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Nicholas Wahl Papers

Call Number

MC.146

Date

1944-1995, inclusive

Creator

Wahl, Nicholas

Extent

120 Linear Feet

Language of Materials

Materials primarily in English.

Abstract

The Papers of Nicholas Wahl document Wahl's contributions as a student, professor and academic administrator from 1949 to 1995. The majority of materials document his career as professor and director at New York University's Institute of French Studies from 1978 to 1996. Wahl's publications, speeches, research, course material, and correspondence reflect his lifetime study of French politics and society, in particular his expertise on former French President Charles De Gaulle.

Biography of Nicholas Wahl

Anthony Nicholas Maria Wahl, born June 7, 1928, to Hungarian immigrant parents, grew up in New York, New York. In 1949 Wahl earned his Bachelor of Arts in history from the University of Wisconsin, and in 1956 he earned his doctorate in political science from Harvard University. Wahl's dissertation, De Gaulle and the Resistance¸ which focused on the rivalry that developed in wartime between De Gaulle's Free French in exile and the resistance movement in France, brought him to the frontlines of French politics. During his studies he developed personal and professional connections to political scientists and various French politicians, such as Charles de Gaulle and Michel Debré, both of whom later gained political power in the late 1950s through the 1960s. Throughout his lifetime, Wahl maintained these advantageous personal and professional connections that he had fostered in his early education and career.

After completing his graduate work, Wahl became an instructor of undergraduate- and graduate-level history, government, and political science courses at Harvard University (1958-1964) and Princeton University (1964-1978). He also served as a visiting professor at various institutions including Columbia University, Nuffield College at Oxford, University of Paris X-Nanterre: Institut d'Etudes Politiques, the University of Saigon and Bryn Mawr College.

In 1978 Wahl was courted by New York University (NYU) to found the Institute of French Studies (IFS). While teaching French politics, history, and social sciences, Wahl also helped mold the institute into a thriving center for the interdisciplinary study of French society through social sciences. Regular visitations, lectures, and instruction by French politicians and academics helped to achieve one of the goals of the IFS: to foster dialogue between the United States and France.

Wahl rose to prominence in French and European studies circles through his participation in organizations, frequent contributions to publications, and regular attendance at conferences. He co-founded the Association for French Cultural Studies, and in 1975 he served as co-founder and first president of the French American Foundation. Wahl's efforts received recognition from his colleagues who often dedicated their own works to him. More notably, the French government awarded him the Chevalier of the National Order of the Legion of Honor.

On September 13, 1996, Wahl succumbed to cancer in London. His achievements as a scholar and contributions to the development of French cultural studies have created invaluable resources for continuing generations of students.

Sources:

Nicholas Wahl, Biographical File, New York University Archives, Archives H. "In Memoriam Nicholas Wahl," French Politics and Society, Vol. 14, No. 4, Autumn 1996.

Arrangement

The collection consists of materials originally located in his IFS office at NYU. Order to the collection had to be established. In cases where Wahl organized his materials in labeled folders, their contents were kept together under the same title. These titles appear within quotation marks. Notes on the contents of the folder are listed underneath the title.

Series I, III, IV, V, VII, and VIII are arranged chronologically. Series II is arranged alphabetically by correspondent. Series VI is arranged alphabetically by author or subject.

The collection has been organized into eight series: Series I: De Gaulle Materials and Related Materials Series II: Correspondence Series III: Political Party Information Series IV: Miscellaneous Notes/Various Research (Partially Processed) Series V: Conferences (Unprocessed) Series VI: Publications (Partially Processed) Series VII: Associations (Unprocessed) Series VIII: Course Materials (Unprocessed)

Scope and Contents

The Papers of Nicholas Wahl measure 120 linear feet and span the dates 1944 to 1995. Documents include newspaper clippings; reprinted articles, books and scholarly manuscripts (presented in conferences or for colleague review); political flyers, posters, campaign materials, and other materials related to French politics; colleague publications and student papers, mainly related to de Gaulle and the Fifth Republic; professional and personal correspondence; and personal notes, outlines, idea sheets, and other miscellaneous research materials for use in Wahl's dissertation, articles, book reviews, lectures, and speeches.

Access Restrictions

Repository permission is required for access.

Additionally, institutional records of New York University are closed for a period of 20 years from the date of their creation (the date on which each document was written). Board of Trustees records are similarly closed for 35 years from the date of creation. The opening date for files spanning several years will be 20 years from the most recent date. Access will be given to material already 20 years old contained within a collection that is not yet open when such material can be isolated from the rest of the collection.

Materials related to personnel, faculty grievances, job searches and all files with information that falls under the University's Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) policy are permanently restricted.

Please contact New York University Archives, (212) 998-2641, university-archives@nyu.edu.

Use Restrictions

Any rights (including copyright and related rights to publicity and privacy) held by Nicholas Wahl are maintained by New York University. Permission to publish or reproduce materials in this collection must be secured from repository. Please contact New York University Archives, (212) 998-2641, university-archives@nyu.edu.

Preferred Citation

Published citations should take the following form: Identification of item, date (if known); Nicholas Wahl Papers; MC 146; box number; folder number; New York University Archives, New York University Libraries.

Location of Materials

Series I-III of this collection are located in offsite storage. Please contact the repository for access.

Provenance

The Papers of Nicholas Wahl were donated by the Institute of French Studies (IFS) of New York University (NYU) to the New York University Archives following Wahl's death in 1996.

Collection processed by

Laura Sextro, 2002-2003. Additional processing by Tai Vardi.

About this Guide

This finding aid was produced using ArchivesSpace on 2024-02-06 14:24:54 -0500.
Language: Description is in English.

Edition of this Guide

wahl finding aid.doc

Repository

New York University Archives
New York University Archives
Elmer Holmes Bobst Library
70 Washington Square South
2nd Floor
New York, NY 10012