Desmond J. Barker, Jr. Papers, White House Special Files, 1971-1973

Title: Desmond J. Barker, Jr. Papers, White House Special Files, 1971-1973

Dates: 1971-1973

Collection Number: 6704547

Creator/Collector: Barker, Desmond J. (Desmond James), 1926-

Extent: 1 linear foot, 9 linear inches; 4 boxes

Repository: Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum

Abstract: This series documents Desmond J. "Des" Barker, Jr.'s activities, as a deputy of White House Counsel Charles Colson, in his role as a Special Assistant to the President.

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.

Desmond J. Barker, Jr. Papers, White House Special Files, 1971-1973. 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.

Desmond James Barker, Jr., was born on October 8, 1926 in Salt Lake City, Utah. He graduated from the University of Utah in 1952 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Journalism. In 1954, he became a radio program director at KCPX in Salt Lake City. He then joined the W.S. Adamson and Associates advertising and public relations firm in 1957 and married Marilyn Conover the following year. In 1961, Barker founded his own advertising and public relations firm called the Des Barker Agency. The firm gained a partner and Barker became President of the Barker and Jorgensen agency in 1970. On July 23, 1971, Barker began his job as a deputy to White House Counsel Charles Colson. His role was primarily that of domestic communications liason with the job title of Special Assistant to the President. He resigned from his job on the White House staff in January 1973 and returned to his agency in Salt Lake City. In 1976, Barker sought nomination as the Republican candidate for the United States Senate but lost to Orrin Hatch who was elected to the Senate. Barker served as the 1981 Chair of the Salt Lake Chamber, which is Utah’s oldest business association.

The materials of Desmond J. Barker, Jr., cover the period from July 1971 to January 1973. During that time he was Charles W. Colson's deputy on the President's personal staff, serving as a Special Assistant to the President. Barker was a mid-level administrative officer with responsibility for domestic communications liaison; he coordinated the public information activities of the Executive Departments with those of the White House Communications Office. Under Colson's guidance, it was his principal duty to supervise the White House News Planning Calendar, by which he directed the planning and scheduling of the Administration's news activities. This series contains the records of Desmond J. Barker, Jr. The series is comprised of alphabetical subject files pertaining to Barker's directing of the White House News Planning Center. Materials include correspondence and memorandums on topics such as the economy, the Veterans Administration, and the Treasury. The subject matter of this file group reflects his responsibilities. There are memoranda, letters, news clippings, schedules, notes, personnel lists, public statements, and press announcements relating to the coordination accomplished by the White House and the various departments concerning news releases about new or ongoing federal programs; the economy; natural disasters of a major, national scale; labor problems and legislation; the news media; leaders of political opposition and campaigns; and international agreements. The Staff Member and Office Files of the White House Central Files contain five additional cubic feet of Barker materials.