Gerald R. Ford Library 1000 Beal Avenue, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-2114 www.fordlibrarymuseum.gov

Presidential Personnel Office

BRADLEY H. PATTERSON, JR.

Special Assistant for Native American Programs:

Files, (1973) 1974-76

SUMMARY DESCRIPTION

Materials from Patterson's work on legislation and policies concerning Native Americans, and his work as a White House liaison between Federal officials and tribal organizations. Patterson's files from his work as Assistant Director of Operations, White House Personnel Office, will be described separately in the finding aid for the records of that office.

QUANTITY

2.2 linear feet (ca. 4400 pages)

DONOR

Gerald R. Ford (accession number 77-107)

ACCESS

Open. Some items may be temporarily restricted under terms of the donor's deed of gift, a copy of which is available on request, or under National Archives and Records Administration general restrictions (36 CFR 1256).

COPYRIGHT

Mr. Ford has donated to the United States of America his copyrights in all of his unpublished writings in National Archives collections. The copyrights to materials written by other individuals or organizations are presumed to remain with them. Works prepared by U.S. Government employees as part of their official duties are in the public domain.

Prepared by Prepared by Paul Conway, June 1983; Revised by William McNitt, August 1994

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BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION

Bradley H. Patterson, Jr.

1921 Born, Newton, Massachusetts

1939‑43 Student, University of Chicago (A.B., A.M.)

1943‑45 Teacher, Cranbrook School for Boys, Bloomfield Hills, Michigan

1945‑54 Various positions, Department of State

1954‑61 Assistant Secretary to the Cabinet, White House

1961 Management Analyst, Bureau of Budget

1961‑62 Executive Secretary, Peace Corps

1962‑66 National Security Affairs Adviser, Department of the Treasury

1966‑67 Executive Director, National Advisory Commission on Selective Service

1967‑69 Executive Director, National Advisory Council on Economic Opportunity

1969‑74 Executive Assistant, Special Consultant to the President (Leonard Garment), White House

October 1974 Assistant for Staff Coordination, First Lady's Staff, White House

1974‑76 Assistant Director for Operations, Presidential Personnel Office, White House

Aug. 1976-Jan. 1977 Special Assistant to the President for Native American Programs, White House

1977‑ Brookings Institution

INTRODUCTION

Bradley Patterson served throughout the Nixon and Ford administrations in a variety of positions, most notably as the White House official closely monitoring the concerns of Native Americans from 1969 to 1974 and again in 1976. The files described here consist of correspondence and memoranda generated or accumulated by Patterson in 1976 as Special Assistant to the President for Native American Programs, and Patterson's correspondence on Indian issues from 1974. Patterson served on the staff of the Presidential Personnel Office from 1974 to 1977 and his files from that work will be described in the finding aid for the files of that office (under the heading "Operations Office").

Patterson's Ford administration service capped a long and distinguished government career that began in the Department of State and included White House duties under three presidents. He first became acquainted with Native American programs as assistant to Leonard Garment, who coordinated special interest group input in the Nixon White House. Garment and Patterson were primarily responsible for drafting President Nixon's 1970 message establishing tribal self‑determination as basic federal policy. This statement and resulting legislation were direct successors to New Deal policy and a repudiation of federal policy of the 1950's and 1960's. Federal reform efforts culminated with the passage of the Indian Self‑Determination Act that President Ford signed into law in 1975.

In November 1974 Patterson set up and then managed the White House personnel office's operations center, turning over his Indian affairs responsibilities to Norman Ross in the Domestic Council and Theodore Marrs of the Public Liaison office. When Ted Marrs departed the White House to head the Indian Health Service in 1976, however, Patterson was recalled from the personnel office and appointed Special Assistant for Native American Programs. He had responsibility for coordinating federal policy in the bewildering array of 39 offices in 22 agencies handling Indian programs. He cleared backlogged correspondence and reestablished the extensive contacts from his five years of close work with Native American groups.

The Patterson files document his work on Native American programs in both 1973‑74 and the second half of 1976. Of particular interest are hand‑typed notes on a wide range of issues and correspondence demonstrating Patterson's knowledge, genuine concern, and responsiveness to the needs of Native Americans. Though by no means strictly political in nature, the imperatives of the 1976 campaign played a prominent role in Patterson's work.

Related Materials (August 1994):

Among the materials related to Patterson's Indian programs files, the most significant are the White House Central Files subject category IN (Indians), a series in Norman Ross' Domestic Council files consisting for the most part of 1974 Patterson files inherited by Ross, the Theodore Marrs (Public Liaison Office) files, and the files of Bobbie Greene Kilberg in the Counsel's office.

Series Descriptions

1-6 Native American Programs File, (1973) 1974-76. (2.2 linear feet)

Correspondence exchanged between Patterson and representatives of Native American tribes and federal officials from 1973‑74, when Patterson served under Leonard Garment, and 1976 when he was special assistant. The 1976 material also includes printed materials, pamphlets, and other items sent to him, and copies of hand‑typed notes to friends and associates. The files portray the living conditions of Native Americans and legal, social, and economic problems of specific tribes and reservations. Patterson's efforts to channel complaints to appropriate federal officials, monitor legislation, and arrange meetings with national and regional Indian organizations are well documented.

Arranged alphabetically by subject.

Container List

Box 1 Native American Programs File

American Indian Movement

Agriculture Department Programs

Alaska Native Claims

American Indian Policy Review Commission

Arizona Water Rights

Association on American Indian Affairs

Borgstrom Memorandum (OMB Policy on Indians)

Bureau of Indian Affairs

California Mission Indians

Canada

Chemawa Historic Preservation

Cherokee Constitution

Cherokee ‑ Eastern Band

Correspondence, June 1973 ‑ November 1974 (1) ‑ (6)

Correspondence, August ‑ December 1976 (1) ‑ (2)

Delaware Indians

Box 2 Native American Programs File

Early Retirement Bill ‑ H.R. 5465 (1) ‑ (2)

Economic Development Administration (Commerce)

Education ‑ Bureau of Indian Affairs

Education ‑ FICE Convention

Education ‑ National Advisory Commission

Education ‑ National Indian Education Association: Albuquerque Convention

Education ‑ Office of Indian Education

Energy Research and Development Administration – Training Program

Environmental Protection Agency

Fishing Rights ‑ U.S. v. Washington

Flathead Reservation, Montana

Form Letters

Health Care Legislation ‑ S. 522 (1) ‑ (3)

Box 3 Native American Programs File

Health Services

Housing (1) ‑ (2)

Indian Affairs Coordinator

Indian Claims Commission

Indian Leaders

Indian Leaders ‑ Meeting of July 16, 1976

Indian Preference at Bureau of Indian Affairs (1) ‑ (2)

Intergovernmental Personnel Act of 1970

Jurisdiction Over Indian Lands (PL 280) ‑ General

Jurisdiction Over Indian Lands (PL 280) ‑ Notes

Jurisdiction Over Indian Lands (PL 280) ‑ Patterson Letter

Land Issues

Law Enforcement Assistance Administration

Legislative Developments

Lumbee Indians

Box 4 Native American Programs File

Manpower

Mescalero Apache Lands

Mineral Leases and Royalties

Namen Case

Native American Awareness Week

National Congress of American Indians Convention

National Indian Youth Council

National Tribal Chairman's Association

Navajo Nation

Newsclips (1) ‑ (3)

North American Indian Women's Association

Northern Cheyenne ‑ Coal

Office of Minority Business Enterprise (Commerce)

Office of Native American Programs (HEW)

Oneida Nation

Osage Tribal Council

Papago Tribe

Passamaquoddy / Penobscot Land Claims

Pine Ridge ‑ Economic Development

Pine Ridge ‑ Harper's Ferry Meeting

Box 5 Native American Programs File

Pine Ridge ‑ Lakota Views

Pine Ridge ‑ Treaty Review Commission

Pitt River Tribe

Policy Issues

Political Matters

Potawatomi Band

Public Works Act

Pueblos

Puyallups Occupation of Tacoma Hospital (1) ‑ (2)

Recognition Policy

Revenue Sharing

Rosebud Sioux Tribe

San Carlos Apache Tribe

Schedule Proposals

Self‑Determination Act

Seneca Nation

Small Business Administration

Social Services

Sovereignty

Split Brief Procedure

Box 6 Native American Programs File

Teton Sioux

"Trail of Self‑Determination"

United Indian Planners Association

United Tribes Council of Pacific West

Veterans Administration

VIP Visits

Wassaja Story

Water Rights Cases

White Earth Complaint

Wingspread Meetings

Women