JOHN ROBSON PAPERS, 1970-93

John E. Robson has had a varied professional career in law practice, management, academia, and government service. He began his career in government in 1966 with the Office of Management and Budget. He has worked, as both unofficial and official advisor, for each administration since Lyndon Johnson's, mostly in economic and transportation matters.

A highlight of Robson's government service came when he was appointed as Chairman of the Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB) in April 1975. When Robson took over, the CAB was under critical examination. The former chairman, Robert Timm, had resigned amid allegations that he accepted favors from American Airlines and controversy about how the CAB handled an investigation of questionable airline political contributions. In addition, the Ford administration was launching a major regulatory reform program, leading to media speculation that Robson had been appointed specifically to deregulate the airlines. Robson, however, maintains that he was appointed because he was well-known, "clean", competent, and known to people in the White House, especially Donald Rumsfeld, a friend since high school.

Barely settled in his office, Robson immediately began efforts to lessen the controls on the airlines and to encourage competition between them. These actions were not universally popular. By the end of his tenure as Chairman, airlines were beginning to operate under relaxed price controls and more like traditional businesses. Although Robson's papers primarily reflect his activities and perspectives, researchers will get a sense of the overall reaction to his policies, especially from members of the CAB and the airline industry.

Before and after his appointment to the CAB, Robson served the Nixon, Ford, and Reagan administrations in various official and unofficial advisory capacities. He contributed to both the Nixon and Ford economic programs through his work with the 1970 Cost of Living Council; his participation in the October 1974 "Summit Conference on Inflation;" and by writing and distributing to White House officials his thoughts on such economic matters as inflation, wage and price policy, and economic efficiency. In addition, he advised the 1980 Reagan transition team on transportation issues. The Robson Papers reflect these activities.

Upon leaving the CAB Robson went back to the private sector to work in business and business education, but the collection does not document any of these activities. He returned to government service for a short time (1989-92) as Deputy Secretary of the Treasury; his speeches from this time period are part of the collection. There is also material from his work with the 1993 National Commission to Ensure a Competitive Airline Industry.

Related Materials (August 1995)
For additional material on the Civil Aeronautics Board, see the Dudley Chapman Files, and White House Central Files Subject File categories CA (Civil Aviation) and FG88 (Civil Aeronautics Board).

The initial accession of Robson Papers contained extensive material on his work in OMB and the Urban Mass Transportation Administration during the Johnson administration, but at the donor's request the Ford Library transferred that material to the Johnson Library in July 1994.