Raymond J. Smyke papers

Raymond J. Smyke was a veteran of World War II, author, and educator focused on educational work in Africa and Europe. For more than twenty-five years he was the World Confederation of Organizations of the Teaching Profession Assistant Secretary in charge of African programs. He managed the training of national teacher leaders in all the English speaking countries of Africa, including South Africa.  He authored many books and articles about African biography, development, education, and migration of people. His most recent work was The First African Diplomat Momolu Massaquoi (1870-1938) of Liberia. His work took him to Ghana, Liberia, South Africa, and other areas of the African continent spending much of his time assisting with and developing educational programs. In Europe his work focused on teaching African Studies and about politics in Third World countries. He was a co-founder and chair of the Refugee Studies Program at Geneva’s Webster University.He also founded the European Association of Development and Training Institutes (EADI) Working Group on Refugees.

His papers consists of almost five linear feet of materials focusing on his work in the Congo, early teacher programs, the World Confederation of Organizations of the Teaching Profession conference of 1959 in Washington, D.C., his African Trip Reports, 1972-1983, reports on Sierra Leone, 1973-2002, conference materials, speeches, correspondence, minutes, and surveys. Also included are runs of the magazines Journal of the International African Institute, 1961-1983, and International Bulletin, 1997-2004. Mr. Smyke passed in December of 2004.