Scope and Content Note
The papers of William Beverly Carter Jr. (1921-1982) span the years 1924-1997 with the bulk of the material concentrated in the period of 1924-1982. The collection consists primarily of correspondence, photographs, news clippings, and miscellaneous material from Carter’s tenure with the Department of State. The papers are organized in four series: Professional Files , Classified , Top Secret , and Oversize .
Carter began his civil service in 1965, serving in Nigeria and Kenya in several capacities before being named ambassador to Tanzania. During his tenure, three Americans and one Dutch student were kidnapped from a Stanford University research camp by Zairian terrorists. Carter aided the release of the students by working with intermediaries in order to meet the kidnappers' demand for ransom. Soon after, Carter was demoted for breaching diplomatic protocol, but the public outcry resulted in his appointment as the ambassador to Liberia. Later, he became the first African American to be named ambassador at large. The Professional Files from Carter's work with the Department of State contains correspondence, news clippings, and photographs covering a variety of events and duties, but highlighted are his various ambassador appointments, the kidnapping of Stanford University students, and his subsequent reassignment as the Tanzanian ambassador.
Carter also served as an independent member on the Commission on Human Rights for the United Nations. Material related to the United Nations includes primarily Department of State cables and correspondence. Prior to his diplomatic work, Carter ran a congressional campaign as a Republican for Pennsylvania’s 4th district. Material from the campaign includes a scrapbook of photographs and news articles. Carter’s personal file contains miscellaneous news clippings, an oral history interview, biographical sketches, passports, and obituary. Carter’s speech files contain transcripts of his speeches given in various settings.