Textual Collections Grouped by White
House Office
This section describes the office structure in the Ford White House and cites
the collections that came from each office as part of the Ford Presidential
Papers. Some topically-related collections are also listed.
The following collection titles omit many names that would appear in any
roster of office personnel. This is because the files of many staff became
incorporated into the files of a successor or a more senior colleague. In other
cases, departing White House staff may have retained files for their personal
future use.
Finally, some record systems stay in the White House complex from one President
to the next. For example, the White House Curator, Chief of Payroll, the Intelligence
Oversight Board, the Secret Service, and the National Security Council retained
some or all of their files into the next administration.
List of Offices
CONGRESSIONAL
RELATIONS OFFICE
COUNSEL
TO THE PRESIDENT, OFFICE OF
COUNSELLORS
TO THE PRESIDENT
DOMESTIC
AFFAIRS ASSISTANT/DOMESTIC COUNCIL STAFF
ECONOMIC
AFFAIRS ASSISTANT
EDITORIAL/SPEECHWRITING
STAFF
FIRST
LADY'S STAFF
NATIONAL
SECURITY ADVISER/NSC STAFF
PERMANENT
OPERATING OFFICES
PRESIDENTIAL
PERSONNEL OFFICE
PRESIDENT'S
OFFICE
PRESS
SECRETARY'S OFFICE/COMMUNICATIONS OFFICE
PUBLIC
LIAISON OFFICE
SCHEDULING
AND ADVANCE OFFICE
SECRETARY
TO THE CABINET
STAFF
SECRETARY'S OFFICE
WHITE
HOUSE OPERATIONS OFFICE
CONGRESSIONAL RELATIONS OFFICE
The CRO handled White House liaison with Congress and its members on such topics
as pending legislation, program oversight, Presidential appointments, and consultation
in foreign affairs. Routine services such as photo opportunities were part
of the job as well.
Ford Presidential Papers |
Selected Associated Collections |
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COUNSEL TO THE PRESIDENT, OFFICE OF
The office provided legal advice and services to the President, his family,
and White House staff. It advised on legislation, constitutional and administrative
powers and duties, campaign law, judicial appointments, and regulatory issues
and agencies. It also drafted legal documents, defended against legal actions,
coordinated the screening of Presidential appointees for security or conflict
of interest problems, and assisted in clemency and pardon issues.
Ford Presidential Papers |
Selected Associated Collections |
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COUNSELLORS TO THE PRESIDENT
This is an artificial grouping of diverse Presidential advisers who had
the title "Counsellor." Some were Nixon advisers who remained
briefly under Ford. John Marsh and Robert Hartmann, by contrast, were
central figures in the Ford White House. Marsh oversaw the Congressional
Relations and Public Liaison Offices, and Hartmann directed the Editorial
and Speechwriting Office. Assistants who worked on a few special projects
are listed below, indented.
Ford Presidential Papers |
Selected Associated Collections |
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DOMESTIC AFFAIRS ASSISTANT/DOMESTIC COUNCIL
STAFF
The Assistant to the President for Domestic Affairs provided policy advice
and directed Domestic Council staff. James Cannon held the post, preceded briefly
by Nixon-appointee Kenneth Cole. Between five and nine Domestic Council associate
directors specialized in different subject areas. Assistant directors and staff
assistants aided them. There was significant personnel turnover and a reorganization
in 1975, accompanied by some mingling and splitting of files.
Ford Presidential Papers |
Selected Associated Collections |
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ECONOMIC AFFAIRS ASSISTANT
The Assistant to the President for Economic Affairs, L. William Seidman, advised
on domestic and international economic issues and was Executive Director
of the Economic Policy Board (EPB). The EPB's executive committee included
the administration's senior economic policy officials, and it met several
times each week to coordinate policy. See the following collection entries
for files of Seidman, his staff, and two temporary colleagues in the White
House.
Ford Presidential Papers |
Selected Associated Collections |
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EDITORIAL/SPEECHWRITING STAFF
Specialized divisions drafted Presidential speeches, composed brief
Presidential articles and messages as requested by various groups and politicians,
wrote form responses to routine public correspondence, and checked the factual
accuracy of speeches and other public statements. Paul Theis headed
the staff until January 1976 and reported to Robert Hartmann, who himself drafted
key Presidential speeches. Robert Orben succeeded Theis as immediate head of
the speechwriters. David Gergen's files on campaign speeches are closely
related, but Gergen was part of the Press Secretary's Office.
Ford Presidential Papers |
Selected Associated Collections |
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FIRST LADY'S STAFF
The staff handled press relations, public appearances, scheduling, speeches,
correspondence, honors and affiliations, and other matters for Mrs. Ford
and the Ford children. In addition, a Social Entertainments Office worked
with Mrs. Ford and others to coordinate menu planning, guest lists, decorations,
and entertainment for social events at the White House, Camp David , and
occasionally aboard the Presidential yacht.
Ford Presidential Papers |
Selected Associated Collections |
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NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER/NSC STAFF
The Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs advised on defense
and foreign affairs matters, and he directed the National Security
Council staff. Henry Kissinger held the post until November 1975, and Brent
Scowcroft succeeded him. Their files are intermingled.
Ford
Presidential Papers |
Selected Associated Collections |
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PERMANENT OPERATING OFFICES
The majority of personnel working within the White House complex
are support staff who remain as administrations change. They keep payroll accounts,
create keyword indices to presidential statements, do calligraphy, provide
filing and correspondence services, and much more. The vast majority of their
records remain in the White House indefinitely, but selected files were customarily
treated as the President's papers. See most of the collection entries
in the online guide that begin "White
House."
PRESIDENTIAL PERSONNEL OFFICE
A President may have some 5,000 positions to fill over a full
term. The Presidential Personnel Office identifies these positions and recruits
candidates, coordinates selection and political clearance, provides orientation,
and helps evaluate performance. David Wimer, William Walker, and Douglas Bennett
successively headed the office.
Ford Presidential Papers |
Selected Associated Collections |
- White House Personnel Office Files (unprocessed)
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- William Walker Papers (unprocessed)
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PRESIDENT'S OFFICE
The office assisted with the President's personal affairs and
accounts, secretarial needs, and requests for autographed photos.
Ford Presidential Papers |
Selected Associated Collections |
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PRESS SECRETARY'S OFFICE/COMMUNICATIONS OFFICE
The Press Secretary and his staff spoke for the President at daily
press briefings, monitored press coverage and summarized it for the President
and staff, briefed the President for his own press conferences and other media
encounters, advised on press relations, helped the press gather information,
and provided logistical support to the press. The Press Secretary necessarily
collected information on many diverse topics. A Communications Office was often
truly, and always nominally, part of the Press Secretary's Office. It handled
White House relations with federal agency public information officers, and
it represented the President to the non-Washington press corps.
Ford Presidential Papers |
Selected Associated Collections |
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PUBLIC LIAISON OFFICE
The office cultivated White House links with interest groups, voter
blocs, and groups of influential citizens. Briefings and meetings at the White
House and town hall-type meetings around the country were important vehicles
for these liaisons, along with participation in events sponsored by various
organizations, and other, less visible, activities. William Baroody, Jr., directed
the office under the general oversight of John Marsh. Some important liaison
duties were discharged by White House staff in other offices: Bradley
Patterson and Norman
Ross (Native Americans), David
Lissy (Jewish organizations), Robert
Goldwin (Academics), Arthur
Fletcher (African-Americans) and Rayburn
Hanzlik (public forums).
Ford Presidential Papers |
Selected Associated Collections |
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SCHEDULING AND ADVANCE OFFICE
The scheduling unit helped prioritize the President's time, and it developed
the President's daily and long-term schedules. It helped the President and
his staff prepare for his daily appointments. The advance unit helped set
criteria for and make decisions on Presidential travel. For both domestic
and international trips, the advance unit orchestrated the overall planning
and managed the onsite arrangements.
Ford Presidential Papers |
Selected Associated Collections |
- Byron Cavaney Files (unprocessed)
- Warren Hendriks Files (unprocessed)
- Jerry
Jones Files
- Terrance O'Donnell Files (unprocessed)
- President's
Daily Diary
- Warren Rustand and William Nicholson Files (unprocessed)
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- Byron Cavaney Papers (mostly unprocessed)
- Robin Martin Papers (unprocessed)
- Peter
Sorum Papers
- Frank Ursomarso Papers (unprocessed)
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SECRETARY TO THE CABINET
The Secretary to the Cabinet organized and documented Cabinet meetings, supported
communications between the President and individual Cabinet members, and
helped the President remain accessible to his Cabinet. It was not a full-time
post; Warren Rustand and his successor James Connor each had other duties.
Ford Presidential Papers |
Selected Associated Collections |
- Connor,
James
- Warren Rustand and William Nicholson Files (unprocessed)
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STAFF SECRETARY'S OFFICE
Staff Secretaries Jerry Jones and successor James Connor coordinated the flow
of paperwork to and from the President. For example, they ensured that memorandums
to the President incorporated the views of all pertinent advisers. They also
provided special file storage for the President. More routine duties included
management of staff perquisites such as parking and mess privileges, and
oversight of the Chief Executive Clerk and his Permanent Operating Offices.
Ford Presidential Papers |
Selected Associated Collections |
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WHITE HOUSE OPERATIONS OFFICE
This office was central to the management of the White House Office. The Cabinet
and Staff Secretaries and the heads of the Presidential Personnel and Scheduling/Advance
Offices all reported to the head of White House Operations. Alexander Haig,
Donald Rumsfeld, and Richard Cheney held the post in succession. Few Presidential
advisers, if any, had better access to Ford than did the latter two. The
office head might advise on any domestic, foreign, or political issue, and
in 1976 Cheney and his immediate staff became very active in the Presidential
campaign.
Ford Presidential Papers |
Selected Associated Collections |
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