WHITE HOUSE ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICE. WHITE HOUSE BUDGET FILES, 1974-76

The White House Administrative Office was one of the permanent operating offices which remained in the White House even as Presidents changed. The Administrative Office was divided into four areas: White House budget, payroll, personnel, and supply activities. Leave records, time and attendance reports, personnel records, and the purchase of supplies and equipment necessary for the operation of the White House Office were among the matters handled by the Administrative Office. It also maintained accounting and other financial records, as well as inventory of all White House Office property.

The White House Administrative Office was one of the permanent operating offices which remained in the White House even as Presidents changed. The Administrative Office was divided into four areas: White House budget, payroll, personnel, and supply activities. Leave records, time and attendance reports, personnel records, and the purchase of supplies and equipment necessary for the operation of the White House Office were among the matters handled by the Administrative Office. It also maintained accounting and other financial records, as well as inventory of all White House Office property.

During the Ford administration, Wilbur H. Jenkins (Administrative Officer) supervised the office and reported to Robert Linder, Chief Executive Clerk. Linder, in turn, answered to David Hoopes, Deputy Staff Secretary, and the Staff Secretary.

The White House Administrative Office Budget Files include budget submissions, reports, authorizations, congressional appropriations and budget committee hearings, memoranda, proposals, questions and answers, recommendations, and summaries used in the formulation and submission of budgets for the White House Office in fiscal years 1975, 1976, 1977.

Much of the collection consists of working papers and copies of earlier budget materials used for the development, support, or authorization of the current fiscal year's budget requests. Consequently, some information pre‑dates 1974, notably a copy of the Appropriations Act of 1906 and summaries of the appropriations for the White House Office from 1923‑49. It is not always evident, however, how the working papers and supporting documentation were utilized in the final budget request.

The House and Senate appropriations committees traditionally requested information regarding the number, salaries, and functions of White House Office personnel, and most of the collection relates to preparing responses to such questions. Although the budget files include memos received and sent by Robert Linder, David Hoopes, and Wilbur Jenkins, it is unclear by or for whom the budget files were assembled, or by whom they were used.

Though much of the information is available in other collections and published sources, this collection is a convenient source for comparing White House Office costs and budgets during the Ford administration. The collection should also prove useful for easily retrieving specific personnel statistics (such as the number of minorities working in the White House Office or the number of individuals detailed to the White House Office from other agencies). Noteworthy for studies of the 1974 Presidential transition are materials related to the 1976 budget request, listing select public expenses for President Nixon's return to private life.

Provenance
These records were held in the Old Executive Office Building by the White House Office of Records Management until December 1990, when they were transferred to the Office of Presidential Libraries and then to the Gerald R. Ford Library.

Related Materials (February 1991)
The files of Staff Secretaries Jerry Jones and James E. Connor are among the most useful materials for examinations of the White House Office's budget and personnel. Also of note are the files of Deputy Staff Secretary David Hoopes, currently unprocessed.

Significant materials related to the administration of the White House Office are found in the Files of Richard B. Cheney (Assistant to the President for White House Operations) and the White House Central Files (especially category WH).