Subfonds - Records of President George D. Woods

President George D. Woods - Chronological Records - Volume 9 - October - December 1964 President George. D. Woods - Chronological Records - Volume 10 - January - March 1965 President George D. Woods Chronological Records - Volume 12 President George D. Woods - Chronological Records - Volume 1 - January - March 1963 President George D. Woods Chronological Records - Volume 13 President George D. Woods Chronological Records - Volume 15 President George D. Woods - Chronological Records - Volume 2 - April 1963 President George D. Woods Chronological Records - Volume 18 President George D. Woods Chronological Records - Volume 19 President George D. Woods Chronological Records - Volume 22 President George D. Woods - Chronological Records - Volume 3 - May - June  1963 President George D. Woods - Chronological Records - Volume 4 - July - August  1963 President George D. Woods - Chronological Records - Volume 5 - September - December  1963 President George D. Woods - Chronological Records - Volume 6 - January - March  1964 President George D. Woods - Chronological Records - Volume 7 - April - June 1964 President George D. Woods - Chronological Records - Volume 8 - July - September 1964 President George D. Woods Chronological Records - Volume 11 President George D. Woods Chronological Records - Volume 14 President George D. Woods Chronological Records - Volume 20 President George D. Woods Chronological Records - Volume 17 President George D. Woods Chronological Records - Volume 21 President George D. Woods Chronological Records - Volume 16 Annual Meeting briefing papers, 1963 - Africa - Briefing papers Annual Meeting briefing papers, 1963 - Europe - Briefing papers George D Woods - Eighteenth Annual Meeting Briefing Papers, 1963 - Latin America - Volume 1 George D Woods - Nineteenth Annual Meeting Briefing Papers, 1964 - Latin America Annual Meeting briefing papers, 1965 - Africa - Briefing papers Annual Meeting briefing papers, 1965 - Europe and Middle East - Briefing papers George D Woods - Twentieth Annual Meeting Briefing Papers, 1965 - Latin America George D Woods - Twenty First Annual Meeting Briefing Papers, 1966 - Latin America Briefing paper - OECD/DAC Session - Briefing papers Annual Meeting briefing papers, 1967 - Africa - Briefing papers Annual Meeting briefing papers, 1966 - Europe and Middle East - Briefing papers Annual Meeting briefing papers, 1966 - Africa - Briefing papers 02 Annual Meeting briefing papers, 1965 - South Asia - Briefing papers Annual Meeting briefing papers, 1967 - Latin America - Briefing papers Briefing papers - Visit to Argentina - Briefing papers Annual Meeting briefing papers, 1963 - South Asia and Middle East - Briefing papers Annual Meeting briefing papers, 1967 - Europe - Briefing papers Annual Meeting briefing papers, 1967 - Asia - Briefing papers President George D. Woods Travel Records - East Africa - Volume 1 - July - September 1966 President George D. Woods Travel Records - England / London - Volume 1 - November - December 1964 President George D. Woods Travel Records - Ghana - Volume 1 - November - December 1964 President George D. Woods Travel Files: Portugal - Travel file 02 President George D. Woods Travel Files: Argentina - Travel file 01 President George D. Woods - Correspondence - Volume 1 - 1963 - 1965 President George D. Woods - Country Correspondence - Malaysia - Correspondence - Volume 1 President George D. Woods Country Correspondence Files: Portugal - Correspondence 01 President George D. Woods Country Correspondence Files: Argentina - Correspondence 01

Identity area

Reference code

WB IBRD/IDA EXC-03

Title

Records of President George D. Woods

Date(s)

  • 1959 - 1979 (1963 - 1968 predominant) (Creation)

Level of description

Subfonds

Extent and medium

4.10 linear feet of textual records

Context area

Name of creator

Biographical history

George David Woods (1901-1982) was born in Boston in 1901. He entered the banking industry immediately upon completing high school and only attended night school at his employers' urging. During this early period, Woods made his talents evident and was promoted rapidly. By the 1940s he was employed by the First Boston Corporation, one of the largest investment banking firms in the United States; by 1951 he was chairman of its board. Woods had considerable involvement with the World Bank Group prior to becoming its President. First Boston was one of two banking firms to manage the Bank's early bond issues. Soon after Woods began participating in missions for the Bank to southeast Asia where he assisted in the development of lending programs and explored the possibility of establishing private development finance companies. Woods was also involved in the Suez Canal settlement mediated by the Bank, and the International Finance Corporation's (IFC) international advisory committee.

Woods was named World Bank Group president in January 1963. Woods is often given credit for continuing the Bank's evolution from a more straightforward financial institution to a development institution. During his tenure, the Bank began analyzing the broader factors that hindered growth in developing countries, such as trade barriers, external debt, lack of diversification, weak institutions, shortages of skills, and ineffective economic and financial policies. As a result of this expansion in focus, more economists were hired by theBank and their importance was increased. Specifically, Woods appointed Irving Friedman, formerly of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), as the Economic Adviser to the President.

In addition to emphasizing the role of economists, Woods looked to strengthen the younger professional staff in the institution. The Bank typically recruited staff in mid-career, but in 1963 the Junior Professional Program (later the Young Professional Program, or YPP) was instituted as a means of recruiting graduates from leading universities.

Under Woods, the Bank continued to expand its lending in the sectors of agriculture and education. Both of these areas were approached with a focus on early intervention, meaning involvement in activities that had a more direct impact, such as farm credit, livestock production, seed improvement, and training and extension work in the agriculture sector secondary and vocational schools in the education sector. Woods also increased focus on the industry sector. This created an increased role for the IFC and involved the transfer of industrial projects from the Bank to the IFC.

Woods promoted the concept of aid coordination to better identify foreign assistance from various sources. This involved the creation of the first Bank-organized consultative groups. It also led to a closer relationship with the United Nations and its specialized agencies such as the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organizations (UNESCO). The Bank also served as executive agency for many UN Development Programme (UNDP)-financed studies.

During Woods' tenure the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID) was established. Its purpose was to calm the fears of foreign investors who were hesitant about investing in developing countries. ICSID's primary functions include the resolution of investment disputes and providing assurance for foreign private investors.

One of Woods' final accomplishments was the instigation of the "Grand Assize" of experts called together to examine the state of development and to propose to political leaders and the public at large the steps necessary for maintaining progress. The commission was headed by Lester Pearson, former Prime Minister of Canada, and came into effect only after Woods' departure from the Bank.

The organization of the Bank did not change considerably during Woods' tenure as President. One significant move made by Woods was the formalization of the President's Council. Chaired by thePresident, it consisted of senior staff who served closest to Woods, including: Vice Presidents Burke Knapp, Geoffrey Wilson, Simon Aldewereld (appointed in 1965), and Mohammad Shoaib (who replaced Wilson in 1966); Economic Adviser to the President Irving Friedman; General Counsel Aron Broches; and Richard Demuth, who had served in various capacities during his time at the Bank but who headed the Development Services Department (DSD) under Woods. The Council met daily to advise the President on matters related to the management of the Bank.

Woods served a single term as President, departing the Bank in March 1968.

Archival history

Immediate source of acquisition or transfer

The first three series were transferred from the Office of the President. The last two series were transferred to the Archives by Woods' secretary, Bernadette R. Schmitt, in July 1986 and contain some pre-Presidential and post-Presidential papers.

Content and structure area

Scope and content

The records of the Presidency of George D. Woods (January 1963 until April 1968) primarily concern international relations, including both briefings and travel. The correspondence file, while small, has several unusually revealing items, as do the retained copies of outgoing letters and memoranda. The background papers on each country that are found in the annual meeting briefing files provide useful snapshots of the situation of that country at that time.

Appraisal, destruction and scheduling

Accruals

Accruals are not expected.

System of arrangement

Conditions of access and use area

Conditions governing access

Records are subject to the World Bank Policy on Access to Information.

Conditions governing reproduction

Records are subject to the Copyright Policy of the World Bank Group.

Language of material

  • English

Script of material

Language and script notes

Physical characteristics and technical requirements

Finding aids

Allied materials area

Existence and location of originals

Existence and location of copies

Related units of description

  • See Records of the Office of External Relations (WB IBRD/IDA EXT), specifically Speech reference collection (WB IBRD/IDA EXT-01), Photograph library (WB IBRD/IDA EXT-02), Media relations (WB IBRD/IDA EXT-03), and Support and communications ofthe Office of the President and senior staff (WB IBRD/IDA EXT-04). For audio and video recordings of Woods, see Documentation of institutional meetings, press conferences, and other events (WB IBRD/IDA EXT-12).

  • Joint Bank-Fund Library collection on Presidents of the World Bank (WB IBRD/IDA PRES), has Woods material.

  • See Individual Staff Members - Bernard R. Bell - India Fourth Five-Year Plan and economic policy files WB IBRD/IDA STAFF-03-01) for correspondence with President Woods relating to the India missions and reports directed by Bell as well as a file on Woods' meeting with Ashok Mehta.

  • Robert W. Oliver collection on George D. Woods (WB IBRD/IDA WOODS), has copies of Woods' personal papers now at Columbia University, photographs, and oral histories conducted by Oliver in writing his biography of Woods.

  • Personal papers of Louise Woods (WB IBRD/IDA LWOODS), has photographs and travel diaries.

  • Personal papers of William Diamond (WB IBRD/IDA DIAMOND), has correspondence with Woods on India in 1958 and 1959.

  • See also the George D. Woods papers at the Butler Library, Columbia University.

Related descriptions

Notes area

Alternative identifier(s)

Access points

Subject access points

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Name access points

Genre access points

Description control area

Description identifier

Institution identifier

Rules and/or conventions used

Internal World Bank Group Archives rules based on ISAD(G).

Disclosure status

Level of detail

Dates of creation revision deletion

6 June 2006

Language(s)

Script(s)

Sources

Accession area