PAUL A. MILTICH FILES, 1974-75

Paul Miltich, Gerald Ford's press secretary since 1966, was named assistant press secretary to the President in August 1974. Under Jerald terHorst, Miltich was responsible for supervising the correspondence section of the Press Office; producing position papers which were then distributed to newspapers, television and radio stations throughout the country; channeling opinion- editorial (Op-Ed) pieces written by executive departments and agencies to major daily newspapers; supervising the preparation of the White House News Summary; and helping the President prepare for press conferences.

Ron Nessen's assumption of the post of Press Secretary led to a shift of responsibilities within the Press Office. In November 1974, Gerald Warren became responsible for the coordination of public affairs activities with executive agencies and departments and liaison with the press outside of Washington. Miltich retained responsibility for special writing projects such as speech inserts, the President's Q & A book, and press office public correspondence. He also remained responsible for general supervision of the news summary. Miltich left to join the Postal Rate Commission in March 1975.

The Miltich files include position papers which he produced as well as background materials and resulting correspondence, September - December 1974. Also present are files of routine press office correspondence including requests for presidential interviews and statements, photographs, and other information. Material on the Op-Ed program is found in the files of Margita White who, as Director of the White House Office of Communications from June 1975, assumed many of the responsibilities formerly held by Miltich and Warren.

Related Materials (May 1983)
Related material may also be found in the files of other members of the White House Press Office, particularly those of James B. Shuman, editor of the news summary, and White House Central Files category PR 16-3 (Presidential news analysis). The files of Gerald Warren and Margita White include Miltich's materials on the Op-Ed program. Miltich has also donated to the Ford Library a small collection of personal papers, 1973-77. Earlier material on press relations can be found in the Press Secretary and Speech File of the Ford Congressional papers and in the Miltich files of the Ford Vice Presidential papers.