Biographical Note

Alfred Diamant (1917-2012) was a professor at Indiana University from 1967-1988, serving as Chair of Political Science and West European Studies. He was born in Vienna, Austria on September 25 to a Slovakian Jewish merchant family and witnessed the rise of Nazism growing up. Unable to pursue a degree in history and teach due to Nazi legislation, Diamant initially entered the family textile business. After Kristallnacht in 1938 however, he sought ways to immigrate to the United States and finally succeeded in 1940. Diamant joined the military immediately after Pearl Harbor, fought and was wounded during the Allied invasion of Normandy on June 6th, 1944. During the war, he also gained his citizenship and married his wife, Ann.

After World War II, Diamant received his A.B. from Indiana University in 1947 and his PhD from Yale in 1957. He went on to teach and conduct research at the University of Florida (1950-1960), Haverford College (1960-1967), returning to Indiana University until his retirement (1967-1988). He also founded the Faculty Research Seminars in Comparative Administration and Development as well as participating in an eight year study on administration development with the Ford Foundation. Diamant devoted his professional academic career to studying political theory and comparative public administration, striving to answer the fundamental question of how social relationships affect the decisions and actions of political and social organizations and institutions.

Scope and Content Note

The Diamant, Alfred mss., 1917-2012, consists of the personal correspondence, emails, school records, military papers, birth and marriage certificates, and family trees of Alfred Diamant. It also includes various drafts and pre-publication copies of his and his wife's co-authored memoir Worlds Apart, Worlds United: A European-American Story. Although he is best known for his academic contributions, Diamant mss. reflects Diamant's personal life more than his academic career.

The Biographical series includes information on Diamant's personal life. Records from his life in Vienna, as well as his military and school records are included.

The Correspondence series includes the following subseries: correspondence with his daughter Alice, correspondence with his mother Julia, correspondence concerning his immigration to the United States, personal correspondence, and correspondence concerning his publications.

Writings includes manuscripts and galley proofs for Diamant's publications, especially his memoir Worlds Apart, Worlds United: A European-American Story which he wrote with his wife Ann Redmon Diamant.

A subseries of family trees tracing Diamant's lineage completes the collection.

Arrangement

The collection is organized into the following series: I. Biographical; II. Correspondence; III. Writings.

Restrictions

Access Restrictions: This collection is open for research.

Usage Restrictions: Prior arrangements are not necessary before coming to the Library, however, patrons from out of town are encouraged to communicate with the Library in advance of their visits to ascertain availability of materials. Photocopying permitted only with permission of the curator.

Related Material

The Alfred Diamant papers, 1950-2010, bulk 1960-1996, are located at the University Archives, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana.

Subject Headings

Persons

Diamant, Alfred, 1917-2012 --Correspondence.
Diamant, Ann Redmon, 1913-2003

Subjects

College teachers
Political scientists--United States

Administrative Information

Preferred Citation

[Item], Diamant, Alfred mss., Lilly Library, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana.

Acquisition Information

Acquired: 2014

Table of Contents

Biographical 1917-2006

Correspondence

Writings