Papers of Sir Henry Clay, 1883–1954

The collection consists of 149 boxes, split into 2 sections; the first section is a large collection of notes, lectures, publications, articles and correspondence, and the second section consists of mostly industrial reports and wartime papers from various committees Clay served on/advised, including 'Lord Stamp's Committee on the Survey of War Plans in the Economic and Financial Spheres' and the Interdepartmental Committees of Economic Policy and Food Prices.

Clay was an Economist, academic and Warden of Nuffield College between 1944-1949. He played an integral role in founding the National Institute of Economic and Social Research and eventually became its President between 1949-1952. Henry Clay was born in Germany on 9 May 1883 and died tragically in an accident whilst on holiday in the Netherlands on 30 July 1954. He graduated in 1906 from University College, Oxford. Leaving academia, Clay worked for the Workers' Educational Association (1909-1917), as a civil servant at the Ministry of Labour (1917-1919), before returning to academia with a position at New College, Oxford (1919-1921). After many other academic and non-academic positions he eventually became Warden of Nuffield College, Oxford (1944-1949). (Source: Oxford DNB)

First section boxes as follows: Lectures & notes, 1899-c.1932; Notes, articles, press cuttings & memoranda, 1917-1952; Correspondence & publications, 1910-1952; Wage enquiries and Journal of industrial economics, 1907-1953; South Africa, 1907-1944; Rhodesia: reports, legislation and Clay's report, 1922-1958; Visits to Holland, Belgium, Denmark, Australia and USA, 1935-1943; League of Nations documents, 1929-1942; Committees, 1919-1949; Statistics, 1930-1943; MSS notes and documents; Board of Trade; Financial and other memoranda; Letters; Nuffield College; Institutions; Newspaper cuttings; Ministry of Munitions; Life of Lord Norman Correspondence; The Imprint Journal; Publications and pamphlets.

By prior appointment only. Application in writing (letter or email) to the Assistant Librarian (Archives). See Nuffield College Archives location page for more details.

The handlist for the Clay collection can be found [online] Link: https://www.nuffield.ox.ac.uk/the-college/library/special-collection-and-archives/archive/

The papers of Henry Clay were donated to the Library by Henry Clay's family in December 1954.