Juliette C. "Judy" McLennan Papers, 1976

As a young activist in the Republican Party, Juliette C. “Judy” McLennan served in several campaign volunteer positions before becoming the director of the National Volunteer Desk of People for Ford (PFF) during the 1976 general election campaign.  PFF was the volunteer unit of the President Ford Committee (PFC), President Ford’s 1976 election campaign committee.  Developed in the wake of the party’s national convention, the National Volunteer Desk worked to connect volunteers with their state campaign headquarters.  It did this primarily by responding to expressions of support and volunteer interest that had been forwarded from the White House, and by re-directing contact information compiled from this correspondence to the appropriate state campaign headquarters.

From her earlier position as director of volunteers in the Washington campaign office, McLennan had some experience coordinating volunteer programs prior to assuming leadership of the National Volunteer Desk.  As director of this program, McLennan was responsible for reporting on the program’s efforts and outcomes following the election.  The McLennan Papers, which date from November 1976, reflect this responsibility.  Scattered communications within these files between McLennan and Elly Peterson, director of PFF, are also indicative of the program’s position within the broader context of the volunteer arm of the PFC.  

McLennan’s reporting on the National Volunteer Desk highlights the program’s process for responding to letters from supporters and volunteers forwarded from the White House, as well as those received directly by the National Volunteer Desk itself.  This involved compiling master lists of volunteer contact information and routing this information to the appropriate state campaign headquarters.  The program also followed up directly with volunteers through a VIP phone bank run out of the National Headquarters and staffed by Cabinet and Administration wives and their friends.  McLennan’s assessment of the National Volunteer Desk highlights the program’s goals and priorities: first, providing volunteers to staff Republican National Committee phone banks throughout the country, and second, encouraging volunteers to establish “Neighborhood Headquarters” at the local level.

The McLennan Papers provide some insight into the interaction between national and state level efforts to mobilize volunteers in the 1976 general election campaign.  Additionally, the collection offers an indication of the extent of volunteer interest and willingness to participate in the Ford campaign that the National Volunteer Desk encountered through its efforts. 

Related Materials (February 2010)
Additional files accumulated by Juliette C. McLennan are in the People for Ford: National Volunteer Desk Files (Boxes F40-F52) of the President Ford Committee Records.  Information concerning other aspects of the 1976 general election campaign is located throughout many White House staff files and various categories of the White House Central Files Subject Files.  Researchers are encouraged to request a PRESNET search for additional citations.