Scope and Content Note
The papers of William Joseph Baroody (1916-1980) span the years 1943-1983, with the bulk of the items concentrated in the period 1954-1980. The collection documents Baroody's involvement with the American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research, first as its executive vice president, then as president. Included are correspondence, reports, speeches, statements and writings, minutes of meetings, financial data, and family papers. The material is organized into three series: Correspondence , Organizations File , and Miscellany .
The Correspondence series contains letters of several family members. Baroody's personal correspondence reflects his continual efforts to facilitate the immigration of family members and friends to the United States from the Middle East. The general correspondence section contains letters from Baroody and other staff members of the American Enterprise Institute to professional associates.
The bulk of the Organizations File pertains to the American Enterprise Institute. The institute's correspondence includes letters of advisory board members, trustees, officers, and affiliated scholars. Primary correspondents are Henry T. Bodman, Gerald R. Ford, Robert A. Hornby, Carl N. Jacobs, Melvin R. Laird, Allen D. Marshall, Paul Winston McCracken, William L. McGrath, G. Warren Nutter, Robert J. Pranger, and Murray L. Weidenbaum. Other material includes financial and fund-raising data, conference and seminar arrangements, research projects, publications, and statements and speeches of affiliated scholars. Topics cover national and international issues such as economics, energy, health insurance, social security, trade, and the influence of the broadcast media.
The Organizations File also reflects Baroody's involvement in other educational, business, religious, and civic institutions. Baroody participated in many groups as a guest speaker, and some of his speeches are included in this series. He also served as a trustee or officer of organizations such as Georgetown University, the Hoover Institution on War, Revolution, and Peace, the Melkite Greek Catholic Church, St. Anselm's College, and the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars.
The Miscellany series provides biographical information on Baroody in the form of interviews, newspaper articles, and obituaries. Travel material documents several trips to Europe and Asia. Also included are Baroody's speeches before various organizations.