Collection: William Sebald papers | Archival Collections

Lawyer William Sebald practiced law in Japan and Washington, D.C., and joined the Navy Combat Intelligence Group during World War II. He later represented the United States on the Allied Council. His papers consist of correspondence and galley proofs and manuscripts for his book With MacArthur in Japan.

Dates

1965

Use and Access to Collection

This collection is open for research.

Duplication and Copyright Information

Photocopies of original materials may be provided for a fee and at the discretion of the curator. Please see our Duplication of Materials policy for more information. Queries regarding publication rights and copyright status of materials within this collection should be directed to the appropriate curator.

Extent

0.25 Linear Feet

Additional Description

Scope and Contents

The William Sebald papers consists of two letters concerning the publication of his book, With MacArthur in Japan, the original holographic manuscript for chapters 7 to 14, and the complete galley proofs for this book. All materials have been combined into one series.

Biographical / Historical

William J. Sebald was born in Baltimore, Maryland, in 1901. He was graduated from the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis in 1922. His first exposure to Japanese culture came in 1925 when he was chosen for an officer’s language program in Kobe, Japan. There he met Edith France deBecker, the daughter of a prominent English attorney and a Japanese mother; they were married in 1927. In 1933 Sebald was graduated from the University of Maryland Law School and he returned to Japan in order to practice law in the firm of his father-in-law and brother-in-law. He returned to the United States in 1939 and worked for the Office of Naval Intelligence throughout the war. In 1946, Sebald joined the foreign service to become the top political advisor in the Allied Occupation of Japan under General Douglas MacArthur. After leaving Japan in 1952, Sebald served as Ambassador to Burma from 1952 to 1954 and then as Ambassador to Australia from 1957 to 1961. He retired in 1961 and died in 1980. In addition to having translated and published several of the legal codes of Japan in the 1940’s, Sebald also wrote several books including With MacArthur in Japan: A Personal History of the Occupation, published by W. W. Norton in 1965; Japan: Prospects, Options, and Opportunities; and an unpublished manuscript entitled Burma Diary.

Arrangement

This collection has been arranged as one series.

Series 1: With MacArthur in Japan correspondence and drafts

Custodial History

Full information on the provenance of this collection is lacking at the present time. It is likely that the collection was donated to the University of Maryland by Sebald in 1972.

Processing Information

The contents of the collection have been placed in acid free folders.

Administrative Information

Title: Guide to the William Sebald papers
Status: Completed
Author: Processed by unknown staff member.
Date: 1973-03
Description rules: Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description: English
Script of description: Code for undetermined script
Language of description note: Finding aid written in English.

Library Details

Part of the Special Collections and University Archives

http://www.lib.umd.edu/special

Contact:
University of Maryland Libraries
Hornbake Library
4130 Campus Drive
College Park Maryland 20742
301-405-9212
askhornbake@umd.edu

William Sebald papers

Dates

Use and Access to Collection

Duplication and Copyright Information

Extent

Additional Description

Scope and Contents

Biographical / Historical

Arrangement

Custodial History

Processing Information

Administrative Information

Library Details

Library Details

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