Fonds - Personal Papers of Eugene H. Rotberg

Identity area

Reference code

WB IBRD/IDA ROTBERG

Title

Personal Papers of Eugene H. Rotberg

Date(s)

  • 1968 - 1987 (Creation)

Level of description

Fonds

Extent and medium

5.81 linear feet of textual records

Context area

Name of creator

Biographical history

Eugene H. Rotberg was the Treasurer of the World Bank Group from 1968 to 1987.

Born in Philadelphia in 1930, Rotberg earned a law degree from the University of Pennsylvania in 1954. From 1957 to 1968, he was a lawyer for the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), serving as Chief Counsel of the Office of Policy Research and later as Associate Director for Market Regulation.

In late 1968, Rotberg was hired as Treasurer by World Bank Group President Robert S. McNamara. To support the Bank's ambitious lending goals under McNamara's leadership, Rotberg led a major borrowing campaign from central banks, leading to a nearly fourfold increase in net borrowings during McNamara's first five-year term (1968-1973). The Bank diversified its borrowings, with large shares coming from Germany, Switzerland, Japan, and oil-exporting countries of the Middle East. In addition to raising money from central banks, Rotberg helped the Bank expand its capital through new markets and new financial products such as currency swaps. Swaps and other nontraditional financial instruments became especially critical for the Bank's funding during the 1980s.

Rotberg served as World Bank Group Treasurer from 1968 to 1977 and as Vice President and Treasurer (TREVP) from 1977 until he left the Bank in 1987. As Treasurer, Rotberg worked under the direction of the Vice President of Finance (VPF), a position held by Siem (Simon) Aldewereld, 1968-1974, and then by I.P.M. Cargill, 1974-1980. (Cargill was elevated to Senior Vice President in 1978.) Beginning in 1980, Rotberg reported to Moeen Qureshi, who replaced Cargill as Senior Vice President of the Finance Complex (SVPFI).

After McNamara's resignation, Rotberg continued to serve as World Bank Group Treasurer during the administration of President A.W. Clausen, 1981-1986, followed by President Barber Conable. As part of an administrative reorganization in 1987, Conable offered Rotberg a position to manage the Bank's response to the debt crisis, but Rotberg declined and chose to resign from the Bank.

After his career at the World Bank, Rotberg served as Executive Vice President of Merrill Lynch & Co.

Archival history

Immediate source of acquisition or transfer

Donated to the World Bank Group Archives by Eugene H. Rotberg in 2004.

Content and structure area

Scope and content

This fonds consists of chronological files assembled by Rotberg during his career at the World Bank, 1968-1987. The predominant materials are photocopies of Rotberg's outgoing correspondence, memoranda, and facsimiles to Bank staff and to external parties. Some of the documents include annotations by Rotberg.

Appraisal, destruction and scheduling

Accruals

Accruals are not expected.

System of arrangement

Conditions of access and use area

Conditions governing access

Records are subject to the World Bank Policy on Access to Information.

Conditions governing reproduction

Records are subject to the Copyright Policy of the World Bank Group.

Language of material

  • English

Script of material

Language and script notes

Physical characteristics and technical requirements

Finding aids

Allied materials area

Existence and location of originals

Existence and location of copies

Related units of description

Related descriptions

Notes area

Note

70 Years Connecting Capital Markets to Development (World Bank, 2018), particularly chapters 3 and 4.

Alternative identifier(s)

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Description control area

Description identifier

Institution identifier

Rules and/or conventions used

Internal World Bank Group Archives rules based on ISAD(G).

Disclosure status

Level of detail

Dates of creation revision deletion

6 November 2024

Language(s)

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Sources

Accession area