The papers of John M. Allison consist of correspondence, memoranda, newspaper clippings, and telegrams related to Allison’s work as Assistant Secretary of State for Far Eastern Affairs. Also included are the drafts and master proofs of Allison’s 1973 publication, Ambassador from the Prairie.

Size: 1 linear foot, 4 linear inches (about 2400 pages).
Access: Open.
Copyright: The donors gave to the United States all copyrights which they had in unpublished materials in this or any other collection of papers received by and deposited in a U.S. Government archives. Documents created by U.S. Government officials in the course of their duties are also in the public domain. Copyright interest in other documents presumably belongs to the creators of those documents, or their heirs.
Processed by: Erwin J. Mueller (1978).
Updated by: Lucia Flaim (2008) as part of the Truman Library Internship Program.
Supervising Archivists: Randy Sowell and David Clark.

1905 (April 7)		Born, Holton, Kansas
1927		A.B., University of Nebraska
1932-1941		Foreign Service Officer, Japan and China
1941-1942		Interned by Japanese government, upon outbreak of war repatriated to U.S.
1942-1945		Secretary and Consul U.S. Embassy, London, England
1946-1947		Assistant Chief, Division of Japanese Affairs, U.S. Department of State, Washington, D.C.
1947-1948		Chief, Division of Northeast Asian Affairs
1948		Appointed Deputy Director of Far Eastern Affairs
1951		Deputy to John Foster Dulles during negotiation of Japanese Peace Treaty
1952-1953		Assistant Secretary of State for Far Eastern Affairs
1953-1960		U.S. Ambassador to Japan (1953-1957), Indonesia (1957-1958), and Czechoslovakia (1958-1960)
1973		Published Memoir, Ambassador from the Prairie
1978 (October 28)		Died, Honolulu, Hawaii

The papers of John M. Allison consist of correspondence, newspaper clippings, and memoranda, as well as press releases and statements. These documents deal with Allison’s appointment to the office of Assistant Secretary of State for Far Eastern Affairs and his subsequent work in that office. The majority of Allison’s collection consists of original drafts and proofs of his 1973 memoir, Ambassador from the Prairie.

Included among Allison’s materials is a series of letters, which contain congratulations on his appointment as Assistant Secretary of State. These letters indicate Allison’s extensive number of contacts and contemporaries within the Foreign Service, U.S. military, and corporate institutions.

Newspaper clippings in the collection primarily deal with Allison’s appointment as Assistant Secretary of State for Far Eastern Affairs, his subsequent travels through the Far East, a Pacific treaty organization, and mutual security negotiations with the Philippines.

Official memoranda, telegrams, correspondence, itineraries, schedules, speeches, and programs in the collection document Allison’s major tour of the Far East following his appointment as Assistant Secretary of State. On his tour of the Far East, Allison gave a series of press conferences and issued statements. The majority of these remarks, which are included among his papers, deal with U.S. policy in Asia, the strengthening of Asian countries against Communism, and the formation of a Pacific pact.

The page proofs and galley master proofs of text from Allison’s book, Ambassador from the Prairie, comprise the majority of the collection. Ambassador from the Prairie is Allison’s memoir of his diplomatic career, including his work on the Japanese Peace Treaty, his position as Assistant Secretary, and his service as an Ambassador. The page proofs are comprised of drafts and revisions of the original text, including handwritten notes and unpublished text. Along with the page proofs are the galley master proofs of text from the publisher, Houghton Mifflin. There are approximately three copies of the galley master proofs, including a final draft.

Related collections at the Truman Library include the papers of Dean Acheson (Memoranda of Conversations File) and Harry S. Truman (Official Files 20 and 197-C).

Container Nos.		Series
1-3		SUBJECT FILE, 1950-1953, 1973
		Correspondence, memoranda, newspaper clippings, speeches, telegrams, and other items related to Allison’s work as a State Department official. Arranged alphabetically.

SUBJECT FILE, 1950-1953, 1973

• Letters of Congratulations
• Newspaper Clippings
• Official Memoranda
• Press Releases and Statements
• Publication-Ambassador from the Prairie-Page Proofs of Text
  [1 of 5]
  [2 of 5]
  [3 of 5]
  [4 of 5]
  [5 of 5]

• Publication-Ambassador from the Prairie-Galley Master Proofs
  [1 of 10]
  [2 of 10]
  [3 of 10]
  [4 of 10]
  [5 of 10]

[6 of 10]
[7 of 10]
[8 of 10]
[9 of 10]
[10 of 10]

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