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Inventory of the Chile-California Program Records
F3721:1-572
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Table of contents
Title: Chile-California Program Records
Inventory: F3721:1-572
Creator:
Chile-California Program
Extent:
See Arrangement and Description
Repository:
California State Archives
Sacramento, California
Language:
English.
For permission to reproduce or publish, please contact the California State Archives. Permission for reproduction or publication
is given on behalf of the California State Archives as the owner of the physical items. The researcher assumes all responsibility
for possible infringement which may arise from reproduction or publication of materials from the California State Archives
collections.
[Identification of item], Chile-California Program Records, F3721:1-572, California State Archives.
The Chile California Program was part of the Alliance For Progress Program offered by the United States to Latin American
nations. The Program was suggested to Governor Edmund Brown, Sr. by President Kennedy early in 1963.
Participation by the State of California in the Chile California Program began on February 1, 1963, under the terms of a contract
signed by the United States through the Agency For International Development and Acting Governor Glenn Anderson on behalf
of California. This contract provided for exploratory surveys, i.e. task forces and reports as to general fields of technical
assistance which might be rendered by California to Chile. Actual implementation of the contract was to be provided by task
orders, which in effect were agreements under the terms of the master contract and subsidiary to it.
In late February and early March of 1963, a seven man task force, appointed by Governor Brown, travelled to Chile. After consulting
with high level Chilean officials, this task force (referred to as Task Force #1) concluded that California would enter on
a technical cooperation program with Chile, focusing their energies in the areas of agriculture, education, water resources,
and highway transportation. Responding directly to the wishes of the Chilean Government, a fifth area of concentration, planning
and budgeting, was added to the core study areas.
Following the identification of these broad subject areas, a second California task force, consisting of various State officials,
held discussions with the Agency For International Development to determine how a program of cooperation might best be carried
out. This phase was followed by the appointment of a third task force, which visited Chile in late September and early October
of 1963. The Third Task Force was composed of specialists in the five broad subject areas, that might be matched by California
expertise. The report of the group's findings in November 1963 served as the blueprint for the Chile California Program. The
Program officially began in December 1963.
As mandated by Task Order #1, the Program was to be headquartered in Santiago, Chile, with a backup office in Sacramento.
To implement the technical cooperation portion of the Program, it was decided that the Director would be stationed in Santiago
as well. As a means of providing logistical backup, a Deputy Director was also appointed. It was also the Deputy Director's
function to direct the Private Sector phase of the Program. V.I.P. visits, Sister-City Programs, disaster relief projects,
and the development of private investment in Chilean businesses were among the programs handled by the Deputy Director. Policy
decisions and Program overseeing were the responsibilities of the Director.
In October 1967, citing inefficiency and failure to live up to project goals, Governor Reagan decided to terminate the Program
as it was constituted; only the agricultural phase of the Program was to remain active. It was also decided at that time that
Federal funding for the Program would no longer be continued. No new expenditures were allocated for the Program after October
31, 1967. The Program did receive encouragement from the Governor's Office to continue on a volunteer basis under the Department
of Agriculture. The records of the Chile California Program do not indicate the continuance of the Program past the winter
of 1968.