The Heartland Abroad: the Rotary Club's Mission of Civic
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The Heartland Abroad: The Rotary Club’s Mission of Civic Internationalism by Brendan M. Goff A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy (History) in the University of Michigan 2008 Doctoral Committee: Professor Richard Cándida-Smith, Co-Chair, University of California, Berkeley Associate Professor Matthew D. Lassiter, Co-Chair Associate Professor Margaret Somers Associate Professor Penny Von Eschen © Brendan M. Goff 2008 Dedication For Mom – a life that might have been, that should have been. ii Acknowledgements No one can produce a staggering work of genius like this without some help. My dissertation committee gets first nod. I will always be indebted to Matt Lassiter for his patient encouragement and understanding over the years. When most anyone else would have given up on this project, he came through time and again. The same holds true for Richard, my other co-chair, because he always held me to a higher standard of inquiry and writing. I would never have conceived of this project without my coursework and interactions with both Penny Von Eschen and Peggy Somers. There were others not on the committee who gave valuable input nonetheless: Fernando Coronil, Paul Kramer, Julie Skurski, Charles Bright, Rebecca Scott, Matt Connelly, Dario Gaggio, and Charles Hayford all come to mind. There are others whose names escape me right now, but they each contributed in their own way and without hesitation. As for my research tenure in the archives of Rotary International in Evanston, Illinois, I wish to thank Laura Mills and Cyndi DeBock. Their professionalism and hard work brought the RI Archives together, thus making this entire project possible. Without them, no dissertation. I must give particular thanks to Cyndi, however, for putting up with me for so long in her own workspace. She turned a daily grind into a real pleasure. Thanks should also go to Jane at the Chicago One Archives in downtown Chicago and to Sylvia Kutzer-Gilroy in Zurich, Switzerland for providing so much help, when they were already busy enough. iii Substantial financial support came from the Social Science Research Council, making my year of research in Rotary International’s archives in Evanston possible. David Hammack also gave personal advice and good support. Several fellowships came from the Rackham Graduate School at the University of Michigan as well as the History Department. Also, on several occasions the International Institute at the University of Michigan provided reimbursement for travel to other archives. The Nonprofit and Public Management Center was the first support ever given to this project. A final word of thanks should go to some old, close friends who put up with me all along: Brent, Stephanie, Kristina, Joe, Kevin, Carrie, the “croquet crowd,” and the folks at the Dissertation Writing Institute at the University of Michigan, Louis in particular. With much gratitude to all. iv Table of Contents Dedication.......................................................................................................................ii Acknowledgements ....................................................................................................... iii Abstract.........................................................................................................................vii Introduction.....................................................................................................................1 The Heartland Abroad .................................................................................................1 The Business of Empire.............................................................................................18 Chapter 1: “Cooperation Among Gentlemen”: Wilsonianism, Boosterism, and the Service Ideology ........................................................................................................................30 Introduction...............................................................................................................30 “Service is the basis of all business” ..........................................................................33 Boosterism Goes International...................................................................................48 Jesus, Lincoln, and Florence Nightingale...................................................................57 At the Corner of State and Main ................................................................................66 No Foreigners Allowed..............................................................................................78 “Our ambitions being fulfilled” .................................................................................88 Conclusion ................................................................................................................95 Chapter 2: “The Elimination of Differences”: Main Street Meets Tokyo.......................98 Introduction...............................................................................................................98 “The Wichita Plan”..................................................................................................102 Civic Internationalism – Wichita Style ....................................................................114 The Heartland Abroad – Wichita Style ....................................................................117 Flights of Fancy.......................................................................................................122 Dallas, 1929 ............................................................................................................130 From “The Air Capital of the World” to Boeing Plant #2.........................................142 Conclusion ..............................................................................................................146 Chapter 3: “The Rotary Spirit Lives and Shines Through Earthquake and Fire”: Tokyo Meets Main Street .......................................................................................................152 Introduction.............................................................................................................152 The Heartland Abroad – Tokyo Style......................................................................159 Civic Internationalism – Tokyo Style.......................................................................163 Framing the Exotic Peer ..........................................................................................179 Tokyo (pop. 2,000,000) meets Augusta, Kansas (pop. 4,000)...................................181 Empire and Boosterism – Tokyo Style.....................................................................187 Conclusion ..............................................................................................................192 Chapter 4: “Under the Shadow of Rotary”: Friendship and Disillusion in Cuba ...........202 Introduction.............................................................................................................202 From “the Latin Races” to Fellow Rotarians............................................................206 Neutrality and the Flagging of Cuban Nationalism...................................................218 Disillusion Among the Cubans: The Political..........................................................226 v Disillusion Among the Cubans: The Economic.......................................................234 “Across Boundary Lines” ........................................................................................247 “Nuestra Organización”...........................................................................................252 Conclusion ..............................................................................................................257 Chapter 5: “Trailing Along Through Asia”: Jim and Lillian Davidson and the “new world of business”.......................................................................................................261 Introduction.............................................................................................................261 Among States and Markets ......................................................................................268 Istanbul and Athens – Jim’s Version........................................................................278 Bridging Home and Abroad.....................................................................................286 Turkey and Egypt – Lillian’s Version ......................................................................291 The Middle East – the Davidsons’ Version ..............................................................300 Bombay vs. Calcutta – Jim’s Version ......................................................................303 The Cities of British Malaysia – Jim’s Version........................................................310 The Manchurian Candidate......................................................................................316 Conclusion ..............................................................................................................322 Conclusion: “From Here On!” ....................................................................................325 Bibliography ...............................................................................................................334 vi Abstract The Heartland Abroad: The Rotary Club’s Mission of Civic Internationalism