JEFFREY P. EVES and JOHN SHLAES FILES, 1974-77

Jeffrey P. Eves and his successor John B. Shlaes oversaw White House conferences and briefings organized by the Office of Public Liaison during the last portion of the Nixon administration and the entire Ford presidency. Eves also served as liaison with business special interest groups in 1974. The materials described here consist partly of correspondence and topical files from Eves' work with business representatives, but are primarily working files accumulated by Eves and Shlaes or their assistants while planning, conducting or following-up on the conferences.

Eves came to the White House staff in May 1974 from his government relations post with the National Association of Manufacturers. Initially responsible for building Nixon administration contacts with business and industry representatives, Eves sought ways to increase the feedback from special interest groups outside Washington, DC. Apparently with Eves' strong urging, William Baroody initiated a regular program of briefings on administration policies (Wednesday Meetings) and a series of field conferences chaired by key administration officials. Vice President Ford hosted the Chicago conference in the summer of 1974. With President Ford's support, Baroody and the newly created Office of Public Liaison expanded the scope and frequency of these conferences. Ford attended eleven out of 14 conferences in 1974 and 1975 in large cities throughout the United States.

Based on a town hall concept, the conferences consisted of short presentations by high-level officials on major domestic and economic issues to representatives of business, labor, student, women and other special interest groups. The representatives then had an opportunity to respond with comments and questions. The conferences were funded by an $18 admission fee.

Eves and his assistant Shlaes handled most of the advance work, compiled the final invitation list, and managed each event, including the preparation of briefing books and itineraries. All fourteen conferences were heavily covered by regional and national press, whose comments were assembled by Eves and his assistants and forwarded to selected White House staff and the President. Other follow-up activities consisted largely of thank-you notes and mailings of conference transcripts.

John Shlaes joined the Public Liaison Office in December 1974 to help Eves. After January 1976, Shlaes acted effectively as co-director in arranging a series of White House conferences on President Ford's proposed consumer representation plans. The nine conferences in January, chaired by presidential special assistant Virginia Knauer and cabinet secretaries, were designed to air President Ford's alternatives to proposed consumer protection agency legislation to consumer groups and the press.

With Eves' April 1976 departure and increased emphasis on primary and general election campaigns, Shlaes and Public Liaison did not continue the series of "non-political" conferences. He concentrated instead on briefings for carefully chosen groups and presidential spokespersons. Shlaes worked with John Vickerman on business liaison matters and the Wednesday Meetings, handled housing and hospitality arrangements for the Republican National Convention in Kansas City, and acted as advance man and planner for the President's campaign swing on the paddlewheel boat "Natchez".

These files consist of Eves' and Shlaes' working files. They primarily document conference planning and coordination activities, especially the extensive liaison with participating federal officials and local co-sponsoring groups that handled logistical details for each White House conference; details of invitations, press coverage, and follow-up correspondence; and the actual proceedings of each conference. In addition, the Eves files include information on Eves' work with business special interest groups in 1974; general administrative matters; and Shlaes' work on briefings, speeches, and general public liaison matters.

Aside from press comments and public statements, the files contain only limited evidence of larger policy considerations implied by President Ford's avid support and participation. Also obscure are the lines of communication and coordination between Public Liaison and the White House Press Office, Domestic Council staff, or various executive agencies, all of whom conducted briefings and conferences on frequently overlapping topics. The Eves materials are incomplete for the earliest conferences, especially on financing details and full lists of participants. In addition, there is no information on Shlaes' campaign advance work in 1976.

Related Materials (February 1995)
Related materials include the Public Liaison Office files of William J. Baroody, John Vickerman, and Wayne Valis; White House Central Files - Subject File MC (Meetings-Conferences); papers of Vice President Ford (Miltich and Rustand files) containing information on Ford's Chicago speech; files of administration participants in conferences, including L. William Seidman, Paul MacAvoy, Frank Zarb; files of Domestic Council staffer Ray Hanzlik, responsible for coordinating Vice President Rockefeller's series of domestic policy forums; and files of Kathleen Ryan, who handled consumer issues for the Domestic Council..