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Thomas and Margaret Melady papers

 Collection
Identifier: Mss 0072

Scope and Contents

The Thomas and Margaret Melady papers primarily consist of correspondence related to African political leaders and movements during the 1960s and 1970s. In addition to correspondence, which makes up the bulk of the collection, the papers include news articles and photographs. Many of the letters are written to Thomas Melady as the President of the Africa Service Institute and include requests for assistance from the Institute. The letters also discuss political issues and movements, events of the day, and personal matters. The collection was arranged and described by the Meladys, and has been organized alphabetically according to country name (as the country is now called in the United States). Within each geographical location, the papers have been arranged by correspondent, then chronologically. Original order and descriptions have been maintained.

Dates

  • Creation: Bulk, 1960-1975 1959-2010 (bulk 1960-1975)
  • Creation: Majority of material found within 1960 - 1975

Conditions Governing Access

No restrictions.

Conditions Governing Use

All materials available in this collection (unless otherwise noted) are the property of the Monsignor William Noé Field Archives & Special Collections Center and Seton Hall University, which reserves the right to limit access to or reproduction of these materials. Reproduction of materials or content is subject to United States copyright restrictions and may be subject to federal or state privacy regulations. Permission to publish exact reproductions must be obtained from the Director of the Archives and Special Collections Center.

Biographical / Historical

Ambassador Thomas P. and Dr. Margaret B. Melady have been involved in diplomatic and international affairs since the 1950s, particularly on the continent of Africa. Ambassador Melady has held multiple diplomatic posts for the United States, and the couple have written multiple books on politics in Africa.

Thomas Patrick Melady was born 4 March 1927 in Norwich, Conn. He attended Duquesne University (BA, 1950) and the Catholic University of America (MA, Phd, 1955) before becoming a professor and later Executive Vice-President of St. John's University. He was also an adjunct professor at Fordham University 1966-1969, a professor and Chairman of Seton Hall University, the President of Sacred Heart University 1976-1986, and the Interim Dean of the Whitehead School of Diplomacy and International Relations at Seton Hall in 2013.

In 1959, Mr. Melady co-founded (with John LaFarge) and became the president of the Africa Service Institute, headquartered in New York. This organization was dedicated to assisting African students attend college in the United States, and teaching African leaders how to obtain humanitarian aid, promote their nations internationally and negotiate Cold-War global politics. Mr. Melady was involved with political leaders and movements in many African nations, and in 1969 was appointed Ambassador to Burundi by Richard Nixon. In 1970, he became the Senior Advisor to US delegation to the United Nations General Assembly, and in 1972 was appointed Amabassador to Uganda. He was also the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States to the Holy See, appointed by George H. W. Bush in 1989 and serving until 1993.

Margaret Badum Melady received her BA from the College of New Rochelle, an MA from Seton Hall University, and a PhD from the Gregorian University in Rome, Italy. She worked in communications, media, and public relations for United Illuminations, Chesebrough-Ponds, and Stauffer Chemical Company, and was a professor at Saint Joseph's University, Sacred Heart University, and the State University of New York-Oswego. From 1997-2003 Dr. Melady was the President of the American University in Rome. She is now the President of Melady Associates, a firm specializing in public affairs and educational counseling.

Together, Ambassador and Dr. Melady have written more than a dozen books, including Ten African Heroes: The Sweep of Independence in Black Africa, Uganda: The Asian Exiles, Leopold Sedar Senghor;: Rhythm and reconciliation, and Idi Amin Dada: Hitler in Africa. Ambassador Melady has been honored with numerous honorary doctorates, ben individually honored by multiple countries, and is Professor and Senior Diplomat in Residence at The Institute of World Politics. Dr. Melady has been honored with multiple honorary doctorates as well as the Order of St. Gregory the Great, the Cross of Merit with Star from the Order of Malta and the Robertus Bellarmino Medal from the Pontifical Gregorian University. The couple married in 1961 and have two daughters, Christina Melady and Monica Melady Micklos.

Ambassador Thomas P. Melady died 6 January 2014 at age 86.

Extent

2 Linear Feet

Language of Materials

English

Abstract

Ambassador Thomas P. and Dr. Margaret B. Melady have been involved in diplomatic and international affairs since the 1950s, particularly on the continent of Africa. Ambassador Melady has held multiple diplomatic posts for the United States, including Ambassador to Burundi, Ambassador to Uganda, and Ambassador to the Holy See, and the couple have written multiple books on politics in Africa, including Ten African Heroes: The Sweep of Independence in Black Africa. The Thomas and Margaret Melady papers primarily consist of correspondence related to African political leaders and movements during the 1960s and 1970s.

Preservica Internal URL

Preservica Public URL

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Collection is the gift of Thomas and Margaret Melady to the Archives and Special Collections Center in 2013 via the Whitehead School of Diplomacy at Seton Hall University, with one addition in 2014 consisting of one letter. Accession numbers 2013.0008 and 2014.0008.

Existence and Location of Copies

Select items from this collection have been digitized. To view these items, click here.

Related Materials

John Train papers, 1960-2003, Mss 0058, in the Monsignor William Noé Field Archives & Special Collections Center, Seton Hall University.

Processing Information

Collection was processed and finding aid created by Tracy M. Jackson, 2013, using detailed inventory provided by the Meladys.

Title
Thomas and Margaret Melady papers, 1959-2010 (bulk 1960-1975)
Author
Finding aid prepared by Tracy M. Jackson
Date
2013
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.
  • TypeCollection

Repository Details

Part of the The Monsignor Field Archives & Special Collection Center Repository

Contact:
Archives, Walsh Library
400 South Orange Ave
South Orange NJ 07079 US
973-761-9476