Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library and Museum

COLLECTION FINDING AID

JOHN R. STILES AND MERRILL MUELLER FILES, 1974-75

Consultants
Counsellors to the President

CONTENTS

Summary Description | Introduction | Series Descriptions | Container List

SUMMARY DESCRIPTION

The bulk of this collection relates to fundraising for and construction of a new White House swimming pool. Stiles and Mueller served as the White House coordinators for this project. The collection also includes materials on Stiles' responsibilities and interests in the areas of housing and the Bicentennial celebration.

QUANTITY
7.0 linear feet (ca. 14,000 pages)

DONOR
Gerald R. Ford (accession numbers 77-68, 77-107)

ACCESS
Advance consultation is required so that archivists may complete routine review of requested folders for restricted information.

COPYRIGHT
Gerald R. Ford donated to the United States of America his copyrights in all of his unpublished writings in National Archives collections.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 William McNitt, May 1995
[s:\bin\findaid\stiles, john and mueller, merrill - files.doc]

INTRODUCTION

John Stiles, a longtime friend of President Ford from Grand Rapids, served as Mr. Ford's campaign manager during the 1948 campaign for Congress and helped him during the Warren Commission's investigation of the Kennedy assassination.

Soon after Gerald Ford became President, Stiles began working part-time in the White House. Working under the supervision of White House Counsellor John Marsh, Stiles started several projects relating to the upcoming Bicentennial celebration. When President Ford decided that the White House needed a swimming pool to replace the one that President Nixon had closed, Stiles also became the White House liaison with the private group formed to raise funds and construct the pool.

Stiles transferred to the President Ford Committee in September 1975 and worked on campaign-related matters until his death in an automobile accident in April 1976. The Federal Energy Agency detailed Merrill Mueller to the White House to finish the swimming pool project. He remained until October 1975.

The files accumulated by Stiles and Mueller mainly document planning and fundraising for the new White House swimming pool and its subsequent construction. Included is information on the formation and operation of the committee, detailed financial contribution records, and product literature from companies offering their services. In addition, the collection contains material on Stiles' work on the Bicentennial, especially the science and technology exposition at Cape Canaveral, and his interest in housing issues. The collection includes nothing on his 1976 campaign activities.

Related Materials (May 1995)
Major collections on the Bicentennial celebration include the files of Counsellor John Marsh and his aide Milt Mitler. Other materials on the White House swimming pool appear in the files of David Hoopes, Kenneth Lazarus, and category WH 2 (White House Building and Grounds) in the White House Central Files Subject File. Some additional Stiles materials appear in the records of the Delegate Office of the President Ford Committee. A small collection of Stiles papers, relating primarily to the Warren Commission, is among the holdings of the University of Michigan's Bentley Historical Library.

SERIES DESCRIPTIONS

General Subject File (Stiles), 1974-75. (Boxes 1-3, 1.2 linear feet)
Correspondence, memoranda, charts, clippings, and publications. The materials primarily concern Stiles' work on planning for the Bicentennial celebration, although a small amount relates to his interest in housing issues. A major focus of the material on the Bicentennial is the science and technology exposition at Cape Canaveral, Florida.

Arranged alphabetically by subject.

View container list for this series

White House Swimming Pool Subject File (Stiles), 1974-75. (Boxes 4-14, 4.2 linear feet)
Correspondence, memoranda, a card file, and lists. The materials primarily concern planning for a new White House swimming pool and the campaign to raise funds for its construction.

Arranged alphabetically by subject.

View container list for this series

White House Swimming Pool Subject File (Mueller), 1974-75. (Boxes 15-18, 1.6 linear feet)
Correspondence, memoranda, product literature, lists, and clippings. The materials primarily concern the construction of the pool, although some items concern its initial use - the "First Plunge" and regulations for use of the pool. Some documents date from the time when Stiles headed the project.

Arranged alphabetically by subject.

View container list for this series

CONTAINER LIST

Box 1 - General Subject File (Stiles)

American Revolution Bicentennial - Official Master Register (Publications), (1)-(2)
American Revolution Bicentennial Administration
Bicentennial Exposition (1)-(3)

Box 2 - General Subject File (Stiles)

Bicentennial - Federal Departments (1)-(2)
Bicentennial - General (1)-(3)
Bicentennial - Grand Rapids, MI (1)-(2)
Bicentennial - U.S. Capitol Historical Society (1)-(2)
Campaign Reform (Newspaper Clippings)
Cape Canaveral (1)

Box 3 - General Subject File (Stiles)