SUMMARY DESCRIPTION

Materials include position papers on issues and administration accomplishments released to the news media, routine correspondence concerning press relations, and speeches and press interviews of Vice President Ford. The bulk of the collection, however, consists of newspaper clippings, wire stories, and press releases.

QUANTITY
3.6 linear feet (ca. 7200 pages)

DONOR
Paul A. Miltich (Accession Number 79-7)

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
Paul A. Miltich donated to the United States of America his copyrights in all of his unpublished writings in National Archives collections.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 William McNitt, June 2005
[s:\bin\findaid\miltich, paul - papers.doc]

BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION

Paul A. Miltich

October 30, 1919 - Born in Virginia, Minnesota

1937-39 - Virginia Junior College (A.A.)

1939-41 - University of Minnesota (B.S. with highest distinction)

1941-42 - English and dramatics instructor, Breck School for Boys, St. Paul, Minnesota

1942-46 - U.S. Army

1946 - Taught school in Saginaw, Michigan and served as Deputy Commissioner, Saginaw County Schools

1946-57 - Reporter - assistant city editor, Saginaw News

1957-66 - Washington correspondent for Booth Newspapers

1966 - Member, Standing Committee of Correspondents

Mar. 1966-Dec. 1973 - Press Secretary to House Minority Leader Gerald R. Ford

Dec. 1973-Aug. 1974 - Press Secretary to Vice President Ford

Aug. 1974-Mar. 1975 - Assistant Press Secretary to the President and Special Assistant to the President for Public Affairs

Mar. 1975-Mar. 1977 - Commissioner, Postal Rate Commission

August 14, 1995 - Died in Bradenton, Florida

INTRODUCTION

Paul Miltich became press secretary to House Minority Leader Gerald Ford in 1966 and continued in that role through the remainder of the congressional years and the Ford vice presidency. When Mr. Ford became President in August 1974, he appointed Jerald terHorst as his press secretary and named Miltich as an assistant press secretary (his title also appears as Special Assistant to the President for Public Affairs). Under terHorst’s direction, Miltich was responsible for supervising the correspondence section of the Press Office; producing position papers which were then distributed to newspapers, television and radio stations throughout the country; channeling opinion- editorial (Op-Ed) pieces written by executive departments and agencies to major daily newspapers; supervising the preparation of the White House News Summary; and helping the President prepare for press conferences.

Ron Nessen's assumption of the post of press secretary led to a shift of responsibilities within the Press Office. In November 1974, Gerald Warren became responsible for the coordination of public affairs activities with executive agencies and departments and liaison with the press outside of Washington. Miltich retained responsibility for special writing projects such as speech inserts, the President's Q & A book, and press office public correspondence. He also remained responsible for general supervision of the news summary. Miltich left the White House to join the Postal Rate Commission in March 1975.

The Miltich Papers contain materials from both the vice presidential and presidential time periods. The vice presidential materials concern press interviews, Miltich columns, Ford speeches, and the scheduling of speeches and events. Although the materials from the Ford White House include some folders on various issues and events, most of that is fairly routine in nature. The most significant materials from the White House period are position papers on issues which he produced as well as a fragmentary correspondence file. The bulk of the collection is routine press clippings, wire stories, and press releases.

Related Materials (June 2005)
Additional material on his work as press secretary to Gerald Ford in the congressional and vice presidential periods can be found in the Press Secretary and Speech File of the Ford Congressional papers and in the Miltich files of the Ford Vice Presidential papers. A small collection of Miltich Files from the Press Secretary’s office of the Ford White House documents his activities during the first eight months of the Ford presidency.

SERIES DESCRIPTIONS

Subject File, (1972) 1973-1977.  (Boxes 1-9, 3.6 linear feet)
Correspondence, memoranda, speeches, position papers, press releases, press clippings, and wire stories. Although the material is mostly routine in nature, some materials concern Vice President Gerald Ford’s speeches and press interviews and media relations in the Ford White House.


Arranged alphabetically by subject.

View container list for this series

CONTAINER LIST

Box 1 - Subject File.

• Amnesty - Press Releases
• Article on Athletics and Fitness, April 1974
• Biography - President (1)-(8)

Box 2 - Subject File

• Correspondence, January 1974-March 1975 (1)-(5)
• Cyprus
• Domestic Council Committee on the Right of Privacy
• Economy (1)-(2)
• First Lady - Biography
• Foreign Affairs
• Freedom of Information
• Haig, Alexander
• House of Representatives

Box 3 - Subject File

• Inflation
• Interview Notes, October 1973-February 1974
• Interviews, February-August 1974
• Kennedy, Senator Ted
• Messages [folder received empty]
• Miltich - Biographies
• Miltich - Columns During the Ford Vice Presidency
• Miltich - Personnel Matters
• Miltich - Schedule [folder received empty]
• Miscellaneous (1)-(2)
• News Summaries (1)-(5)

Box 4 - Subject File

• News Summaries (6)
• Nixon Tapes/Papers
• Notes
• Photographs - China Trip, 1972
• Photographs - Historical
• Photographs - Vice Presidential
• Position Papers (1)-(3)
• Press Briefing Transcripts (1)-(2)
• Press Clippings and Wire Stories, Undated and October-December 1973

Box 5 - Subject File

• Press Clippings and Wire Stories, January-November 1974

Box 6 - Subject File

• Press Clippings and Wire Stories, December 1974-June 1975

Box 7 - Subject File

• Press Clippings and Wire Stories, July 1975-August 1976

Box 8 - Subject File

• Press Clippings and Wire Stories, September 1976-August 1977
• Press Conferences - Vice President Ford
• Republican National Convention, 1972 (publication)
• Schedules and Scheduling - Vice President Ford

Box 9 - Subject File

• Speeches - Vice President Ford (1)-(6)
• Staff Meetings [folder received empty]
• Transition/Swearing-in
• Vice Presidential Staff
• White House Press Releases (1)-(6)