OPM Director is Presented With President Theodore Roosevelt's 1904 Nomination Letter

Washington, D.C. - During a ceremony at the Theodore Roosevelt Federal Office Building - home of the U.S. Office of Personnel Management - OPM Director Kay Coles James accepted the original publication "Letter of Theodore Roosevelt Accepting the Republication Nomination for President of the United States, 1904." The document was donated by Gordon Thomas, Director of Government Affairs for Textron, Inc., and an official with the Business Roundtable.

In thanking Thomas, James said that "the men and women of OPM take great pride in administering a civil service system based on merit and free of patronage - a system stewarded in its early days by then Civil Service Commissioner Theodore Roosevelt. Public display of this very generous gift will serve to remind us of our on-going charge to the American people and the federal workers who serve them."

Prior to serving as President and Vice President of the United States and Governor of New York, Theodore Roosevelt was a Commissioner on the U.S. Civil Service Commission (1889 To 1895), OPM's predecessor. In his letter of acceptance, President Roosevelt highlights his support for the civil service law which guarantees merit based hiring for federal civil servants and the importance of honesty in public service.

The letter of acceptance will be on public display in the E Street Lobby of OPM's headquarters along with other Theodore Roosevelt artifacts.

OPM oversees the federal work force and provides the American public with up-to-date employment information. OPM also supports U.S. agencies with personnel services and policy leadership including staffing tools, guidance on labor-management relations and programs to improve work force performance.