NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISOR. INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC AFFAIRS STAFF FILES, (1973) 1975-76

The NSC International Economic Affairs Staff Files is one of many sub-collections that comprise the National Security Adviser Files and is a valuable source of materials on a wide range of international economic issues.

Scope and Content of the Collection
Gerald Ford became President as the United States and numerous other countries were experiencing severe economic problems. These problems were precipitated by a series of events in the early 1970s - the collapse of the Bretton Woods monetary system in 1971, the first enlargement of the European Community in 1973, and the oil crisis of 1973-74 - which resulted in a unique combination of recession and inflation. Subsequent increases in energy costs and disappointing food harvests further strained the world economy, particularly in areas such as trade and monetary flows and adjustments. Consequently, many countries moved towards policies of economic nationalism, thereby jeopardizing U.S. desires for an open world economy based on international cooperation.

The NSC International Economic Affairs Staff provided the primary support to the Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs on these and other international economic issues. The staff prepared decision memoranda, policy recommendations, and briefing papers for the Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs, and drafted papers from him to the President. These concerned many international economic issues, including U.S. economic policy and relations, economic summits, trade, import quotas, monetary affairs, foreign investment, foreign aid, commodities, food, energy, aviation, and maritime affairs. The staff represented the Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs at all interagency meetings, including those at the Cabinet level, on foreign economic affairs issues. In addition, the staff coordinated, in conjunction with the Economic Policy Board, the preparation of U.S. positions on international economic issues for presidential summits, speeches, and policy papers, and ensured the proper consideration of economic issues in the preparation of positions on all elements of U.S. foreign and security policy.

Robert Hormats directed the International Economic Affairs Staff from September 1974 through January 1977. As the Senior Staff Member, Hormats had responsibility for all office operations, including the supervision of two assistants, Malcolm Butler and Timothy Deal. Butler, on detail from the Department of State, joined Hormats' staff in March 1975, replacing Denny Ellerman, and focused on foreign aid, commodities, food, and energy. Deal, also on detail from the Department of State, joined the staff in April 1976 and concentrated on trade, aviation, maritime affairs, and east-west economic relations.

For reasons unknown, the collection only documents the second half of the Ford administration. The Presidential Subject File series and the Institutional Subject File series mainly contain materials from late 1975 through December 1976, but do include a few items from 1973 and 1974. The Robert Hormats Chronological File series covers March through December 1976, while the Timothy Deal Chronological File series encompasses April through December 1976.