GEORGE ALBERT LANYI (1913-1981)

PAPERS, 1939-1991, n.d.

SCOPE AND CONTENT


	The papers of George A. Lanyi document his career as a teacher and scholar of
political science.  The collection contains both Lanyi's work as a student and teacher;
these documents provide a wealth of information concerning issues of national and
international politics.  Noteworthy, are materials concerning communist foreign policy and
the Middle East, and these materials document the time just after World War II and the
beginning of the Cold War.  The collection also contains fourteen folders of professional
correspondence that document Lanyi's activity outside the classroom (i.e. Book reviews,
Free Europe Committee, and the Fulbright/Guggenheim scholarship).  The collection
lacks materials related to Lanyi's personal life, with the exception of letters between Lanyi
and family members (parents and his wife).

	The collection is arranged into eight records series: I. Correspondence, II.
Coursework Materials, III. Notes and Outside Lectures, IV. Lanyi's Work as a Student, V.
Files Relating to WWII, VI. Misc. Printed Material, VII. Writings, and VIII. Newspaper
Articles.  Series I is further subdivided into subseries 1. Personal Correspondence, and
subseries 2. Professional Correspondence.


SERIES DESCRIPTIONS

Series I.  Correspondence, 1942, 1945-46, 1949, 1951-79  (21f)

Subseries I consists of letters (in Hungarian and German) between Lanyi and an attorney
in Hungary concerning a man named Stein, who was charged with embezzlement; letters
between Lanyi and the friends and family of Martin Wight, who died in 1972; letters from
Lanyi to the editor of the Oberlin Review on various subjects; letters between Lanyi and
family members; and letters to Lanyi concerning the filling of a professorial vacancy. 
Arranged alphabetically by type of material and thereunder chronologically.  Subseries II
consists of Lanyi's reviews of colleagues' work for various publications, with the bulk of
the material prepared for Choice magazine.  Much of the material is undated.  Also
included are various types of professional correspondence, mostly relating to academic
matters.  A notable exception is the file containing Lanyi's resignation from the OWI,
which outlines in detail his hard-hitting views of the organization.  The tone of this
correspondence stands in sharp contrast to the rest of the collection. 

Series II.  Coursework Materials, 1945-80  (53f)

This record series contains material from the classes taught by Dr. Lanyi at eight
institutions: Brown University; University of Massachusetts, Amherst; University of
Vermont; University of Heidelberg; London School of Economics; U.S. Naval War
College; Harvard University; and Oberlin College.  Included are class lecture notes,
reading lists, course outlines, and examinations.  Large gaps exist within existing lecture
series and also for different academic years (1954-59 and 1965-68 are particularly
under-represented).  Material is arranged in rough chronological order, with emphasis
placed on the first year a particular course was taught, and with attention also given to
numerical course  sequences.

Series III.  Outside Lectures, 1947-80  (7f)

These lectures include talks given in connection with the Humanities series at Oberlin as
well as outside lectures to groups such as the Women's Club.  Other talks include five
presentations on „National Securities Studies¾ (c. 1957), which concentrate on
government structures, and communism.

Series IV.  Lanyi's Work as a Student, 1939-49, n.d.  (14f)

This series contains term papers completed by Lanyi in Graduate School, and also work
concerning his "thesis" (his term)--which actually appears to be part of his dissertation
work Oliver Cromwell and his Age: A Study in Nationalism, 1949 (a copy is available in
the Oberlin College Special Collections).

Series V.  Files Relating to World War II, 1943-45  (3f)

Series contains Weekly Regional Directives on the war in Yugoslavia, as issued by the
Office of War Information.  The directives (typescript carbon copy with notations and
editorial comments by Lanyi) outline the official response to be taken by government
employees in regard to Italian aggression against Yugoslavia.  Arrangement is
chronological.

Series VI.  Miscellaneous Printed Materials, 1949-89  (4f)

Series consists of miscellaneous programs and certificates of Lanyi.  Included is a
membership document (1949) for the National Geographic Society and a Phi Beta Kappa
dinner program (1976).  Also included are materials concerning the Oscar Jaszi
Memorial Conference at Oberlin College (1985) and Jaszi's funeral in Hungary in 1991. 
Arrangement is alphabetical by type of item and chronological thereunder.

Series VII.  Writings, 1945-46  (7f)

This series consists of published and unpublished articles written by George Lanyi and
submitted to The Christian Science Monitor for publication.  Each folder contains a
manuscript; some also contain a copy of the published article or corresponding letter.  In
addition, there are manuscripts concerning a trip to Europe, Soviet and Israeli foreign
policy, and miscellaneous writings.  

Series VII.  Newspaper Articles collected by George Lanyi, 1943-46 	(28 articles)

The articles collected by George Lanyi were not retained by the Oberlin College
Archives.  The researcher should check the College Library's microfilm collection for the
newspapers listed in this series.  The inventory that follows in this finding guide lists the
title of the article, date, and newspaper.  Topics include Winston Churchill, Hungary, and
Joseph Stalin.  


PROVENANCE

The initial lot of George Lanyi papers was received from his office in 1985, and were
delivered to the Archive by Harlan Wilson of the Department of Government.  Additional
papers were received in 1991 from Tracy Tucker of the Politics Department, which
consisted of four folders of material used in classes from 1973-77.  Some additional
material may still be extant.


RELATED MATERIAL

Additional material on George Lanyi and his career may be found in the Special
Collections Department at Oberlin College, as well as in the following collections in the
Oberlin College Archives: Dean of Arts and Sciences (9); Committee Files (33); Records
of Presidents William E. Stevenson (2/8), Robert Kenneth Carr (2/9), Emil Danenberg (2
10); and the Government Department (9/14).  A word of thanks is due to Dr. Laszlo
Kovacs of St. Olaf College, Minnesota for his assistance with the Hungarian-language
material.

 

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Last updated: 2 July 1998