American Consuls and the Politics of Rescue in Marseille, 1936–1941

An extensive literature portrays Harry Bingham, who served as American vice consul in Marseille, France between 1936 and 1941, as the single American diplomat who defied the Department of State’s restrictive policy toward European Jewish refugees. However, empirical evidence does not always support what many now assume about Bingham’s efforts. Examining Bingham’s personnel file and his career at the Department of State, this article improves our understanding of what Bingham did for Jewish and intellectual refugees.