Parker T. Hart papers, 1965-1986

Overview of the Collection

Creator
Hart, Parker T., 1910-1997
Title
Parker T. Hart papers
Dates
1965-1986 (inclusive)
1971-1986 (bulk)
Quantity
8.60 cubic ft. (19 document boxes)
Collection Number
09026
Summary
Consultant, author, and former ambassador’s correspondence, reports, speeches and subject files about business possibilities in, and the political climate of, the Middle East for work with the Bechtel Corporation, RCA and U.S. Steel.
Repository
American Heritage Center, University of Wyoming
American Heritage Center
University of Wyoming
1000 E. University Ave.
Dept. 3924
Laramie, WY
82071
Telephone: 3077663756
ahcref@uwyo.edu
Access Restrictions
Access Restrictions

There are no access restrictions on the materials for research purposes, and the collection is open to the public.

Languages
English
Sponsor
The creation of the EAD-version of this finding aid was made possible through a grant from the National Historic Publications and Records Commission.

Historical NoteReturn to Top

A Foreign Service officer for 31 years, U.S. Ambassador Parker Thompson Hart was an expert on foreign policy in the Middle East. He was born September 28, 1910, in Medford, Massachusetts to William Parker and Ella Louisa (Thompson) Hart. Hart attended Dartmouth College, graduating in 1933, earned his master’s degree in diplomatic history from Harvard in 1935, and a year later received a diploma from L’Institut des Hautes Etudes Internationales in Geneva, Switzerland. Later in life, Hart studied at Georgetown University’s Foreign Service school and, in addition, completed a one-year course of study at the National War College in 1952.

In 1949, Hart married Jane Constance Smiley, granddaughter of Elmer Smiley, fourth president of the University of Wyoming. They had two daughters.

He began his diplomatic career in 1938 serving as vice consul in Austria then in Brazil. In 1944, he went to the Middle East and opened the first U.S. consulate in Saudi Arabia at Dhahran, site of newly discovered oil fields. In 1947 he worked for the State Department then returned to Dhahran as consul general in 1949. In 1952, he became the State Department’s Middle East director then moved quickly up the career ladder to deputy assistant secretary for the Middle East, ambassador to Saudi Arabia and then ambassador to Turkey from 1965 to 1968.

Next, Hart served as assistant secretary of state for Near Eastern and South Asian Affairs and as director of the Foreign Service Institute. He retired from foreign service and became president of the Middle East Institute, a private foundation in Washington D.C., from 1969 until 1972. Then, for the next 18 years, he worked as a consultant and special representative for the Middle East and North Africa for the giant Bechtel Corporation.

Hart also did private consulting work for other large corporations such as RCA, General Motors and U.S. Steel, and published two books on the Middle East: Two NATO Allies at the Threshold of War: Cyprus, A Firsthand Account of Crisis Management, 1965-1968 (Durham: Duke University Press, 1990) and Saudi Arabia and the United States: Birth of a Security Partnership (Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1998).

Parker T. Hart died on October 15, 1997, at the age of 87.

Content DescriptionReturn to Top

The Parker T. Hart papers, 1965-1986, contain correspondence, reports, speeches, copies of papers presented, and subject files about development of business possibilities in, and the political climate of, the Middle East for his consulting work with the Bechtel Corporation, as well as RCA, U.S. Steel, and IBM. There is a small amount of correspondence related to the Arab boycott of Egypt. Hart’s consultation services concerning General Motors’ Saudi Arabian petition to the Saudi government for reimbursement of expenses incurred in connection with its vehicle assembly program are documented, and there is background information on Prince Talal, son of the founding King of Saudi Arabia, which Hart provided to the Santa Fe International Corporation.

Use of the CollectionReturn to Top

Restrictions on Use

Copyright Information

The researcher assumes full responsibility for observing all copyright, property, and libel laws as they apply.

Preferred Citation

Preferred Citation

Item Description, Box Number, Folder Number, Parker T. Hart papers, 1965-1986, Collection Number 09026, American Heritage Center, University of Wyoming.

Administrative InformationReturn to Top

Related Materials

Related Materials

Three other archival collections created by Parker T. Hart are known to exist at other institutions as of the date of processing. Collections of Hart’s ambassadorial papers are available at:

Georgetown University, Lavinger Library, Special Collections Division. 37th and N Streets, N.W., Washington, DC, 20057 University of Virginia Alderman Library, Special Collections Department. P.O. Box 400113, Charlottesville, VA, 22904-4113 Additional papers of Hart are available at Dartmouth University.

Acquisition Information

Acquisition Information

Parker T. Hart donated his papers to the American Heritage Center in 1985, 1986 and 1987.

Processing Note

Processing Information

The collection was processed by Ronda Frazier in March 2003.

Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top

Series I. Personal PapersReturn to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Box Folder
1 1
Correspondence
 1974-1980
1 2
Harvard Graduate Society for Advanced Study and Research
 1973, 1981-1983
1 3
Media Appearance: Nightline
 September 1980
1 4
Princeton University Advisory Council
 1976-1980

Series II. Bechtel CorporationReturn to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Box Folder
1 5
Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
 1973-1977
1 6
Activities in the Middle East
 March 1980
Afghanistan:
Box Folder
1 7
General
 1973-1975
1 8
Konar Project
 1975
Box Folder
1 9
Africa
 1973-1980
Algeria:
Box Folder
1 10
Arzew LNG II Project
 1973, 1977
1 11
General
 1971-1980
Box Folder
1 12
American Arab Chamber of Commerce
 1973-1974
1 13
American Security Bank: International Advisory Committee
 1980-1981
1 14
Arab Boycott
 1975-1977
2 1
AWACS (Airborne Warning and Control System)
 1981, 1986
2 2
Bahrain
 1973-1981
2 3
Bangladesh
 1980
2 4
Brazil: Oil Shale Development
 1981
Burundi:
Box Folder
2 5
Moso Sugar Project
 1983
2 6
Ruzzi II and Rwegura Hydroelectric Projects
 1983
Box Folder
2 7
China
 1973
Folders
2 8-11
Chronological Files
(mainly correspondence)
 1976-1980
3 1-4
Chronological Files
 1981-1984
Folder
3 5
Commerce Action Group for the Near East Directory (CAGNE)
 1975, 1979
3 6
Conferences and Speaking Engagements
 1973-1974
4 1
Conferences and Speaking Engagements
 1975-1983
4 2
Consulting Agreement
 1975-1976
4 3
Contributions (Financial)
 1977-1978
Correspondence:
Box Folder
4 4
Bechtel, Steve (Sr.)
 1973-1982
Folders
4 5-7
General
 1972-1978
5 1-2
General
 1979-1983
5 3-4
Recruiting
 1974-1979
Egypt:
Box Folder
5 5
Abu-Tartur Phosphorite Deposit
 1975
5 6
ASWAN II Power Project
 1980
Folders
5 7-8
General
 1971-1974
6 1-2
General
 1975-1985
Folder
6 3
Ghorbal, Ashraf (Ambassador)
 1974-1980
6 4
Gryphus International
 1983
6 5
Mostafa, Niazi I.
 1973
6 6
Qattara Depression Power Project
 1975
6 7
Suez II: Shoubra Power Station
 1976-1978, 1986
Folders
6 8-9
SUMED Pipeline Project
 1973-1977
Folder
7 1
U.S. Business Council
 1976-1979
Box Folder
7 2
England
 1973-1981
7 3
Europe (General)
 1975
7 4
Executive Committee Presentation: Background Considerations on Middle East
 1979
7 5
Fairfield-Maxwell, Ltd.
 1973
7 6
France
 1973
7 7
Germany
 1973
Folders
7 8-9
Harvard University: Center for Middle Eastern Studies
 1973-1976
Iran:
Box Folder
7 10
Abbasabad Development Project, Tehran
 1973
7 11
General
 1972-1976
8 1
Sar-Cheshmeh Copper Project
 1972
Box Folder
8 2
Iran-Gulf Pipeline
 March 1986
8 3
Iran-Turkey Pipeline
 1974, 1982-1986
8 4
Iraq
 1973-1986
8 5
Iraq-Iran Conflict
 1982-1986
8 6
Iraq-Jordan Pipeline
(Al-Hadithah-Aqaba Pipeline Project)
 1983-1986
8 7
Iraq-Turkey Joint Oil Pipeline Project
 1982-1986
8 8
Iraqi Pipeline Across Saudi Arabia (IPSA)
 1984-1985
8 9
Ireland
 1973
8 10
Japan
 1973-1975
Jordan:
Box Folder
8 11
General
 1973-1980
8 12
King Hussein’s Visit to U.S.
 April 1977
Box Folder
8 13
Khan, F. Masood
 November 19, 1978
8 14
Kuwait
 1972-1978, 1982
8 15
Latin America
 1973-1976
Lebanon:
Box Folder
8 16
General
 1973-1983
9 1
Reconstruction Planning
 1977
Box Folder
9 2
Libya
 1973-1978
Middle East:
Box Folder
9 3
Crisis Updates
 1979-1980
9 4
General
 1974-1983
9 5
Industrial Port Facility (Possible Location of)
 1981
9 6
The Middle East as the Reagan Administration Faces It
 1981
9 7
Situation Reports
 1979-1982
Box Folder
9 8
Morocco
 1975
9 9
Olayan, Suliman S.: Olayan Group
 1975
9 10
Oman
 1973-1980
10 1
Pakistan
 1974-1983
10 2
Princeton University
 1975-1981
Qatar:
Box Folder
10 3
General
 1973-1981
10 4
North Field Gas Reserves
 1983-1985
Box Folder
10 5
Report on Kuwait and Bahrain as Possible Alternatives to Beirut for Regional Offices
 July 1975
10 6
Reports
 1975-1986
10 7
Russia
 1973-1974
Saudi Arabia:
Box Folder
10 8
Action Programs
 1972-1973
10 9
Akhdar, Farouk (Dr.)
 1977
10 10
Five Year Development Plan
 1973-1976, 1986
Folders
10 11-12
General
 1973
11 1-7
General
 1974-1982
Folder
12 1
Hercules/Petromin Project
 1973-1974
12 2
Jubail Industrial Complex Project
 1973-1979
12 3
Junior and Community Colleges Project
 1975
12 4
Memorandum of Understanding for Cooperation Between the Governments of the U.S. and Saudi Arabia on the Establishment of the Saudi Arabian National Center for Science and Technology
 June 30, 1975
12 5
Rouchdy, Cecile I.
 1975-1976
12 6
Saudi Arabian Refinery Project
 1973
12 7
A Selected List of Projects Awarded in Saudi Arabia in 1977 and 1978
 1978
12 8
Shayhh Ahmed Zaki Yamani
 1973
12 9
Tamwin, Inc.
 1975
12 10
Vulcan Materials Co.
 1978
12 11
Water Desalination and Power Expansion Projects
 1974-1975
Box Folders
12 12-13
Saudi Arabian Eastern Industrial Complex (SAEIC)
 1973
Folder
13 1
Saudi Arabian Eastern Industrial Complex (SAEIC)
 1974-1975
13 2
Saudi Arabian Western Industrial Complex
 1974
13 3
Shaikh Hamad bin Muhammad al-Sharqi: Ruler of Fujairah, United Arab Emirates
 June 1975
13 4
Shell Oil Company
(Egyptian Oil Industry Study)
 1978
Sudan:
Box Folders
13 5-6
General
 1973-1978
Folder
13 7
Jonglei Development Project
 1974-1976
13 8
U.S. Business Council
 1978
Box Folder
13 9
Synthetic Fuels Presentation
 August 1979
Syria:
Box Folder
13 10
Gas Treatment and Transmission Project
 1982
14 1
General
 1973-1983
14 2
600-Bed Hospital and Research Center Project
 1982
Box Folder
14 3
Tax Policies for Overseas Employees
 1980
Travel:
Box Folder
14 4
Bahrain, Kuwait, Turkey and Lebanon
 June-July 1975
14 5
Bechtel, Steve Jr.’s Mideast Trip
 June-July 1974
14 6
Egypt
 1973-1974
14 7
Egypt and Saudi Arabia
 November 1974
14 8
Egypt and Saudi Arabia
 February 1975
14 9
Itineraries
 1973-1975
14 10
Middle East Trip
 February 1973
14 11
Oman, U.A.E., Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Jordan and Syria
 April 1980
15 1
Saudi Arabia
 April 1973
15 2
Sudan
 1978
Folders
15 3-4
Turkey
 July 1973
Turkey:
Box Folder
15 5
Antalya Airport Project
 1973
15 6
Atatürk Dam and Hydroelectric Power Plant Projects
 1982-1983
15 7
Bosporus Bridges
 1983-1985
15 8
Bosporus Rail Tunnel Crossing Project
 1980
16 1
Çukurova Regional Development Program
 1965, 1970
16 2
Dams
 1973-1986
16 3
Economy
 1979-1986
16 4
Elbistan Thermal power Plant Project
 1973-1975
16 5
Feasibility Report, Stage I Projects: Büyük Menderes River Basin
 August 1969
16 6
F.Y. 1986 Economic and Social Data
 March 1985
Folders
16 7-9
General
 1973-1974
17 1-4
General
 1975-1983
Folder
17 5
International Trade
 1982-1984
17 6
Istanbul Metro Project
 1973-1984
17 7
Pollution/Lignite Plant
 1973
17 8
Soviet Pipeline
 1982-1985
17 9
Transportation Projects
 1983-1985
17 10
Turkey: The Undervalued Ally by P.T. Hart, Christian Science Monitor
 October 26, 1983
Box Folder
17 11
United Arab Emirates
 1973-1981
17 12
U.S. Government Offices
 1972-1975
17 13
U.S. Position in the Muslim World
 1984
17 14
Yemen
 1973-1983

Series III. Other Consulting ProjectsReturn to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Box Folder
17 15
General Motors Corporation
 1977
17 16
IBM
 1979-1980
RCA:
Arab Boycott:
Box Folder
17 17
Egypt
 1977-1979
18 1
Sarnoff, General David
 1977
18 2
U.S. Anti-Boycott Legislation
 1975-1979
Box Folder
18 3
Company Officials and Personnel
 1977-1978
18 4
Consulting Agreement
 1977-1980
18 5
Correspondence
 1980-1982
Folders
18 6-7
Egypt and Middle East Trip
 1977
Folder
18 8
Egypt and Middle East Trip
 1978
18 9
Egypt and Middle East Trip
 1980
18 10
Saudi Arabia
 1977-1978
19 1
Sudan
 1977-1979
19 2
Syria
 1977-1980
Box Folder
19 3
Santa Fe International Corp.
 1977
U.S. Steel:
Box Folder
19 4
Consulting Agreement
 1975-1976
19 5
Correspondence
 1976-1977
19 6
Monthly Expense Statements
 February-July 1976
19 7
Ocean Mining Associates
 undated
19 8
Presentation Materials
 1976
19 9
Saudi Arabia Briefing Volume
 April 1976
Folders
19 10-11
Saudi Arabia Trip
 1976

Names and SubjectsReturn to Top

Subject Terms

  • Industrial development projects--Egypt.
  • Industrial development projects--Middle East.
  • Industrial development projects--Saudi Arabia.
  • Industrial development projects--Sudan.
  • Industrial development projects--Turkey.
  • Pipelines--Egypt.
  • Pipelines--Middle East.

Corporate Names

  • Bechtel Corporation.
  • Radio Corporation of America.
  • United States Steel Corporation.

Geographical Names

  • Middle East.

Occupations

  • Consultants.

Processed by Ronda Frazier
2006

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