SUMMARY DESCRIPTION

Vice President Nelson Rockefeller conducted a series of meetings around the country to gauge public domestic policy concerns. Hanzlik handled the logistics, staff, and records of proceedings but not policy evaluation or follow-up. A small portion of this file concerns Hanzlik's work as an assistant to Stephen McConahey handling intergovernmental relations.

QUANTITY
11 linear feet (ca. 22,000 pages)

DONOR
Gerald R. Ford (accession numbers 77-26, 77-107)

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Gerald Ford donated to the United States of America his copyrights in all of his unpublished writings in National Archives collections.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, May 1982
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BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION

Rayburn D. Hanzlik

June 7, 1938 - Born in Los Angeles, California

1956-60 - Student at Principia College, Elsah, Illinois

1960-68 - Part time student, University of Virginia, Charlottesville

1968-70 - Student at University of Virginia

1970-71 - Staff member, White House Conference on Children and Youth

1971-73 - Consultant; confidential assistant, Office of Child Development (HEW), White House detail

1973-74 - Employed, E. Del Smith & Co., a Washington, DC government consulting firm

1974-1975 - Advisor, Robert H. Finch and Associates

Aug. 1975-Jan. 1976 - Consultant to Domestic Council as Coordinator of Public Forums on Domestic Policy

Jan. 1976-Jan. 1977 - Associate Director for Intergovernmental Affairs, Domestic Council

INTRODUCTION

Ray Hanzlik joined the Domestic Council staff in August 1975 to help coordinate the six White House forums on domestic policy. He remained on the staff throughout 1976 as an assistant to Special Assistant for Intergovernmental Affairs Stephen McConahey. The materials described consist of working files accumulated by Hanzlik and the forums staff in 1975 and by Hanzlik in 1976, arranged by function and topic.

Drawing on his past White House conference experience, Hanzlik was selected in August 1975 to coordinate the six public policy forums conducted by the Vice President in the fall of that year. In 1976 Hanzlik oversaw the dismantling of the forums staff and then joined the Domestic Council staff as Associate Director for Intergovernmental Affairs. His work under Stephen McConahey came at a time when the Ford administration, according to Hanzlik, was at the "low-point of intergovernmental credibility," and was making a concerted effort to improve relations with state and local governments. Hanzlik did research, drafted reports and memoranda and monitored various low level issues as assigned by McConahey. He remained with the Domestic Council through the end of the Ford administration.

Hanzlik's work on the forums was his most significant Ford administration service. In July 1975 President Ford charged Vice President Nelson Rockefeller with conducting a series of forums throughout the country to gauge public domestic policy concerns. Rockefeller asked his counsellor, John Veneman, to oversee the effort, recruit a staff, conduct the sessions and summarize the results. Veneman hired Hanzlik to handle to logistics of each forum and supervise the staff. By September Rockefeller and the forums staff had decided the basic format, chosen the location of each forum, and made preliminary logistical arrangements. The locations and dates of the six forums were:

• Denver, Colorado -- October 21
• Tampa, Florida -- October 29
• Austin, Texas -- November 11
• Philadelphia, Pennsylvania -- November 18
• Indianapolis, Indiana -- November 25
• Los Angeles, California -- December 9

Each forum followed a similar basic format. A plenary morning session, chaired by Vice President Rockefeller, featured presentations by expert witnesses before a panel of federal officials on regional concerns within one of four broad policy areas:

• economic recovery
• resource development and the environment
• social policy
• community building

Following each witness' statement, Rockefeller or the appropriate Cabinet secretary or assistant secretary in attendance responded briefly, and then opened the floor to comments by expert observers and the general public. Four concurrent afternoon sessions continued the discussion of the four major policy areas. All of the witnesses and observers were handpicked by the forums staff based on suggestions of the Federal Regional Councils. In addition the staff relied heavily on the Councils in each host region to offset costs, arrange hotel and convention hall accommodations, and handle basic press liaison.

While media coverage of the forums was relatively heavy, opinion was mixed. Variously described as a Rockefeller traveling road show, public complaint sessions, and a serious examination of public policy, Vice President Rockefeller and the staff viewed the forums as an efficient way of generating initiatives for President Ford's State of the Union address. The forums also gave Rockefeller and the Cabinet a highly visible arena for emphasizing the Ford administration position on current domestic issues. Rockefeller hoped that the forums would provide a vehicle for inserting some long-range planning into a Domestic Council system bound up in the details of issue response. The forums staff summarized many of these views and objectives in an internal report on media coverage of the six forums.

At the completion of the forums series, the staff analyzed the nearly 12,000 pages of testimony, extracted ideas and suggestions from hundreds of written statements submitted by observers and the general public, and drafted a report form the Vice President to President Ford. This report, nearly 800 pages in length, summarized educated public opinion in each of the regions, generalized the national mood, and made a series of broad suggestions for further study. In January 1976, the forums staff gathered their working files and transmitted them to the White House for inclusion with the President's official papers.

The Hanzlik materials consist of files illustrating his two distinct functions for the Ford administration Domestic Council. A small file accumulated by Hanzlik during 1976 documents his work with Special Assistant Stephen McConahey to evaluate the overall intergovernmental activities and capabilities of the Executive Branch. Included are correspondence, memoranda, reports and other materials on a variety of low-level intergovernmental topics monitored by Hanzlik; information on a complaint by the State of Texas about possible abuse of federal community development grants; and two extensive studies done by Hanzlik and his assistant Margo Boyle on the state of intergovernmental relations and the extent of Executive Branch participation in major conferences.

The vast majority of the Hanzlik materials consists of working files compiled by Hanzlik and many of the forums staff while organizing and conducting the public forums. Included are an administrative file of memoranda, correspondence, draft agenda, and background information documenting Hanzlik's functions, especially acquiring a staff and organizing the schedule; logistical details for each forum, including agendas, briefing books, reports and witness lists; information on media plans for the forums, newspaper clippings, and a staff report on media perceptions; written statements submitted by invited observers, participants and the general public; transcripts of proceedings; and printed summaries of each forum eventually included in the final report to the President. These Hanzlik materials contain considerable materials produced or received by several members of the forums staff, including but not limited to Margo Boyle, Allen Moore, Powell Moore, and Julie Rowe.

As a working file, the Hanzlik materials do not consist of items received by Vice President Rockefeller or Counsellor Veneman. The extensive cooperation between the forums staff and the Federal Regional Councils responsible for much of the advance work is only partially documented. In addition the files contain no drafts or copies of the report to the President, and no evidence of any follow-up or impact of the forums on domestic policy formulation.

Related Materials (May 1982)
Copies of the final forums report, "White House Public Forums on Domestic Policy, 1975", are catalogued in the Library's book collection, as is a Ph.D. dissertation by Michael Turner on Vice President Rockefeller, containing a chapter on the public forums.

The Library's audiovisual collection has videotapes of the morning session in Philadelphia and Rockefeller's press conference immediately following, and audiotapes of three afternoon sessions. (The natural resources tape is currently unusable.) Also available are four reels of audiotape of the morning session in Denver and a two hour edited version of the same session broadcast on KRMA-TV; 16 audiotapes of the complete Los Angeles forum; and a poorly recorded audiotape of the Tampa afternoon session on economic recovery.

The files of several Domestic Council staff contain scattered information on the public forums; including those of James Cannon, Dean Overman, and Art Quern. More significant are the files on intergovernmental affairs: James Falk, 1974-75 and Stephen McConahey, 1976.

SERIES DESCRIPTIONS

Intergovernmental Affairs Subject File, 1976-77.  (Boxes 1-2, 0.5 linear feet)
Memoranda, correspondence, notes, clippings and reports compiled by Hanzlik while assisting Stephen McConahey in surveying intergovernmental relations. Included is information on the Ford administration efforts to strengthen the lines of communication between the executive branch and state and local governments, and on the reconsideration of a large CSA grant to a Texas county.

Arranged alphabetically by subject.

View container list for this series

Public Forums - Administrative File, 1975-76.  (Boxes 2-4, 0.8 linear feet)
Correspondence and memoranda to and from advancemen, federal regional councils, and government officials; mailing lists of potential witnesses, observers and assistants; and information on planning the forums, acquiring a staff, budgeting, distributing the final report, and similar administrative matters accumulated by Hanzlik while coordinating the public forums.

Arranged alphabetically by topic.

View container list for this series

Public Forums - City File, 1975.  (Boxes 4-10, 2.4 linear feet)
Lists of observers, participants and witnesses; details on logistics, hotel accommodations and transportation; invitations, thank-you letters, a briefing book for participants; and information on statements submitted at each of the six public forums.

Arranged chronologically by city and thereunder alphabetically by subject.

View container list for this series

Public Forums - Media File, 1975.  (Boxes 10-11, 0.4 linear feet)
Copies of newspaper clippings of forum events in each city; routine correspondence, memoranda and press releases; and a final report by the forums staff summarizing the media coverage of each forum, with newspaper clippings and details of press packets and media logistics.

Arranged alphabetically by topic.

View container list for this series

Public Forums - Statements File, 1975.  (Boxes 11-20, 3.9 linear feet)
Statements submitted by observers, participants and the general public in attendance on domestic policy areas considered by the forum, especially the state of the national economy, welfare, energy policy and health care. Additional information on individuals who submitted statements is located in the City File under the appropriate city heading.

Arranged chronologically by forum location and thereunder alphabetically by individual.

View container list for this series

Public Forums - Summaries and Transcripts File, 1975.  (Boxes 20-27, 2.8 linear feet)
Printed summaries of statements prepared by the forum staff, including agendas and lists of participants and witnesses who submitted statements; transcripts of each session of the six public forums, including the morning plenary session and the four afternoon sessions on specific topics. The transcript of the Los Angeles morning session is missing.

Arranged chronologically by forum location and thereunder by session.

View container list for this series

Public Forums - Thank You Letters File, 1975. (Boxes 27-28, 0.8 linear feet)
Copies of outgoing letters from the Vice President or Veneman to Cabinet members, agency staff, witnesses, observers and regional federal officials who planned, assisted with, or participated in the public forums.

Arranged by forum location and thereunder by groups of individuals.

View container list for this series

CONTAINER LIST

Box 1 - Intergovernmental Affairs Subject File

• Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental Relations
• Agriculture
• Airport Noise
• Allied Services Act
• Appalachian Regional Commission
• Block Grants
• California - Chowchilla Kidnapping
• Colorado - Interstate 470
• Council of State Governments
• Federal Contracts and Grants with Public Interest Groups
• Intergovernmental Affairs, Departmental and Agency Representatives
• Intergovernmental Affairs, Executive Branch
• Mississippi, Tupelo
• National Center for Productivity and Quality of Working Life
• Pennsylvania
• Public Interest Groups
• Regulations Review
• Regulations Review - Environmental Protection Agency

Box 2 - Intergovernmental Affairs Subject File

• Zavala County Economic Development Corporation (1)-(2)
• Zavala County Economic Development Corporation - Operational Proposal (1)-(2)
• Zavala County Economic Development Corporation - State of Texas A-95 Review

Box 2 (Continued) - Public Forums - Administrative File

• Advancemen
• Audiovisual
• Background
• Baroody Conferences
• Budget and Expenses

Box 3 - Public Forums - Administrative File

• Correspondence (1)-(3)
• Development and Planning
• General
• Logistics
• Mailing List - Denver
• Mailing List - Tampa
• Mailing List - Austin
• Mailing List - Philadelphia
• Mailing List - Indianapolis

Box 4 - Public Forums - Administrative File

• Mailing List - Los Angeles
• Personnel
• Planning Memos
• Procedures Manual
• Public Affairs Plan, Press Releases and Clippings
• Report to the President, Distribution of
• Staff Responsibilities
• Standards of Conduct
• White House Passes

Box 4 (Continued) - Public Forums - City File

• Denver: 10/21/75 (1) -(7)

Box 5 - Public Forums - City File

• Denver: 10/21/75 (8)-(11)
• Tampa: 10/29/75 (1)-(9)

Box 6 - Public Forums - City File

• Tampa: 10/29/75 (10)
• Austin: 11/11/75 (1)-(12)

Box 7 - Public Forums - City File

• Austin: 11/11/75 (13)-(14)
• Philadelphia: 11/18/75 (1)-(8)

Box 8 - Public Forums - City File

• Philadelphia: 11/18/75 (9)-(12)
• Indianapolis: 11/23/75 (1)-(9)

Box 9 - Public Forums - City File

• Indianapolis: 11/25/75 (10)-(11)
• Los Angeles: 12/9/75 (1)-(7)

Box 10 - Public Forums - City File

• Los Angeles: 12/9/75 (8)-(11)

Box 10 (Continued) - Public Forums - Media File

• Austin
• Biographies - Cabinet and Staff
• Correspondence
• Denver
• Guidance - Thank You Notes
• Holland, Jim - Correspondence and Memos
• Indianapolis
• Los Angeles
• Philadelphia
• Tampa

Box 11 - Public Forums - Media File

• Media Report (1)-(3)
• Planning and Proposals
• Witness Forms

Box 11 (Continued) - Public Forums - Statements File

• Denver: 10/21/75 (1)-(4)

Box 12 - Public Forums - Statements File

• Denver: 10/21/75 (5)
• Tampa: 10/29/75 (1)-(5)

Box 13 - Public Forums - Statements File

• Tampa: 10/29/75 (6)-(7)
• Austin: 11/11/75 (1)-(4)

Box 14 - Public Forums - Statements File

• Austin: 11/11/75 (5)-(9)
• Philadelphia: 11/18/75 (1)-(2)

Box 15 - Public Forums - Statements File

• Philadelphia: 11/18/75 (3)-(8)

Box 16 - Public Forums - Statements File

• Philadelphia: 11/18/75 (9)-(15)

Box 17 - Public Forums - Statements File

• Indianapolis: 1/25/75 (1)-(8)

Box 18 - Public Forums - Statements File

• Los Angeles: 12/9/75 (1)-(6)

Box 19 - Public Forums - Statements File

• Los Angeles: 12/9/75 (7)-(12)

Box 20 - Public Forums - Statements File

• Los Angeles: 12/9/75 (13)

Box 20 (Continued) - Public Forums - Summaries and Transcripts File

• Summary of Findings
• Denver: 10/21/75 (1)-(7)

Box 21 - Public Forums - Summaries and Transcripts File

• Denver: 10/21/75 (8)-(9)
• Tampa: 10/29/75 (1)-(7)

Box 22 - Public Forums - Summaries and Transcripts File

• Tampa: 10/29/75 (8)-(9)
• Austin: 11/11/75 (1)-(5)

Box 23 - Public Forums - Summaries and Transcripts File

• Austin: 11/11/75 (6)-(10)
• Philadelphia: 11/18/75 (1)-(2)

Box 24 - Public Forums - Summaries and Transcripts File

• Philadelphia: 11/18/75 (3)-(8)

Box 25 - Public Forums - Summaries and Transcripts File

• Philadelphia: 11/18/75 (9)-(11)
• Indianapolis: 11/25/75 (1)-(5)

Box 26 - Public Forums - Summaries and Transcripts File

• Indianapolis: 11/25/75 (6)-(10)
• Los Angeles: 12/9/75 (1)-(4)

Box 27 - Public Forums - Summaries and Transcripts File

• Los Angeles: 12/9/75 (5)

Box 27 (Continued) - Public Forums - Thank You Letters File

• Denver: 10/21/75 (1)-(2)
• Tampa: 10/29/75 (1)-(2)
• Austin: 11/11/75 (1)-(2)
• Philadelphia: 11/18/75 (1)

Box 28 - Public Forums - Thank You Letters File

• Philadelphia: 11/18/75 (2)-(3)
• Indianapolis: 11/25/75
• Los Angeles: 12/9/75 (1)-(2)