Papers of Pierson Dixon

Photocopies of correspondence and papers of Pierson John Dixon (1904-1965), diplomat, relating to his personal and official relationship with (Robert) Anthony Eden (1897-1977), 1st Earl of Avon, both as private secretary and close friend and adviser, 1944-1972.

Pierson John Dixon (1904-1965) was educated at Bedford School and Pembroke College, Cambridge from where he graduated with a first class honours degree. He entered the Foreign Office in 1929 and served at British Embassies at Madrid (1932), Ankara (1936), Rome (1938). During the Second World War he served on the staff of the Resident Minister at Allied Force HQ, Mediterranean and subsequently became Principal Private Secretary to Anthony Eden, the Foreign Secretary from 1943 until 1948. His subsequent diplomatic career included the posts of Ambassador to Czechoslovakia, 1948-1950; Deputy Under Secretary of State, Foreign Office, 1950-1954; Permanent Representative of the UK to the United Nations, 1954-1960; and Ambassador to France, 1960-1964. He received a number of honorary awards in recognition of his service during his career including Knight Commander of the order of St Michael and St George (1950), Knight Grand Cross of the Order of St Michael and St George (1957), Companion of the Order of the Bath (1948) and Honourary Doctor of Laws (Cambridge).

Reference: University of Birmingham, Special Collections Department, Online Archive Catalogue ( http://calmview.bham.ac.uk/ ). Accessed May 2002.

Open. Access to all registered researchers.

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Permission to make any published use of any material from the collection must be sought in advance in writing from the University Archivist, Special Collections. Identification of copyright holders of unpublished material is often difficult. Special Collections will assist where possible with identifying copyright owners, but responsibility for ensuring copyright clearance rests with the user of the material.

Under the terms of the gift of these papers, the Special Collections Department has been authorised to make copies of material in this file for private research.

University of Birmingham Information Services, Special Collections Department holds the following related collections: Avon Papers (Personal and political papers of Anthony Eden and Eden family papers) (GB 150 AP): includes correspondence between Dixon and Lord Avon in AP23/25; Private office papers of Anthony Eden as Foreign Secretary, 1938-1945 and 1951-1955 (which were transferred here in 1978 by the Public Record Office, deposited under s.4 (1) of the Public Records Act 1958 (FO 954 and FO 800).

The Bodleian Library, Oxford University holds correspondence of Dixon with Clement Attlee, 1945-1950 and with William Clark, 1952-1960.

The originals of these papers were sold at auction, at Sotheby's, in July 1998. It was purchased by an unknown American who presented copies to Special Collections Department.