MYRON B. KUROPAS PAPERS, (1963) 1975-77

Myron B. Kuropas joined the White House staff in January 1976 as Special Assistant for Ethnic Affairs. The purpose of this newly created position was to maximize communication between government officials and ethnic communities, a key demographic group for the upcoming election. As part of the Office of Public Liaison (OPL) this position reported directly to William J. Baroody, Jr. Kuropas had previously served as the regional director of ACTION, a federal umbrella agency that combined several volunteer agencies including the Peace Corps and VISTA, in Chicago, developing programs such as Project Senior Ethnic Find, and also was active in various Ukrainian community groups. Prior to his appointment, the work of ethnic liaison was handled in OPL by Theodore Marrs.

Kuropas acted as White House liaison with leaders of major ethnic organizations, including fraternal, civic, religious and academic associations. He met with representatives of ethnic groups, represented the White House at ethnic functions, advised the President on ethnic concerns and worked with federal agencies on programs regarding ethnic affairs. A “Special Assistant to the President for Ethnic Affairs Activities Report” that Kuropas submitted to Baroody, located in box 18, provides an overview of his tenure in this position.

Kuropas used OPL's Tuesday and Wednesday Meetings to help accomplish his liaison goals. He organized several regarding ethnicity and other topics, including neighborhood revitalization (May 5, 1976), education (May 18, 1976), and the 1980 census (June 1, 1976). Other meetings were arranged for the heads of ethnic organizations such as American Ethnic Leaders and Newspaper Editors (March 9, 1976) and Eastern European Ethnic Leaders (October 12, 1976). Kuropas also assisted with meetings not focused on ethnic issues, for instance the White House Conference on Historic Preservation (September 28, 1976).

Materials pertaining to these and other White House meetings can be found in the Subject File series. These folders usually include lists of invitees, agendas, handouts, memos, and White House paperwork for organizing such events. The bulk of the subject file consists primarily of routine background material on ethnic perspectives and election issues, including reports, articles, contact lists, correspondence, publications, and event programs. Exceptions are the files on the President’s Committee on Urban Development and Neighborhood Revitalization, Ethnic Campaign 1976, the National Republican Heritage Groups (Nationalities) Council, and the Presidential debate “Eastern Europe Gaffe.” These folders contain non-routine materials such as memos, agendas, and drafts of remarks. A few folders scattered throughout the subject file contain materials relating to Kuropas’s previous work at ACTION and his later position in Senator Dole’s office.

While some letters can be found in the Subject File, the bulk of Kuropas’s correspondence is located in the chronological file. Correspondence and memoranda exchanged between Kuropas and representatives of ethnic groups, the media, and other White House staff members concern participation in ethnic events, requests for statements, and some routine administrative matters such as requests for travel or information from other White House offices.

Additional routine background materials can be found in the newspaper file. It contains a mixture of both full editions and clippings, mostly from ethnic newspapers but with a small portion of material from mainstream publications such as the New York Times. The majority feature stories about White House meetings with ethnic groups and ethnic concerns relating to the 1976 election.

Related Materials (June 2012)
The closely-related Kuropas Files, received in 1977 as part of President Ford's papers, contain materials documenting Kuropas's relationship with specific ethnic groups and the wide variety of events he attended as Special Assistant for Ethnic Affairs. They also contain more materials relating to his work as regional director of ACTION. Theodore Marrs, Special Assistant for Human Resources in the Office of Public Liaison, handled ethnic affairs prior to the creation of Kuropas's position and related materials can be found in his files. The President Ford Committee Records contain materials relating to ethnic groups and the 1976 election, particularly in the Thomas Ruffin Files and Ethnic Desk Files from the People for Ford Office.