Scope and Content Note
The papers of Elizabeth Josephine ("B. J.") Harper (1920-2007) span the years 1943-1984, with the majority concentrated between 1943 and 1948. The bulk of the collection relates to Harper's military service from 1943 to 1946, and to her work as a civilian employee with the army during the occupation of Japan, 1946-1949. Most of the correspondence consists of Harper's letters to her family describing her training and camp life at Fort Bliss, Texas, and her deployment to the South Pacific. In her letters dating from 1944, she describes her barracks, the camp, the native inhabitants, and her work as an army clerk while stationed at New Guinea. Also included in the correspondence are letters describing her tenure in Japan during the occupation by United States troops after World War II.
The collection also includes an oral history interview with Harper pertaining to her career as a foreign service officer with the Department of State. Topics include her postings as a consular officer in Medan, Indonesia, 1952-1954; consular officer in Japan, 1954-1965; administrative positions in Washington, D.C., 1965-1972; and consul general in Montreal, Canada, 1973-1979. The oral history also describes Harper's work in assisting Jimmy Carter's administration in dealing with the entry of Iranians into the United States after the seizure of the United States embassy in Tehran. As a consultant after retiring from the Department of State, Harper continued to play a prominent role on immigration cases involving Iran. In addition the collection contains a narrative written by Blanche W. Wisenthal about her visit to China and a draft article by Kimpei Sheba of the Nippon Times about the occupation of Japan by United States soldiers.