Jean and Willard Garvey World Homes Collection

Collection Summary

Title: Jean and Willard Garvey World Homes Collection
Call Number: MS 94-09
Size: 97.0 linear feet
Acquisition: Gift of Jean and Willard Garvey
Processed by: JEO, JW, MU and TT with assistance of CG, SMP and MN, 5-13-1994
Restrictions: None
Note: Collection stored in off-site facility. Contact Special Collections regarding retrieval.

Literary Rights

Literary rights were granted to Wichita State University. When permission is granted to examine the manuscripts, it is not an authorization to publish them. Manuscripts cannot be used for publication without regard for common law literary rights, copyright laws and the laws of libel. It is the responsibility of the researcher and his/her publisher, to obtain permission to publish. Scholars and students who eventually plan to have their work published are urged to make inquiry regarding overall restrictions on publication before initial research.

Content Note

The World Homes Collection tells the story of Willard Garvey's effort to build housing in developing nations. For Garvey, World Homes represented the practical application of his idea "Every Man a Home Owner, Every Man a Capitalist," which attempted to introduce the American concept of private property through home ownership. The collection chronicles the Garvey effort in international housing finance and development from the conception of the idea by Willard Garvey in the late 1950s to the liquidation in the 1980s. During its life World Homes had subsidiary and affiliate companies operating on four continents in countries as diverse as Mexico, Taiwan, and Morocco. The collection includes corporate correspondence, financial and legal records, project plans and designs, photographs, and films. The World Homes Collection offers a variety of research opportunities for researchers of history, business, and international development, including the interplay between private U.S. corporations and U.S. foreign aid, and the issues involved in the management of multi-national corporations. The processors of this collection have prepared an Introductory File to present the researcher a prelim.inary understanding of the nature and contents of the collection. None of the material in the introductory file is unique; the file consists of photocopied material that can be found in other parts of the collection.

Detailed Description: Series Listing

Series 1 Box 1-5 Reading Files. The Reading Files were a form of internal communication used to circulate information to key World Homes offices. The reading files contain correspondence, reports, and other documents. The reading files provide a relatively complete overview of World Homes operations.
Series 2 Box 6-36 Arney Series: 1000 - Corporate Files. The Corporate Files contain the documents of the World Homes office in Wichita, Kansas. The series is divided into six sub-series: communications, financial, legal, corporate, personnel and technical, with each sub-series representing a different function of the company. Underlined file titles were taken directly from the original folder.
Series 2 Box 37-93 Arney Series: 2000 - Country Files. The Country Files contain the documents of World Homes international offices and projects. The series is divided into ountry/project sub-series and each sub-series is further divided into the following categories: communications, financial, legal, corporate, personnel, and technical. Most information about World Homes projects are contained in these files, particularly financial, legal and technical information. Underlined file titles were taken directly from the original folder.
Series 3 Box 94-95 Photographs and Films
Series 4 Box 96 Willard Garvey Series. These files contain documents that provide insight into Willard Garvey's professional life and his financial interests. The series contains examples of Garvey's weekly reports, writings, and documents that describe the extent of his enterprises.
Series 4 Box 97 Post-72 Series. This series documents World Homes following the 1972 liquidation of the company's international assets. It includes Post-1972 correspondence about World Homes projects as well as documents from the l981 effort to restart World Homes.

Detailed Description: Box and Folder Listing

Download guide to collection (PDF) including detailed box and folder listing. Adobe Reader is required to view it.