Ford Foundation Philanthropy in Switzerland and the Promotion of European Integration (1957-1967)

Abstract

Between 1957 and 1967, the Ford Foundation financed the Centre de Recherches Européennes (CRE) in Lausanne, Switzerland, a project born from the collaboration between Henri Rieben, a professor of European integration at the University of Lausanne, and Jean Monnet, a key figure in European Integration. Rieben and Monnet first met in 1955 and quickly began working together on projects to promote European studies. Monnet approached Shepard Stone, director of the Ford Foundation's International Affairs Program, in 1955 to propose creating research institutions to address European integration. In 1956, Monnet submitted a proposal for three initiatives, including the CRE, which was funded by the Ford Foundation starting in 1957 with an initial grant of $25,000.This report analyzes the Ford Foundation's objectives in supporting European studies in Switzerland, examining its broader philanthropic activities in the region during the 1950s and 1960s. It compares this foundation's investments with those of the Rockefeller Foundation and provides a micro-historical analysis of the grants given to Rieben's projects. The study emphasizes how personal relationships and ideological interests shaped the decision-making process in funding European integration research, revealing the importance of personal networks in securing philanthropic support