Roy M. Huffington Naval Papers, 1942-2005

Collection

Identifier: MS 0611

Staff Only

Finding aid note: Stored off-site at the Library Service Center. Please request this material via woodson@rice.edu or call 713-348-2586.

Scope and Content

This collection is a subset of a wider gathering of Roy M. Huffington’s personal and professional papers. The bulk of the materials are aerial intelligence photographs from Huffington’s service as a Photographic Interpretation Officer. Subjects include ships, aircraft, geography, and combat. A significant portion of the records pertain superficially to Huffington’s service aboard the USS Hornet from early 1944 until the end of the war under Admiral “Jocko” Clark. These materials include photos and ephemera related to the Hornet along with its crew, deck logs, correspondence. Additionally there are books and manuscripts collected by Huffington.

Other records include Huffington’s personal correspondence with family and loved ones during his naval service, his official Navy records and correspondence, materials related to various veteran organizations and clubs, including the US Navy League, the US Navy Memorial Foundation, US Navy Photographic Intelligence veterans, and the USS Hornet Club. There is also a small assortment of book manuscripts, articles, and other material reflecting Huffington’s continued interest in the US Navy during WWII.

Dates

Creation: 1942 - 2005

Creator

Huffington, Roy M. (Person)

Conditions Governing Access

Stored off-site at the Library Service Center. Please request this material via woodson@rice.edu or call 713-348-2586.

Use Restrictions

This material is open for research.

Conditions Governing Use

Permission to publish material from the Roy M. Huffington Naval Papers must be obtained from the Woodson Research Center, Fondren Library.

Biographical Note

Roy M. Huffington was born in Tomball, Texas on Oct 4, 1917. The son of an oil man, he earned his bachelors in geology from Southern Methodist University in 1938, and earned a Ph.D. in geology from Harvard in 1942. After serving aboard the USS Hornet as a lieutenant during World War II, he left the Navy and went to work for Humble Oil. In 1956, Huffington left Humble to start his own business with the money he had saved over the previous decade, Roy M. Huffington, Inc. or as it was also known, “Huffco”. The company made a number of successful ventures around the world, most notably the discovery of vast reserves of natural gas in Indonesia in 1972. In 1989, Huffington sold his oil company, and in 1990 President Bush appointed him to Ambassador to Austria. Among his many other commitments he also served as chairman of the Asia Society and the Salzburg Seminar. Huffington passed away in 2008 at the age of 90.

Extent

3.75 Linear Feet (6 boxes + oversize material)

Language of Materials

English

Additional Description

Abstract

This collection is part of a wider compilation of Roy M. Huffington’s personal and professional papers. These materials encompass his service in the U.S. Navy during World War II. The materials reflect his continued interest in both the Navy and the history of the conflict. This collection consists of service records, personal correspondence, WWII aerial intelligence photographs, records from various veterans’ organizations, and personal research.

Related Materials

Please refer to Roy M. Huffington Personal and Professional papers,1972-2009, MS 688; Roy M. Huffington Oil company records, 1977-2006 MS 575 for more information on the company and Mr. Huffington; Roy M. Huffington Ambassadorial Papers, 1988-2008 MS 617; as well as the Huffington and allied families' papers, 1650-1955 MS 883.