COLLECTION FINDING AID



ROLAND L. ELLIOTT FILES, 1974-77

Deputy Special Assistant to the President, Director of Correspondence
White House Editorial Staff



CONTENTS

Summary Description | Biographical Information | Introduction | Series Descriptions | Container List


SUMMARY DESCRIPTION

Much of the collection is comprised of carbon copies of routine outgoing letters signed by President Ford or Roland Elliott. Also included are administrative materials such as weekly mail reports and analyses, an office manual, form letters, response cards, and attachments used with the letters.

QUANTITY
17.8 linear feet (ca. 35,600 pages)

DONOR
Gerald R. Ford (accession numbers 77-97, 90-27, 91-5, 93-28, 99 -6, 99-26X)

ACCESS
Researchers should consult with an archivist prior to their visit in order to request that specific folders be added to the Library’s review-for-access queue. Even after the completion of this review 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
Gerald Ford donated to the United States of America his copyrights in all of his unpublished writings in National Archives collections.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 Andrew S. Hunt, April 2007


BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION


Roland L. Elliott


1937 - Born in Bremerton, WA

1937-1955? - Reared in Fresno, CA

1950s? - U.S. Army service

1960s? - Degree, UCLA

? - 1971 - Director of Alumni Relations, UCLA

1971-74 - Special Assistant to President Nixon

1974-77 - Special Assistant to President Ford

1979 - Died of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (Lou Gehrig’s disease) in Florence, MA


INTRODUCTION

Roland L. Elliott became a special assistant to President Nixon and director of the Correspondence Office in 1971. He continued those duties through the end of the Ford Administration. As director of the Correspondence Office, he supervised the flow of mail to and from the White House, including presidential correspondence. One exception was correspondence between President Ford and his friends and family, which was handled by Personal Assistant to the President Mildred Leonard.

This collection documents Mr. Elliot’s work during the Ford administration. Although many of the materials relate to routine administrative tasks of the Correspondence Office, of particular importance is a survey of the week-to-week concerns of ordinary citizens tallied in regular reports counting the volume of mail by subject.

Two series consist of chronological files of all of the letters sent out by the Correspondence Office over the signature of either President Ford or Elliott, on behalf of the President. Another series contains thank you letters related to trips of President or Mrs. Ford and White House social events.

Also included are copies of form letters and cards that were mailed out to the public relating to a wide variety of topics, from the Nixon Pardon to the Equal Rights Amendment to Mrs. Ford’s dessert recipes; presidential cards related to Christmas, birthdays, weddings, and other acknowledgements; and photographs and publications used as attachments to responses.

Related Materials (April 2007)
The White House Central Files Subject Files contains both incoming and outgoing correspondence, arranged by subject. The White House Central Files Name File provides name access to this correspondence.


SERIES DESCRIPTIONS

General Subject File, 1974-77.  (Boxes 1-9, 3.6 linear feet)
Memoranda written by Elliott and his deputy Anne Higgins, mail analyses (count and subject breakdown of mail received in a given period), and form letters. Included are Bicentennial form letters and speech packets, form letters related to the 1972 Olympic Games, resignation letters, condolence letters, White House Correspondence Manual, and Christmas listings with names and addresses.

Arranged alphabetically by subject.

NOTE: Researchers should consult with an archivist prior to their visit in order to request that specific folders be added to the Library’s review-for-access queue.

View container list for this series

Presidential Letters, 1974-77.  (Boxes 10-16, 4.0 linear feet)
Carbon copies of letters written by the Correspondence Office for President Ford’s signature responding to public mail on a variety of subjects. Most are based on form letters with some additional details added to personalize the letter.

Arranged chronologically.

NOTE: Researchers should consult with an archivist prior to their visit in order to request that specific folders be added to the Library’s review-for-access queue.

View container list for this series

Elliott Letters, 1974-76.  (Boxes 17-23, 3.2 linear feet)
Carbon copies of letters written by the Correspondence Office for Roland Elliott’s signature responding to public mail on a variety of subjects. Most are based on form letters with some additional details added to personalize the letter.

Arranged chronologically.

NOTE: Researchers should consult with an archivist prior to their visit in order to request that specific folders be added to the Library’s review-for-access queue.

View container list for this series

Thank You Letters for Trips and White House Social Events, 1974-77.  (Boxes 24-35, 4.8 linear feet)
Carbon copies of outgoing letters, memoranda, and trip schedules. Following trips by the President or Mrs. Ford, advancemen would submit requests to the Correspondence Office for letters of appreciation to people who had been helpful before or during the trip. Similarly, White House staff would request thank you letters for those who assisted with preparations for social events. Mary Fenton was responsible for preparing both kinds of thank you letters.

Arranged chronologically by date of the trip.

NOTE: Researchers should consult with an archivist prior to their visit in order to request that specific folders be added to the Library’s review-for-access queue.

View container list for this series

Cost Savings Reduction Program Letters, 1975–76.  (Boxes 36-39, 1.6 linear feet)
Carbon copies of letters, and memoranda and lists of names. The material relates to presidential letters sent to persons whose work resulted in saving government money or resources.

Arranged chronologically.

NOTE: Researchers should consult with an archivist prior to their visit in order to request that specific folders be added to the Library’s review-for-access queue.

View container list for this series

Correspondence Enclosures and Supplies, 1974-77.  (Boxes 40-43, 1.6 linear feet)
Form responses such as acknowledgement cards for birthdays, weddings, anniversaries, or charitable contributions; form responses on issues; or WIN letters. Also letter enclosures such as photographs, signature cards, copies of Mrs. Ford’s recipes, House and Senate documents, White House publications explaining legislative vetoes by the President, and ceremonial proclamations issued by President Ford.

Arranged alphabetically by subject.

NOTE: Researchers should consult with an archivist prior to their visit in order to request that specific folders be added to the Library’s review-for-access queue.

View container list for this series


CONTAINER LIST

Box 1 - General Subject File

(Note: Folders with the titles struck through are not yet open to research, but can be added to the Library's review queue.)

Box 2 - General Subject File
(Note: Folders with the titles struck through are not yet open to research, but can be added to the Library's review queue.)

Box 3 - General Subject File
(Note: Folders with the titles struck through are not yet open to research, but can be added to the Library's review queue.)

Box 4 - General Subject File
(Note: Folders with the titles struck through are not yet open to research, but can be added to the Library's review queue.)

Box 5 - General Subject File
(Note: Folders with the titles struck through are not yet open to research, but can be added to the Library's review queue.)

Box 6 - General Subject File
(Note: Folders with the titles struck through are not yet open to research, but can be added to the Library's review queue.)

Box 7 - General Subject File
(Note: Folders with the titles struck through are not yet open to research, but can be added to the Library's review queue.)

Box 8 - General Subject File
(Note: Folders with the titles struck through are not yet open to research, but can be added to the Library's review queue.)

Box 9 - General Subject File

Box 10 - Presidential Letters
(Note: Folders with the titles struck through are not yet open to research, but can be added to the Library's review queue.)

Box 11 - Presidential Letters
(Note: Folders with the titles struck through are not yet open to research, but can be added to the Library's review queue.)

Box 12 - Presidential Letters
(Note: Folders with the titles struck through are not yet open to research, but can be added to the Library's review queue.)

Box 13 - Presidential Letters
(Note: Folders with the titles struck through are not yet open to research, but can be added to the Library's review queue.)

Box 14 - Presidential Letters
(Note: Folders with the titles struck through are not yet open to research, but can be added to the Library's review queue.)

Box 15 - Presidential Letters
(Note: Folders with the titles struck through are not yet open to research, but can be added to the Library's review queue.)

Box 16A - Presidential Letters
(Note: Folders with the titles struck through are not yet open to research, but can be added to the Library's review queue.)

Box 16B - Presidential Letters
(Note: Folders with the titles struck through are not yet open to research, but can be added to the Library's review queue.)

Box 16C - Presidential Letters
(Note: Folders with the titles struck through are not yet open to research, but can be added to the Library's review queue.)

Box 16D - Presidential Letters
(Note: Folders with the titles struck through are not yet open to research, but can be added to the Library's review queue.)

Box 17 - Elliott Letters
(Note: Folders with the titles struck through are not yet open to research, but can be added to the Library's review queue.)

Box 18 - Elliott Letters
(Note: Folders with the titles struck through are not yet open to research, but can be added to the Library's review queue.)

Box 19 - Elliott Letters
(Note: Folders with the titles struck through are not yet open to research, but can be added to the Library's review queue.)

Box 20A - Elliott Letters
(Note: Folders with the titles struck through are not yet open to research, but can be added to the Library's review queue.)

Box 20B - Elliott Letters
(Note: Folders with the titles struck through are not yet open to research, but can be added to the Library's review queue.)

Box 21 - Elliott Letters
(Note: Folders with the titles struck through are not yet open to research, but can be added to the Library's review queue.)

Box 22 - Elliott Letters
(Note: Folders with the titles struck through are not yet open to research, but can be added to the Library's review queue.)

Box 23 - Elliott Letters
(Note: Folders with the titles struck through are not yet open to research, but can be added to the Library's review queue.)

Box 24 - Thank You Letters for Trips and White House Social Events
(Note: Folders with the titles struck through are not yet open to research, but can be added to the Library's review queue.)

Box 25 - Thank You Letters for Trips and White House Social Events
(Note: Folders with the titles struck through are not yet open to research, but can be added to the Library's review queue.)

Box 26 - Thank You Letters for Trips and White House Social Events
(Note: Folders with the titles struck through are not yet open to research, but can be added to the Library's review queue.)

Box 27 - Thank You Letters for Trips and White House Social Events
(Note: Folders with the titles struck through are not yet open to research, but can be added to the Library's review queue.)

Box 28 - Thank You Letters for Trips and White House Social Events
(Note: Folders with the titles struck through are not yet open to research, but can be added to the Library's review queue.)

Box 29 - Thank You Letters for Trips and White House Social Events
(Note: Folders with the titles struck through are not yet open to research, but can be added to the Library's review queue.)

Box 30 - Thank You Letters for Trips and White House Social Events
(Note: Folders with the titles struck through are not yet open to research, but can be added to the Library's review queue.)

Box 31 - Thank You Letters for Trips and White House Social Events
(Note: Folders with the titles struck through are not yet open to research, but can be added to the Library's review queue.)

Box 32 - Thank You Letters for Trips and White House Social Events
(Note: Folders with the titles struck through are not yet open to research, but can be added to the Library's review queue.)

Box 33 - Thank You Letters for Trips and White House Social Events
(Note: Folders with the titles struck through are not yet open to research, but can be added to the Library's review queue.)

Box 34 - Thank You Letters for Trips and White House Social Events
(Note: Folders with the titles struck through are not yet open to research, but can be added to the Library's review queue.)

Box 35 - Thank You Letters for Trips and White House Social Events
(Note: Folders with the titles struck through are not yet open to research, but can be added to the Library's review queue.)

Box 36 - Cost Savings Reduction Program Letters
(Note: Folders with the titles struck through are not yet open to research, but can be added to the Library's review queue.)

Box 37 - Cost Savings Reduction Program Letters
(Note: Folders with the titles struck through are not yet open to research, but can be added to the Library's review queue.)

Box 38 - Cost Savings Reduction Program Letters
(Note: Folders with the titles struck through are not yet open to research, but can be added to the Library's review queue.)

Box 39 - Cost Savings Reduction Program Letters
(Note: Folders with the titles struck through are not yet open to research, but can be added to the Library's review queue.)

Box 40 - Correspondence Enclosures and Supplies
(Note: Folders with the titles struck through are not yet open to research, but can be added to the Library's review queue.)

Box 41 - Correspondence Enclosures and Supplies
(Note: Folders with the titles struck through are not yet open to research, but can be added to the Library's review queue.)

Box 42 - Correspondence Enclosures and Supplies
(Note: Folders with the titles struck through are not yet open to research, but can be added to the Library's review queue.)

Box 43 - Correspondence Enclosures and Supplies
(Note: Folders with the titles struck through are not yet open to research, but can be added to the Library's review queue.)