John Pauker papers

John Pauker (1920-1991) was born in Budapest, Hungary, and raised in New York City. He attended Yale University where he edited the freshman magazine '42 and the literary magazine Furioso. Much of his career was spent with the United States Information Agency for which he served as policy officer, editor, and political commentator between 1953 and 1970, then later became Deputy Chief National Security Adviser for the Office of Plans. Pauker, who spoke seven languages, also worked as propaganda analyst at the Office of War Information and as a White House speech writer. In addition to his government duties, Pauker maintained an active interest in the arts. He was an art aficionado, author, critic, editor, and translator. Pauker's poems and short stories, which have appeared in numerous periodicals and under various pen names, have also been anthologized. His English translation of Lajos Zilahy's The Dukays was a bestseller in 1949, and his adaptation of Marcel Ayme's Les Oiseaux de Lune was produced on Broadway as Moonbirds (1956). Pauker's other major publications include two volumes of poetry: Yoked By Violence (1949) and Excellency (1968). In addition to his own creative and critical pursuits, Pauker and his first wife Virginia shared an art dealership. This collection includes correspondence, clippings, notes and drafts of his works, some work-related material, copies of Furioso, serials, and audio and video tapes of interviews, readings, and music. The collection is unprocessed, but a preliminary inventory is available.