CEU Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2011
| Author | Gousha, Laura Ann |
|---|---|
| Title | EXTRAORDINARY MEASURES: THE FUNDING OF HUNGARIAN REFUGEE STUDENTS BY THE ROCKEFELLER FOUNDATIONS, 1956-1958 |
| Summary | The important role of American Foundations during the months following the 1956 Hungarian Revolution, while understudied, deserves the attention of scholarship. This thesis provides a study of two major programs sponsored by Rockefeller grants- the Bard English Language program to assist Hungarian refugees who had emigrated to the United States and the scholarship program which was established at the University of Vienna. Based upon an examination of archival materials located at the Rockefeller Archive Center, these case studies provide valuable insight into the functioning of the Rockefeller Foundation and the Rockefeller Brothers Fund during the early Cold War. The Hungarian Revolution presented a challenge to the Rockefeller Foundations, forcing them make decisions as to whom and for what purposes should their financial support be granted. This thesis aims to challenge some assertions made by scholars regarding the nature of Foundations during the Cold War. Utilizing key concepts such as public diplomacy, the state-private network, and Americanization it will be possible to assess the ways in which the grants of the Foundations were cast. I argue that the Rockefeller Foundations wished to maintain autonomy from governmental intervention, crafting policies in the light of their own objectives. Such objectives, however, often aligned themselves with those of the government, reflecting the close ties between the Foundations and the governmental elite. Moreover, I argue that the programs reflected a form of public diplomacy which aimed to integrate the students into their respective communities, whether that be in the United States or within Austria, and establish intellectual networks which would promote Western scholarship. Based upon the amount of money allocated to the respective programs, it is also argued that the Rockefeller Foundation placed an emphasis on supporting refugees who were to remain in Europe, as opposed to those within the United States, as it was felt that such support would fit their objectives of establishing global intellectual networks and supporting scholarship for those under communist influence. |
| Supervisor | Siefert, Marsha |
| Department | History MA |
| Full text | https://www.etd.ceu.edu/2011/gousha_laura-ann.pdf |
Visit the CEU Library.
© 2007-2021, Central European University