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Oral history interview with Andrew Wellington Cordier, 1964

Creator: Cordier, Andrew W. 1901-1975
Project: Dag Hammarskjold project.
(see all project interviews)
Phys. Desc. :sound files : digital preservation master, WAV files (96 kHz, 24 bit)
Location: Columbia Center for Oral History
Full CLIO record >>

Biographical Note

United Nations official, educator

Scope and Contents

In 1962, Andrew Wellington Cordier was interviewed as part of the Dag Hammarskjold oral history project. In this session, Cordier discusses his experiences as assistant to Dag Hammarskjold at United Nations. In 1963-1964, Cordier narrated his experiences in a series of seminars at Columbia University's School of International Affairs and in an interview with Arthur Rovine. In these sessions, Cordier addresses the following: experiences as executive assistant to United Nations Secretary-General, 1946; comprehensive discussion of United Nations; as a propaganda arena, role of small nations, administration and duties of officers, rules of procedure, staffing, effect of press, General Assembly, Security Council, early development of Secretariat; impression of Russian leaders: Nikita Khrushchev, Andrei Gomyko, and deputies; comparison of Trygve Lie, Dag Hammarskjöld and U Thant; discussion of Hammarskjold's personality with anecdotal illustrations; plane crash in Ndola. Detailed description of United Nations handling of Korean prisoner problem, Congo, Suez, Hungary, and Lebanon crises. Digital audio corresponds to the 1963-1964 sessions and is incomplete, because only three reels could be located at the time of digitization

Subjects

Access Conditions

Copyright by The Trustees of Columbia University in the City of New York, 1979

Using this collection

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