CHARLES GOODELL PAPERS, 1973-77

Charles Goodell first reached prominence as a Republican U.S. Representative, Senator, and Vietnam War critic from the state of New York between 1959 and 1971. None of his papers from that phase of his career are included in his Ford Library collection, however. Goodell donated his congressional papers to the New York Public Library in 1974.

Of the Goodell papers at the Ford Library, approximately two-thirds concern his service as chairman of the Presidential Clemency Board, which carried out President Ford's plan for clemency for Vietnamese War draft evaders and military absence offenders in 1974 and 1975. The remainder consists of materials derived from his work with the lobbying firm of DGA International and other personal interests, 1973-77.

The Presidential Clemency Board
Shortly after assuming office, President Ford created a clemency program to allow the young men who were "convicted, charged, investigated or still sought for violations of the Military Selective Service Act or of the Uniform Code of Military Justice" to contribute a "share to the rebuilding of peace among ourselves and with all nations." On September 16, 1974, Ford issued a proclamation and executive order establishing the Presidential Clemency Board (PCB) to oversee this program and announced the appointment of the nine members of the Board. The President selected his old friend and former congressional colleague Charles Goodell as chairman.

The PCB handled applications for clemency on a case-by-case basis. As the number of applications went from 850 in early 1975 to 21,500 by the deadline at the end of March, it became apparent that the original board of nine members and less than 100 staff members was inadequate to complete the task in the specified time. In May 1975 the President authorized nine additional board members and a dramatic increase in staff to keep the work on schedule. The PCB finished its work in September 1975 and turned over all incomplete cases to the Justice Department.

During the year of its existence, the PCB disposed of 14,514 cases. For each case, they determined whether or not the individual deserved clemency and, if so, whether he should be required to complete a period of alternative service. Alternative service involved working for a non-profit organization in a job promoting the national health, safety, or interest. Of the civilian clemency applicants, more than four out of every five received outright pardons, only a few were denied clemency, and the remainder were assigned to alternative service before receiving their pardons. Only slightly more than one-third of military applicants received outright pardons, 7 percent were denied clemency, and the remainder participated in the alternative service program.

While the PCB claimed to have succeeded in its assigned task, many people disputed this statement. Only about 19 percent of the eligible people even applied for the program. Many draft evaders and deserters attacked the program for not going far enough and demanded an unconditional amnesty. At the same time many people in the military and in veterans organizations were unhappy with any form of amnesty or clemency.

The Goodell Papers
The Goodell papers at the Ford Library concern both his service as chairman of the Presidential Clemency Board and a variety of other business and personal interests.

Many PCB materials concern administrative matters such as the appointment of Board members, budgetary matters, interactions with the White House and the Justice Department, personnel questions, press relations, the operation of the alternative service program, and the drafting of the final report. Other documents relate to the applicants and the disposition of cases. Of particular note are approximately 4,000 pages of case summaries giving detailed information about the cases the Board considered.

While the Goodell papers contain important materials on the PCB, they are not a complete record of the Board's work. They include only those materials which Goodell used or created in completing several of his responsibilities. At the end of its existence the Board turned its official records over to the National Archives (see pages 205-208 of the Presidential Clemency Board Report to the President for a description of these materials).

Besides the PCB, the Goodell papers document his work for several clients of DGA International, which handled lobbying for several foreign and domestic firms interested in such issues as Concorde landing rights, privacy legislation, and automobile emissions. A partial record (mostly 1975) of his work as legal counsel to the Life Companies of New York appears, but there is little documenting his work as an attorney with Hydeman, Mason and Goodell. In addition, the papers concern such matters as his personal finances and his selection of an archival repository for his congressional papers.

Related Materials (November 1990)
The Charles Goodell papers at the New York Public Library document his congressional career. The Presidential Clemency Board records at the National Archives may contain additional materials on Goodell's activities.

Several related collections appear among the holdings of the Ford Library. White House Central Files categories FG 6-28 (Presidential Clemency Board) and JL 1 and its subdivisions (Amnesties - Clemencies - Pardons) include much on the Ford administration's clemency program. White House staff files containing significant documentation on that program include those of Counsel to the President Philip Buchen, Counsellor John Marsh, Domestic Council Associate Director Geoffrey Shepard, and Assistant to the President for Human Resources Theodore Marrs.