The collection documents White House contacts with senators and their staffs regarding pending legislation, personnel appointments and routine requests and courtesies. A few foreign and many domestic policy issues are represented, for example energy bills and the Freedom of Information Act. The majority of files spans 1974-75, with some earlier material such as summary records of senatorial support on key votes, 1969-75.
Series Description and Container List
Container List
Collection Overview
Scope and Content Note
Patrick E. O'Donnell joined the Congressional Relations Office in August 1973, during the Nixon administration. He held the position of special assistant for legislative affairs (Senate) until resigning in February 1976, and Joseph S. Jenckes succeeded him. Both men served directly under the deputy assistant for legislative affairs (Senate), Tom C. Korologos through 1974 and then William T. Kendall.
O'Donnell and Jenckes assisted with the routine aspects of liaison between the White House and the United States Senate. They tracked pending legislation and lobbied for administration positions, compiled vote summaries, handled personnel requests, and prepared schedule proposals and briefing papers for senatorial-presidential meetings. They also handled routine congressional requests for assistance with special messages, patronage and invitations.
The files document these activities. Material appears on a few foreign and many domestic policy issues, especially the president's energy program. Most of this collection consists of O'Donnell's files from 1974-75, which Jenckes took over in February 1976. The series of O'Donnell chronological materials contains documents from his prior positions in the White House and Department of Justice, beginning in December 1971.
Related Materials (July 1986)
All files of the Congressional Relations Office are open; especially noteworthy are the materials of Vernon Loen and Charles Leppert who handled liaison with the House. The Congressional Relations Office reported to presidential counsellor John Marsh, and his files are also open. The files of individual White House staff will contain information on legislation in their respective policy areas. The most directly pertinent White House Central Files categories are Legislation (LE) and Federal Government-Congress (FG 30 to FG 39).
Details
6.8 linear feet (ca. 13,600 pages)
Access
Copyright
Gerald R. Ford donated to the United States of America his copyrights in all of his unpublished writings in National Archives collections. The copyrights to materials written by other individuals or organizations are presumed to remain with them. Works prepared by U.S. Government employees as part of their official duties are in the public domain.
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Biography
Patrick E. O'Donnell
1937 - Born, New York, New York
1959 - B.A., Georgetown University, Washington, DC
1962 - LL.B., American University, Washington, DC
1963-69 - Assistant Corporate Counsel, District of Columbia Government
1969-71 - Legal Assistant to Chairman, Federal Communications Commission
1971-73 - Staff Assistant to President, White House
Mar.-July 1973 - Deputy Assistant Attorney General, U.S. Department of Justice
Aug. 1973-Feb. 1976 - Special Assistant to President for Legislative Affairs (Senate), White House
1976-78 - Representative for Legislative Affairs, General Electric Corporation, Washington, DC
1978-? - Assistant Manager, Federal Government Relations, JC Penney
1978-? - Partner, O'Connor & Hannan law firm, Washington, DC
Joseph F. Jenckes, V
1935 - Born, Phoenix, Arizona
1961 - J.D., University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ
1961-62 - Assistant Attorney General, State of Arizona
1962-64 - Private law practice, Langerman and Begam
1964-65, 1967-68 - Professional actor, New York, NY, and Los Angeles, CA
1965-66 - Deputy County Attorney, Maricopa County, AZ
1969 - Attorney, Arizona State Compensation Fund, Phoenix, AZ
1969-73 - Assistant U.S. Attorney and Chief, Criminal Division, District of Arizona
May 1973-Jan. 1976 - Administrative Assistant, U.S. Senator Paul Fannin, Arizona
Feb. 1976-Jan. 1977 - Special Assistant to President for Legislative Affairs (Senate), White House
1977-? - Staff, Abbott Laboratories, Washington, DC