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Foreign Relations Department (files concerning Imperial Chemical Industries, Ltd.), 1921-1948

 Series
Accession: 0500-IIIdentifier: 0500-II-2.-XVI.

Dates

  • Creation: 1921-1948

Historical Note

In 1929 E.I. du Pont de Nemours & Company signed an agreement with the recently formed British combine, Imperial Chemical Industries, Ltd. (ICI), to exchange scientific information on a routine basis. Part of the reason for devising this agreement was to permit ICI and the DuPont Company to divide world markets without violating the Sherman Antitrust Act. DuPont and ICI agreed to grant each other exclusive licenses for patents and secret processes owned by the other, thereby dividing world markets for their diverse products. The agreement also led to extensive sharing of scientific and technical information. Coordination of this agreement was initially the responsibility of the Executive Committee, which appointed a Foreign Relations subcommittee for this purpose. However, by 1930 it became evident that detailed coordination required the kind of day-to-day monitoring that could not be done by the Executive Committee. As a result, a formal Foreign Relations Department was organized. It was renamed the International Department in 1958.

Scope and Contents

The records in this series document the DuPont Company's patent and process agreement with ICI. Also included is departmental head John K. Kenney's correspondence, which describes the rules, policies, and procedures which govern the exchange of technical information. The records describe how this exchange took place via technical delegations. They also show the differing interpretations of the contracts between DuPont and ICI, with DuPont seeing the contract primarily as a sharing of patents and processes rather than markets.

Extent

From the Collection: 416.25 Linear Feet

Language of Materials

From the Collection: English

Additional Description

Access Restrictions

No restrictions on access; this collection is open for research.

Related Names

Creator

Repository Details

Repository Details

Part of the Manuscripts and Archives Repository

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