BENJAMIN F. BAILAR PAPERS, 1973-78

Benjamin Franklin Bailar was named the sixty-first Postmaster General of the United States by the Postal Service Board of Governors on February 16, 1975, succeeding Elmer T. Klassen. In 1970, the Postal Service was created as a semi-independent establishment of the executive branch under an eleven-member Board of Governors. The purpose of the reorganization was to bring a more business-oriented administration to the huge federal postal system. As both the Postmaster General, and previously as the Deputy Postmaster General, Bailar sat on this board.

Bailar, with his background in finance and management, attempted to place the postal service on a strong economic base. His major responsibility was to administer this semi-independent government corporation so that it could support itself on revenues from mail users. Bailar was especially concerned with the quality of mail service and postal costs. One significant cost was labor, and Bailar negotiated a contract which averted a strike by the unionized postal employees in July 1975.

The Bailar files consist of five scrapbooks dating form December 1974 through March 1978, when Bailar resigned as Postmaster General, with scattered items from the period immediately following; and one speech, "Postal Service - Political Birthright or Economic Choice," delivered to the Economic Club of Detroit, March 8, 1976. A video-cassette of the first day of issue ceremony for the telephone centennial stamp and two albums of photographs depicting his activities, May 1973 to January 1978, were transferred to the audiovisual collection. View the container list for the audiovisual series.

The scrapbooks consist almost entirely of national and local newspaper and national and trade magazine clippings arranged chronologically. Other related materials include transcripts of news interviews, press wires, invitations, commencement programs, speeches, correspondence, and cartoons. There are no office files. The majority of the papers document interviews and public appearances, such as first day of issue ceremonies and press coverage of major issues, including postal costs and the integrity of the mail. Subjects include the rate increase of first class stamps to 13 cents; CIA mail tampering; postal labor union negotiations in 1975; possible postal cost-cuts, such as small and rural post-office closings and deleting Saturday delivery; and Bailar's appointment, background and resignation.

Related Materials (May 1982)
Related materials may be found in the files of F. Lynn May, of the Domestic Council, Postal Service Subject File, 1974-76; and in the White House Central Files categories Federal Government - Organizations (FG 18 - Post Office Department and FG 295 - U.S. Postal Service) and Postal Service (PO).