MILTON MITLER FILES, 1972-77

Milton E. Mitler joined the White House staff as coordinator for Bicentennial matters on April 17, 1975, leaving his post as assistant to the national chairman for the National Committee for Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve. Mitler replaced Richard Lukstat, who had resigned on April 3, 1975, and took over Lukstat's duties as liaison between the White House and the American Revolution Bicentennial Administration, Federal agencies and general public. He also administered gifts received at the White House for the Bicentennial. The Bicentennial Office functioned directly under Counsellor to the President John O. Marsh Jr. and under the Special Assistant to the President for Human Resources Theordore Marrs. Marrs had worked with Mitler at the Defense Department and was instrumental in bringing him to the White House. A detailed description of the role of the White House Bicentennial Office is available in the case file.

When Marrs resigned on July 17, 1976, Mitler inherited much of Marrs' work and became, on Sept. 30, 1976, Deputy Special Assistant to the President for Human Resources. The files for July 1976 to January 1977 reflect Mitler's additional responsibilities dealing with the MIA/POW. issue. This issue, which was the concern of groups like the National League of Families of American Prisoners and Missing in Southeast Asia, MIA/POW families and concerned members of the public, represented the above groups' and citizens' feelings of being abandoned by the U.S. Government. They believed there were still captured American servicemen being held in Southeast Asia, even after U.S. POW's had been repatriated in 1973. They also demanded an accounting of what had happened to the many servicemen listed as missing in action. Mitler and his superior, Marrs, handled relations between the White House and these groups and kept the White House informed of developments regarding this issue. Specifically Mitler answered correspondence on the MIA/POW issue and served to explain the Ford administration's policies in this regard. The many letters from family members of MIA/POW's sent to President Ford show their frustration of not knowing whether their loved one is living or dead and also reflects the emotional intensity of this issue.

Mitler's major duty and the majority of his files concern his work with the Bicentennial. As coordinator of Bicentennial matters, Mitler sat on various Bicentennial task forces, such as the Federal Agency Bicentennial Task Force, which planned various activities for Federal agencies during the Bicentennial. The major problem for this task force was in coordinating what each agency was going to do so that there would be no overlapping of activities if possible. The direction of overall activities from the White House was an attempt to provide a general theme for the Bicentennial. Mitler also answered requests from private sector groups and individuals for presidential attendance at functions, authorization to hold events on Federal property, funding for activities and similar matters.

For the final months of the Ford administration, Mitler helped to organize meetings which consisted of bringing a selected group into the White House to attend a ceremonial function such as the signing of a bill by the President or to attend a public relations function such as meeting with labor leaders to discuss administration policies on some issue. He was basically the organizer and facilitator of the meetings and usually only opened them with introductory remarks to welcome them to the White House.

Related Materials (October 1987)
Related open materials on the Bicentennial can be found especially in: the files of Presidential Counselor John O. Marsh; files of Domestic Counsel staff Andre Buckles and Stephen McConahey; and White House Central Files categories FG 75 American Revolution Bicentennial Commission, FG 370 American Revolution Bicentennial Administration, GI 3 Gifts to President (includes Bicentennial) and PR 8-1 American Bicentennial Celebration.

Related open materials on Vietnam War MIA/POW's are found especially in the John Marsh Files and in the White House Central Files category ND 8-1 Military Personnel - Casualties.

The closely related files of Theodore Marrs are currently processed and available for research.