Parsons, Richard

INTRODUCTION

Richard D. Parsons was a native of New York City and a 1971 graduate of Union University's Albany Law School. Following law school he served as an assistant counsel to Governor Nelson Rockefeller and, commencing in 1973, as First Assistant Counsel. In 1975, soon after Rockefeller's confirmation as Vice President, Parsons became Deputy Counsel to the Vice President. After the end of the Ford administration, Parsons went back to working for Nelson Rockefeller.

Dick Parsons joined the Domestic Council staff in March 1975, serving both as legal counsel and as an associate director. As counsel to the Domestic Council, he worked closely with the Counsel to the President in providing legal guidance in the formulation of domestic policy. There is little in this file to document this aspect of his work.

As associate director, Parsons succeeded Geoffrey Shepard in handling General Government, which included justice, treasury, commerce, Postal Service, civil rights and drugs. In a May 1975 reorganization his area of responsibility was subdivided and Parsons became Associate Director for Justice, Crime, Civil Rights and Communications. (Communications was transferred to F. Lynn May in January of 1976.) In April 1976, when Kathleen Ryan left the Domestic Council, responsibility for consumer affairs was given to Parsons' office. Parsons served with the Domestic Council until the end of the Ford administration and then returned to New York to work for Nelson Rockefeller.

From March 1975 to January 1976 Parsons was assisted in his duties by Lynn May, who had previously worked for Geoffrey Shepard. Dawn Bennett‑Alexander assisted Parsons from March 1976 until the end of the administration. There are some indications that Kathleen Ryan served as an assistant to Parsons for a few weeks after she joined the Domestic Council in April 1975.

Parsons and his staff were responsible for advice to the President and the formulation of domestic policy in the areas of:

affirmative action

busing

civil rights

communications

consumer affairs

crime

drugs

illegal aliens

Indians

justice

postal service

Puerto Rico

privacy

regulatory reform

sex discrimination

voting rights

Although Parsons nominally had responsibility for Indian affairs, his files have virtually nothing on that subject. Perhaps the presence on the White House staff of Dr. Theodore Marrs and Bradley Patterson, both of whom handled Indian Affairs, was cause for lessened involvement by the Domestic Council. The Parsons files contain little on Puerto Rico as this file was transferred to Dean Overman near the Ford Administration.

The Parsons files contain little material on communications and virtually nothing on postal service or regulatory reform as these subjects were handled almost exclusively by Lynn May. Similarly, Parsons has little on consumer affairs as Dawn Bennett‑Alexander handled that subject. In most other areas Parsons either dealt with the matters himself or else shared them with his assistants.

In a number of cases Parsons served as James Cannon's representative on committees and task forces. For this reason there are significant materials in the Parsons files on the Domestic Council Committee on Illegal Aliens, the Interagency Committee for the Study of Problems Related to Illegal Mexican Migration into the United States, the Domestic Council Committee on the Right of Privacy, and the Domestic Council Drug Review Task Force. Parsons chaired the latter group and directed the writing of the White Paper on Drug Abuse.

One other project on which Parsons spent much time was the drafting of the President's crime message of June 19, 1975. His files contain memoranda, background information and working papers on this speech. The collection also contains information on the drafting and passage of legislation, particularly the Law Enforcement Assistance Administration reauthorization bill; the extension of the Voting Rights Act; and the drafting and approval of the Title IX regulations relating to sex discrimination in higher education.

The Parsons files consist of correspondence, memoranda, reports, speeches, drafts of legislation, briefing papers, press releases, publications and newspaper clippings. Virtually all of the correspondence and memoranda are between Parsons and his White House colleagues or between Parsons and officials in government agencies; there is little correspondence from the general public. Although most of the collection dates from the period of Parsons service with the Domestic Council, occasional items from the files of his predecessor, Geoffrey Shepard, are to be found here.

Related Materials (February 1980):

Related Materials can be found in the Domestic Council files of Parsons' predecessor, Geoffrey Sheppard; his two assistants, Lynn May and Dawn Bennett‑Alexander; and Dean Overman, who took over Parsons' file on Puerto Rico.

Container List

Box 1 General Subject File

Abortion

Affirmative Action (1)‑(5)

Auto Theft Prevention, Interagency Committee on

Bribes (Foreign) By U.S. Companies

Budget FY 1976

Budget FY 1977 ‑ Department of Justice

Budget FY 1977 ‑ Immigration and Naturalization Service

Budget FY 1977 ‑ Office of Management and Budget Process

Budget FY 1978

Box 2 General Subject File

Busing ‑ Alternatives to

Busing ‑ Boston

Busing ‑ Ferndale, Michigan

Busing ‑ Legislation (1)‑(2)

Busing ‑ Message to Congress

Busing ‑ Miscellaneous Correspondence (1)‑(2)

Busing ‑ Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

Busing ‑ Problem Areas with Busing Orders

Cabinet Committee to Combat Terrorism

Capital Punishment

Box 3 General Subject File

Chronological File (1)‑(5)

Civil Disturbances

Civil Rights Act of 1964 ‑ Title VI

Civil Rights ‑ General

Civil Rights ‑ Office for (H.E.W.)

Civil Rights, U.S. Commission on

Crime, Advisory Commission on

Crime and Punishment

Crime ‑ Compensation for Victims

Crime Control Act of 1976

Crime Message of 6/19/75 ‑ Action Memoranda (1)‑(2)

Box 4 General Subject File

Crime Message of 6/19/75 ‑ Action Memoranda (3)‑(7)

Crime Message of 6/19/75 ‑ Background Materials (1)‑(4)

Box 5 General Subject File

Crime Message of 6/19/75 ‑ Follow‑up

Crime Message of 6/19/75 ‑ Speech

Crime Message of 6/19/75 ‑ Working Papers (1)‑(5)

Crime Message of 2/14/76

Department of Transportation Truck Braking Regulation

Detroit Plan (Police Department Grant)

Disaster Relief (Detention Facilities)

Box 6 General Subject File

District of Columbia ‑ Judges

District of Columbia ‑ Legislation

Domestic Council ‑ Budget

Domestic Council ‑ Organization

Domestic Council ‑ Public Forums

Domestic Council ‑ Staff Directives

Domestic Council ‑ Vice Presidential Briefings

Domestic Council ‑ Weekly Reports

Elliott, Roland ‑ Correspondence

Emergency School Aid Act ‑ Title VII

Equal Employment Opportunity Commission

Equal Employment Opportunity Coordinating Council (1)‑(3)

Executive Privilege

Executive Protective Service ‑ Bargaining Rights

Executive Protection Service ‑ Protection of Foreign Diplomatic Missions

Box 7 General Subject File

Fairness Doctrine (Broadcasting)

Federal Bureau of Investigation ‑ General

Federal Bureau of Investigation ‑ Message Switching (1)‑(2)

Federal Bureau of Investigation ‑ Uniform Crime Reports

Federal Election Commission

First Lady ‑ Comments on Invitations, etc.

Flat‑time Sentencing

Freedom of Information Act

Gambling

Gun Control Amendments of 1975

Gun Control ‑ Alternative Approaches to

Box 8 General Subject File

Gun Control ‑ General (1)‑(2)

Gun Control ‑ Legislation (1)‑(2)

Gun Control ‑ Saturday Night Specials

Gun Control ‑ Testimony/Speeches

Gun Control ‑ Working Papers

Hatch Act

Hispanic Affairs

Box 9 General Subject File

Hoover Commission

Human Rights Commission, U.S. (Proposal for)

Housing ‑ Ethnic Purity of Neighborhoods

Illegal Aliens ‑ Cuban Defectors from Angola

Illegal Aliens ‑ Cuban Refugees

Illegal Aliens ‑ Domestic Council Committee, (1)‑(3)

Illegal Aliens ‑ Interagency Committee (1)‑(4)

Immigration and Naturalization Service ‑ Move from Richmond to Dallas

Box 10 General Subject File

Indian Rights

Initiatives

INTERPOL (International Police Communications Network)

Issue Papers

Jewish Community ‑ Civil Rights

Juvenile Delinquency

Law Enforcement Assistance Administration

‑ Crime and the Older Person

‑ General

‑ Grants for Political Conventions

‑ L.A. Police Department Civil Rights Complaints

‑ Project LEAP

‑ Public Safety Officers Death Benefit

‑ Reauthorization Bill (1)‑(3)

Box 11 General Subject File

Legal Services Corporation

Legislation ‑ Enrolled Bills

Legislation ‑ Proposals (1)‑(2)

Legislation ‑ Watch List

Mandatory Minimum Sentences

Mayors, U.S. Conference of

National Referendum

No Fault Automobile Insurance

Office of Telecommunications Policy (1)‑(2)

Box 12 General Subject File

Office of Telecommunications Policy (3)

Overseas Voters Registration Act

Peacetime Nuclear Emergencies Working Group

Pension Benefits ‑ Sex Discrimination

Personnel Matters

Postcard Voter Registration

President ‑ Briefing Papers

President ‑ Memoranda to

President ‑ Schedule Proposals

President ‑ Trips (Parsons Input)

Presidential Commendation Letters

Presidential Condolence Letters regarding Police Officer Deaths

Box 13 General Subject File

Presidential Events (Proposed)

Presidential Gifts

Presidential Messages

Presidential Signature, Bill Becoming Law Without

Prison Rehabilitation, Public Works and

Privacy ‑ Background Materials

Privacy ‑ Domestic Council Committee (1)‑(4)

Privacy ‑ General (1)‑(2)

Box 14 General Subject File

Privacy ‑ General (3)‑(4)

Privacy ‑ National Information Policy Report (1)‑(2)

Privacy Protection Study Commission (1)‑(2)

Privacy ‑ Study on Personnel Investigations and Adjudication (1)‑(2)

Private Schools ‑ Segregation by

Box 15 General Subject File

Problem Areas (Department of Justice)

Productivity and Work Quality, National Commission on

Public Disclosure ‑ Lobbying Act of 1976

Question and Answer Briefing Sheets (1)‑(4)

Regulatory Reform

Rehabilitation Act of 1973

Republican Legislative Agenda

San Diego ‑ Bureau of Prisons

Science and Technology Policy, Office of Press Releases

Secret Service Protection

Security Investigations ‑ Executive Order Regarding

Sex Discrimination (Title IX)

‑ Athletic Guidelines (1)‑(2)

‑ Background Materials

Box 16 General Subject File

Sex Discrimination (Title IX)

‑ Brigham Young University and Hillsdale College

‑ Final Regulations

- General (1)‑(6)

Box 17 General Subject File

Sex Discrimination (Title IX)

- General (7)‑(8)

- Tower Amendment

Shield Law for Newsmen

Speeches ‑ Richard Thornburgh

State and Local Governments ‑ Emergency Aid to

State of the Union ‑ 1976

State of the Union ‑ 1976 ‑ Follow‑up

State of the Union ‑ 1977

Summer Jobs for Urban Youth

Sunshine Act (open meetings)

Supreme Court Rulings

Box 18 General Subject File

Swine Flu Immunization Program (1)‑(2)

Veto Power ‑ Pocket Veto

Transition ‑ Presidential, 1976, 1977

Voting Rights Act ‑ Background Materials (1)‑(4)

Voting Rights Act ‑ Memoranda (1)‑(2)

Box 19 General Subject File

Voting Rights Act ‑ Memoranda (3)

Voting Rights Act ‑ Signing Ceremony

Watergate Reorganization and Reform Act

White House Conference on Handicapped Individuals

Wine Labeling

Women's Equality Day

Drug Abuse Subject File

Bolivia

Cabinet Committee for Drug Law Enforcement

Cabinet Committee on Drug Abuse, Prevention, Treatment, and Rehabilitation

Cabinet Committee on International Narcotics Control

Congressional Correspondence

Drug Enforcement Administration ‑ Bensinger

Drug Enforcement Administration ‑ General (1)‑(2)

Box 20 Drug Abuse Subject File

Drug Enforcement Magazine

Drug Review Task Force

‑ Clippings Supplied by the Drug Enforcement Administration

‑ General (1)‑(9)

Box 21 Drug Abuse Subject File

Drug Review Task Force

‑ General (10)‑(11)

‑ Membership

‑ Work Groups

Federal ‑ State Roles

International Narcotics Control (1)‑(3)

Legislation

Marihuana

Memoranda of Understanding Drug Enforcement Administration, Customs Service and Internal Revenue Service (1)

Box 22 Drug Abuse Subject File

Memoranda of Understanding Drug Enforcement Administration, Customs Service and Internal Revenue Service (2)

Message to Congress (1)‑(2)

Mexico (1)‑(4)

Miscellaneous (1)‑(3)

Box 23 Drug Abuse Subject File

National Institute on Drug Abuse

New York Drug Law Evaluation

Newspaper Clippings

Office for Drug Abuse Policy

Opium (1)‑(2)

President and Senior Administration Official Briefing

President ‑ Meetings

Presidential Proclamations on Drug Abuse

Gerald R. Ford Library

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