University of Oklahoma Libraries Western History Collections George C. McGhee Papers McGhee, George Crews (1912-2005). Papers, 1928-2005. 208.66 c.f. U.S. Ambassador. Papers and artifacts of George Crews McGhee, who served as 8th U.S. Ambassador to Turkey, and 4th U.S. Ambassador to West Germany. McGhee’s career achievements include being a Rhodes Scholar, oil entrepreneur, naval officer, diplomat, philanthropist, and author. The papers contain his business correspondence (1950-2002), ambassadorial papers (1948-1968), personal correspondence (1935-2002), writings and speeches (1928-2005), financial records (1947-1978), and family history materials (1980-2002). The collection also contains photographs, slides, scrapbooks, and memorabilia documenting the McGhee family’s life and world travels; as well as Mesoamerican artifacts collected primarily by McGhee’s father-in-law, Everette Lee DeGolyer, and by Ambassador and Mrs. McGhee. The bulk of the papers (1937-1998) relate to Ambassador McGhee’s business enterprises and to his service to the country as a member of the U.S. Navy and the U.S. Department of State. Location Note This collection is located at the Library Service Center. Materials must be requested in advance of a research visit. Please contact the Western History Collections at 405-325-3641 for assistance. Biographical Note George Crews McGhee (1912-2005): Rhodes Scholar, oil entrepreneur, naval officer, diplomat, and philanthropist who became a central figure in postwar American diplomacy by helping to create and shape U.S. economic, military, and petroleum ties from Europe to the Far East. Over the course of his long career he served four presidents, Truman, Eisenhower, Kennedy, and Johnson, and twice served as ambassador. Born on March 10, 1912, George McGhee was the son of a Waco, Texas bank executive and his wife. As a child, young George developed an interest in rocks, minerals, and native flora and fauna; his childhood exploring portended a lifelong passion for collecting. He studied geology at the University of Oklahoma, and after graduating in 1933 he took up work with various oil companies. Yet McGhee dreamed of becoming a Rhodes Scholar, and spent two years earning the scholarship. Ultimately successful on his second try, he attended Oxford University and earned his doctorate in 1937. McGhee documented his time in England through his correspondence with his parents, compiled in a book entitled Oxford Letters. Returning stateside, McGhee worked for the eminent oil geologist Everette Lee DeGolyer, scouting and acquiring promising oil fields. The relationship proved to be an everlasting one, as McGhee married DeGolyer's daughter Cecilia, whom he described as "the most beautiful and richest girl in Texas." McGhee became an independent explorer in 1940, and shortly thereafter discovered a lucrative field in Lake Charles, Louisiana. The success of the McGhee Production Company would sustain him financially for the rest of his life. The outbreak of World War II led McGhee to enter the service of his country as a staff member in the Office of Production Management and on the War Production Board. He made his biggest contribution serving as a naval air intelligence officer in the Pacific on the staff of General Curtis E. LeMay. This service earned him the Legion of Merit in 1945. McGhee returned to civilian life at the war's end, but was enticed to enter the political sphere by William L. Clayton, a fellow Texan and then an undersecretary of state. McGhee joined the State Department in 1946 and quickly rose within the ranks. He traveled extensively in Africa and the Middle East to promote industrialization, disburse aid, and negotiate military and petroleum agreements. During this period of his career, McGhee fostered a lasting connection with the nation of Turkey. From 1951 to 1953 he served as ambassador to that country, assisting its entry into NATO membership. His family resided with him at a restored Ottoman villa in Alanya named "Turkish Delight"; the McGhees later donated this home to Georgetown University as The McGhee Center for Eastern Mediterranean Studies. McGhee returned to his duties in the State Department, continuing the work which would ultimately earn him the nickname "Mr. U.S." and establishing a reputation as a bulwark against communism in the early stages of the Cold War. He traveled extensively in his capacity as Undersecretary for Political Affairs, most particularly to the Congo and the Dominican Republic. From 1963 to 1968 McGhee once again took up the mantle of ambassador, this time to West Germany. He was present for President Kennedy's famed "Ich bin ein Berliner" speech, and advocated the American cause in a country torn apart by the Cold War. McGhee retired to Farmer's Delight Plantation officially in 1969, but remained active professionally and politically. He served on numerous advisory boards, and held seats on the corporate boards of such companies as Mobil Oil, Proctor & Gamble, and Trans World Airlines (TWA). He also wrote several books about his diplomatic career, including a memoir entitled I Did It This Way (2001), and even a semi- autobiographical novel, The Dance of the Billions: A Novel About Texas, Houston, and Oil (1990). After a lifetime of service, George Crews McGhee passed away on July 4, 2005 at the age of 93. His wife of 63 years, Cecilia DeGolyer McGhee, preceded him in death (2001), as did two of their six children. Series Series 1: Business Correspondence, 1950-2002. Records of the McGhee Production Company, Dallas, TX, including correspondence, abstracts of title, inventories, exploration program information, logs, and petroleum reserve data for fields in Louisiana, Texas, Oklahoma, and Pennsylvania, and notes about fields in other states (1941-2004). Board of directors meeting minutes and other correspondence related to Mobil Oil (1968-2000), Procter & Gamble (1969-2000), Trans World Airlines (1970-1990), Saturday Review (1975-1978), American Security and Trust Company (1963-1984). McGhee held seats on the executive boards for all of these companies. The bulk of the material in this series dates from the 1950 to the 1990s and has been kept in its original order. Series 2: Ambassadorial Papers, 1948-1968. Official and personal unclassified correspondence from McGhee’s service as Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs (1949-1951), Ambassador to Turkey (1951-1953), Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs (1961-1963), Ambassador to Germany (1963-1968). The majority of the materials date between 1961 and 1968. Series 3: Personal Correspondence, 1935-2002. Letters written by Ambassador McGhee to his parents, wife, children and wide range of friends and associates. Files also include letters received by Ambassador McGhee from the same. The correspondence between GCM and his parents while he was attending Oxford University (1935-1937) became the basis for his book titled Oxford Letters. Series 4: Writings and Speeches, 1928-2005. Beginning with his high school valedictorian address, the collection of speeches written and presented by Ambassador McGhee give insight into his views of the policies of the government he served and of the world events he helped shape and influence. His articles and essays focus on Cold War era government reform and social welfare policies. Series 5: Financial Records, 1947-1978. This group of materials details personal and professional financial concerns of the McGhee and DeGolyer families from their various business enterprises. Files also include the estate records of Farmer’s Delight, Loudoun Co., VA and the efforts to have it designated as a National Historical Landmark; purchase and renovation records for Turkish Delight, Alanya, Turkey and the McGhee’s eventual decision to gift the property to Georgetown University in 1989, and Windrush Farm, also in VA, which was eventually transformed into a wildlife sanctuary. Series 6: Family History and Genealogy, 1980-2002. Genealogical charts, copies of historical documents, diaries and ancestry of both the McGhee and DeGolyer families. Features descent from John Hart of New Jersey, one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence. Series 7: Audiovisual Media, Photographs, and Memorabilia, 1940-1998. Audio recordings of public and family events in cassette and reel-to-reel formats, home movies, a large slide collection containing over 46,000 slides and numerous photographs and scrapbooks documenting over five decades of world travels of the McGhee family. Plaques, commemorative plates, art, memorabilia and certificates presented to Ambassador McGhee for his achievements and appointments to ambassadorial posts. Series 8: Artifacts, n.d.. Pottery, figurines, art, and furniture collected by Ambassador and Mrs. McGhee, and a collection of Mesoamerican clay and stone objects primarily collected by Everette Lee DeGolyer. Table of Contents Series 1: Business Correspondence, 1950-2002 Boxes 1-47, 105 Series 2: Ambassadorial Papers, 1948-1968 Boxes 48-51, 105-107 Series 3: Personal Correspondence, 1935-2002 Boxes 52-94, 103, 110, 112-116 Series 4: Writings and Speeches, 1928-2005 Boxes 95-102, 104, 110-112 Series 5: Financial Records, 1947-1978 Boxes 107-109, 115 Series 6: Family History and Genealogy, 1980-2002 Boxes 114, 116 Series 7: Audiovisual Media, Photographs, and Memorabilia, 1940-1998 Boxes 117-162 Series 8: Artifacts, n.d. Artifact Boxes 1-60; additional artifacts on display in Monnet Hall and Bizzell Memorial Library Folder Title or Description Date eries older S Box F Series 1: Business Correspondence, 1950-2002. Records of the McGhee Production Company, Dallas, TX, , including correspondence, abstracts of title, inventories, exploration program information, logs, and petroleum reserve data for fields in Louisiana, Texas, Oklahoma, and Pennsylvania, and notes about fields in other states (1941-2004). Board of directors meeting minutes and other correspondence related to Mobil Oil (1968-2000), Procter & Gamble (1969-2000), Trans World Airlines (1970-1990), Saturday Review (1975-1978), American Security and Trust Company (1963-1984). McGhee held seats on the executive boards for all of these companies.