Department of State
Scope and Contents
The collection consists of the papers of Dr. Clifton R. Wharton, Jr. and his wife, Dolores D. Wharton, and includes materials covering both their professional and personal lives. There is also material relating to Clifton R. Wharton Sr. and his time as a U.S. Ambassador. The collection also contains genealogical materials.
Dates
- Creation: 1920 - 2022
Creator
- From the Collection: Wharton, Clifton R., 1926- (Person)
- From the Collection: Wharton, Dolores D. (Person)
- From the Collection: Wharton, Clifton R. (Clifton Reginald), 1899-1990 (Person)
Conditions Governing Access
Collection is open for research. Restricted folders are noted in the collection inventory.
Biographical / Historical
Dr. Clifton R. Wharton was named Deputy Secretary of State on January 26, 1993 by President William Clinton. His primariy task in this role was to explore administrative restructuring of the U.S. Department of State. The DOS under President Clinton's tenure experienced several foreign policy crises and controversaries under Secretary of State, Warren Christopher. There was tention between Wharton and Christopher, and in November 1993 Wharton resigned from his post. There were numerous media reports that Wharton was held as a scapegoat for many of the problems at DOS in 1993.
Full Extent
From the Collection: 280 Cubic Feet
Language of Materials
From the Collection: English
Arrangement
This series contain information about Wharton's appointment as Deputy Secretary of State including confirmation documents and personal and biographical materials. The series also includes information about his resigination. Some of this material is restricted because of Department of State classification or because of its personal nature. The DOS - General Operations materials detail much of Wharton's day-to-day activities and incluldes meeting notes, schedules, memos, correspondence, and reports. There is information about the DOS 1993-94 budgeting process and information about departmental restructuring. A highlight of Wharton's year at the the DOS was his several overseas trips. Due to his previous career in international aid initiatives, he was well-versed in visiting and meeting with foreign dignitaries. Many of his activities and travels are documented it the Overseas Trips sub-series. There is a small amount of information about Dolores Wharton in these materials. Other Secretary of State materials related to DDW can be found in the Dolores D. Wharton series.
Repository Details
Part of the University Archives and Historical Collections Repository
Conrad Hall
943 Conrad Road, Room 101
East Lansing MI 48824 US
517-355-2330
archives@msu.edu