Foreign Relations of the United States, 1946, General; the United Nations, Volume I

501.AD/12–1046

Memorandum Prepared in the Department of State

[Washington,] December 10, 1946.

Basic Points of Memorandum to Dr. Zuleta Angel From John D. Rockefeller, Jr.

This memorandum sets forth the terms and conditions of the offer made by me in my letter of December 10.

I have acquired a firm offer from Webb & Knapp to sell to the United Nations within thirty days after December 10, 1946, at $8,500,000 the following property:

Between 1st Avenue and Franklin D. Roosevelt Drive:

(1) the western portion of the block between 42nd and 43rd Streets

(2) the four blocks between 47th and 43rd Streets

(3) two small portions in the block between 47th and 48th Streets.

In addition, the representatives of the City of New York have assured me of their desire and willingness of the City to acquire and give to the United Nations the balance of the block between 47th and 48th Streets.

To make possible the acquisition of this property by the United Nations, should they decide to accept said offer, and to make it the site of the headquarters of the United Nations, I hereby offer to give to the United Nations $8,500,000 on the following conditions:

(a) that the gift shall be made at the time of the closing of the purchase of said property.

(b) that the City of New York should agree to give to the United Nations 43rd, 44th, 45th, 46th and 47th Streets between First Avenue and Franklin D. Roosevelt Drive upon terms which shall permit the United Nations to close any or all of these blocks to all passage and otherwise to use them for its own purposes without restrictions or limitations.

(c) that the City of New York shall agree to acquire and give absolutely to the United Nations the balance of the block bounded by First Avenue, 47th and 48th Streets, and Franklin D. Roosevelt Drive not covered by the firm offer of Webb and Knapp.

(d) that the City of New York give to the United Nations all rights to bulkheads and piers along the river frontage of the East River between 42nd and 48th Streets.

(e) that each of the said agreements of the City of New York shall have been concluded in a form satisfactory to the parties in interest at or prior to the time of the making of my said gift.

(f) to make a satisfactory assurance to my attorney that the said gift will be free of all taxes of the United States and the City of New York or any other tax authority having jurisdiction with respect thereto.⁶⁴

64. Marginal notation: “Transcribed from broadcast, not verbatim.” For text of this memorandum together with covering letter from Mr. Rockefeller to Dr. Zuleta Angel, both dated December 10, see GA(I/2), Headquarters Committee, pp. 207 and 208, annex 9. For the consideration of this offer by the Permanent Headquarters Committee on December 11, its appointment of Sub-Committee 2 to study the Manhattan East River site, the report of Sub-Committee 2, Senator Austin’s statement before the Permanent Headquarters Committee on December 12 offering a resolution to accept the Rockefeller gift, and subsequent debate and passage of the United States resolution with a minor amendment in the Committee, see ibid., pp. 149–152, pp. 208–212 (annex 10), pp. 153–156 and 156–163, respectively. The Report of the Permanent Headquarters Committee recommending the Manhattan site is found in GA(I/2), Plenary, pp. 1564 and 1565, annex 79. For consideration of the Report by the General Assembly in plenary session on December 14 and adoption of the resolution accepting the Rockefeller gift, see ibid., pp. 1370–1375; text of the resolution is in GA(I/2), Resolutions, p. 196.