986 |
News releasesReturn to Top
Container(s) | Description | Dates |
---|---|---|
Box/Folder | ||
4/7 | UNRWA |
1968-1978 |
4/8 | Miscellaneous |
1977 |
Maps, 1955-1957Return to Top
Container(s): Box-folder 4/9
Clippings, 1963-1978Return to Top
Container(s): Box-folder 4/10
Miscellany, 1968Return to Top
Container(s): Box-folder 4/11
Names and SubjectsReturn to Top
Subject Terms
- International relief
- Palestinian Arabs--Services for
- Political refugees--Services for--Middle East
- Refugees, Palestinian Arab--Education
- Refugees, Palestinian Arab--Jordan
- Refugees, Palestinian Arab--Services for
- United Nations--Officials and employees--Archives
Personal Names
- Fisher, Robert L. (Robert Light), 1910-1989--Archives
Corporate Names
- United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East
Form or Genre Terms
- Calendars
- Diaries
- Newsletters
- Photograph albums
- Photographs
- Press releases
- Publications
- correspondence
- reports
Names and SubjectsReturn to Top
Subject Terms
- Personal Papers/Corporate Records (University of Washington)