VOLUME: 17.25 linear feet
ACCESS: This collection is open to the public upon request
COPYRIGHT: Please consult the archivist for information about duplication or publishing of any materials from this collection
Randolph Carr was born on September 29, 1924. Carr married Paquita Carr, a clinical psychologist, and together they had two children, Randolph and Howard. After attending the University of Mexico and Harvard University, he graduated from the University of Chicago with an M.A. in Oriental Languages and Literatures in 1948.Carr then worked for the Army Security Agency as a Persian Language Specialist and as a Foreign Affairs Analyst at the State Department and Department of Defense. In 1960, Carr became the Co-Director and Coordinator of Language programs at the Asia Research Center in Washington, DC where he worked until 1968. During his time at the Asia Research Center, he trained Peace Corps volunteers assigned to Bahrain, Oman, Nepal, India and Iran. After leaving the Asia Research Center, Carr took a position as a visiting lecturer in the University of Pennsylvania’s Department of Indo-Aryan Languages. From 1969-1970, Carr taught Hindi at American University. Carr then left academia to train professionals for work overseas, through the Business Council for International Understanding and ACTION. Carr died in 1976 in Washington, DC.
The Randolph Carr Papers contain publications, correspondence, notes, and language instruction materials related to Randolph Carr’s research about Asian cultures and languages. Carr’s research focused primarily on Dravidian and Sino-Tibetan languages. In addition, it includes documents pertaining to Carr’s academic and professional activities, including his studies at the University of Chicago and work at the Asia Research Center, the Peace Corps (1965-1976), and at the Business Council for International Understanding (1973-1976). This collection is divided into four series which are arranged alphabetically by subject: Business Council for International Understanding, Language and Area Studies, Personal, and Audio.
Donated by Howard and J. Randolph Carr in June 2009
The archivist organized this collection into four series. Unorganized and unfoldered materials were arranged by subject and items that were heavily damaged by mold were photocopied and then discarded.
Series Descriptions & Box and Folder Listing
Series 1: Business Council for International Understanding (1951-1976)
2.25 Linear Feet
The Business Council for International Understanding (BCIU) Institute was founded in 1957 at American University in order to provide cross-cultural training to professionals working with foreign firms or conducting business abroad. In the mid-1970s Randolph Carr led seminars at the BCIU Institute pertaining to the Persian Gulf. Included in this series are BCIU publications, agendas and materials from seminars (1974-1976), regional background information (1951-1976) including U.S. State Department and Department of Commerce reports, newspaper clippings, and documents related Middle Eastern and North American firms participating in BCIU programs, and copies and drafts of “The Gulf Cable” (1974), a publication covering business news from the Gulf Region edited by Randolph Carr. This series is arranged alphabetically by subject.
Box 1
- BCIU
- Publications (1975-1976)
- Training Materials (1974-1976)
- Clippings [2 folders]
- Cultural Training Materials
- Department of Commerce Reports (1973-1974)
- Student Files: Catholic University 1963
- Gulf Cable (1974)
- Drafts [2 folders]
- Related Materials
- Miscellaneous
- North American Firms (1974-1976)
- Dupont (1973-1976) [2 folders]
- Regional Information (1956-1976)
- Bahrain (1970-1974)
Box 2
- Regional Information (continued)
- Iran (1960-1976) [2 folders]
- Iraq (1972-1974)
- Kuwait (1972-1974) [2 folders]
- Oman (1972-1976) [2 folders]
- Qatar (1972-1974) [2 folders]
- Saudi Arabia (1951-1975) [2 folders]
- United Arab Emirates (1973-1976)
- Resumes
- Slides
Series 2: Language and Area Studies 1950s-1970s
7.5 Linear Feet
This series contains materials related to Randolph Carr’s teaching, research and writings about South Asia, the Middle East and East Asia. The series, which is organized by country, includes language instruction materials (grammars, conversation guides, vocabulary lists and orthographies), documents in English (predominantly studies and clippings related to culture and politics), and original language documents. In addition there are country specific documents related to Carr’s work with the Peace Corps including training materials, correspondence and publications. While this series contains materials from many countries, the collection focuses heavily on South Asia, particularly India and Nepal. There are materials in languages that the Archivist could not identify and were classified by document type and filed under “unidentified”.
Box 2 (continued)
- Afghanistan - English Documents (1955-1963)
- Africa - Ethiopian Language Instruction
- Bahrain - English Documents-Peace Corps (1974-1976)
- Bangladesh - English Documents- Dacca Gazette (1956-1957)
- Bhutan - Bhutanese Language Instruction
Box 3
- Burma
- Burmese Documents
- Burmese Language Instruction [2 folders]
- Cambodia
- Cambodian Language Instruction
- English and French Documents
- China
- Chinese Language Instruction
- English Documents
- Hawaii - Hawaiian Language Instruction
- India
- Bengali Language Instruction
- Devnagari Language Instruction
- English Documents (mold) [2 folders]
- “Deities by District”
- “Directory of Public Trusts”
- Fort St. George Gazette
- Miscellaneous Notes
- The Panchatantra
- Papers and Studies [4 folders]
- Peace Corps (1966)
- Publications
Box 4
- India (continued)
- Gurjati Language Instruction
- Hindi Documents
- Hindi Language Instruction [3 folders, one with mold]
- Marathi Language Instruction
- Marathi Vocabulary Cards
- Maylayam Language Instruction
- Oriya Language Instruction
- Rajisthani Language Instruction
- Tamil Language Instruction [4 folders]
- Tegulu Language Instruction
- Indonesia - English Documents
- Iran
- Avestani Language Instruction
- Farsi Documents [2 folders]
- Farsi Language Instruction [2 folders]
- Japan - English Documents
- Korea
- English Documents [2 folders]
- Korean Documents
- Korean Language Instruction
- Laos - English Documents
- Latin America - English Documents
Box 5
- Latin America (continued)
- Spanish Documents
- Spanish Language Instruction
- Malaysia
- English Documents
- Malay Documents
- Maldives - Maldive Language Instruction
- Middle East
- Ancient Egyptian Language Instruction
- Arabic Documents
- Arabic Language Instruction [2 folders]
- Aramaic Language Instruction
- Hebrew Language Instruction
- Phoenician Language Instruction
- Syriac Language Instruction
- Ugaritic Language Instruction
- Morocco - French Documents
- Nepal
- English Documents
- Misc Notes
- Papers and Studies
- Peace Corps
- Nepali Language Instruction [4 folders]
- Nepali Documents
- Correspondence
- Newari Language Instruction
- English Documents
- Pakistan
- English Documents
- Punjabi Gazette
- English Documents
Box 6
- Pakistan (continued)
- English Documents (continued)
- West Pakistan Gazette
- Mekranee-Beloochee Language Instruction
- Photographs
- Punjabi Language Instruction
- Urdu Language Instruction [2 folders]
- English Documents (continued)
- Philippines - English Documents
- South Asia
- English Documents [2 folders]
- Dravidian Language
- English Documents [2 folders]
- Sri Lanka
- English Documents
- Ceylon Government Gazette
- Singhalese Language Instruction
- Thailand
- English Documents
- Thai Documents
- Tibet
- English Documents
- The Life of a Tibetan Woman
- Tibetan Language Instruction [2 folders]
- English Documents
- Turkey - English Documents
- Unidentified
- Original Language Manuscripts
- Original Language Documents
Box 7
- Unidentified (continued)
- Original Language Publications
- Transliterated Grammar Material
- Transliterated Documents
- Transliterated Vocabulary Material
- Vocabulary Cards [2 folders]
- Vietnam
- English Documents [3 folders]
- Area Handbook (1957)
- Vietnamese Documents
- Vietnamese Language Instruction
- English Documents [3 folders]
Series 3: Personal (1946-1975)
3 Linear Feet
This series contains materials related to Randolph Carr’s academic and professional activities. Included are papers from Carr’s doctoral studies at the University of Chicago, newsletters and reports from professional organizations related to education and South Asia, administrative materials from Asia Research Center (1959-1963), which Carr directed, and Peace Corps training materials assembled by Carr (1965-1974). This series is arranged alphabetically by subject.
Box 7 (continued)
- “Action Proposal” (1972)
- Asia Research Center
- Cataloging and Translation
- Cornell (1959-1960)
- Duke (1960-1961)
- Harvard (1959-1960)
- International Bank for Reconstruction and Development
- University of Wisconsin
- Correspondence (1953-1963)
- Requests for Materials
- Resumes
- Cataloging and Translation
Box 8
- Asian Studies Programs
- Book Catalogs [2 folders]
- Budget and Finance
- Classical Studies
- Consular Information
- Correspondence
- Defense Education Act
- Foreign Affairs Research Papers (1971)
- Himalayas Council
- Language and Area Studies Program Review [2 folders]
- Library of Congress
- Linguistics
- Miscellaneous Publications
- Nepal Studies Association
- Number Systems
- Notes [2 folders]
- Outline for Area Handbook
- Peace Corps
- Bibliography of Research (1968)
- Training Materials (1965-1974)
Box 9
- Society for International Educations, Training and Research (1975)
- Sounds of the East
- University of Chicago
- Dissertation (1948)
- Papers (1946-1947)
- University of Pennsylvania (1968)
- “Interaction of Social Values and Political Responsibilities in Developing Countries” (1967)
Series 4: Audio
4.5 Linear Feet
This series contains audio materials used for language training including monologues, dialogues, and conversations in Newari, Tibetan, Nepali and Hindi. In addition, there are lectures on subjects related to South Asia and recordings of regional music. The formats of these materials include three, four, five and seven inch reel-to-reel tapes along with cassette tapes. Many of the tapes and reels were unlabeled and those that were labeled often do not specify what language the recordings are in. The order of the folder listing does not necessarily match the order in the boxes.
Box 10
- 3 Monologs (4" reel-to-reel tape)
- Assamese (7" reel-to-reel tape)
- Bengali Sultan (3" reel-to-reel tape)
- Exam I Phonology
- Hindi Mr. Carr’s Hindi Language Tapes, St. John’s Poultry 1965 (7" reel-to-reel tape) [4]
- Kathmandu (3" reel-to-reel tape)
- Newari Dialogs #1 - Asian Accents Nepal Series, (5" reel-to-reel tape)
- Newari Monologs #1 - Asian Accents Nepal Series (5" reel-to-reel tape)
- Newari Monolog 7.5
- Newari I&II (7" reel-to-reel tape)
- Newari Unit I-II (5" reel-to-reel tape) [2]
- Newari 5 (5" reel-to-reel tape) [2]
- Newari 6 (5" reel-to-reel tape) [2]
- Newari General Conversations Shopping and Illness August 1969 (3" reel-to-reel tape)
- Newari Two Stories and A Talk about School July-August 1969
- Peace Corps Music (7" reel-to-reel tape)
- Reading by Sabita (7" reel-to-reel tape)
- Sanskrit (7" reel-to-reel tape)
- Sharma, Conversation with Sabita (7" reel-to-reel tape)
- Stories Mona Master (4" reel-to-reel tape)
- Tibetan Conversations
- Tape 1-4 of Carr’s Collection November 1969 (5" reel-to-reel tape) [2]
- Tape 1 Part 2 of Carr’s Collection November 1969 (5" reel-to-reel tape)
- Tape 1 Part 3 of Carr’s Collection November 1969 (5" reel-to-reel tape)
- Tapes 5, 6 and 7 Part 1 of Carr’s Collection November 1969 (5" reel-to-reel tape)
- Tape 7 Part 2 of Carr’s Collection November 1969 (5" reel-to-reel tape)
- Tibetan Modern Spoken (7" reel-to-reel tape)
- Tibetan Music
- Tibetan Picture 6
- Unlabeled (1 - 3" reel-to-reel tapes), (1 - 4" reel-to-reel tape), (5 - 5" reel-to-reel tapes), (1 - 7" reel-to-reel tape)
Box 11
- Carr Miscellaneous March 25
- Maya Mamara
- Monolog Childcare (4" reel-to-reel tape)
- Monologues (Sharif) (4" reel-to-reel tape) [2]
- Mr Nazimal Karim Lecturer of Political Science at Dacca West University March 22 (5" reel-to-reel tape)
- Music (3" reel-to-reel tape)
- Nepali II (5" reel-to-reel tape)
- Nepali Tape with some Bengali (5" reel-to-reel tape)
- PC School (3" reel-to-reel tape)
- School (3" reel-to-reel tape)
- Stage Play Pakistan Radio (5" reel-to-reel tape)
- Suppl o dhumkuta ko bajar (3" reel-to-reel tape)
- Tibetan 1st-4th Week (7" reel-to-reel tape)
- Tibetan 6th Week Daily Routine (4" reel-to-reel tape)
- Tibetan Lesson (4" reel-to-reel tape)
- Unlabeled (34 - 5" reel-to-reel tapes), (2 - 4" reel-to-reel tapes), (2 - 3" reel-to-reel tapes)
- VI A “Did you buy new shoes?” (3" reel-to-reel tape)
- VIII Bargaining (3" reel-to-reel tape)
- VDI Drill (3" reel-to-reel tape)
- Yo Ke Ho? Siddha (3" reel-to-reel tape)
Box 12
- ___ in Music (3" reel-to-reel tape)
- Aki Chaichi Book 1 (cassette)
- Ali Mustafavi (cassette)
- Chinese (cassette)
- Chinese Pictures (cassette)
- Chinese Pictures Songs (cassette)
- Chinese Telephone Conversation (cassette)
- Cocktail Small Talk (3" reel-to-reel tape)
- Delhi (3" reel-to-reel tape)
- Divanfard Book (cassette)
- Divanfard Book 1 (cassette)
- Don’t crush that ____ hand me the pliers (cassette)
- Farsi Pictures (cassette)
- Ghetmiri Book 3 (cassette)
- Hindi Cardinals (3" reel-to-reel tape)
- Hindi Monolog #101(3" reel-to-reel tape)
- How shall we go? (3" reel-to-reel tape)
- I’d like to buy some rice. (3" reel-to-reel tape)
- Japanese #1 (cassette)
- Japanese Modern Drama (cassette)
- Japanese Modern Soap Opera (cassette)
- Kathandu (5" reel-to-reel tape)
- Kaun Hai (3" reel-to-reel tape)
- Lecture on Buddhist Statues (cassette)
- Lumbu (3" reel-to-reel tape)
- Maithili Yadav (3" reel-to-reel tape)
- Marathi Wisconsin 1-6 (5" reel-to-reel tape)
- Mrs Vij (3" reel-to-reel tape)
- Newari (3" reel-to-reel tape)
- Newari Mrs Pradham (5" reel-to-reel tape)
- Numerals 1,2,3
- Omari tells about her job (cassette)
- Samurai (3 cassettes)
- Sheet (3" reel-to-reel tape)
- Slide 1 Sabita (3" reel-to-reel tape)
- Sounds of the Biography (cassette)
- Tamang (3" reel-to-reel tape)
- Tensung-la How are you going to spend the summer? (3" reel-to-reel tape)
- Unlabeled (19 cassettes), (20 - 3" reel-to-reel tapes), (2 - 5" reel-to-reel tapes), (6 - 7" reel-to-reel tapes)
- Verb “to be” (3" reel-to-reel tape)
- Zarie (cassette)