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The Presidential historical materials of David Gergen, a Staff Assistant to the President, are in the custody of the National Archives and Records Administration under the provisions of Title I of the Presidential Recording and Materials Preservation Act of 1974 (P.L. 93-526, 88 Stat. 1695) and implementing regulations. In accordance with the act and regulations, personal and private materials (including materials that are outside the date span covered by the act) and nonhistorical materials have been returned.
Materials covered by the act have been archivally processed and are described in this register. Material which are security classified or otherwise restricted under the act and regulations have been removed from the file and placed in a closed file. A Document Withdrawal Record, GSA Form 7279, with a description of each restricted document has been inserted at the beginning of each folder from which materials has been removed. A Document Control Record marks the original position of the withdrawn item.
Employees of the National Archives will review periodically the unclassified portions of closed materials which no longer require restriction. Certain classified documents may be declassified under authority of Executive Order 13526 in response to a Mandatory Review Request (NA Form 14020) submitted by the researcher.
- Linear feet of materials: 9
- Approximate number of pages: 1,630
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Biographical Note
1942 May 9 Born in Durham, North Carolina
1963 B.A., Yale University
1967 LL.B., Harvard Law School
1967-1971 U.S. Navy
1971-1973 Staff Assistant to the President
1973-1974 Special Assistant to the President
1974-1976 Special Counsel to the President
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Scope and Content Note
The White House Special Files material of David R. Gergen is dated 1969-72. Gergen joined the White House Staff in 1971. As Staff Assistant to the President until January 1973, Gergen reported directly to Ray Price, director of the Office of Research and Messages. In addition to administrative duties, Gergen gradually took on editorial responsibilities.
The materials are arranged into two series:
- Status Reports
- Selected Material from White House Central Files
The status Reports series is divided into to subseries. The Presidential Action Requests subseries contains memoranda that deal with a variety of requests from the President to his staff. The bulk of the material consists of reports prepared by the Staff Secretary on status request of these action requests. In addition there are separate lists of action items completed and substantive reports to the President that respond to specific requests. The second subseries, Arthur Burns' Directives, contains similar action requests. The majority of the memoranda in this subseries are to or from Dr. Burns in his capacity as Counsellor to the President.
The remaining series, Selected Materials from White House Central Files, contains items copied from several boxes of material from Gergen's White House Central Files. Although much of this material is not originated by Gergen, it relates to his staff while Assistant to the President. Several of these responsibilities are represented in this series by notes taken at meetings attended on behalf of Ray Price, memoranda relating to the organization of ideas and issues for President Nixon's re-election campaign, and memoranda and notes relating to the 1972 Republican platform and the President's posture during the 1972 campaign.
[See Also: Gergen's White House Central Files]
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Series Description
Boxes: 1
Series: Status Reports | Folder Title List
Spans: 1969 - 1972
Description: Copies and originals of memoranda, reports, notes, and a press release. Arranged in two subseries:
- Subseries: Presidential Action Requests
Spans: July 1969 - September 1972
Description: Copies and original of memoranda received by White House Staff. Folders arranged in chronological order by document type, materials in folders arranged in reverse chronological order.
- Subseries: Arthur Burns' Directives
Spans: January - July 1969
Description: Originals and copies of memoranda and notes; copies of reports sent and received by the President and Arthur Burns. Also a copy of a press release. Material in the single folder is arranged in reverse chronological order.
Boxes: 2
Series: Selected Material From White House Central Files | Folder Title List
Spans: 1971 - 1972
Description: Copies of memoranda, reports, drafts, notes, and routing slips sent and received by White House Staff. Folders arranged in reverse numerical order. Materials in folders arranged in reverse chronological order.
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Folder Title List
STATUS REPORTS, 1969-72
Box 1
Reports to President on Action Items Not Carried Out--(All that were sent) [Mar.- June 1970]
Presidential reports - P-Action Nos.--1969-June 8, 1970 [July 1969-May 1970]
Presidential Action Requests -Dec. 3, 1969-June 8, 1970 [1 of 2]
Presidential Action Requests -Dec. 3, 1969-June 8, 1970 [2 of 2]
Weekly Status Reports Action Memos - 1971 [Jan.-Dec. 1971]
Weekly Status Reports Presidential Action Request (Jan.-September 1972)
Report to President on Action Items Completed (Nov. 1969-October 1970) [1 of 2]
Report to President on Action Items Completed (Nov. 1969-October 1970) [2 of 2]
Burns' Directives - Records and Lists [Jan.-July 1969]
SELECTED MATERIAL FROM WHITE HOUSE CENTRAL FILES, 1971-72
Box 2
[Handwritten note from Gertrude B. Fry]
Colson Meeting File From Box #1310 [Sept.-Oct. 1972]
Other Materials Selected (from Box 1310) [Feb.-Nov. 1972]
Other Materials Selected (from Box 1309) [Apr. 1971-Dec. 1972] [1 of 2]
Other Materials Selected (from Box 1309) [Apr. 1971-Dec. 1972] [2 of 2]
Other Material Selected (from Box 1309) [Jan.-Aug. 1972]
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