MARIA A. DOWNS PAPERS, 1975-77

Maria Downs replaced Nancy Lammerding Ruwe as White House Social Secretary in October 1975, remaining in that position until the end of the administration. The Downs Papers partially document some aspects of her role in planning White House social activities. Unique to the collection are several unpublished manuscripts written by Ms. Downs after leaving the White House which describe in unusual detail the role of the White House Social Office and what President and Mrs. Ford were like as hosts.

Prior to becoming White House Social Secretary, Downs worked in the White House Office of Bicentennial Liaison and earlier as staff assistant to Anne Armstrong, Counsellor to the President. She was involved for many years in Republican politics and had been on the staff of the Republican National Committee.

The White House Social Secretary worked closely with the First Lady and the West Wing staff in the overall planning, arrangements, coordination and direction of all official and private social events hosted by the President and his family. Downs supervised a staff of nine which included the Social Entertainments Office and the White House calligraphers and illustrators. Additionally, she oversaw dozens of volunteers who assisted with preparations for many of the more elaborate affairs.

This collection includes only selected items on some of the social events Ms. Downs planned for the Fords. Most of these are photocopies removed by Library staff from scrapbooks compiled by Ms. Downs. While the collection is far less complete than the Downs Papers in terms of documenting individual events, it does include several unique items. Perhaps most significant is the unpublished manuscript of a book written by Ms. Downs entitled, Mostly Wine and Roses. It is a candid and upbeat account of social events hosted by President and Mrs. Ford during the administration. The file also includes two shorter unpublished pieces; an article about Mrs. Ford as First Lady and another concerning Christmas celebrations in the White House. Both provide unique insights.

Related Materials (August 1992)
For information on particular White House social events, researchers should be sure to consult the Maria Downs Files. This collection includes extensive documentation on individual events, especially concerning the food, entertainment, and decor each featured. A closely related collection is the Sheila Weidenfeld Files, the First Lady's Press Secretary. The Betty Ford Papers' Events File also includes material on social affairs; much of this is duplicated in the Downs Files and Papers, but there are unique memoranda between the Social Secretary and the First Lady. Additionally, the White House Central Files Subject File PP 5-1 (Betty Ford) and SO (Social Affairs) include related material.

Audiovisual holdings about White House social events are plentiful and include thousands of still photographs and video tapes of state dinners and other selected events.