Holiday Celebrations at the World Bank Group


NUMBER 056
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED: NOVEMBER 2006




                          January 2016
The World Bank Group Archives Exhibit Series contains exhibits originally
published on the Archives’ external website beginning in 2002. When the
Archives’ website was transferred to a new platform in 2015, it was decided that
older exhibits would be converted to pdf format and made available as a series
on the World Bank’s external database, Documents & Reports.

These exhibits, authored by World Bank archivists, highlight key events,
personalities, and publications in the history of the World Bank. They also bring
attention to some of the more fascinating archival records contained in the
Archives’ holdings.

To view current exhibits, visit the Exhibits page on the Archives’ website.
Holiday Celebrations at the World Bank Group




The gifts from World Bank staff are ready for     The guests enjoy dancing at the holiday
  delivery to St. Elizabeth's Hospital, 1966           party, Sheraton Parlor, 1954

Following the tradition started in the early 1950’s, the World Bank Group staff
contributed gifts for the patients of St. Elizabeth's Hospital in Washington,
D.C. The collection of gifts was made by a devoted committee of staff members
representing each department of the Bank and IFC.




Catherine Jackson and Ruth      World Bank President Eugene     Santa Claus visits World
   Achcar with Christmas        Black dancing at the holiday          Bank, 1955
stockings for St. Elizabeth’s           party, 1953
       Hospital, 1953

.
Each December, World Bank Group staff celebrated the season with a holiday
party. The World Bank President and his wife would greet the guests upon
entering the party. After that, the celebration would start with dinner followed by
dancing to a wide variety of live music.




Guests dance to the music of the band at the    World Bank President George Woods and his
            holiday party, 1954                 wife Louise greet guests at the holiday party,
                                                                    1964

In addition to the Bank-wide party, individual departments often held smaller
parties for the children of Bank staff. The children enjoyed dressing up in their
native clothing and helping to spread holiday cheer throughout the Bank.




Guests dancing at the holiday     Bank Group children from      World Bank President Robert
        party, 1957              India, Mexico, Sierra Leone      McNamara and his wife
                                and the Philippines enjoy the   Margaret greet guests at the
                                    Christmas tree, 1970            holiday party, 1968
These days, Bank departments contribute the majority of their holiday funds to
various charities in keeping with the Bank's dream of a world free of poverty.




    Guests singing at the holiday party,    The band playing at the holiday party,
           December 17, 1953                       Sheraton Parlor, 1954