Leonard Garment Papers, White House Central Files, 1969-1974
1969-1974
Title: Leonard Garment Papers, White House Central Files, 1969-1974
Dates: 1969-1974
Collection Number: 5997456
Creator/Collector:
Extent: 115 linear feet, 11 linear inches; 265 boxes
Online items available
Repository:
Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum
Abstract: The office files of Leonard Garment reflect his responsibilities as a Special Consultant to the President concerned with domestic
issues in the areas of civil and human rights, Native American affairs, plans for the American Revolution Bicentennial celebration,
cultural affairs (including both the National Endowment for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Humanities), and voluntary
action. In addition, this file series contains documents related to Garment’s role as Acting Counsel to the President during
the Watergate crisis following John W. Dean III’s resignation in April 1973.
Language of Material: English
Collection is open for research. Some materials may be unavailable based upon categories of materials exempt from public release
established in the Presidential Recordings and Materials Preservation Act of 1974.
Most government records are in the public domain; however, this series includes commercial materials, such as newspaper clippings,
that may be subject to copyright restrictions. Researchers should contact the copyright holder for information.
Leonard Garment Papers, White House Central Files, 1969-1974. Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum
These materials are in the custody of the National Archives and Records Administration under the provisions of Title I of
the Presidential Recordings and Materials Preservation Act of 1974 (P.L. 93-526, 88 Stat. 1695) and implementing regulations.
Biography/Administrative History
May 11, 1924 - Leonard Garment born in Brooklyn, New York.
1942-1949 - Attended Brooklyn College and Brooklyn Law School, Brooklyn, New York; also performed as a clarinetist in various
jazz bands, including Woody Herman's, during this period.
1949 - Joined the law firm of Mudge, Stern, Baldwin, and Todd.
1957 - Became partner and served as head of the Litigation Department. Met Richard M. Nixon in 1963 when he joined the law
firm, thereafter known as Nixon, Mudge, Rose, Guthrie & Alexander.
1966-1967 - Became involved in Richard M. Nixon's Presidential campaign.
1968 - Returned to law firm after Nixon's election; became its Washington, D.C. representative.
May 28, 1969 - Joined the White House staff as a special consultant to the President. Assisted the President on a variety
of special projects, with special emphasis in the areas of civil and human rights, Indian affairs, voluntary action and the
arts.
May 10, 1973 - Designated Acting Counsel to the President following John W. Dean III's resignation.
January 4, 1973 - Resigned as Acting Counsel and appointed as Assistant to the President.
June 1974 - Departed White House staff.
Scope and Content of Collection
The office files of Leonard Garment reflect his responsibilities as a Special Consultant to the President concerned with domestic
issues in the areas of civil and human rights, native American affairs, plans for the American Revolution Bicentennial celebration,
cultural affairs (including both the National Endowment of the Arts and the National Endowment for the Humanities), and voluntary
action. In addition, they contain documents related to Garment's role as Acting Counsel to the President during the Watergate
crisis following John W. Dean III's resignation in April 1973.
The Leonard Garment files series is comprised of White House Memos files; Chronological Files; Correspondence Files, Public
Opinion Mail; Speeches/Meetings Files; Alpha-Subject Files; Office of Assistant of Cultural Affairs (OACA) files; Political
Campaign Files; Personal Files; and Publications. The White House Memos subseries is comprised predominately of internal White
House memoranda and notes to and from Leonard Garment or his assistant, Bradley H. Patterson, Jr., concerning daily operations
of the office. The subseries also contains copies of memos to the President from other White House staffers, correspondence,
and the Congressional Record. The Chronological Files subseries is comprised of material related to external White House affairs.
The Correspondence Files subseries is comprised of materials related to communication between Garment and his friends and
associates. The Public Opinion Mail subseries contains petitions and correspondence from the general public. This subseries
is divided into two segments. The first is petitions about the separation of church and state and the status of minority draft
resisters. The second segment contains unacknowledged correspondence expressing pro and con views of the President's actions
and decisions. The Speeches/Meetings Files subseries contains speeches delivered by Leonard Garment to various groups, such
as the New York Bar Committee, young journalists, and Kent State students or on various topics, such as civil rights and quotas
and affirmative action. The Alpha Subject Files subseries contains materials on a variety of topics including, but not limited
to Alaska Native claims, busing, Civil Rights, housing, school desegregation, minority business, the Bureau of Indian Affairs,
voluntary action, and Watergate. The OACA subseries contains the papers of Carol V. Harford (January 1968-April 1972) and
Starke Meyer (April 1972-June 1, 1973), staff assistants to Leonard Garment. The OACA/White House Memos Files segment contains
information related to the operations of the Office of Cultural Affairs. The OACA/East Wing Memos segment contains communications
concerning Mrs. Nixon's schedule. The OACA/Inter-office Memo Files segment contains internal White House memoranda from/to
Leonard Garment assistants, Harford and Meyer, Herbert Klein, or Lucy Winchester, for example. The OACA/Correspondence Files
segment contains correspondence from/to Garment and his assistants and cultural organizations. These files include correspondence
between Garment and the President. The OACA/Alpha-Subject Files segment contains information on topics such as the Kennedy
Center, National Council on the Arts, National Endowment for the Humanities, the Smithsonian Institution, and various State
Department groups. The OACA/Public Programs segment includes information related to various groups and their performances
and partnerships. Examples of these groups include the Washington National Symphony, Studio Watts, and the American Association
of Museums. The Political Campaign Files subseries consists primarily of news clippings and publications on Nixon's 1968 campaign.
The subseries also includes information on the 1972 campaign in the form of political statements of accomplishments and correspondence.
The Personal Files subseries contains a small volume of correspondence concerning the Administration's business affairs. The
Publications subseries contains reports and hearings, among others, on topics such as the American Revolution Bicentennial,
busing, public schools, equal employment opportunities, Native Americans, and minority business enterprise.
Photographs, sound recordings and museum objects have been transferred from Garment's files to the audio-visual unit and the
domestic gift unit.
Information related to the Leonard Garment Staff Member and Office Files include the Staff Member and Office Files of Bradley
H. Patterson and John D. Ehrlichman; and the following files in the White House Central Files subject files: Arts (AR), Education
(ED), Housing (HS), Human Rights (HU), Indian Affairs (IN), Bureau of Indian Affairs (FG 19-9), American Revolution Bicentennial
Commission (FG 75), Commission on Civil Rights (FG 90), Indian Claims Commission (FG 142), National Council on Indian Opportunity
(FG 173), Cabinet Committee on Voluntary Action (FG 252), and National Center for Voluntary Action (FG 259).