Herbert Parker Lansdale, Jr. papers

Collection

Identifier: D.126

Staff Only

Biographical / Historical note

Herbert Parker Lansdale, Jr. was born on March 7, 1898 in Baltimore, Maryland. His father, Herbert Parker Lansdale, Sr. was the General Secretary of the Rochester, New York Young Men's Christian Association (YMCA) from 1911 until his retirement in 1929. His mother was Lida R. Eppley Lansdale. His only sibling, a brother, Robert T. Lansdale (1900-1980), served as the New York Commissioner of Social Welfare under Governor Thomas E. Dewey from 1943 until 1953.

Lansdale graduated from East High School, Rochester, NY, in 1915. He attended Oberlin College, where he received his B.A. in 1919 and his A.M. in 1920. Honorary degrees bestowed upon him in later life included a L.H.D. from Beaver College (1954); a LL.D. from George Williams College (1957); a D.H. from Springfield College (1958); and a L.H.D. from Oberlin College (1959).

Lansdale spent the majority of his professional career working in various capacities for the YMCA. His positions included: Education Director of the Worcester, MA, YMCA (1920-25); General Secretary of the Saloniki, Greece, YMCA (1925-31); National Director of the Greek YMCAs (1927-39); General Secretary of the Rochester, NY, YMCA (1939-52); Executive Secretary of the International Committee of YMCAs of the United States and Canada (1952-57); General Secretary of the United States National Council of YMCAs (1957-64); Secretary of the Rochester Community Chest (now the United Way) (1964-66); and as Assistant to the President of Colgate Rochester Divinity School (1967-72).

Lansdale's personal life was equally full. He married his first wife, Marjorie M. McKay in 1922 (d.March 1950). She was the mother of his two sons, Dr. Herbert Parker Lansdale III (Parker) and Bruce McKay Lansdale. Parker Lansdale graduated from Monroe High School, Rochester, NY, in 1942 and went on to graduate from Yale Divinity School as an ordained minister. His life's work has concentrated on the YMCA. Bruce Lansdale also attended Monroe High School, as well as the University of Rochester, from which he graduated in 1946. He served as Director of the American Farm School in Thessaloniki, Greece from 1954 to 1990.

Lansdale's second wife was Mrs. Grace H. Hartley (d. March 1953). Her children were Peter E. Hartley and Ann (Mrs. Ivan N. Momtchiloff). His third wife was Mrs. Jessie L. Howell, who survived him. Her daughter by her first marriage was Jacqueline (Mrs. Charles C. Peterson).

Herbert Parker Lansdale, Jr. died on September 13, 1988 in Palo Alto, CA, where he had retired.

Scope and Contents

The Herbert Parker Lansdale, Jr. collection consists of both personal and professional papers. Lansdale consistently saved personal correspondence, newspaper clippings, copies of YMCA correspondence, and cards of his own speeches and notes.

Among the personal correspondence included in the collection are letters from his parents, Lida and Herbert Lansdale, Sr.; his children, Bruce and Herbert Parker Lansdale III; other family members; and numerous friends. Included in this category is correspondence with his three wives, Marjorie, Grace, and Jessie, as well as condolence notes received upon the first two wives' deaths.

There is correspondence with many locally prominent people of the Rochester, New York area, including Roman Catholic Bishop Kearney; Marion B. Folsom (see Register); University of Rochester faculty and administrators, such as historians Glyndon Van Deusen and Dexter Perkins; Hiram and Harper Sibley; businessman James Gleason; and educator James Spinning. Also included in this part of the collection is correspondence with King Paul of Greece (1947-64); New York Governor Thomas Dewey (1943-55); President Richard Nixon (1969-74); and Archbishop Athenagoras, as well as several other Orthodox Church notables.

The main part of the collection centers upon Lansdale's professional career. Throughout the majority of his life, Lansdale held various positions within the Young Men's Christian Association (YMCA). Correspondence concerning his appointments, promotions, responsibilities, and problems are represented. It should be noted here that Lansdale not only saved correspondence addressed to him, but also frequently created file copies of his own outgoing mail. This is true of his personal correspondence as well.

Lansdale spent nearly forty-five years with the YMCA (1920-64), and the organization's growth and evolution can be followed through the material in the collection. Much of the correspondence centers upon the YMCA's role as a Christian center. One of the main correspondents was YMCA official D.A. Davis.

The other large portion of the YMCA section centers upon the country of Greece. Lansdale's many years living and working there (1925-39), as well as his son Bruce's many years as Director of the American Farm School (1954-90), are copiously represented. Much correspondence, personal and professional, concerns Greece, the land, the Orthodox Church, the political situation, and the ouster of the YMCA. Magazine articles and newspaper clippings on these subjects have also been retained in the collection.

The rest of the professional correspondence concerns Lansdale's semi-retirement years at the Rochester Community Chest (now the United Way) (1964-66) and at the Colgate Rochester Divinity School (1967-72).

The final small portion of the collection contains family genealogical and legal papers. Several members of the family were tracing the Lansdale genealogy, and there are several letters related to their findings. A brief family tree is represented. Findings about a possible link with the Clag(g)ett family are recorded, as well as correspondence about the Curtice family connections. Robert Vinton Lansdale's association with the Bachrach family of photographers has been documented. Legal documents include Lida Lansdale's will and bank records, as well as the financial records of Herbert P. Lansdale, Jr. himself. Notable correspondence can be found: Roman Catholic Bishop Kearney (Box 2, Folder 18), Governor Thomas Dewey, NY (Box 6, Folder 1), Ahmet Deniz (Box 6, Folder 1), William Briggs (Box 6, Folder 2), Gilbert McCurdy (Box 6, Folder 3), James L. Ellenwood (Box 6, Folder 4), Walter Todd (Box 6, Folder 4), Charilaos Lagoudakis (Box 6, Folder 5), Kenneth B. Keating, NY (Box 6, Folder 6 and Box 10, Folder 3), George V. Allen (Box 6, Folder 8), William Baxter (Box 6, Folder 8), William Byrne (Box 6, Folder 8), Leonard J. Cromis (Box 6, Folder 8), James W. Wadsworth (Box 6, Folder 9), Glyndon G. Van Deusen (Box 6, Folder 10), James Spinning (Box 6, Folder 11, 30), James Gleason (Box 6, Folder 13), Walter Todd (Box 6, Folder 13), Ralph Kent ((Box 6, Folder 14), Edward G. Miner (Box 6, Folder 16), L.P. Kwok (Box 6, Folder 29), World Council of Churches (Box 6, Folder 33), House family, Greece (Box 6, Folder 34), Economic Cooperation Administration (Box 6, Folder 37), Almbert M. Chesley estate (Box 9, Folder 1), Eugene Barnett (Box 9, Folder 3), Walter Todd (Box 9, Folder 5), Lew and Dorothy Reiss (Box 9, Folder 6-7), Karamanlis, Prime Minister of Greece (Box 10, Folder 1), King Paul and Queen Frederika of Greece (Box 10, Folder 3), C.W. de Kiewiet (Box 10, Folder 3), Spyros P. Skouras (Box 10, Folder 7), President Richard M. Nixon (Box 10, Folder 8), Archbishop Michael, Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of North and South American (Box 10, Folder 9), Archbishop Athenagoras, Ecumenical Patriarch of the Orthodox Church (Box 10, Folder 9), Archbishop Athenagoras (Box 10, Folder 10-11)

Creator

Lansdale, Herbert Parker, 1898-1988 (Person)

Dates

Creation: 1863-1982

Language of Materials

English

Extent

20 box(es)

Access

The Herbert Parker Lansdale, Jr. Papers is open for research use. Researchers are advised to contact the Rare Books, Special Collections & Preservation Department prior to visiting. Upon arrival, researchers will also be asked to fill out a registration form and provide photo identification.

Use

In consultation with a curator, reproductions may be made upon request. Permission to publish materials from the collection must be requested from a curator. Researchers are responsible for determining any copyright questions.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

The collection is the gift of Herbert P. Lansdale, Jr. Part of the collection was donated in September 1977 and the rest in October 1982.

Preferred Citation

[Item title, item date], Herbert Parker Lansdale, Jr. Papers, D.126, Rare Books, Special Collections, and Preservation, River Campus Libraries, University of Rochester