Title: Roswell P. Rosengren Papers
Inclusive Dates: 1921-1966

Creator:

• Rosengren, Roswell P., 1902-1988

Call Number: U.S. Mss 83AF; PH 3203; PH 3204

Quantity: 3.6 cubic feet (9 archives boxes), and 21 photographs and 8 transparencies (2 folders)

Repository:

Wisconsin Historical Society, Division of Library, Archives, and Museum Collections

Archival Locations:

COLLECTION MAY BE STORED OFF-SITE: see catalog entry to request materials and for additional information.

Wisconsin Historical Society (Map)

Abstract:

Papers of a U.S. Army public relations officer during World War II and the Korean conflict, consisting of correspondence, articles and addresses, printed matter and a few photographs. The correspondence, which is intermittent, 1931-1966, is largely personal in character, but many outgoing letters contain information on his public relations work and observations on the events and people with whom he was involved. Prominent correspondents include Bruce Barton, Edgar Bergen, Turner Catledge, Walt Disney, William O. Douglas, James C. Hagerty, Oveta Culp Hobby, J. Edgar Hoover, Joseph W. Martin Jr., Edward R. Murrow, Richard M. Nixon, Arthur Radford, Harold E. Stassen, David Sarnoff, Leland Stowe, Arthur H. Sulzberger Jr., and Wendell L. Willkie.

Note:

There is a restriction on use for this material; see the Administrative/Restriction Information portion of this finding aid for details.

Language: English

URL to cite for this finding aid: http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/wiarchives.uw-whs-us0083af

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Roswell Perry Rosengren was born January 8, 1902, in Buffalo, New York. He was educated in the Buffalo public schools, graduated from Colgate University in 1924, received a LLB degree from the University of Buffalo in 1927, and was awarded an M.A. from Georgetown University in 1965. He also holds a Juris Doctor degree from the State University of New York at Buffalo.

Rosengren professional carrier included being a practicing attorney, a university professor, an Army officer, and a government official. After receiving his law degree, he became a member of the law firm of Persons and Blair. He later became the head of his own law firm, Rosengren, Volker, and Murphy.

As a member of the faculty at the University of Buffalo, he served as head of the public speaking department. In addition to these pursuits, he was a charter member and the first vice-president of the Buffalo Junior Chamber of Commerce. During 1933-1934, he was president of the New York State Junior Chamber of Commerce. In 1937 he became president of the national Junior Chamber of Commerce and was selected as one of the “Ten Outstanding Young Men of America.”

At the onset of World War II, Rosengren commenced a distinguished military career that spanned eighteen years. As an officer in the U.S. Army, he was decorated fifteen times by the American and Allied governments. His decorations include the Legion of Merit and five battle stars. During World War II, he served on the public relations staffs of Secretary of War Henry L. Stimson and Chief of Staff General George C. Marshall and also at SHAEF (Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Forces) under General Dwight D. Eisenhower. During the Korean War, he was chief of public information for the 8th U.S. Army under Generals James Van Vleet and Maxwell Taylor. Col. Rosengren was also chief speechwriter for the War Department General Staff and chief of technical information for SOS and the ETO during World War II. As a member of General Eisenhower's staff, he commanded the unit which had control of physical communications across the English Channel during the invasion of Normandy until he was wounded on June 18, 1944. Following V-E day, he became a member of several Four-Power committees constituting the military government of Germany in Berlin.

In 1958, Col. Rosengren became assistant to Federal Highway Administrator Bertram D. Tallamy, acting as liaison with organizations concerned with federal highway programs as well as assisting with public information activities of the Bureau of Public Roads and the Department of Commerce.

In addition to his official duties he published many articles in general and professional magazines on diverse subjects reflecting the wide range of his interests and activities.

Rosengren died September 13, 1988 in Bay Pines Veterans Hospital, St. Petersburg, Florida.

The Roswell P. Rosengren Collection pertains chiefly to the colonel's service in the military. It includes correspondence, articles and addresses, military records, miscellaneous materials, and a few photographs.

The correspondence, which is intermittent between 1931 and 1966, is largely personal in character, but many of the outgoing letters contain information on his public relations work and interesting observations on the events and people with whom he was involved. The letters are arranged in several groups: a general file, 1931-1944; letters received while he was in England in 1944; personal letters from close friends received during World War II, letters to him while in Berlin in 1946, and letters to his mother while stationed in Korea, 1952-1953. Of particular interest in the last category are his observations on the visit to Korea of President-elect Eisenhower in 1952. Prominent correspondents include Bruce Barton, Edgar Bergen, Turner Catledge, Walt Disney, William O. Douglas, James Hagerty, Oveta Culp Hobby, J. Edgar Hoover, Joseph W. Martin Jr., Edward R. Murrow, Richard Nixon, Arthur Radford, Harold Stassen, David Sarnoff, Leland Stowe, Arthur H. Sulzberger Jr., and Wendell Willkie.

As public relations representative for various military staffs, Colonel Rosengren not only gave many speeches himself, but he also wrote addresses and statements for delivery by other officers. Thus, the papers include a file of speeches and articles by Rosengren, as well as an extensive collection of speeches and drafts of material prepared for other officers including General Walter Bedell Smith. The remainder of the collection is largely composed of printed matter concerning the occupation of Germany, military operations in the Far East, the U.S. Army Bureau of Public Relations, and the U.S. Army Supply and Maintenance Command. Unfortunately, the papers do not indicate the role Rosengren may have had in producing this material.

The visual materials contain photographs and transparencies some made by the United States Army and news agencies. Some photographs depict the activities of United States and South Korean civilians and military officials, circa 1952-1953, inlucding images of President Dwight D. Eisenhower during a visit to Korea. Also included are celebrations in New York, N.Y., honoring General Douglas MacArthur, on his return from Japan after his removal from command, May 20, 1951, with images of a tickertape parade, MacArthur with his wife and son, crowds gathered for the ceremonies, and MacArthur receiving keys to the city.

Use Restrictions

Individuals or corporate bodies other than the Wisconsin Historical Society may hold the copyright for a portion of this collection. Permission from the appropriate copyright holder(s) may be required before reproducing items from this collection.

Acquisition Information

Presented by Roswell P. Rosengren, Washington, D.C., 1965-1970. Accession Number: MCHC65-108, 149; MCHC66-104; MCHC67-098; MCHC70-047

Processing Information

Processed by R. Sullivan and Carolyn Mattern, November 28, 1967 and September 29, 1978.

	Series: Correspondence
Box   1 Folder   1-6	General, 1931-1966
Box   1 Folder   7	Personal, 1941-1945
Box   2 Folder   1	England, 1944
Box   2 Folder   2	Berlin, 1946
Box   2 Folder   3	Korea, 1952-1953
	Series: Articles and Addresses	⇧
Box   2 Folder   4-5	Articles and printed matter, 1927-1965
Box   2 Folder   6	Speeches, 1936-1942
Box   3 Folder   1	Speeches (continued), 1943-1960
Box   3 Folder   2	Speeches written for F.S. Besson, 1961-1962
Box   3 Folder   3	Speeches written for Eugene Reybold, 1941-1946
Box   3 Folder   4	Speeches written for Walter Bedell Smith, 1949-1950
Box   3 Folder   5	Speeches written for W.G. Wyman, 1949-1950
Box   3 Folder   5	Speeches written for W.D. Crittenberger, 1951
Box   4 Folder   1-2	Speeches for miscellaneous speakers, 1942-1962
	Series: Military Records	⇧
Box   4 Folder   3-5	Allied Control Council meeting minutes, 1945-1946
Box   4 Folder   6	German elections and governmental organization, circa 1947
Box   5 Folder   1-2	Organization of German Civil Administration, 1945-1946
	Printed Matter
Box   5 Folder   3	Army escort detachment, 1947
Box   5 Folder   4	Bureau of Public Relations, 1941-1942
Box   6 Folder   1-2	Far East, Office of Public Information, 1952-1956
	Series: Miscellaneous	⇧
Box   6 Folder   3	Reports on ceasefire in Korea, undated
Box   6 Folder   4	Arrival of MacArthur in New York, 1951
Box   6 Folder   5	Stimson funeral, 1950
Box   6 Folder   6	Eisenhower Korean visit, 1952
Box   6 Folder   7	Radio and Television Material, 1943, 1945, 1953
Box   6 Folder   8-10	Miscellaneous Army memoranda, 1941-1962
Box   7 Folder   1-3	Biographical material, 1921-1955
	Enactments and Approved Papers of the Control Council, 1945-1946
Box   7 Folder   4-5	Volume 1-2
Box   8 Folder   1-3	Volume 3-5
Box   8 Folder   4	Notes on Leadership and Command, Volume 6, undated
Box   8 Folder   5	A Proposed Military Government Program and Policy for German Public Finance, by Kenneth Dayton, Volume 7, 1946
Box   8 Folder   6	A Year of Potsdam, Volume 8, undated
Box   8 Folder   7	Trial Brief against the defendant Arthur Seyss-Inquart, Volume 9, 1946
Box   9 Folder   1-5	Supply and maintenance papers as information officer, Volume 10, 1962-1964
Box   9 Folder   6	"The Effect of U.S. Occupation of the Guantanamo Naval Base on Current U.S. - Cuban Diplomatic Relations" : M.A. Thesis, 1965
Box   8 Folder   8-9	Notebooks, 1963-1964, Volumes 11 and 12
	Visual Materials
PH 3203	Korean War, circa 1952-1953
PH 3204	Douglas MacArthur celebrations in New York City, 1951 May