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

Domestic Council

DAVID H. LISSY

Associate Director for Education, Labor, and Veterans;

Special Assistant for Domestic Affairs:

Files, 1974-77

SUMMARY DESCRIPTION

The files consist of materials produced or accumulated by Lissy, his predecessor Roger Semerad, and Lissy's staff assistant William Diefenderfer. The collection concerns their work on issues in the areas of education, labor, veterans affairs, and civil service. It also documents Lissy's major role in White House liaison with Jewish Americans.

QUANTITY

18.8 linear feet (ca. 37,600 pages)

DONOR

Gerald R. Ford (accession numbers 77-15 and 77-25)

ACCESS

Open. Some items are 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

Gerald Ford has donated to the United States of America his copyrights in all of his unpublished writings in National Archives collections.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 Paul Conway, March 1982

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BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION

David H. Lissy

December 16, 1943 Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

1961‑65 Student, University of Pennsylvania

1965‑68 Student, University of Pennsylvania Law School

1968‑69 Law Clerk, Court of Common Pleas, Philadelphia

1969‑70 Staff Assistant to the President

1970‑72 Special Assistant to the Deputy Under Secretary of State for Management

1972‑73 Special Assistant to Secretary of State William P. Rogers

Sept. 1975‑Jan. 1977 Associate Director of the Domestic Council for Education, Labor and Veterans

June 1976‑Jan. 1977 Special Assistant for Domestic Affairs

1977‑81 Assistant to the President, United Brands Corporation

1981‑ Executive Assistant to Vice President, Gulf and Western Corporation

INTRODUCTION

Lissy joined the Domestic Council in September 1975 as Associate Director where he assumed Roger Semerad's responsibilities for labor, veterans and education issues, along with his active files. In this capacity, he monitored legislation in the Congress, drafted presidential statements, and prepared briefing papers and memoranda for the President and Domestic Council staff. Lissy worked closely with the Departments of Labor and HEW as well as the Veterans Administration, and frequently met with labor representatives and groups of educators or veterans. In January 1976, when F. Lynn May's duties changed, Lissy assumed his responsibilities for Civil Service Commission issues and May's active files.

In June 1976, Lissy transferred to the White House Office payroll under presidential domestic policy adviser and Domestic Council executive director James Cannon. Freed from Hatch Act limitations on federal employees' political activity, he concentrated on the Jewish vote for President Ford's reelection campaign. Tapping his extensive contacts within the Jewish community, he arranged meetings between Jewish groups and the President or administration officials, prepared position papers, statements and status reports, and carried out such routine tasks as photo requests and mass mailings. Throughout this period, he continued to oversee education, labor, veterans and civil service for the Domestic Council. At the end of the Ford administration he accepted a position with United Brands Corporation and then with Gulf and Western Corporation.

The Lissy files consist largely of material produced or accumulated by Roger Semerad and David Lissy on labor, education and veterans issues; by F. Lynn May and Lissy on civil service issues; and by Lissy in his position as special assistant to the President handling Jewish issues. Lissy and Semerad's review of legislation before the Congress on labor, education and veterans issues is well documented, including veto and signing statements of administration policy. However, evidence of close interaction with congressional committee staff is not strong. More than many Domestic Council staff files, the Lissy files document Semerad and Lissy's contacts with business and government officials, union representatives and educators. This interest group contact is a strong part of Lissy and May's files of civil service issues and especially of Lissy's files of Jewish concerns.

Although Lissy served in the White House until the end of the Ford administration, the files do not fully document his activities after the November election. Both Lissy and Semerad referred much correspondence from individuals and groups to appropriate departments for direct response. There is little evidence of personal follow‑up. Most materials produced by Lissy's assistant William Diefenderfer were forwarded to other Domestic Council staff or integrated into the appropriate Lissy subject files. The Diefenderfer subject files are essentially miscellaneous items not integrated into the filing system.

Related Materials (March 1982):

Materials related to Semerad's and Lissy's responsibilities are located in other Domestic Council staff files, especially those of James Cannon, and in the White House Central Files subject file. F. Lynn May's Domestic Council files contain no information on civil service issues, as he passed those materials to Lissy. A separate collection (ca. 1 linear foot) of Roger Semerad's papers, consisting largely of correspondence and speeches, was donated to the Ford Library in 1980.

Series Descriptions

1‑15 Education Files, 1974-76. (6.0 linear feet)

Memoranda, correspondence, reports, printed materials and other material produced or accumulated primarily by Lissy, but also by his predecessor Roger Semerad, on the broad spectrum of education issues before the Domestic Council. Included is information on administration programs for secondary and higher education, particularly interagency follow‑up on President Ford's proposals for work and education; busing, affirmative action, the title IX controversy and similar minority education issues; and federal funding of education, especially the administration's education block grant proposals.

Arranged alphabetically by subject.

16‑31 Labor Files, 1974-76. (6.2 linear feet)

Memoranda and correspondence with Labor Department officials, labor union and management groups and others; draft legislation; reports, articles, clippings and other printed material. A large portion of the files documents Lissy's and Semerad's monitoring of labor issues before the Congress, especially common situs legislation, extension of CETA funding, pension reform bills and public works employment legislation, including several controversial Ford vetoes. Also included is information on other labor issues, including OSHA regulations and manpower policy.

Arranged alphabetically by subject.

31‑35 Veterans Files, 1974-76. (1.8 linear feet)

Memoranda, correspondence and referrals exchanged between Lissy or Semerad and the Veterans Administration, veterans groups and lobbying organizations on legislation affecting veterans, including pension reform, the GI bill, and health care; briefing papers, talking points and other items on meetings between veterans groups or the VA administrator and the President or Domestic Council staff; reports, articles and other materials on veterans affairs of concern to the White House.

Arranged alphabetically by subject.

36‑38 Civil Service Commission Files, 1974-76. (1.0 linear feet)

Memoranda, correspondence, reports and other material produced or accumulated primarily by F. Lynn May, but also by his successor, David Lissy. Topics include legislation on federal pay, labor management, and federal employee political activities as well as information on federal job classification and top level appointments policy.

Arranged alphabetically by subject.

38‑43 Jewish Affairs Files, 1976. (2.0 linear feet)

Correspondence, memoranda, briefing papers, lists, printed items and other materials exchanged between David Lissy and prominent Jewish leaders, lobbying groups, and community organizations documenting Lissy's role as special assistant responsible for courting the Jewish vote. Included is information on the White House response to the Arab boycott of U.S. firms doing business with Israel, meetings between the President and Jewish groups, and draft presidential statements and messages on issues of concern to the Jewish community, as well as such routine duties as mass mailings of administration position papers and photographs.

Arranged alphabetically by subject.

43‑46 General Subject Files, 1974-76. (1.2 linear feet)

Memoranda, reports, draft statements, briefing papers and other materials on miscellaneous topics not directly within Lissy's areas of responsibility, or on Lissy's and Semerad's activities that crossed multiple subject areas, including preparing Q&A's or briefing papers for the President and Vice President, and gathering information for portions of the state of the union addresses.

Arranged alphabetically by subject.

46‑47 Roger D. Semerad Office Files, 1974-75. (0.4 linear feet)

Personal correspondence, memoranda and resumes; reports and lists of Semerad's activities and responsibilities on the Domestic Council; invitations declined and meetings attended outside the White House and other matters not directly related to Semerad's specific subject area responsibilities.

Arranged alphabetically by subject.

47 William Diefenderfer Subject Files, 19761976. (0.2 linear feet)

Random files of memoranda, correspondence and reports form Diefenderfer's service as assistant to Lissy in the latter half of 1976. Most Diefenderfer materials were sent to other Domestic Council staff or the White House central files.

Arranged alphabetically by subject.

Container List

Box 1 Education File

Accreditation and Institutional Eligibility

American Association of University Professors

American Association of Community and Junior Colleges

American Association of Colleges and Universities

American Council on Education

Basic Education Opportunity Grant Program Handbook (Publication)

Black Colleges (1)-(2)

Buckley Amendment

Box 2 Education File

Budget ‑ 1976

Busing (1)-(5)

Council for Advancement and Support of Education

Career Education

Box 3 Education File

Council for Exceptional Children

Education Block Grant Proposals (1)-(6)

Box 4 Education File

Education in the USSR (Publication)

Education System of the German Democratic Republic (Publication)

Elementary and Secondary Education Act Amendments

Elementary and Secondary Education Act Amendments, 1976

Elementary and Secondary Education Act Amendments, HR. 69, 1974 (1)-(2)

Elementary and Secondary Education Act Amendments ‑ Signing Ceremony, H.R. 69, 8/21/74

Guaranteed Student Loan Program (1)-(2)

Handicapped Education (1)-(2)

Box 5 Education File

Handicapped Education (3)

Higher Education

‑ Affirmative Action (1)-(5)

‑ Guaranteed Tuition Bond

Box 6 Education File

Higher Education

‑ Higher Education Act Option, 1975 (1)‑(2)

‑ Presidential Meeting, Washington, DC, 12/2/74

- Presidential Meeting, Washington, DC, 2/14/75

‑ Small Liberal Arts Colleges (1)-(3)

Box 7 Education File

Higher Education

‑ Title IV ‑ Student Assistance (1)-(4)

Impact Aid

Indochina Refugees ‑ Education

Institutional Development Corporation (1)-(3)

Box 8 Education File

Institutional Development Corporation (4)

Law Related Education (1)‑(2)

National Advisory Council on Adult Education (1)-(2)

National Advisory Council on Adult Education ‑ Gary Eyre

National Advisory Council on the Education of Disadvantaged Children

National Advisory Council on Education Professions Development

National Advisory Council on Equality of Educational Opportunity

National Advisory Council on Extension and Continuing Education

National Advisory Council on Extension and Continuing Education ‑ Meeting, Washington, 1/24/75

National Advisory Council on Vocational Education

Box 9 Education File

National Association of Secondary School Principals

National Association of State Boards of Education

National Congress of Parents and Teachers

National Education Association ‑ Candidates Statements, 6/11/76

National Education Association ‑ Interview, 6/11/76

National Institute of Education

National Institute of Education ‑ Education Vouchers

National Institute of Education ‑ Search for Director

National School Boards Association

National Student Lobby

Box 10 Education File

National Urban Coalition

Non‑Public Schools (1)-(6)

Non‑Public Schools ‑ Federal Aid

Box 11 Education File

Non‑Public Schools ‑ Meeting, Washington, DC, 4/28/75

Office of Education ‑ Forward Plan

Prayer in Public Schools

Reading Programs

Student Loan Marketing Association (1)-(2)

Tax Credits

Teacher of the Year Award ‑ 1975

Teacher of the Year Award ‑ 1975: Presidential Meeting

Teacher of the Year Award ‑ 1976

Box 12 Education File

Textbook Issues (1)-(2)

Title I ‑ Follow the Child Provisions

Title IX ‑ Education Act Amendments of 1972

Title IX ‑ Education Amendments of 1972: Anti‑Sex Discrimination (Responses)

Title IX ‑ Education Amendments of 1972 ‑ Sports

White House Conference on Education, Washington, DC, 1977 (1)-(2)

Box 13 Education File

White House Conference on Library and Information Service (1)-(2)

White House Conference on Library and Information Service ‑ Appointments

White House Conference on Library and Information Service ‑ President's Statement

Work and Education (1)-(4)

Box 14 Education File

Work and Education (5)-(12)

Box 15 Education File

Work and Education (13)

Work and Education ‑ President's Ohio State University Speech, Columbus, OH, 8/30/74 (Press Releases)

Work and Education ‑ Presidential Meeting, Washington, DC, 12/3/74

Work and Education ‑ Proposal Meeting

Work and Education ‑ Publications (1)-(4)

Box 16 Labor Files

Alien Labor

Black Lung (1) ‑(3)

Brennan, Peter J.

Coal Strike

Common Situs Picketing (1)-(4)

Box 17 Labor Files

Common Situs Picketing (5)-(8)

Comprehensive Employment Training Act / CETA (1)-(6)

Comprehensive Employment Training Act / CETA

‑ Augusta, ME

Box 18 Labor Files

Comprehensive Employment Training Act / CETA

‑ Benton Harbor, MI

‑ Columbia, SC

‑ Columbus, OH

‑ Concord, NH

‑ Detroit, MI

‑ Los Angeles, CA

‑ Meeting, Washington, DC, 8/13/74

‑ Seattle, WA

‑ Yonkers, NY

Construction Industry

Construction Industry ‑ Meeting, Washington, DC, 3/14/75

Correspondence ‑ Executive

Davis ‑ Bacon Act

Demonstrations

Dunlop, John T. ‑ Resignation

Economic Policy Board (1) ‑(3)

Employment and Unemployment (1)-(2)

Box 19 Labor Files

Employment and Unemployment (3)-(9)

Employment and Unemployment ‑ Public Works

Employment ‑ Congressional Budget Office Report

Employment ‑ Public Service Employment (1) ‑(2)

Employment ‑ Public Service Job Funds, Utica, NY

Box 20 Labor Files

Equal Opportunity and Full Employment Act, H.R. 50

Federal Labor Management Relations

Federal Labor Management Relations ‑ Executive Order 11491 (1)-(2)

Federal Mediation (1)-(2)

Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service ‑ Cannery Strike

International Labor Organization

Labor ‑ Agana, Guam

Labor ‑ Concord, NH

Labor ‑ Grand Rapids, MI

Labor ‑ Issues (1)-(2)

Labor ‑ Springfield, IL

Layoffs (Empty)

Box 21 Labor Files

Manpower

Manpower ‑ New Hampshire (1)-(2)

Manpower ‑ Revenue Sharing Fact Sheets

Migrant and Seasonal Farmworkers Program

Migrant and Seasonal Farmworkers Program ‑ CETA

Minimum Wage (1)-(5)

Minimum Wage ‑ Fair Labor Standards Amendments of 1974

Minimum Wage ‑ National League of Cities Case (1)-(2)

Box 22 Labor Files

Minimum Wage ‑ National League of Cities Case (3)-(4)

Minimum Wage ‑ Police and Firemen's Issues (1)-(4)

Minimum Wage ‑ Puerto Rico

Mining Enforcement and Safety Administration

Miscellaneous (1)-(2)

Box 23 Labor Files

National Association of Farmworkers Programs (1)-(2)

National Commission for Manpower Policy (1)-(8)

Box 24 Labor Files

National Commission for Manpower Policy ‑ Meeting, 1/22/75

National Labor Relations Board (1)-(3)

National Mediation Board

National Mediation Board ‑ Emergency Board #187: Railroads

New Hampshire ‑ Department of Labor Field Office

Newsletters (Labor Department)

Occupational Safety and Health Administration / OSHA (1)‑(5)

Box 25 Labor Files

Occupational Safety and Health Administration / OSHA (6)

Occupational Safety and Health Administration

‑ Correspondence (1)-(2)

‑ Court Decisions

‑ Diving Unlimited

‑ Indiana Problem

‑ Noise (1)‑(2)

‑ North Carolina

‑ Stender, John

‑ Task Force

‑ Vinyl Chloride (1) ‑(2)

Office of Federal Contract Compliance

Office of Federal Contract Compliance ‑ Private Club Dues Issue

Opportunities Industrialization Centers (1) ‑(2)

Box 26 Labor Files

Opportunities Industrialization Centers (3)-(4)

Pension Reform (1)-(3)

Pension Reform ‑ Retirement Income Security Act

Pension Reform ‑ Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation

Pension Reform Bill ‑ Signing Ceremony (1)-(6)

President's Meeting with Millard Holden, 1/27/76

Box 27 Labor Files

Project 70001 / Distributive Education Clubs of America (1)‑(10)

Box 28 Labor Files

Public Employees (1)‑(3)

Public Employees ‑ Collective Bargaining (1)-(3)

Railroad Retirement Act, 1974 (1)-(3)

Regulatory Reform

Right to Work

Sheepherders' Problem

Strikes

Box 29 Labor Files

Summer Programs ‑ Youth Summer Employment, 1975 (1)-(2)

Summer Programs ‑ Youth Summer Employment, 1976 (1) ‑(2)

Trade Adjustment Assistance Act

Trade Adjustment Assistance Act ‑ Corning Glass Works, Albion, MI

Unemployment Insurance (1)-(7)

Unemployment Insurance ‑ Extended Compensation

Box 30 Labor Files

Urban Mass Transportation Act ‑ Employee Protection Requirements (1)‑(9)

Urban Mass Transportation Act ‑ Employee Protection Requirements: Omaha, NE

Usery, William J., Jr.

Usery, William J., Jr. ‑ Swearing‑In Ceremony, 2/10/76

Box 31 Labor Files

Veterans ‑ Labor

Wheat and Corn Sales Agreement with the Soviet Union (Press Releases)

Workmen's Compensation (1)-(3)

Workmen's Compensation ‑ Federal Employees Compensation Act

Veterans Files

Adaptive Equipment ‑ de Olloqui, Valentine V.. Jr.

Administrator ‑ Meeting with Roudebush, Richard L., 1/23/75

Administrator ‑ Roudebush, Richard L.

Administrator ‑ Swearing In Ceremony for Richard L. Roudebush, 10/12/74

American Legion

American Legion ‑ Magazine Articles (1) ‑(2)

Box 32 Veterans Files

American Legion ‑ Poppy Program

Amnesty

Cemeteries

Cemeteries ‑ Marker Issue

Committee on Veteran Services ‑ Domestic Council

Disabled American Veterans

G.I. Bill (1)-(4)

Hospitals

Hospitals ‑ Medical Care

Hospitals ‑ Presidential Meeting with Richard Roudebush, 5/11/76 (1)-(2)

Box 33 Veterans Files

Hospitals ‑ Proclamation Request Renaming V.A. Hospital After Jerry Pettis

Hospitals ‑ Bay Pines, FL

Hospitals ‑ Santa Barbara, CA

Housing

Jobs for Veterans

Medical School Assistance and Health Manpower Training Act of 1972 (P.L. 92‑541)

Minority Veterans

Miscellaneous

National Alliance of Businessmen

National Association of Concerned Veterans

Paralyzed Veterans

Pensions

Pensions ‑ Signing Ceremony: H.R. 14298 and H.R. 14299, 9/30/76

Box 34 Veterans Files

Physicians' Pay

President's Meeting with Veterans Organizations, 11/12/75

Recurring Reports Submitted to Congress

Referrals, A ‑ S

Box 35 Veterans Files

Referrals, T ‑ Z

Research Report ‑ Mountain Plains Veterans Cost of Instruction Program Assessment Committee

State of the Union Message ‑ Background Material

Termination of the Vietnam Wartime Era

Trio Programs

Veterans Day ‑ 1974 and 1975

Veterans Day ‑ Return to November 11

Veterans of Foreign Wars

Veterans of Foreign Wars ‑ Magazine Articles

Veterans of Foreign Wars ‑ Questions and Answers, 6/2/76

Veterans Omnibus Health Care Act of 1976 ‑ H.R. 2735

Veterans Preference and Civil Service Hiring Act

Vietnam Veterans

Box 36 Civil Service Commission Files

American Federation of Government Employees

American Hospital Supply Corporation Fellowship Program

Annual Report, 1974 (Civil Service Commission)