Ford, Gerald - Congressional Papers

INTRODUCTION

The Gerald R. Ford Congressional Papers were produced or accumulated by Ford and his staff during Ford's twenty-five years as a United States Representative from Michigan's Fifth Congressional District. The papers primarily document the information and constituent services provided by Ford, and his handling of legislative issues in the House. The largest portion dates from 1963, when the Ford office ceased disposing of most two year old materials from lack of storage space. The papers are arranged into sub-groups based largely on the original filing scheme of the Ford office.

The following sections summarize Gerald Ford's career in the house and the duties of his staff, and provide and overview of the papers and where related materials may be located.

Congressman Ford

Gerald R. Ford served Michigan's Fifth Congressional District in the House of Representatives from January 3, 1949 to December 6, 1973. The district comprised Kent and Ottawa Counties and, after redistricting in 1964, Kent and Ionia Counties. Redistricting in 1972 added portions of three adjacent Counties. Grand Rapids, a manufacturing center and the district's only large city, is surrounded by fruit, vegetable and dairy farmlands. Originally settled by Dutch and German immigrants, the Fifth District traditionally supports the Republican Party.

Ford was born July 14, 1913 in Omaha, Nebraska but was raised in Grand Rapids. He attended the University of Michigan and Yale University Law School before returning to Grand Rapids in 1941 to practice law with his friend, Philip Buchen. There he became associated with a group of Republicans, headed by W.B. "Doc" Ver Meulen, that challenged the local political organization of Republican party boss and mayor, Frank McKay. The Home Front, as the group called itself, sought to reform local politics by wresting power from the McKay machine. Although Ford enlisted in the United States Navy in 1942, he kept in touch with the increasingly successful Home Front organization.

Ford served 47 months on active duty, much of this time on the "USS Monterey." After the war he returned to Grand Rapids and joined the private law firm of Butterfield, Keeney and Amberg. He helped organize a veterans organization to deal with housing shortages and re‑established contacts with the Home Front, which had succeeded during the war in gaining control of the Kent County Republican Committee.

With their backing and the tacit support of Senator Arthur Vandenberg, Ford challenged incumbent Congressman Bartel J. Jonkman in the 1948 Republican primary. Jonkman's reelection bid was hampered by his isolationist position on foreign policy, local newspaper opposition and a special session of Congress that kept him in Washington that summer. Ford campaigned in support of the Marshall Plan and criticized Jonkman's record on veterans' affairs and local public works issues. With the encouragement of local labor organizations and the endorsement of both Grand Rapids newspapers, Ford defeated Jonkman in the September 15 primary and went on to win the general election on November 2. He continued to win reelection to the House without facing primary battles or serious challenges from Democratic opponents.

As a freshman member of the 81st Congress, Ford served on the Committee on Public Works, which reviewed legislation on federal construction projects. In 1951 he moved from Public Works into a newly vacated seat on the Committee on Appropriations, serving on the subcommittee which reviewed Defense Department appropriations.

In the House, Ford was a loyal Republican, who worked hard to build an expertise in appropriations matters. His own legislative initiatives consisted largely of public bills on matters of local or regional concern and private bills to aid individual constituents. He defined his career goal early, to become Speaker of the House, an opportunity that could only be achieved with long service and Republican success at the polls. As his responsibilities increased, Ford focused his legislative efforts primarily on national issues and, later, on Nixon administration programs.

During the Republican‑controlled 83rd Congress, he served as Chairman of the Army Panel of the Defense Appropriations Sub‑ committee. In 1953, he was appointed to the Foreign Operations Subcommittee, followed in 1956 by a seat on the special subcommittee which reviewed Central Intelligence Agency budget requests. From 1957 to 1958, Ford served on the select committee which drafted legislation creating the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

Ford was one member of a small group of congressmen, dubbed the "Young Turks," who challenged the traditional House Republican leadership. In 1958 they supported Charles Halleck's successful bid for Minority Leader. Michigan Republicans sponsored Ford as a favorite‑son candidate to balance the 1960 Republican Party ticket with old House colleague and long‑term political ally Richard Nixon. In 1963, Republican members elected Ford to replace Charles Hoeven as Chairman of the House Republican Conference.

From December 1963 to September 1964, Ford served as one of seven members of the Warren Commission, which investigated the assassination of President John Kennedy and the murder of his alleged assassin, Lee Harvey Oswald. He was aided in this work by three assistants, one of whom, former campaign manager John R. Stiles, helped Ford write a book about the Commission's findings Portrait of the Assassin, after the final report was published.

In January 1965, in a revolt against incumbent Charles Halleck, Republican Members of Congress elected Ford Minority Leader, ending his committee service. His new duties included assigning committee posts, organizing Republican legislative strategies, and proposing Republican Party alternatives to Johnson administration foreign and domestic policies. He also increased his already extensive speaking and fund‑raising efforts for congressional candidates. Until 1969 Ford joined Senator Everett Dirksen for periodic "Ev and Jerry Show" press conferences.

With Richard Nixon's 1969 inauguration, Ford's activities in behalf of the Republican Party continued. He supported and amplified administration legislative initiatives and traveled extensively. In 1970 he called for an investigation of Justice William O. Douglas' allegedly improper financial conduct as a member of the Supreme Court. Ford and fellow Congressman Hale Boggs traveled to the People's Republic of China in June 1972, four months after President Nixon's initial visit there.

In October 1973, with the Senate's Watergate investigation underway, Vice President Spiro Agnew resigned, minutes before entering a plea of nolo contendere before a Federal judge. On October 12 President Nixon selected Ford to be the 40th Vice President of the United States, initiating an investigation into his congressional career. Following extensive hearings, the Senate voted to confirm on November 22, with the House following suit on December 6. Chief Justice Warren Burger administered the oath of office before a joint session of Congress that evening.

Ford's Congressional Staff

During his early years in the House, Ford relied on a small staff of salaried assistants, volunteers, and interns in Washington and a part‑time volunteer to run a district office in Grand Rapids. As his responsibilities increased, Ford added staff assistants, tapped the resources of committee staffs and opened a permanent district office in Grand Rapids, while continuing to make use of interns and volunteers.

After his 1948 electoral victory, Ford hired John P. Milanowski, a lawyer and former speech instructor, as administrative assistant. In 1950 Mildred Leonard began working for Ford. Milanowski and Leonard established a file system, drafted Ford's correspondence with constituents and fellow Members of Congress, and directed routine daily operations. Milanowski helped draft press releases, newsletters, legislation and speeches, advised Ford on legislative strategy and helped him with his committee work. In addition to her initial administrative duties, Leonard answered Ford's personal correspondence and arranged his travel and speaking schedule. She remained on Ford's staff throughout his congressional career. Milanowski resigned in January 1955 to resume his private law practice in Grand Rapids and help organize a permanent district office. Frank Meyer, a high school teacher from Grand Haven, replaced him as administrative assistant.

Until Milanowski became district representative, a volunteer‑staffed home office served constituents and assisted Ford when he was in the area. After 1955 the district office assumed some of the constituent caseload, scheduled appointments during Ford's home visits, and represented him at local functions. The office also prepared routine press releases and managed the details of service academy appointments. Milanowski resigned this position in January 1969 to become United States Attorney for the Western District of Michigan. Gordon Vander Till replaced him.

With his election as House Minority Leader, Ford increased his staff. Josephine Wilson, in the office of the Minority Leader since 1956, assisted Ford with duties directly related to that position. These included coordinating Republican committee assignments and appointments to special boards and commissions, and providing assistance to Republican‑appointed employees of the House. Wilson remained on the staff throughout Ford's congressional career, and then joined the vice presidential office.

In 1965 Ford hired James R. Mudge of the Detroit Free Press to serve as press secretary, but a year later Paul Miltich, a reporter for Booth newspapers in Michigan, replaced him. Miltich prepared newsletters and statements, briefed Ford prior to fundraising and business trips and assisted him in drafting speeches. Prior to this time Ford's friend John Stiles or his administrative assistant had similar responsibilities.

Robert Hartmann, a former newspaperman from Los Angeles, joined Ford's staff in 1969 after serving as editor for the Republican Policy Committee. He advised Ford on general political issues, drafted correspondence on relatively sensitive political matters, and helped Ford or other staff members draft speeches and statements for Ford's use. He and Washington lawyer Benton Becker also coordinated Ford's investigation of Justice Douglas and gathered information for use during Ford's vice presidential confirmation hearings. Hartmann served him for the remainder of Ford's tenure in public office. Following Frank Meyer's death in 1972, Mildred Leonard became administrative assistant. At that time, Dorothy Downton, who

had joined the secretarial staff in 1967, assumed some of Leonard's previous duties. Both aides remained on Ford's staff after he became Vice President and President.

Following Ford's confirmation as Vice President on December 6, 1973, Vander Till organized an interim office with staff in Washington and Grand Rapids. Intended to provide constituent service until the election of Ford's successor, the Washington interim office closed in February 1974, while a small Grand Rapids office remained in place until the following December.

Ford's Congressional Papers

These material were produced or accumulated by Congressman Ford and his staff or sent to his office by government officials, constituents and the public. Until 1963 his staff routinely destroyed most of his papers every two years for lack of storage space. Included were virtually all general constituent correspondence and general information on legislative issues, and all or parts of other files determined to be of minimal administrative value. Information on particular long‑term constituent and legislative problems was preserved in a special file, as were certain files of more permanent reference value. As a result of these practices, the papers principally document Ford's official activities and interests, the duties of his staff and the concerns of his constituents after 1963. There are major exceptions, however, especially concerning Ford's public statements and legislative initiatives.

In 1964 the Michigan Historical Collections (MHC) at the University of Michigan sought and obtained a deposit agreement for Ford's congressional materials. Beginning in January 1965, these materials were periodically shipped to MHC for archival processing. None of the material, however, was made available for historical research pending further negotiations with Ford, who retained in his custody an additional quantity of files dating to 1949 as well as his active files. When Ford became Vice President and then President, these materials remained in Washington, DC.

On December 13, 1976, President Ford offered to the United States for deposit in a presidential library in Ann Arbor, Michigan, all of his presidential, vice presidential and congressional materials including those previously deposited with MHC. Ford's offer was accepted by the University of Michigan and the National Archives and Records Service. The MHC files were transferred into Ford Library custody in 1977, joining those congressional files which had been retained by Ford. All were then archivally processed under terms of the Ford letter of gift.

The Ford congressional papers are typical of those of many congressmen. Eighty percent of these files consist of general information on legislative issues and routine correspondence documenting the concerns of those constituents and others who needed Ford's help or wanted him to be aware of their views. This portion may be larger and more varied than similar collections mainly because Ford's role as Minority Leader gave him more visibility and broadened his range of interests.

The remainder of the files is particularly strong in documenting Ford's activity in drafting and voting on legislation throughout his congressional career; his 1948‑73 speeches, newsletters and other public statement; his service on the Warren Commission; and his activities on behalf of Republican candidates for public office and his own reelection campaigns.

Given the fragmentary nature of some of the pre‑1963 material, the papers contain very little material on Ford's work on congressional committees. The papers do not directly document Ford's personal activities as Minority Leader, such as dealing with colleagues and lobby groups, maneuvering for votes, and encouraging party cohesiveness. Materials on these and similar activities, which more often occurred face‑to‑face rather than on paper, are only scattered throughout the files.

For filing purposes, October 12, 1973, the date President Nixon nominated Ford as Vice President, was chosen by Ford's congressional staff as the end of the congressional period. Materials accumulated after this date were generally placed with the vice presidential papers, although some materials concerning office administration and correspondence on the Warren Commission were filed with the congressional papers.

Current arrangement reflects as nearly as can be determined the original organization. Most sub‑groups established during processing at MHC were maintained, with some changes and additions by Ford Library staff to accommodate new materials. Arrangement within each sub‑group reflects original organization to varying degrees, depending primarily upon the care with which the original file scheme had been conceived and maintained by the Ford office.

During processing at the Ford Library, stationery stocks, duplicate materials, and occasional series determined to be of no historical value, such as an unarranged body of crank mail known to the Ford office as "Fan Mail," were disposed of.

Related Materials (March 1980):

The holdings of the Ford Library include various groups of materials which complement the congressional papers. The papers of Robert Hartmann, long‑time Ford aide include around thirty feet of files covering his work on the Ford staff, 1966‑73. The Ford vice presidential papers overlap the congressional period in scope and content, particularly those dated in 1973. A set of scrapbooks spanning Ford's entire career in public office is maintained as a separate collection. Large quantities of books and other printed materials, museum objects and audiovisual materials, including still photographs, were transferred from the congressional papers to appropriate units within the Ford Library and Museum.

Transcripts from an oral history project focussing on Gerald Ford's early years including the 1948 campaign are available for research. The Grand Rapids Press for certain years of the congressional period is available on microfilm at the Ford Library. A vertical file of clippings, pamphlets and other miscellaneous material on Ford's career is also available.

The Michigan Historical Collections also maintains manuscript, audiovisual, and printed materials containing information on Gerald Ford and his career in public office. Included are the papers of Doc Ver Meulen, Paul Goebel, John Martin and Dorothy Judd, who were active on the Home Front in Kent County. Also on deposit are the papers John Stiles used in drafting Portrait of the Assassin, materials on Ford's Michigan colleagues in the House and Senate, and materials on national and Michigan political issues. Further information on these materials is available from the Director, Bentley Historical Library, University of Michigan, 1150 Beal Avenue, Ann Arbor, MI 48109.

List of Sub-Groups

A General and Case File, 1963-73. (190 linear feet)

Correspondence, notes, printed materials, clippings and other papers concerning Ford's political activities on behalf of the Republican Party, both national and local, and especially on his efforts to solve constituent problems.

B Legislative File, 1963-73. (262 linear feet)

Correspondence exchanged between Ford and Members of Congress or the public; pamphlets, bills, reports and other papers concerning legislation and other matters considered by the Congress.

C Control File. 1965-73. (29 linear feet)

An index to select files of the congressional papers, consisting of copies of outgoing correspondence, in six-month segments, arranged alphabetically by name of correspondent.

D Press Secretary and Speeches File, 1948-73. (47.6 linear feet)

Information on the public relations activities of Congressman Ford and on the functions and activities of the press secretary in preparing and distributing speeches, newsletters, press releases, magazine articles and similar materials.

E Warren Commission File, 1963-76. (17 linear feet)

Materials accumulated by Ford while serving on the Warren Commission, drafting a book about that experience, and answering inquiries about the Commission's conclusions.

F Bills and Voting Record File, 1949-73. (12 linear feet)

Case files of bills and resolutions sponsored or cosponsored by Ford, information on his voting record in the House, and miscellaneous reference materials on House procedures and activities.

G Campaign File, 1948-73. (14.8 linear feet)

Material on each of Ford's election campaigns, Fifth District election returns, redistricting in 1964, and Ford's use of a mobile office to contact his constituents.

H Committee File, 1948-54, 1959-65. (3.2 linear feet)

Correspondence, reports and other papers from Ford's service on the Committee on Public Works and fragmentary correspondence, notes, printed materials and subcommittee bill prints from his service on the Defense and Foreign Operations subcommittees of the Committee on Appropriations.

I Legislative Assistant (Josephine Wilson) File, 1965-73. (9.6 linear feet)

Routine correspondence and other papers concerning Republican-appointed employees of the House, and appointments of Republican Members of Congress to committees and special boards and commissions. A control file indexes outgoing correspondence.

J Special Files, 1948-73. (13.6 linear feet)

Information on Ford's handling of problems raised by individuals, businesses and local educational and governmental institutions, most spanning several years; and on many of Ford's more personal interests and activities.

K Fifth District Post Office File, 1949-73. (3.6 linear feet)

Correspondence and memoranda concerning Ford's role in local post office Matters, particularly job appointments and postal service problems.

L Grand Rapids Office File, 1960-74. (2.8 linear feet)

Miscellaneous papers on the administration of the Grand Rapids office and the interim district office, scholarship programs, and constituent case problems handled locally, including a card-index of correspondence sent to Washington.

M Washington Office File, 1949-74. (24.4 linear feet)

A composite of files, many routine in nature, concerning the administration of Ford's office, his official activities and his personal interests.

N Trip File, 1954-73. (9.8 linear feet)

Material on Ford's political, business and vacation trips.

O Invitations File, 1962-73. (25.2 linear feet)

Invitations to Ford from various local, national and international groups, including his notations on acceptances and regrets.

P Service Academy File, 1958-74. (7.5 linear feet)

Inquiries, applications, form letters, general academy information, and other materials on potential and selected candidates to United States service academies from Ford's congressional district.

Q Printed Materials, 1949-73. (230 linear feet)

Printed materials accumulated by Congressman Ford's office, including Appropriations Committee hearings and reports, the Congressional Record, federal budgets, Congressional Directory, "hand-out" publications for constituents, and other material.

R Robert T. Hartmann Files, 1965-73. (13.6 linear feet)

Hartmann assisted House Republicans, 1966‑69, as editor for the House Republican Conference and as Minority Sergeant‑at‑Arms. He then served Ford as Legislative Assistant. Relatively little material reflects his duties as Conference editor or Minority Sergeant‑at‑Arms. Of his work on Ford's staff, some subject areas are better documented than others, most notably the investigation of Supreme Court Justice William O. Douglas.

This file illustrates the public relations activities of Congressman Ford, especially as evidenced in his speeches, newsletters, press statements, magazine articles, interviews, and local radio broadcasts. The file likewise documents the functions of a press secretary in the preparation and distribution of such material and in related work.

GRF did not hire a press secretary until February 1965, shortly after becoming House Minority Leader. Prior to that time, responsibility for press relations and public statements was shared by GRF and his small staff, notably administrative assistant Frank Meyer. The first press secretary was James M. Mudge, formerly of the Grand Rapids Herald editorial staff 1949‑59, and Grand Rapids bureau chief for the Detroit Free Press 1959‑65. Mudge remained with Ford only until March 1966, leaving to become city‑county bureau chief of the Detroit Free Press. In November 1967, Mudge became press secretary to US Congressman Guy Vander Jagt of Michigan.

Paul Miltich succeeded Mudge and continued to serve Ford until March 1975, when he resigned as the President's Assistant Press Secretary. Miltich had been a reporter‑assistant city editor for the Saginaw News, 1946‑57, and Washington correspondent for Booth newspapers of Michigan, 1957‑66.

This file was created by combining the press secretary's files, which perforce dated only from 1965, with an older and overlapping collection of similar material dating from 1947. The character of much of this combined file is that of a reference file of Ford public statements. Although drafts, background material and related material are commonly interspersed, they are fragmentary in nature. Because of vagaries in the file system, those in search of particular items are advised to consult various series.

Compiled by Dennis M. Lakomy, August 1979

Described below are the series comprising Sub-Group D

D1‑D3 Newsletters, 1950-73. (1.2 linear feet)

"Your Washington Review" was Congressman Ford's newsletter, issued weekly during each session of Congress until April 1971, and thereafter at less frequent intervals. It was occasionally issued for the full calendar year. The first issue appeared in January 1949 and by January 1970 its mailing listhad grown to 25,000 names. At the front of this file is a table of contents for each newsletter, 1963‑73. Occasional related items are interspersed.

Arranged chronologically. View container list.

D4‑D5 Press Releases ‑ Chronological, 1964-73. (0.8 linear feet)

Two parts each chronologically arranged: a) Ford press releases and related materials, including drafts, handwritten corrections and notes, outlines and correspondence. b) Joint Senate‑House Republican Leadership press releases 1965-68, press release transcripts of Ford/Dirksen and Ford/Scott press conferences 1969‑72, and miscellaneous press releases issued jointly by Ford and others, 1965 and 1972. View container list.

D6‑D9 Press Releases ‑ Subject, 1965-73. (1.6 linear feet)

Press releases issued by Congressman Ford, the Republican Leadership of Congress, and Republican National Committee. Interfiled are a few related items such as miscellaneous press releases of others, Congressional Record reprints, and transcripts of Dirksen/Ford press conferences. Some additional press releases issued only by Ford's Grand Rapids office may be found in the Ford Congressional Papers Grand Rapids Office File.

Arranged alphabetically by subject. View container list.

D10‑D12 White House Press Releases, 1965-73. (1.2 linear feet)

White House press releases and some Senate and House documents, primarily presidential speeches, statements and messages to Congress. Miscellaneous related items are interspersed.

Arranged chronologically. View container list.

D12 Speech and Press Release Logs, 1948-73. (0.2 linear feet)

Logs listing date, location or occasion, and subject of Ford speeches, 1948‑73. Press release logs, 1965‑73, are also included.

Arranged chronologically. View container list.

D13‑D35 Speeches, 1948-73. (9.4 linear feet)

Ford speeches and public statements, primarily clean press release texts. Also included, especially for earlier years, are: handwritten and typed speech outlines, drafts and corrections; reading texts and cards; annotated press releases; and excerpts. One speech dates from 1947. Related and supporting materials appear occasionally, including correspondence, memoranda, programs, and background information. There are a very few references to John R. Stiles in 1951, Steven Hess in 1965, James Mudge in 1965, and to Paul Miltich as having reviewed or written some of these speeches. Note ‑ Phonograph and tape recordings of some broadcasts are among the Library's audiovisual holdings.

Arranged chronologically. View container list.

D35‑D36 Weekly Radio Reports, 1949-73. (0.8 linear feet)

Scripts of Ford radio tapes made for distribution to Fifth District radio stations, and some logs and correspondence relating to their distribution. Prepared weekly while Congress was in session, these scripts were suspended during election campaigns, 1966‑72, under the Federal Communications Act's equal time provisions. The scripts are finished texts, 1949‑52, and drafts and annotated texts, 1965‑73. No scripts have been located for the period February 1952 to March 1965. Interfiled are standardized radio‑television scripts prepared by the Republican Congressional Committee, 1965‑68. Note ‑ Phonograph and tape recordings of some broadcasts are among the Library's audiovisual holdings.

Arranged chronologically. View container list.

D37 Broadcasts, 1949-72. (0.2 linear feet)

Typed drafts, final copies, transcripts, and press releases of miscellaneous speeches, statements, campaign endorsements, promotional messages, and other audiovisual recordings made by Ford for radio, television, and film. Some items have handwritten corrections and additions. Related materials include occasional correspondence, background information, memoranda, and other miscellaneous items. References to James Mudge and Paul Miltich indicate that they prepared many of these broadcasts in whole or part. Note ‑ various Ford audiotapes, phonographs and films, including reports sent periodically to local television stations, are in the Library's audiovisual collection.

Arranged chronologically. View container list.

D37‑D38 Interviews, 1948-73. (0.5 linear feet)

Transcripts of interviews of Ford on Meet the Press, Issues and Answers, Face the Nation, From the People, Capitol Cloakroom, other radio and television programs, and in two publications. Occasional related material includes a Dirksen/Ford press conference interview, correspondence, and other items. Of note is a September 1948 interview, in which Ford tells why he has decided to run for Congress.

Arranged chronologically. View container list.

D38 Articles, 1952-73. (0.2 linear feet)

Arranged into three sections:

a) Finished copies of eight short articles by Ford for minor publications and very occasional related items. Arranged chronologically.

b) Drafts, background material, and related correspondence for a Fortune article, January 1965. Includes a handwritten draft and corrections by Ford.

c) Final carbon copies of "Your Washington Story," a column by Ford for Scuttlebutt, the American Legion's monthly Grand Rapids newsletter. Also includes occasional drafts, background information, and other supporting materials. Arranged chronologically. View container list.

D39‑D40 Chronological File, 1966-73. (0.8 linear feet)

Carbon copies of materials drafted or distributed by the press secretary, including Miltich and Ford correspondence, statements, Congressional Record remarks, Scuttlebutt articles, introductions, cutlines, and other miscellany. There is very little incoming correspondence and other related and supporting materials.

Arranged chronologically. View container list.

D41‑D47 Correspondence ‑ Ford, 1964-73. (2.8 linear feet)

Letters to Ford from the media; businesses and organizations; individual adults and children; and local, state, and Federal officials, offering opinions, and requesting information on a wide variety of subjects. Many have Ford's brief, handwritten comments to Mudge and Miltich outlining a reply. Almost all have a copy of a reply attached. Also included is some Ford initiated correspondence, such as congratulations, letters to the editor, and Christmas greetings to servicemen.

Arranged chronologically. View container list.

D48‑D49 Requests for Statements, 1965-72. (0.6 linear feet)

Requests to Ford from publications; political, business and civic groups; schools; and occasionally individuals, for statements, short articles, congratulations, answers to questionnaires, and similar matters. Many have Ford's brief, handwritten comments to Miltich on how to best reply. Almost all have a carbon copy of Ford's letter transmitting the requested item. Occasional related materials included.

Arranged chronologically. View container list.

D49 Statements, 1965-71. (0.2 linear feet)

Miscellaneous statements, remarks, tributes, announcements on office personnel changes, notices of federal grants, answers to questionnaires, and occasional similar items, all prepared by the press secretary, with infrequent background material. Apparently not meant for general distribution, but for use in the Fifth District; for specific groups, publications, or events; and in the Congressional Record.

Arranged chronologically. View container list.

D50‑D54 Fifth District Affairs, 1969-73. (2.0 linear feet)

Material concerning Fifth District matters used or prepared by the press secretary for reference, publicity, or in handling correspondence. Included are letters; printed materials, including newsletters, reports, brochures, press releases, bills, and newspaper clippings; handwritten and typed notes; staff memoranda; and drafts of press releases. A major subject is the constituent public opinion questionnaire, with information on its preparation, distribution, tabulation, and response.

Arranged alphabetically by subject, thereunder unarranged within each folder. View container list.

D55 Individuals, 1966-69. (0.4 linear feet)

A reference file of newspaper clippings, brochures, press releases, occasional speeches, and other printed and supporting materials on prominent individuals (Nixon, Humphrey, Haynsworth, etc.).

Arranged alphabetically by surname. View container list.

D56‑D57 Miscellaneous Subject File, 1966-73. (0.8 linear feet)

Miscellaneous items relating to the functions and information needs of the press secretary, including correspondence, schedules, bills, newspaper clippings, speech cards, and other materials.

Arranged alphabetically by subject. View container list.

D58‑D119 Reference Materials, 1965-72. (24.8 linear feet)

Newsletters, newspaper clippings, press releases, booklets, speeches, reports, and other printed materials maintained by the press secretary for reference in drafting speeches, statements, and correspondence. Appearing occasionally are related letters of transmittal, other correspondence, handwritten and typed notes, and miscellaneous materials.

Arranged alphabetically by subject and unarranged within each folder. View container list.

E1‑E42 Warren Commission File, 1963-76. (16.8 linear feet)

On November 29, 1963, President Lyndon Johnson signed Executive Order 11130 appointing a commission of seven, including Congressman Ford, to investigate the deaths of President John F. Kennedy and Lee Harvey Oswald. From December 1963 to September 1964, the President's Commission on the Assassination of President Kennedy (Warren Commission) and its 26 member staff met in executive session and received sworn testimony from over 500 witnesses and experts. In September 1964, the Commission published both a final report and 26 volumes of hearings and selected evidence, ultimately depositing all accumulated evidence, exhibits and other records in the National Archives as Record Group 272 for storage and eventual release to the public.

To enable him to carry out his duties and to maintain a certain degree of autonomy from the Commission, Ford hired three consultants. Francis X. Fallon, a law student at Harvard and later attorney in Grand Rapids, John H. Ray, Former Congressman from New York, and John R. Stiles, former Ford campaign manager and close personal friend, had the same access to depositions, testimony and supporting materials as the staff of the Commission. This trio advised Ford on the particulars of cross‑examination, reviewed and condensed testimony, posed questions for future witnesses, and offered their prepared responses to correspondence from the public on the Warren Commission. Jack Stiles continued to handle queries for the remainder of Ford's Congressional career.

Following the publication of the Report, Stiles and Ford collaborated on a book, titled Portrait of the Assassin, summarizing the Commission's investigation of Oswald's personality. The materials Stiles used to draft the book are located in the Bentley Library. GRF also published articles in Life magazine and California Magazine recounting his experiences on the Commission.

This collection consists primarily of copies of exhibits, reports, proceedings and depositions sent to Ford for his use during the Commission's investigation. The original texts, along with extensive supporting materials are part of NARA Record Group 272. Other materials are unique, including personal notes and drafts, correspondence and Ford's writings about the work of the Commission.

The collection was assembled from scattered segments accumulated by Congressman Ford's office and forwarded to the Bentley Library. Large segments were sent in July 1967 and April 1971, along with yearly installments of related correspondence, articles and other papers originally placed in the "Legislative" series of the Congressional papers. During processing at the Ford Library, additional material, dated 1972‑76, was added from the "Special Files" Congressional series. Current arrangement is based on the Bentley Library arrangement with minor changes.

Compiled by Paul Conway, October 1978

Described below are the series comprising Sub-Group E

E1‑E4 Papers Concerning the Work of the Warren Commission, 1963-64. (1.6 linear feet)

Commission Exhibits, Commission Documents and other materials received by GRF; memoranda, notes, clippings, correspondence and other papers accumulated by or produced by GRF in connection with his service on the Commission. The numbered Commission Exhibits published in the 26 volumes of evidence, Commission Documents produced by Federal agencies assisting the Commission, meeting agenda and other records accumulated by the Commission are duplicates of materials in NARA Record Group 272. The remaining material, much of it handwritten and unique to this file, generally relates to Ford's efforts to organize the various strands of testimony and efforts by his consultants to condense the testimony of witnesses, monitor the progress of the Commission and criticize drafts of the final report. Although the series appears to be a complete collection during his service, it does not fully record Ford's activities on the Commission nor detail his participation in the decision‑making process.

The material is arranged in two consecutive sequences: (1) miscellaneous papers in chronological order, (2) groups of records arranged alphabetically by subject. View container list.

E5‑E13 Warren Commission Proceedings, 1964. (3.6 linear feet)

Ford's copies of transcripts of executive sessions of the commissioners and testimony of principal witnesses before a quorum of Commissioners and the General Counsel. Included are open sessions of the Commission during which testimony of Mark Lane, attorney for Lee Harvey Oswald's mother was heard (March 4 and July 2), and transcripts of executive sessions of January 21 (volume 4), February 24 (volume 16), March 16 (volume 24B), April 30 (volume 40), May 19 (volume 45), June 4 (volume 46), and June 23 (volume 55). The remainder are closed sessions of testimony. Volumes 1‑3,5,6 and 57 were not received by the Ford Library. Some volumes contain passages highlighted by Stiles and Ray for use in advising GRF or documenting passages in Portrait of the Assassin. Name indexes, including one prepared at the Bentley Library, are placed at the beginning of the series.

Transcripts of testimony and executive session are numbered consecutively and arranged chronologically by date of the proceeding. View container list.

E14‑E32 Warren Commission Depositions, 1964. (7.6 linear feet)

Ford's copies of transcripts of sworn testimony delivered before staff members of the Commission, usually in Dallas or New Orleans, but also in San Francisco and Washington, D.C., among other cities. Most witnesses were of secondary concern to the investigation, but occasionally follow‑up interviews or testimony in connection with the proceedings were recorded. Some volumes were marked in pencil by Stiles or Ford and some handwritten notes were attached, apparently in connection with the writing of Portrait of the Assassin. The notes highlight information emphasized in the book or discrepancies between testimony printed in these copies and the same testimony published in the 26 volume Hearings. Name indexes, including one prepared at the Bentley Library, are placed at the beginning of the series.

Arranged numerically by volume number. View container list.

E32‑E35 Drafts and Galley Proofs of the Warren Commission Report, 1964. (1.4 linear feet)

Portions of the Report dated from June to September, some of which are labeled "Draft", "Third Draft", "Proposed Final Draft", or "Final Draft"; and printer's galley proofs of certain chapters and appendices of the Report, containing editorial revisions.

Drafts and proofs are arranged numerically in separate sequences by chapter or appendix number. View container list.

E36‑E37 General Correspondence Concerning the Warren Commission, 1963-76. (0.8 linear feet)

Letters received from Ford's advisers, Commission staff members, Congressmen, interested citizens, and students offering suggestions and theories, criticizing the scope and progress of the commission, or requesting information for term papers or publications. Although correspondence from Stiles, Ray and Commission staff members was constructive, correspondence from the public was generally critical and not answered by the Ford office. After 1967, most letters concerning Ford's role in the Commission were answered by form letter.

Arranged chronologically. View container list.

E38‑E39 Papers Concerning the Publications of Gerald Ford on the Warren Commission, 1964-67. (0.6 linear feet)

Correspondence, drafts and completed typescript for California Magazine; draft article for Life magazine; correspondence concerning gift copies and distribution of the Commission Report; correspondence concerning gift copies for Republican congressmen and other papers related to the writing of Portrait of the Assassin.

Arranged alphabetically by subject. View container list.

E39‑E41 Magazines and Newspapers on the Warren Commission, 1963-73. (1.0 linear feet)

The series includes newspaper clippings, articles and complete publications, in separate sequences, on the Kennedy and Oswald assassinations and the work of the commission.

Arranged chronologically. View container list.

E42 Warren Commission ‑ Miscellanea, 1961-72. (0.4 linear feet)

A miscellany of books, pamphlets, reports and journals containing articles or sections on the conclusions of the Commission, marked in pencil by Stiles or Ray with marginalia.

Unarranged. View container list.

F1‑F29 Bills and Voting Record File, 1949-73. (11.6 linear feet)

Administrative Assistant John Milanowski, who assisted Gerald Ford in his first congressional campaign, maintained case files and lists of bills and resolutions sponsored by Ford from 1949. Frank Meyer, who succeeded Milanowski in 1957, expanded the collection by including files of bills and resolutions that GRF co‑sponsored. These case files document Ford's concern for the private relief of individual constituents and public legislation on behalf of a variety of interests. Examples of the latter are public works, tax and tariff reform measures of local interest, and Great Lakes development and agricultural reform measures of primarily regional concern. As Minority Leader, Ford more frequently introduced legislation of national import, such as the 18 year old vote, pollution, health and safety measures, and voting rights guarantees. After Richard Nixon's inauguration as President in 1969, Ford additionally sponsored legislation in support of administration policies.

The case files are complete or nearly so for bills sponsored from 1949 or co‑sponsored from 1957; and for resolutions sponsored from 1949 or co‑sponsored from 1969, (with the exception of an unexplained gap 1959‑62). Type and quality of case file documentation varies but often include: urgings of constituents and others, bill or resolution texts, comments from federal agencies and departments, and supporting information on the purported necessity or effect of the measure. Documentation is generally sparse, however, for legislation introduced solely for the record in support of Nixon administration policies.

Milanowski and Meyer also accumulated information on Ford's voting record in Congress and miscellaneous reference materials related to House legislative activities, 1951‑73. During archival processing personalized voting record digests, provided Ford by the Clerk of the House, were added to these materials.

Compiled by Paul Conway, July 1978

Described below are the series comprising Sub-Group F

F1 Legislation Rosters, 1949-73. (0.3 linear feet)

Two sets of rosters of bills and resolutions sponsored or co-sponsored by Ford, arranged by Congress and thereunder by enrollment number. The first set, prepared on small ring binder sheets and complete for the 85th‑93rd congresses (1957‑73), indicates action taken and, if enacted, date and public law number. The second set, spanning the 81st‑93rd Congresses (1949-73) but with the 84th Congress (1955‑1956) missing, simply indicates date of enrollment and title of measure. View container list.

F2‑F20 Ford Bills, 1949-73. (8 linear feet)

Case files of private relief and public bills sponsored by Ford and, after 1957, those co‑sponsored by him, including: committee reports, enrolled texts, newspaper clippings, handwritten notes, office memoranda, and correspondence with colleagues, federal officials, constituents, and others. A "general" folder precedes the case files for each Congress and contains miscellaneous items and a master list of Ford bills.

Arranged by Congress and thereunder by bill number with separate sequences for sponsored and co‑sponsored bills. View container list.

F21‑F22 Ford Resolutions, 1949-73. (0.8 linear feet)

House Resolutions, House Joint Resolutions and House Concurrent Resolutions introduced by Ford alone and, after 1968, with others. Case files contain copies of enrolled measures, occasional correspondence or related material and the enacted legislation, if applicable. The purpose of most resolutions was to confirm committee appointments or to place the Congress on the record concerning Administration policies.

Arranged by Congress and thereunder by resolution number, with separate sequences for sponsored and co‑sponsored measures. View container list.

F23‑F24 Ford Voting Record, 1949-73. (0.8 linear feet)

Printed materials related to Ford's voting record in Congress, including a library of Congress analysis of Congressman Ford's overall voting record, prepared in 1973 in conjunction with his Vice Presidential confirmation hearings; pages of the Congressional Record with voting and attendance record summaries; and personalized voting record digests provided by the Clerk of the House. After 1971, the Clerk shifted from manually tabulated summaries to a computerized tabulation system for greater detail and accuracy.

Arranged chronologically. View container list.

F25‑F29 Reference Materials, 1951-73. (2 linear feet)

Miscellaneous and fragmentary reference materials, including: the subject indexed Calendar of the House of Representatives (1951-73); and, for 1969‑73 or portions thereof, Minority Leader form letters, Rules and Policy Committee Circulars, published committee reports, Whip notices, and News Digest and Legislative Digest reprints.

Arranged alphabetically by subject and thereunder chronologically. View container list.

G1‑G37 Campaign Files, 1948-74. (14.8 linear feet)

Materials relating to Gerald R. Ford's thirteen biennial congressional campaigns from 1948 through 1972 were maintained as a separate file. Because of the need to consult these materials in succeeding campaigns, campaign files were saved when other files were discarded. Although there is little surviving material from the first few campaigns, by 1956 the files are fairly complete and representative of those of later years.

The campaign files include the following series: Campaign Series, 1948‑74; Voting Statistics, 1920‑72; Michigan Redistricting, 1961-64; General Voting Information, 1952‑72; and the Mobile Office File, 1955‑73. The mobile office, used for annual tours of the Fifth District, was an innovative method used by Congressman Ford to more effectively reach and serve his constituents.

Approximately three linear feet of early campaign material had been previously turned over to the Bentley Library, where it was arranged and place in new folders. This material was turned over to the Gerald R. Ford Library, and accessioned on September 12, 1977. Additional campaign files arrived at NLF in January 1977 with the bulk of historical materials donated to the United States by President Gerald R. Ford. The papers arriving from Washington were contained in manila envelopes. Although the envelopes were often labeled and grouped roughly by campaign year, there was little over‑all arrangement, and none within the envelopes. Whenever possible, the file designations devised by the Ford staff have been retained, despite inconsistencies from year to year, usually with no obvious explanation. Several categories which might be expected to contain large quantities of material, such as chron files and schedules, rarely include more than a few items.

Although much of this material is repetitious and low‑level in nature, the files are of value in documenting Ford's many successful congressional campaigns and his relationships with loyal constituents who supported him with their time and financial contributions year after year. It is also interesting to note the increasing sophistication and expense of political campaigns as evidenced by the files. In the 1948 campaign Ford's largest single expenditure was for postage stamps. Later campaigns show extensive use of expensive television time and added emphasis on marketing the candidate's "image" through use of advertising techniques. Several campaign years are of special interest, such as the 1960 Ford for Vice‑President drive. Although there was no significant impact on Ford's winning vote percentages, correspondence in 1970-72 reflects the growing peace movement and disaffection with the Republican Administration. The 1970 files also contain material concerning the controversial James R. Polk article on Ford's alleged failure to report all campaign contributions.

Less than 1% of this file has been closed under donor restrictions. A large quantity of campaign memorabilia has been turned over to the Gerald R. Ford Museum collection; campaign tapes and photographs have been turned over to the audio‑visual collection. Approximately one linear foot of material (duplicates, catalogues, and miscellaneous samples of campaign hand‑outs) has been removed from the collection for disposal.

Compiled by Marlee Horrocks, July 1978

Described below are the series comprising Sub-Group G

G1‑G23 Campaign Series, 1948-74. (9.2 linear feet)

Correspondence, election filing forms, campaign finance information (checks, bank statements, receipts, Statements of Nomination and Election Expenses), nominating petitions with accompanying tally sheets and check lists, speech material, press releases, radio and television scripts, campaign brochures, memorabilia, audiovisual items, newsletters, publication, precinct maps, and other miscellaneous materials relating to Gerald R. Ford's congressional campaigns, 1948‑72. The few items post‑dating 1972 relate to termination of the Friends of Jerry Ford Committee.

Arranged chronologically by campaign year and thereunder alphabetically by subject. View container list.

G23‑G30 Voting Statistics, 1948-72. (2.8 linear feet)

Correspondence, election returns, computer print‑outs, maps, charts, various statistical analyses of election returns (primarily Michigan, but other states are included), publications and news clippings.

The bulk of the material is arranged chronologically; miscellaneous items are arranged by city and ward or county. View container list.

G30‑G32 Michigan Redistricting, 1961-64. (0.8 linear feet)

Correspondence, notes, bills, maps, charts, and news clippings relating to Michigan's reapportionment as a result of the 18th Decennial Census, by which Michigan gained a seat in Congress. As a result of this redistricting, Ford's Fifth District lost Ottawa County and gained Ionia County. Kent County was retained.

Arranged chronologically. View container list.

G32‑G33 General Voting Information, 1952-72. (0.6 linear feet)

Miscellaneous publications relating to such matters as political activities; campaign expenditures; and election instructions, laws, and statistics. Much of this material belonged to Frank Meyer, who served as Ford's Administrative Assistant 1955‑72.

Arranged somewhat chronologically. View container list.

G34‑G37 Mobile Office File, 1955-73. (1.6 linear feet)

Correspondence (primarily invitations, thank you letters, arrangements to park the trailer, etc.) schedules, visitors' registers, press releases and newspaper clippings relating to Ford's use of a mobile home as a traveling "office" to reach constituents throughout his district.

Arranged chronologically and thereunder by such file categories as correspondence, notes, schedules, etc. An unexplained gap exists between 1962 and 1968. View container list.

H1‑H8 Committee File, 1948-65. (3.2 linear feet)

Personal copies of draft appropriations bill prints from the Defense Subcommittee and the Foreign Operations Subcommittee of the Appropriations Committee, containing GRF's marginal comments; and related circulars, notes and charts attached or loosely interfiled. Included as a separate sequence are general circulars, memoranda, charts and other papers used by the subcommittees in modifying draft appropriations bills; and some notes by GRF, correspondence and memoranda addressed to Ford on specific appropriations matters. Much of this latter sequence originally had been interfiled in the subcommittee bill prints, but was separated for ease of storage.

Both sequences are arranged chronologically and thereunder alphabetically by topic. View container list.

I1‑I24 Legislative Assistant (Josephine Wilson) Files, 1965-73. (9.6 linear feet)

Josephine E. Wilson served on the staff of the House Minority Leader as a legislative assistant from 1956 to 1973, under Joseph W. Martin, Charles A. Halleck, and Gerald R. Ford. In 1973, Ms. Wilson moved to the Office of the Vice President as legislative secretary in charge of monitoring House activities.

The files herein described reflect three principal duties assigned Ms. Wilson as legislative assistant, 1965‑73:

1). Clerk of the Republican Committee on Committees, which made all committee assignments of House Republicans;

2). Administrative assistant relating to the appointment of Republican Congressmen to special boards, committees, and commissions and international study groups;

3). Assistant with clerical and administrative duties relating to Republican‑appointed employees of the House.

Material concerning Wilson's duties in the Office of the Vice President will be found in the files of Walter Mote, Assistant to the President of the Senate, in the Ford Vice Presidential Papers.

Compiled by William McNitt, April 1979

Described below are the series comprising Sub-Group I

I1‑I2 Control File, 1965-73. (0.8 linear feet)

An index to the other series, consisting of carbon copies of letters signed by Ms. Wilson or drafted by her for GRF. Each item indicates file location of the complete correspondence.

Arranged alphabetically by name. View container list.

I3‑I12 Republican Committee on Committees File, 1965-73. (4 linear feet)

Routine correspondence, lists of committee assignments, minutes of meetings, and resolutions relating to committee assignments of House Republicans.

Arranged by Congress and thereunder by subject. View container list.

I13‑I19 Board Commission and Conference Appointments File, 1965-73. (2.8 linear feet)

Routine correspondence with Congressmen asking to be appointed to special boards, commissions, joint and special committees, and international conference groups. Many files contain copies of the enabling legislation.

Arranged alphabetically by name of board or commission. View container list.

I20‑I24 Republican Employees File, 1965-73. (2 linear feet)

Correspondence, job applications, resumes, and personnel files concerning Republican appointed employees of the House such as pages, members of the Capitol police force and employees of the several offices serving the House.

Arranged alphabetically. View container list.

J1‑J34 Special Files, 1948-73. (13.6 linear feet)

Special Files appear to be files maintained on topics of particular concern to Ford professionally and personally. Included are correspondence from the major industries, local governments, and colleges in the district about their problems and Ford's efforts to help them. There are also individual case files similar to those in the General and Case File but those in Special Files seem to concern problems of unusual complexity or duration. Many of the topics are subjects related to the welfare of the Fifth District such as Grand Rive Flood Control, the Great Lakes, or Poverty in the Fifth District. Other subjects reflect Ford's more personal concerns and activities such as selecting and mailing Christmas cards or furnishing his Grand Rapids office. Correspondence from personal friends is also included in Special Files. Because of Ford's continuing interest in these subjects, most of the files in Special Files span several years. Unlike the General and Case Files, which until 1964 were destroyed after two years because of lack of storage space, Special Files were retained indefinitely, although there is very little Special Files material from the period prior to the mid‑1950's.

The files contain correspondence, handwritten notes, draft letters, memoranda, reports, surveys, minutes, charts, bills and receipts, lists, newsletters, newspaper clippings, Congressional documents, printed material, and photographs.

Arranged alphabetically by subject and thereunder chronologically.

Compiled by Dennis Daellenbach, February 1979. View container list.

K1‑K9 Fifth District Post Office File, 1949-73. (3.6 linear feet)

Correspondence and memoranda relating to appointments, job endorsements, maintenance, repair, and construction of buildings, and complaints about service, all in the Fifth Congressional District. Much of the file relates to the appointments of post office personnel. Generally GRF assumed a substantial role in appointments, an activity he shared with local party organizations. For post office appointments in Ottawa and Ionia Counties, GRF solicited the advice of the county GOP executive committee. In Kent, he received recommendations from a Post Office Advisory Committee, chaired by John R. Stiles.

The Kent County file runs from 1949 to 1973, the Ottawa County file begins in 1949 and terminates in 1964, the year Ottawa County was transferred to the Ninth Congressional District. Material relating to Ionia County runs from 1965‑1973. An earlier Ionia County file, (1953‑1964), from this series is on loan to the Bentley Historical Library. This file, 0.5 linear feet, does not contain information on GRF, but it does relate to Congressman Alvin Bentley, whose archival collection is among the holdings of the Bentley Library.

Series arranged by county, thereunder by town or village and thereunder chronologically.

Compiled by Dennis Lakomy, May 1979. View container list.

L1‑L9 Grand Rapids Office File, 1960-74. (3.6 linear feet)

The Grand Rapids staff assumed much of the constituent caseload as well as providing assistance to the Washington Office. Additionally, the Grand Rapids district office handled scheduling for GRF's home visits, represented the Congressman at local functions, prepared routine press releases, and managed the details of scholarship programs and service academy appointments.

Correspondence, memoranda, reports, form letters, and publications concerning personal matters (such as the summer camp his sons attended), miscellaneous official activities (such as Ford's trip to the Far East), or office administration (such as the office file manual). This is an artificially constituted series of scattered folders grouped by the Ford Library staff and including some pre‑1963 fragments of the General and Case File or the Legislative File. Also included is some Betty Ford correspondence with journalists, politicians, and wives of other Congressmen concerning arrangements for luncheons and projects of Committee of Congressional Wives and other groups.

Arranged alphabetically by subject.

M21‑M22 Sympathy Notes Received on Parents' Deaths, 1962-67. (0.6 linear feet)

Condolences received by Ford from friends, constituents, and colleagues after the deaths of his step‑father Gerald R. Ford Sr. in 1962 and his mother Dorothy G. Ford in 1967.

Arranged by decedent and thereunder chronologically.

M22‑M23 Reports on the Status of Major Legislation, 1969-71. (0.6 linear feet)

Routine weekly reports sent to Ford by the White House Congressional Liaison Office showing the status of Nixon Administration bills and likely future action.

Arranged chronologically.

M24 Speech Material File, 1959-64. (0.4 linear feet)

Newspaper clippings, magazine articles, press releases, publications, and reports on the budget, federal aid to education, and school prayer. After 1965 such reference files were maintained by Ford's press secretary.

Arranged alphabetically by subject.

M25 Republican Policy Committee Memos on Committee Action, 1973. (0.4 linear feet)

Routine weekly summaries of the activities of House standing committees submitted by committee staff members to the Republican Policy Committee.

Arranged alphabetically by committee name.

M26 Personnel File, 1957-72. (0.4 linear feet)

Correspondence, resumes, and personnel action forms for members of the Ford staff who left his employ between 1957 and October 12, 1973; and calendars showing vacations taken by staff members, 1966‑72.

Arranged alphabetically by subject.

M27‑M29 Suspense File, 1971-74. (1.2 linear feet)

Constituent casework such as appears in the General and Case File for cases opened prior to Ford's nomination as Vice President (October 12, 1973) and still pending at the time of his confirmation (December 6, 1973).

Arranged alphabetically by name of constituent.

M30‑M38 Visa Case File, 1965-73. (3.6 linear feet)

Correspondence with constituents who wished to obtain U.S. visas for friends and relatives overseas and occasional letters from American citizens desiring visas to foreign countries. This series was maintained by Esther Dukov, a secretary in the Washington office. Included is the Dr. Albert Buytendorp case, which was the subject of scrutiny during the hearings on Ford's confirmation as Vice President.

Arranged alphabetically by the name of the person for whom the visa was desired.

M39‑M42 Ford Personal Finances, 1956-70. (1.6 linear feet)

Correspondence, receipts, canceled checks, and bank statements concerning household expenses, insurance policies, the Gerald R. Ford Attorney Account and the Fifth District Account. These two accounts were personal checking accounts that Ford used to pay miscellaneous personal expenses.

Arranged alphabetically by subject.

M43‑M45 Rospatch Corporation File, 1964-73. (1.2 linear feet)

Correspondence, minutes of the board of directors' and annual meetings, balance sheets, press releases, and financial statements of the Rospatch Corporation of Grand Rapids, makers of labels for clothing manufacturers and retailers. Ford served on the board of directors June 1964 ‑ November 1973.

Arranged chronologically.

M46‑M53 Newsletter Mailing List, 1973. (2.4 linear feet)

Card file showing names and addresses of all persons receiving Ford's newsletter.

Arranged by geographical areas and thereunder alphabetically by name.

M64‑M73 Office Accounts File, 1954-74. (4 linear feet)

"I was responsible for almost everything unrelated to Ford's role as Representative of the Fifth District of Michigan. I did the staff work connected with his role as Minority Leader. When the House was in session I was usually within beckoning range, sometimes acted as lookout when he was off the floor. I carried confidential messages to and from other Republican members and their aides, with my Democratic counterparts in the Speaker's and Majority Leader's offices. People got to me when they couldn't get to Ford, or didn't want to bother him, to relay their concerns...

I was go‑between with the Senate leadership, the Republican National Committee, Governors' Association and Congressional campaign staffs. When Nixon was nominated I was at Permanent Chairman Ford's side on the convention podium. I represented him in Inaugural arrangements and became his liaison with White House and Executive departments. I pushed Ford's requests and helped Nixon's lobbyists ‑ Harlow, Timmons and others ‑ push Administration programs in the House."

Hartmann's files document his diverse duties, but in an uneven and fragmentary fashion. Relatively little material reflects his duties as House Republican Conference editor or Minority Sergeant-at‑Arms. Of his work on Ford's staff, some subject areas are better documented than others, most notably the investigation of Supreme Court Justice William O. Douglas. In contrast the subject file is primarily from 1973 and the chronological correspondence file largely omits 1970.

Hartmann kept these files until the end of the Ford presidency. He then relinquished this material, along with his vice presidential and White House files, to the Ford Library under the Ford deed of gift. Hartmann also donated a collection of his personal papers to the Ford Library in 1992.

Described below are the series comprising Sub-Group R

R1‑R6 Appointments and Job File, 1969-73. (2.5 linear feet)

Material concerning Ford's and Hartmann's involvement in efforts by or on behalf of constituents, political colleagues, and others to secure positions in the Federal government, often Presidential appointments. Types of material include: requests for and letters of recommendation from Ford and others; resumes; agency acknowledgments of forwarded material; brief records of telephone calls; White House courtesy clearances with Ford of appointments; and miscellaneous other memoranda and notes. Many items were annotated by Ford.

Arranged alphabetically by name of job candidate, boxes 1‑5. Additional material arranged by subject in box 6. View container list.

R7 Business Luncheons File, 1965-73. (0.4 linear feet)

Invitations, arrangement plans, thank‑yous, guest lists, guest books, calendars, brochures, press releases and occasional meeting notes concerning informal business luncheons at the Capitol hosted by Ford in his capacity as House Minority Leader. Begun in 1965, the luncheons were held in an effort to establish better communications between the Republican Party and leaders from business, labor, professional, academic, and civic constituencies. Hartmann's secretary Neta Messersmith made many of the luncheon arrangements and apparently maintained the file.

Arranged chronologically. View container list.

R8‑R11 Chronological Correspondence File, 1966-73. (1.5 linear feet)

Incoming and outgoing correspondence, mostly routine, handled by Hartmann for Ford on a wide variety of subjects such as: political concerns, campaigns, and contributions; Ford's public statements: the Vietnam War; revenue‑sharing; legislation; congressional housekeeping such as office supplies, telephones, parking permits; job applications; letters of congratulations or condolence; get-well messages; and information requests. Only three 1970 items are included.

Arranged chronologically. A set of cross‑references arranged alphabetically by correspondent is in box 11. View container list.

R12‑R18 Justice William O. Douglas Investigation, 1969-73. (3 linear feet)

Correspondence with committee members, officials, and the general public; newsclippings; publications; press releases; background information; and miscellaneous notes and legal opinions concerning the investigation of Supreme Court Justice Douglas by Ford and the Celler Special Subcommittee.

Arranged alphabetically by subject. View container list.

R19‑R34 Subject File, 1965-73. (6.7 linear feet)

Correspondence, agendas, form letters, circulars, occasional notes, news releases, committee prints, and publications concerning miscellaneous House affairs, current and proposed legislation, Republican congressional matters, and disparate other topics. Primarily 1973 but with some earlier items.

Arranged alphabetically by subject. View container list.

Gerald R. Ford Library

1000 Beal Avenue, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-2114