Mapping an International Organization. In the Footsteps of the Directors of the Organisation for European Economic Co-operation (1948-60)

This article delves into the unexplored social and administrative history of the Organisation for European Economic Co-operation (OEEC) from 1948 to 1960 – a pivotal period during which it coordinated Marshall Plan funds and advanced postwar European integration. While the Marshall Plan’s impact has been extensively studied, the internal dynamics and influence of OEEC administrators have received limited attention. Through a biographical and prosopographical study of the OEEC’s directors, deputies, and Secretary-Generals, this article reveals how their backgrounds, networks, and individual agency shaped the organization’s evolution and operations. This article serves as a pioneering contribution by unveiling a complete list of OEEC directors, along with detailed accounts of their positions, tenures, and socio-professional profiles. Additionally, it offers a comprehensive examination of the OEEC Secretariat’s architectural evolution, illustrating the organization’s diversity and adaptability in both functional tasks and organizational structure. By blending institutional analysis with profiles of key administrators, this study uncovers how the OEEC’s distinctive culture and practices laid a foundation for the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, highlighting its transformation into an influential yet often under-examined international entity from a socio-administrative perspective.