JOHN E. REINHARDT PAPERS | Gerald R. Ford

Scope and Content Note

John E. Reinhardt was a career diplomat who joined the United States Information Agency (USIA) in 1957 as a Foreign Service Officer, one of the first African-Americans to join the diplomatic service during that era.

USIA had been created by President Eisenhower in 1953 with the mission of understanding, informing, and influencing foreign publics in the promotion of the national interest, and broadening the dialogue between Americans and US institutions and their counterparts abroad. The agency promoted cultural understanding through exchanges of persons, cultural programs, and Voice of America (VOA) broadcasts.

During his career at USIA, Reinhardt held overseas postings in the Philippines, Japan, and Iran; and rose through the ranks to hold various administrative posts in the areas of African and East Asia and Pacific affairs.

From 1971-75, John Reinhardt served as US Ambassador to Nigeria, becoming the first African-American to fill this post. In 1975-77, he served as Assistant Secretary of State for Public Affairs under Henry Kissinger and was considered one of Secretary Kissinger's closest advisers on Africa policy.

In 1977, President Jimmy Carter appointed Reinhardt as Director of USIA, becoming the first career diplomat to head this agency. The following year, Reinhardt presided over the integration of USIA and the State Department's Bureau of Educational Cultural Affairs into a new agency called the United States International Communications Agency (USICA), which he headed until 1981.

As head of USIA and USICA, Reinhardt frequently communicated with members of the House Representatives and Senate concerning the agency's mission and budget, and developed and fostered relationships with cultural organizations and foreign governments throughout the world. USIA and USICA also provided an avenue for prominent Americans to engage with foreign audiences during their travels abroad.

During his career, John Reinhardt also held several special assignments, including Chairman of the US Delegations to the 19th and 20th United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) General Conferences in Nairobi and Paris respectively; and Chairman of the US Cultural Delegation to the People's Republic of China in 1980.

Following his tenure at USICA, Reinhardt served as Assistant Secretary for History and Art, and Director of International Activities, at the Smithsonian Institution.

Scope and Content of the Reinhardt Papers

The papers of John Reinhardt focus primarily on Reinhardt's role as Director of USIA and USICA during the Carter Administration, with some materials pertaining to earlier and later aspects of his career. The collection provides a good window on the varied activities and interactions of the Director and the goals, objectives, and activities of USIA and USICA, including its oversight of the Voice of America (VOA).

The General Subject File, for example, focuses mostly on John Reinhardt's time leading USIA and USICA, including materials on his appointment as Director of USIA, daily activities and schedules, speeches, and travel in support of these agencies. Also included are limited materials on other aspects of Reinhardt's career, including his years as Ambassador to Nigeria, Assistant Secretary of State for Public Affairs, and Director of International Activities at the Smithsonian Institution.

The Chronological File focuses exclusively on John Reinhardt's tenure as Director of USIA and USICA and provides many insights into his leadership and the work of these agencies. There are materials on a wide range of issues and topics including Reinhardt's contacts and exchanges on behalf of the agencies; agency restructuring; diplomatic and cultural exchange programs utilized in support of US foreign policy; news summaries of foreign press coverage, which provide an interesting perspective on how American foreign policy is perceived in other parts of the world; and the work of the VOA.

The University of Wisconsin Subject File contains materials from Reinhardt's days as a graduate student, including his thesis on James Russell Lowell.

Related Materials
Related materials on USIA, VOA, and international broadcasting are located in several subject categories within the White House Central File Subject Files, including FG 230: USIA; several sub-collections within the National Security Adviser Files; and the U.S. National Security Institutional Records. Specific collection and folder titles can be identified by requesting a PRESNET search report from the Ford Library.

Access

Open. Some items are temporarily restricted under terms of the donor's deed of gift, a copy of which is available on request, or under National Archives and Records Administration general restrictions (36 CFR 1256).

Copyright

John E. Reinhardt donated to the United States of America his copyrights in all of his unpublished writings in this collection. The copyrights to materials written by other individuals or organizations are presumed to remain with them. Works prepared by U.S. Government employees as part of their official duties are in the public domain.

Processed by

Tim Holtz, July 2014; Updated by Geir Gundersen, August 2017

Biography

John E. Reinhardt

March 8, 1920 Born, Glade Spring, Virginia

1939 B.A., Knoxville College

1942-46 Lieutenant, U.S Army

1947 M.S., University of Wisconsin

1950 Ph.D., University of Wisconsin

1950-56 Professor of English, Virginia State College

1956-58 Assistant Cultural Affairs Officer, Manila, Philippines, United States Information Agency (USIA)

1958-62 Branch Public Affairs Officer, Kobe (Kyoto), Japan, USIA

1962-63 Director of Field Programs, Tokyo, Japan, USIA

1963-66 Cultural Affairs Officer, Tehran, Iran, USIA

1966-68 Deputy Assistant Director for East Asia and Pacific, USIA

1968-70 Assistant Director for Africa, USIA

1970-71 Assistant Director for East Asia and Pacific, USIA

1971-75 U.S. Ambassador to Nigeria

1975-77 Assistant Secretary of State for Public Affairs

1976 Chairman, US Delegation, 19th United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) General Conference, Nairobi (October-November)

1977-78 Director, USIA

1978-81 Director, United States International Communications Agency (USICA)

1978 Chairman, US Delegation, 20th UNESCO General Conference, Paris (October-November)

1980 Chairman, US Cultural Delegation to the People s Republic of China

1981-84 Assistant Secretary for History and Art, Smithsonian Institution

1984-87 Director of International Activities, Smithsonian Institution

1987-91 Professor of Political Science, University of Vermont

1991 Professor Emeritus, University of Vermont

February 18, 2016 Died, Silver Spring, Maryland

INTRODUCTION