IMF Archives: Finding Aids
Office of the Managing Director Records
Pierre-Paul Schweitzer Papers
Date(s): 1963-1973 |
Context
Name of Creator: Schweitzer, Pierre-Paul
Administrative/Biographical history: Pierre-Paul Schweitzer was the International Monetary Fund (IMF)'s fourth Managing Director and Chairman of the Executive Board, serving from 1963 to 1973. He was born on May 29, 1912, in Strasbourg, France. He was educated at the University of Strasbourg, the University of Paris, and the Paris School of Political Science and received degrees in Law, Economics and Political Science.
In his early career, Schweitzer joined the French Government as an assistant Inspecteur des Finances (1936), before becoming an Inspecteur des Finances (1939). Then he was: Deputy Director for the Department of External Finance of the French Treasury (1946); Alternate Executive Director for France at the IMF (1947); Secretary of the French Interministerial Committee in Charge of Questions on European Economic Cooperation (1948); Financial Attaché at the French Embassy in Washington (1949-1953); Director of the French Treasury (1953-1960). In 1960, he was appointed Deputy Governor of the Bank of France. He also served as a Director of the European Investment Bank, a Director of Air France, and as a government commissioner on the boards of the French Petroleum Company and the French Refinery Company.
On June 21, 1963 Schweitzer was appointed Managing Director and Chairman of the Executive Board of the IMF, and he assumed his duties on September 1, 1963. Schweitzer was appointed to a second five-year term as Managing Director and Chairman of the Board of the IMF on May 15, 1968.
Schweitzer's term as the IMF's Managing Director was a critical period, not only due to the collapse of the Par Value System, but also for the creation of the Special Drawing Rights (SDR), as an international reserve asset (1968); the establishment of the two-tier gold market, and the work of the Committee of Twenty of the International Monetary System on reforming the international financial system. Also, during his tenure as Managing Director of the IMF, its membership grew from 91 to 125 countries.
Schweitzer received many honors and decorations, such as the Commander of the Légion d'Honneur; the Médaille de la Résistance, and the Croix de Guerre.
Pierre-Paul Schweitzer died on January 2, 1994 in Geneva, Switzerland.
Archival history: When these materials were processed, it was determined that distinct series could be discerned. Series were created for Chronological Files, Correspondence, Meetings and Speeches, Social Events and Travel. All remaining files not fitting into the above categories were placed under the Subject Files series. Some of the files have relevance to the other series, though they were not removed from the subject arranged files.
Content and structure
Scope and content: Sub-fonds consists the files of the fourth Managing Director, Pierre-Paul Schweitzer of France, who served as Managing Director from 1963-1973. The files are divided into 7 series: Chronological Files, Correspondence, Country Files, Meetings and Speeches, Social Events Files, Subject Files and Travel Files.
Some folder titles have been renamed to more adequately reflect their contents. In 2003, the material was rearranged into series based on Schweitzer's activities.
Records are arranged in alphabetical order, and reverse chronological within the file.
Associated Materials
Existence and location of originals: Photograph physically stored in the multimedia room.
Under the Policy on Access to the IMF's Archives only archival materials that are 20 years old or older are open to researchers.
For re-use of digital archival documents where available, it is the responsibility of the individual to obtain permission from the copyright owner.