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Research Guides

Senator Henry M. Jackson, 1912-1983: Travel

The portal provides a general overview of key archival, printed, and visual resources in UW Libraries Special Collections that document Senator Jackson's long and distinguished career in public service.

Travel - Foreign and Domestic

Jackson traveled extensively throughout his years in Congress. Domestic trips were often focused on his interest in major public works projects and environmental preservation in the Pacific Northwest, and he frequently served as keynote speaker at commemoration ceremonies. U.S. Congressional delegation trips to Alaska and Hawaii became critical during the 1950s in understanding the political and economic implications of establishing statehood for both territories, for which Jackson was a strong advocate.

Domestic travel also played a key role in his 1972 and 1976 Presidential campaigns, as Jackson visited with his political constituents in Washington state, and with the American people more generally, bringing his own unique perspective to the campaign topics of the day.

Jackson also traveled extensively abroad. His trips to countries in Europe, Asia, and the Middle East, had a profound impact on his understanding of international affairs. He firmly believed in the importance of international travel, foreign language education, and the careful study of world history, as essential factors in establishing strong and effective international relations. These became guiding principles that shaped his perspective on American foreign policy, including military preparedness, national security, and human rights.

Documentation in the Henry M. Jackson Papers

The Henry M. Jackson Papers provide extensive documentation on the Senator's travels, both domestic and foreign. The Trip Files contain itineraries, background information, and travel arrangements for Jackson, his staff, and family members, both within the United States and abroad, while the Speeches and Writings series contain some of Jackson's most immediate impressions after his return. The Photographs series contains pictures taken of Jackson and his associates on various trips.

Antarctica

Senator Jackson made an inspection trip to Antarctica, a trip that coincided with Operation DEEP FREEZE '60 at U.S. Navy Air Facility, McMurdo Sound. Flying out of New Zealand, Senator Jackson visited military bases in the area and participated in the air drop of a D-4 bulldozer to the South Pole Station.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Senator Henry M. Jackson and Lt. Col. William J. Gammon, of Tacoma, posing with a Washington (State) flag next to a nine-ton tractor that will be air dropped to the South Pole Station, October 20, 1959. Henry M. Jackson Collection. HMJ0758.

Czechoslovakia and Yugoslavia

 

In 1972, a U.S. Congressional delegation including Senator Jackson met with Prime Minister Lubomir Strougal and Foreign Minister Bohuslav Chnoupek in Czechoslovakia, and with President Josip Broz Tito in Yugoslavia.

Senator Henry M. Jackson standing with a delegation of United States senators alongside President Josip Broz Tito in Brioni, Yugoslavia, November 24, 1972. Henry M. Jackson Collection. HMJ0812.

People's Republic of China

Between 1974 and 1983, Senator Jackson made four separate trips to the People's Republic of China, with Dr. Dorothy Fosdick, Helen, Anna Marie, and Peter accompanying him on some of the trips. During his trips, Jackson visited with Premier Zhou Enlai, Vice Premier Deng Xiaoping, Foreign Minister Huang Hua, and others.

Senator Henry M. Jackson shaking hands with China's leader, Deng Xiaoping, during a trip to China in 1978. Henry M. Jackson Collection. HMJ0263.

Germany

 

In April 1945, a Congressional delegation which included Congressman Jackson visited Buchenwald, Germany at the invitation of President Dwight D. Eisenhower, to witness the atrocities of the Buchenwald concentration camp. Senator Jackson later returned to visit military operations in West Germany in November 1968.

Congressman Henry M. Jackson and United States congressional delegation visiting the Buchenwald Concentration Camp, Germany, April 1945. Henry M. Jackson Collection. HMJ0008.

Israel

 

Senator and Mrs. Jackson met with Israeli Prime Minister Golda Meir and the Israeli Minister of Defense in 1972 while visiting the U.S. Embassy in Tel Aviv, Israel. A subsequent visit in 1979 would coincide with speeches given by Senator Jackson at the Hebrew University and the Jonathon Institute.

Senator Henry M. Jackson talking with Israeli Prime Minister Golda Meir during a visit to the U.S. Embassy in Tel Aviv, Israel, February 22, 1972. Henry M. Jackson Collection. HMJ0651.

Korea

In 1955, Senator Jackson traveled with members of the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee on an inspection trip of Far East military installations in the area. Senator Jackson and others concluded the trip with a tour of  Vietnam  and  Cambodia.  

Senator Henry M. Jackson and Congressmen Ed Edmunson posing with Mayor Kim Tae Sin and Minister of Education, Lee Sung Kun, and flower girls during a tour of military installations in the Far East. K-16 Airport, Seoul, Korea, November 28, 1955.  Henry M. Jackson Collection. HMJ0063.

 

Norway

 

Senator Jackson visited Norway for the first time in 1947 with his father, Peter, and again in 1980 with Helen, Anna Marie, and Peter.

Holiday card showing Henry M. Jackson standing with his daughter, Anna Marie, wife, Helen Hardin, and son, Peter, in front of the Cristian Radich, a Norwegian training ship, in Oslo, Norway, 1980. Henry M. Jackson Collection. HMJ0919.

Portugal

 

In addition to the North Atlantic Assembly meetings Senator Jackson attended as a representative, Senator and Mrs. Jackson also visited the U.S. Embassy in Portugal in 1966.

American Embassy staff member, John R. Baine, greeting Senator Henry M. Jackson and his wife, Helen Hardin, as they emerge from an airplane, Lisbon, Portugal, November 22, 1966. Henry M. Jackson Collection. HMJ0355.

Soviet Union

 

Soviet Union in 1956 and 1959.

Russian Orthodox church visited by Senator Henry M. Jackson during a trip to Moscow, Soviet Union, circa 1950s. Henry M. Jackson Collection. HMJ0918.

 

Vietnam

 

Between 1962 and 1966 Senator Jackson visited military operations around the Vietnam region to talk with soldiers, examine military technology, and meet with soldiers in the Army hospitals.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Major General Glen Collins briefing Senator Henry M. Jackson in a field during his inspection trip near Pleiku, Vietnam, 1966. Henry M. Jackson Collection. HMJ0358.