Herbert F. York Papers, 1958 - 1999 (MSS 107)

Series 1) BIOGRAPHICAL MATERIALS: These materials, which include news clippings and biographical sketches, were originally interfiled with York's subject files. Arranged in chronological order.

The material entitled publicity and newspaper articles was originally maintained in a scrapbook format. The entire contents of these three albums of news clippings have been photocopied. The subseries on York's Lawrence Livermore employment pertains to his later years as a consultant, and do not span his years as Director (1952-1958).

Series 2) DIARIES: Appointment books, date books and wall calendars in chronological order. For some years there is an overlap between the date books and wall calendars. Otherwise, the materials are divided by format and size. "Post-its" were photocopied as found within the appointment books. The original post-it was discarded, and a photocopy of the original page with the post-it was inserted in the appropriate month. The earliest appointment books (1959-1961) document York's early years at the Pentagon.

Series 3) INVITATIONS: Arranged in chronological order. Materials dating from 1959-1960 cover York's early years in Washington, and reflect the social and professional circles with which he mingled. These materials are preserved in their original scrapbook format. Invitations from 1970-1973 were originally interfiled with subject folders.

Series 4) CORRESPONDENCE: Miscellaneous correspondence, Chronological files, and Personal correspondence filed in original reverse chronological order. Indexes precede the correspondence for the Chronological files for 1973 and 1974. This series includes committee agendas, drafts of papers, news articles, nominations, papers, professional correspondence, recommendations, reviews, requests and permissions, and travel plans. Bulk dates for correspondence are between 1970 and 1986. This series does not include York's correspondence as an administrator for the U.S. Government or for UC San Diego.

These files comprise the largest and most comprehensive series, and heavily document communications between York and scientists (including Frank Barnaby, Hans Bethe, Harold Brown, Bernard Feld, James Killian, George Kistiakowsky, Oskar Morgenstern, Jack Ruina, Jerome Weisner, Victor Weisskopf), and to a lesser extent, his correspondence with public and political figures (President Carter, Henry Kissinger, Charles Lindbergh, Philip Noel-Baker, [Herbert] Pete Scoville, Senators Cranston, Gore, and Kennedy, and Lord Solly Zuckerman). York's correspondence with his science colleagues spans many years and topics. York's correspondence with political figures largely pertains to appreciation and encouragement for his support of particular legislative issues.

York's views on past events and contemporary issues concerning arms control, disarmament problems, and science and defense policy, may be grasped through this series. The correspondences sometimes contain detailed responses to topics such as Eisenhower and SAINT (the satellite interceptor system), the beginnings of NASA, missile development, MIRV, the Mike explosion, U-2, B-1, "no first use," the Comprehensive Test Ban talks, and the MX missile system. Through his correspondence and subsequent writings, York seeks to understand the technological arms developments and deployment; the major decisions, the decision makers, the advice, and the advisors. Then, in retrospect, York analyzes the arms race and approaches arms control problems.

Additionally, much of the correspondence concerns recollections about specific events which York later incorporated into his memoirs and writings. York routinely submitted drafts of his writings to his colleagues for historical accuracy and fairness, and sought the assistance of various historians (at institutions such as Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Lawrence Livermore, NASA, the Office of the Secretary of Defense, the Atomic Energy Commission, Department of State, and Bancroft Library). The bulk of this correspondence is from the 1970s, after the publication of Race to Oblivion, and prior to his 1987 memoir, Making Weapons, Talking Peace. In a 1976 letter to Cargill Hall at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, York states that the source for RACE TO OBLIVION was largely his memory, and that he made greater use of documentation for Making Weapons, Talking Peace (see box 11).

Other items within the series include a declassified 1959 "Saturn chronology" which York annotated for NASA in 1974 (box 8); York's 1974 recollection about LBJ's expectations of the Presidential Science Advisory Committee (PSAC), and Johnson's eventual loss of faith in PSAC (box 8); 1975 SALT talks (boxes 9 and 10); York's comments and xerox of a declassified 1943 letter from Robert Oppenheimer to Enrico Fermi, at Los Alamos, about the use of radiological warfare (1983, see box 20); a 1984 series of recollections by York, Edward Teller, and Emil Konopinski, in regard to their conversation with Fermi when he asked, "Where is everybody?" (This famous question was central to debates about the prevalence of extra-terrestrial civilization. See box 22); and a 1976 letter to Harold Brown describing York's current stance on JASON and his appearance on Nixon's "Enemies List."

The materials within this series contain the bulk of York's correspondence, but some correspondence may be found in other series, particularly the SUBJECT and the ORGANIZATIONS series.

Series 5) ORGANIZATIONS: The files comprising the ORGANIZATIONS series were originally arranged in alphabetical order (and interfiled with the files which now comprise the SUBJECT series); they largely consist of reports and administrative memos. Files culled for this series pertain to York's affiliation with and service for various private and governmental agencies, organizations, and councils at the national and international level. This series contains files which York maintained during his participation in the U.S. Arms Controls and Disarmament Agency (ACDA), President's Science Advisory Committee (PSAC), or as trustee or member of the board. Files on organizations for which York was solicited but did not serve are in the SUBJECT series.

Of particular note is the Advanced Research Projects Agency (ARPA) subseries which contains an unpublished history of the agency, "The Advanced Research Projects Agency, 1958-1974." Files on the Aerospace Corporation and the Institute for Defense Analyses (IDA) contain mostly memos of meetings and reports to trustees. The PSAC files, comprised mainly of reports, represent York's second service under President Johnson, from 1964-1968. The Pugwash files contain reports, correspondence, and agendas for meetings which York did and did not attend.

Series 6) SUBJECT FILES: Arranged in original alphabetical order. Includes reports and correspondence. Some files were culled and placed in the ORGANIZATIONS series. Miscellaneous material was incorporated into this series.

The subseries on the Antiballistic Missile (ABM) contains extensive coverage of York's role and 1969 congressional testimonies, through reports, news articles, and correspondence. The subseries on Conferences includes meetings for which York was a delegate or committee member, such as the 1982 University of California conference on International Security and Arms Control.

Series 7: UC SAN DIEGO: Files generated while was at UCSD, but they are not comprehensive. The files, containing mostly reports and teaching materials, represent York's activities and roles as professor, chancellor, acting chancellor, dean, and his directorships of Science, Technology, and Public Affairs, and of the Institute for Global Conflict and Cooperation. These files are organized in alphabetical order. Note that while the CORRESPONDENCE series comprises materials generated from these offices, York's administrative papers from these offices are not represented in this collection.

The subseries on Teaching includes syllabi, exams, homework, and lecture notes. Student grades were discarded.

Series 8) WRITINGS: Lectures, prepared remarks, speeches, transcripts of congressional testimony, interviews, manuscripts and drafts of papers and books, and other writings and oral presentations by York, arranged by date. The bulk of the material comprises drafts and manuscripts of York's books, Race to Oblivion, The Advisors and Making Weapons, Talking Peace.In 1980, York was interviewed by the Navy Laboratories about his "Past and Present Views of Military Research and Development." York's interview with Karyn Gladstone, in 1987, formed part of her Ph.D. work in which she did a psychological analysis of ten men and their attitudes to nuclear weapons. In 1986, York was interviewed by historian Finn Aaserud about American physicists in science policy after World War II. York answers questions about physicists' involvement in science policy, and JASON is used as a case study.

Series 9) AUDIO-VISUAL MATERIALS: Non-manuscript materials in chronological order. Included are video tapes (3/4" and VHS formats) in which York appears or is interviewed.

In 1958, York was named as the first chief scientist to ARPA, and, in this capacity, appeared on the CBS show, Face the Nation. In the half hour interview York was questioned about space programs and the arms race with the Russians. In the 1984 "Quest for Peace" tape, York was interviewed about the problems posed by the nuclear arms race. During the first few minutes of the 1988 Tufts/Moscow "Global Classroom," some historical footage is introduced which depicts York. The 1991 series of unedited tapes at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University cover nuclear weapons and the arms race after World War II. York is interviewed along with Glenn Seaborg, Sigvar Ekland, Robert Marshak, Bernard Goldschmidt, and Gerald Tape.

Series 10) COMPREHENSIVE TEST BAN TREATY NEGOTIATIONS: Arranged alphabetically, using York's own folder titles. All the material had to be declassified and correspondence regarding declassification is located in the folders for the United States Arms Control and Disarmament Agency and the U.S. Department of Defense.

York was appointed as ambassador during the Carter administration and the files contain messages from Secretary of State Cyrus Vance, National Security Adviser Zbigniew Brzezinski, and Secretary of Defense Harold Brown.

Series 11) MISCELLANEOUS MATERIALS. Arranged in five subseries: A) Biographical Materials, B) Interviews, C) Letters of Appointment, D) Awards, and E) Photographs.

A) Biographical Materials: Arranged alphabetically. Includes a biographical note and resume, photocopies of newspaper clippings with articles about York's work, and detailed security clearance questionnaires containing information about his employment, travel abroad, and residency.

B) Interviews: Arranged chronologically. Contains transcripts or published versions of interviews conducted between 1964 and 1994 and are concerned with York's views on past and contemporary issues dealing with arms control and disarmament problems.

C) Letters of Appointment: Documents York's involvement in high-level defense policy-making and contains appointment letters to the Presidential Scientific Advisory Committee for Lyndon Johnson and U.S. Ambassador to the Comprehensive Test Ban talks in 1979-1980.

D) Awards: Award certificates and citations and is arranged in alphabetical order by the title of the award.

E) Photographs: Arranged alphabetically, documents York's involvement in committee work at the White House, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and University of California Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, and the Comprehensive Test Ban talks in Geneva.

Series 12) CORRESPONDENCE: This series primarily documents York's professional activities and contains communications between York and his science colleagues, as well as public and political figures. Arranged in four subseries: A) Chronological Files, B) Personal Correspondence, C) Alphabetical Files, and D) Letters of Recommendation.

A) Chronological Files: Includes incoming and outgoing correspondence from York's office at UCSD at the end of his tenure as director of UCSD's Institute on Global Conflict and Cooperation. The correspondence files span the years of 1987-1992 and include communications between York and his science colleagues, as well as publishers, media people, and government administrators.

B) Personal Correspondence: York's personal correspondence while he served as U.S. Ambassador to the Comprehensive Test Ban talks in Geneva. The series is arranged in chronological order and comprised of letters between York and his friends, colleagues, and cordial correspondence during the years of 1979-1980.

C) Alphabetical Files: Arranged in alphabetical order by personal or corporate name. Contains correspondence between York and publishers, science colleagues, and academic institutions. The subseries includes paper drafts, reprints, and brochures on issues concerned with arms control, disarmament problems, and U.S. science and defense policy. The files contain materials for the years of 1951-1994 and include papers and letters from Richard L. Garwin, Hugh DeWitt, and Daniel Ellsberg, materials related to the opening of the Carter Center, and correspondence, memorandums, and booklets discussing the University of California Lawrence Livermore Laboratory.

D) Letters of Recommendation: Letters of recommendations written by York. These letters are restricted until 2050.