SUMMARY DESCRIPTION

The White House Budget Files are a fragmentary collection of materials relating to White House Office budget and appropriations hearings for fiscal years 1975, 1976, and 1977. The collection primarily documents costs of White House Office staff.

QUANTITY
0.8 linear feet (ca. 1,600 pages)

DONOR
Gerald R. Ford (accession number 91-17)

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Gerald Ford donated to the United States of America his copyrights in all of his unpublished writings in National Archives collections.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 Kellee Green, February 1991
[s:\bin\findaid\white house administrative office - budget files.doc]

INTRODUCTION

The White House Administrative Office was one of the permanent operating offices which remained in the White House even as Presidents changed. The Administrative Office was divided into four areas: White House budget, payroll, personnel, and supply activities. Leave records, time and attendance reports, personnel records, and the purchase of supplies and equipment necessary for the operation of the White House Office were among the matters handled by the Administrative Office. It also maintained accounting and other financial records, as well as inventory of all White House Office property.

The White House Administrative Office was one of the permanent operating offices which remained in the White House even as Presidents changed. The Administrative Office was divided into four areas: White House budget, payroll, personnel, and supply activities. Leave records, time and attendance reports, personnel records, and the purchase of supplies and equipment necessary for the operation of the White House Office were among the matters handled by the Administrative Office. It also maintained accounting and other financial records, as well as inventory of all White House Office property.

During the Ford administration, Wilbur H. Jenkins (Administrative Officer) supervised the office and reported to Robert Linder, Chief Executive Clerk. Linder, in turn, answered to David Hoopes, Deputy Staff Secretary, and the Staff Secretary.

The White House Administrative Office Budget Files include budget submissions, reports, authorizations, congressional appropriations and budget committee hearings, memoranda, proposals, questions and answers, recommendations, and summaries used in the formulation and submission of budgets for the White House Office in fiscal years 1975, 1976, 1977.

Much of the collection consists of working papers and copies of earlier budget materials used for the development, support, or authorization of the current fiscal year's budget requests. Consequently, some information pre‑dates 1974, notably a copy of the Appropriations Act of 1906 and summaries of the appropriations for the White House Office from 1923‑49. It is not always evident, however, how the working papers and supporting documentation were utilized in the final budget request.

The House and Senate appropriations committees traditionally requested information regarding the number, salaries, and functions of White House Office personnel, and most of the collection relates to preparing responses to such questions. Although the budget files include memos received and sent by Robert Linder, David Hoopes, and Wilbur Jenkins, it is unclear by or for whom the budget files were assembled, or by whom they were used.

Though much of the information is available in other collections and published sources, this collection is a convenient source for comparing White House Office costs and budgets during the Ford administration. The collection should also prove useful for easily retrieving specific personnel statistics (such as the number of minorities working in the White House Office or the number of individuals detailed to the White House Office from other agencies). Noteworthy for studies of the 1974 Presidential transition are materials related to the 1976 budget request, listing select public expenses for President Nixon's return to private life.

Provenance
These records were held in the Old Executive Office Building by the White House Office of Records Management until December 1990, when they were transferred to the Office of Presidential Libraries and then to the Gerald R. Ford Library.

Related Materials (February 1991)
The files of Staff Secretaries Jerry Jones and James E. Connor are among the most useful materials for examinations of the White House Office's budget and personnel. Also of note are the files of Deputy Staff Secretary David Hoopes, currently unprocessed.

Significant materials related to the administration of the White House Office are found in the Files of Richard B. Cheney (Assistant to the President for White House Operations) and the White House Central Files (especially category WH).

SERIES DESCRIPTIONS

White House Budget Files, 1974-76.  (Boxes 1‑2, 0.8 linear feet)
The White House Administrative Office Budget Files consist of budget submissions, reports, authorizations, congressional appropriations and budget committee hearings, memoranda, proposals, questions and answers, recommendations, and summaries used in the formulation, justification, and submission of budgets for the White House Office in fiscal years 1975, 1976, 1977.

Arranged chronologically by fiscal year (FY), and thereunder alphabetically by folder title.

CONTAINER LIST

Box 1 - White House Budget Files

• 1906 ‑ Act of 1906
• 1923‑49 ‑ Appropriations
• 1971 ‑ Appropriations Hearings ‑ House
• 1971 ‑ Appropriations Hearings ‑ Senate
• 1972‑74 ‑ White House Office ‑ Charles M. Morris, Jr.
• 1974
  ‑ Appropriations Hearings

  :House

  :Senate

• 1975
  ‑ Appropriations Hearings

  :House

  :Senate

  ‑ Budget Request

  :H.R. 14715

  :Personnel Summaries

  :Personnel Summaries ‑ Minority Report

  :Questions

• 1976
  ‑ Appropriations ‑ Joint Resolution for Continuing Appropriations
  ‑ Appropriations Act ‑ H.R. 8597
  ‑ Appropriations Hearings

  :House

  :Senate

  ‑ Budget Request

  :Appropriation Language

  :Budget Summaries

  :H.R. 14715 ‑ Conference Report

  :H.R. 14715 ‑ House Debate

  :H.R. 14715 ‑ Senate Debate

  :Navy Mess

  :Nixon Transition Expenses

  :Object Classification Breakdown

  :Opening Statements

Box 2 - White House Budget Files

• 1976
  ‑ Budget Request

  :Personnel Consultants

  :Personnel ‑ Detailees

  :Personnel ‑ PFIAB

  :Personnel ‑ Summaries

  :Present Authorities

  :Proposal Bill ‑ H.R. 5747

  :Proposal Bill ‑ H.R. 6706

  :Questions and Answers (1) ‑ (2)

  :Unanticipated Needs

  :White House Garage Vehicles

  :White House Office ‑ Salaries and Expenses

• 1977
  ‑ Appropriations Act ‑ R.R. 14261
  ‑ Appropriations Hearings

  :House

  :Senate

  ‑ Budget Request

  :Executive Office of the President

  :Object Classification Breakdown

  :Opening Statements

  :Personnel ‑ Summaries

  :Questions and Answers

  :White House Office ‑ Salaries and Expenses