Rockwood, Charles P., 1917-1970

Charles P. Rockwood: instructor at Yale-in-China, 1940-1941; served with Office of War Information psychological warfare teams in India, Burma, China, 1943-1945; from 1947-1950 worked for American Institute of Pacific Relations; from 1950-1955 staff associate of the Twentieth Century Fund; from 1955-1963 public relations director of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants; from 1963- member of executive staff of Haskins and Sells, public accountants.

From the description of Charles Parkman Rockwood papers, 1939-1945 (inclusive). (Unknown). WorldCat record id: 702169461

The Institute of Pacific Relations (IPR) was an international, private, nonpartisan organization, founded in Honolulu in 1925 for the stated purpose of sponsoring research and publication on the problems of the Pacific Area, in the fields of economic, social, political, diplomatic, and cultural issues. The IPR described itself as standing for freedom of "scientific inquiry" and "broad hospitality to conflicting points of view." The American Institute of Pacific Relations was one of eleven autonomous national institutes which comprised the IPR. Other national IPR institutes were located in Australia, Canada, China, France, India, Japan, New Zealand, Pakistan, the Philippines and the United Kingdom.

Located in New York, the American Institute of the IPR was financed in large part by contributions from the Rockefeller and Carnegie Foundations as well as from business and private contributions. The Institute exerted a powerful influence on informed thinking dealing with the Pacific area through its international conferences and its publications, Far Eastern Survey, Pacific Affairs, and Far East Digest . Under attack throughout the 1940's and 50's for alleged Communist sympathies, the American Institute was twice investigated by Congressional committees. The Institute tried to maintain a political middle ground and repeatedly emphasized the objective nature of its research.

Headquartered in Seattle, The Pacific Northwest Division of the IPR, of which Charles Rockwood was Executive Director from 1947-1950, was a select group of prominent leaders from the business, professional and academic communities. An autonomous division, its conservative Board of Trustees was sometimes critical of the Institute's national leadership, while supportive of the Institute's principles. The papers reveal a close association between the research program of the IPR and the University of Washington, especially the Far East Institute. The Institute's research was particularly directed at the problems affecting trade with the Far East and the Pacific fisheries industry. In addition to research the Institute sponsored regional conferences and brought speakers before its membership.

From the guide to the Charles P. Rockwood papers of the Institute of Pacific Relations, Pacific Northwest Division, 1945-1951, (University of Washington Libraries Special Collections)

Charles P. Rockwood: instructor at Yale-in-China, 1940-1941; served with Office of War Information psychological warfare teams in India, Burma, China, 1943-1945; from 1947-1950 worked for American Institute of Pacific Relations; from 1950-1955 staff associate of the Twentieth Century Fund; from 1955-1963 public relations director of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants; from 1963- member of executive staff of Haskins and Sells, public accountants.

ROCKWOOD, CHARLES P.

Member of executive staff, Haskins & Sells, public accounting, 2 Broadway, New York 4, N.Y.; res., 214 Old Army Rd., Scarsdale, N.Y., m. Lois K. Adams, 2/2/46; children: Peter B., b. 8/15/47; Anthony A., b. 12/29/48, John A., b. 6/1/50; Jane P., b. 7/27/54; Elizabeth W., b. 2/6/57.

Charley was an instructor at Yale-in-China the first year after graduation and thinks he would "be involved in Asia still if China had not gone the way she did." Instead he spent the war years as air navigator for United Air Lines under contract with the Air Transport Command (1942-43) and with Office of War Information psychological warfare teams in India, Burma and China (1943-45). For a year after the war he was export-import representative of the Wah Chang Trading Corporation, then became executive secretary of the American Institute of Pacific Relations, Pacific Northwest Division. In 1950 he received an M.A. in economics and international studies (Asia) from the University of Washington. Charley then became staff associate of the Twentieth Century Fund until 1955 when he became public relations director of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. He took his present position in 1963. Rockwood was a member of the Public Relations Society of America, the Explorers Club, Yale-in-China Assoc. (vice-president), Asia Society-Burma Council, Scarsdale Fair Housing Committee, Yale Club of New York City and Fox Meadow Tennis Club. He is the author of "The Changing Image of a Profession", Journal of Accountancy, Oct. 1960.

Wife, Lois, was in the Class of 1948 at Cornell. Their three boys are in the classes of 1966, 1967 and 1968 at Hackley School and he is a trustee of the Hackley School Fathers Assoc. "Traveling en famille is planned for the future. Meanwhile, much of our time and affection goes into the family camp at Tupper Lake in the Adirondacks."

(Taken from Twenty-Five Years Out, published by the Class of Nineteen Thirty-Nine, Yale University. June, 1964).

From the guide to the Charles Parkman Rockwood papers, 1939-1945, (Manuscripts and Archives)