Penelope Hartland-Thunberg was an expert on international trade and finance and one-time member of the United Stat's Tariff Commission (1965-1969). Born on June 19, 1918 in Everett, Massachusetts to Mariah Louisa and William Hartland, she grew up in Cranston, Rhode Island. She graduated from Pembroke College in 1940, where as a student she studied Economics, served as President of the Student Government Association, and was Editor of the school newspaper, The Pembroke Record. She received her PhD degree from Radcliffe College in 1946. She married Howard Thunberg that same year. It is unknown whether the two remained married and if they had any children.
After earning her PhD in 1946, Hartland-Thunberg taught economics at Wells and Mount Holyoke Colleges and Brown University but left Brown after learning that she would not be promoted to associate professor. She then moved to Washington D.C. where she served as the sole international economist on the staff of the President's Council of Economic Advisers, 1951-53. Hartland-Thunberg also served in several high-level positions at the Central Intelligence Agency from 1954 to 1966 and again from 1970 to 1978. From 1979 until her retirement, Hartland-Thunberg was Director of Economic Research at the Georgetown University Center for Economic and Strategic Studies where she specialized in the economy of East Asia. She was also the William M. School Fellow in International Business at Georgetown.
Her publications include "China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and the World Trading System" (1990), "Banks, Petrodollars, and Sovereign Debtors" (1986), and ""Botswana: an African Growth Economy (1978). Dr. Hartland-Thunberg received the Federal Women's Award in 1965 and an Honorary Degree from Brown University in 1966. The last recognized both her intellectual distinction and her long service to Brown in various capacities including as a Trustee of its Corporation.
Hartland-Thunberg died on October 16, 2004, at the age of 86.
This collection consists of the papers of Penelope Hartland-Thunberg, economist, expert on international finance, member of the United States Tariff Commission (1965-1969) and Central Intelligence Agency (ca.1954-1978). The collection documents Hartland-Thunberg's professional life and scholarship. Materials include biographical information, correspondence, files pertaining to her role at the Georgetown Center for Economic and Strategic Studies, writings, speeches, and photographs dating from 1950-2004.
The collection is arranged into 6 series.
Series I, BIOGRAPHICAL, 1965-2004, highlights Hartland-Thunberg's biography, educational background, and professional development. Material includes awards and honors, clippings about Hartland-Thunberg and Brown University, resumes, and her death notice. Series 1 is arranged alphabetically by record type.
Series II, CORRESPONDENCE, 1965-1995, contains personal and professional correspondence, arranged chronologically. Included in correspondence are letters regarding Hartland-Thunberg's appointment to the Tariff Commission (#1.12), professional correspondence on various trade issues, and regarding controversial figures in United States government,(#1.19).
Series III, CENTER FOR ECONOMIC AND STRATEGIC STUDIES FILES, 1978-1995, documents Hartland-Thunberg's time as Director of Economic Research at the Georgetown University Center for Economic and Strategic Studies. Items include meeting minutes and committee files, correspondence with interns, grant files, project and international travel materials and reports. Series 3 is arranged alphabetically by record type.
Series IV, SPEECHES, 1965-1992, contains notes and speech text for various personal and professional talks by Hartland-Thunberg between 1965-1992. Series 4 is arranged chronologically.
Series V, WRITINGS, 1950-1995, includes drafts, final publications, and some related correspondence regarding articles, books, chapters, columns, and papers written or co-written by Hartland-Thunberg. Works of note include "Trends in the American Economy in the Nineteenth Century" (1960), " Oil and the Future of the Mexican Economy" (1984), " China and the GATT: Time for Modernization" (1986), and " Capital Starved New World Order: Geopolitical Implications of a Global Capital Shortage in the 1990s" (1991). Series 5 is arranged alphabetically by title.
Series VI, PHOTOGRAPHS, 1965-1987, consists of black and white and color photographs of Hartland-Thunberg during various moments in her professional life. Images of note include travel photographs of the Center for Strategic and International Studies Cuba trip featuring a snapshot of Hartland-Thunberg with Fidel Castro (#4.21); Chilean President Pinochet meeting United States press including Hartland-Thunberg (#4.22); and meeting United States President Lyndon Johnson with Thurgood Marshall (#4.27). Series 6 is arranged alphabetically by subject.
All researchers seeking to publish materials from the collections of the John Hay Library are requested to complete a Notice of Intent to Publish, available on the John Hay Library website or by request, prior to reproducing, quoting, or otherwise publishing any portion or extract from this collection. Although Brown University has physical ownership of the collection and the materials contained therein, it does not claim literary rights. It is up to the researcher to determine the owners of the literary rights and to obtain any necessary permissions from them.
Penelope Hartland-Thunberg papers, Ms.2013.012, o Box [#], Folder [#], Pembroke Center Archives, John Hay Library, Brown University.
This collection is arranged into 6 series.
There are no restrictions on access. The collection can only be seen by prior appointment. Some materials may be stored off-site and cannot be produced on the same day on which they are requested.
Gift of Nancy L. Buc and Ruth B. Ekstrom in 2011 and 2018.
This collection was part of the Pembroke Center's Christine Dunlap Farnham Archive until 2024 when collections were recataloged. All collections previously grouped under that title are now searchable under the subject headings "Women and Gender at Brown University" or "Feminist Activism in Rhode Island."