Ford Administration Cabinet Meeting Minutes

President Ford meets with his Cabinet. June 25, 1975.

About once every three weeks, President Gerald R. Ford met with his Cabinet to gather information and discuss administration policies. Assembled were the ranking members of the executive branch. As many as 30 officials could be present, including Vice President Nelson A. Rockefeller, the 10 department Secretaries, the Attorney General, other officials of Cabinet rank, agency directors, and senior White House aides.

For more than an hour, the participants discussed issues of high national priority that cut across departmental boundaries, such as foreign policy, the economy and relations with Congress.

This online exhibit contains text and images of meeting minutes, biographical information on members of the Cabinet, and some background on Gerald Ford's use of the Cabinet. For most meetings during the first 14 months of the administration, the Secretary to the Cabinet (originally Warren Rustand and then James Connor) took notes and later created formal typed minutes. For meetings in the later months of the administration, Connor did not produce any minutes, although his files contain handwritten notes for some meetings. When formal minutes were not available for use in this exhibit, other documents, such as press briefings and memoranda of conversations, have been substituted to provide some substantial information on the discussions.

The Library has extensive additional information on the Cabinet and Cabinet meetings for those who wish to research the topic in depth.

1974 Meeting Minutes

Ford Administration Cabinet Meeting Minutes, 1974

Date	Topics Reflected in Documents	Links to Documents (PDF files)
August 10, 1974	Presidential Transition, Appointment of Vice President	National Security Adviser's Memoranda of Presidential Conversations
August 26, 1974	Federal Budget, Conference on Inflation, Congressional Elections, Foreign Aid, International Economy, Defense Budget	Cabinet Secretary's Minutes or National Security Adviser's Memoranda of Presidential Conversations
September 17, 1974	Presidential Transition, National Security Council, Chile, Intelligence	National Security Adviser's Memoranda of Presidential Conversations
October 11, 1974	Economic and Energy Proposals, Congressional Elections, Boston Busing Situation	Cabinet Secretary's Minutes
October 30, 1974	Personnel Reductions, Economic and Energy Proposals, Richard Nixon's Health, WIN Program, Leaks of Government Statistics	Cabinet Secretary's Minutes or National Security Adviser's Memoranda of Presidential Conversations
November 15, 1974	Economic and Energy Proposals, Kissinger Trip to Middle East, President's Trip to Far East, Rockefeller Confirmation	Cabinet Secretary's Minutes or National Security Adviser's Memoranda of Presidential Conversations

1975 Meeting Minutes

Ford Administration Cabinet Meeting Minutes, 1975

Date	Topics Reflected in Document	Links to Documents (PDF files)
January 8, 1975	White House Organization, Congressional Liaison, Economic Policy, Foreign Relations, American-Soviet Relations, Trade	Cabinet Secretary's Minutes or National Security Adviser's Memoranda of Presidential Conversations
January 29, 1975	South Vietnam/Cambodia Aid, Vietnamese War, Federal Budget, Energy Legislation	Cabinet Secretary's Minutes or National Security Adviser's Memoranda of Presidential Conversations
February 21, 1975	Domestic Council, Oil Import Fees, Middle East, American-Soviet Relations, Trade	National Security Adviser's Memoranda of Presidential Conversations
March 12, 1975	Presidential Clemency Board, Senate Rule 22, Agriculture and Food, Automobile Emissions, Aid to Cambodia and South Vietnam, Vietnamese War	Cabinet Secretary's Minutes or National Security Adviser's Memoranda of Presidential Conversations
March 26, 1975	Kissinger Middle East Trip, Egypt, Israel, Soviet Union, Consumer Protection Agency, Economic Impact Statements	Cabinet Secretary's Minutes or National Security Adviser's Memoranda of Presidential Conversations
April 16, 1975	Aid to South Vietnam and Cambodia, Vietnamese War, Consumer Protection, Economic Situation, Federal Budget	Cabinet Secretary's Minutes or National Security Adviser's Memoranda of Presidential Conversations
April 29, 1975	Saigon Evacuation, Indochina Refugees	Cabinet Secretary's Minutes or National Security Adviser's Memoranda of Presidential Conversations
May 7, 1975	Executive-Legislative Relations, Indochina Refugees, Consumer Protection Legislation, Crime Message	Cabinet Secretary's Minutes
June 4, 1975	President's Trip to Europe, NATO, Energy	Cabinet Secretary's Minutes or National Security Adviser's Memoranda of Presidential Conversations
June 25, 1975	Government Regulations, OMB Clearance of Legislation, Indochina Refugees	Cabinet Secretary's Minutes
July 16, 1975	Indochina Refugees, Soviet Union, Somalia, Diego Garcia	National Security Adviser's Memoranda of Presidential Conversations
August 8, 1975	President's Trip to Europe, Helsinki Agreements	National Security Adviser's Memoranda of Presidential Conversations
August 27, 1975	Federal Budget, Legislative Outlook, Oil Price Decontrol, Intelligence Investigations	Cabinet Secretary's Minutes
September 17, 1975	Consumer Protection, Soviet Grain Sales, Busing, New York City Financial Crisis, Domestic Council Forums	Cabinet Secretary's Minutes
October 6, 1975	Tax and Spending Cuts	President's Talking Points
October 8, 1975	Tax and Spending Cuts, Regulatory Reform, Concorde SST	Cabinet Secretary's Minutes
December 10, 1975	1976 Presidential Campaign	Press Secretary's Press Briefing

1976 Meeting Minutes

Ford Administration Cabinet Meeting Minutes, 1976

Date	Topics Reflected in Documents	Links to Documents
January 7, 1976	Federal Budget	Press Secretary's Press Briefing
January 19, 1976	Federal Budget	President's Briefing Paper
February 19, 1976	Economic Situation	Press Pool Report
April 14, 1976	Presidential Campaign, Lebanon, Syria	National Security Adviser's Memoranda of Presidential Conversations
June 18, 1976	Lebanon Crisis	National Security Adviser's Memoranda of Presidential Conversations
June 29, 1976	International Economic Summit	National Security Adviser's Memoranda of Presidential Conversations
July 20, 1976	Legislative Priorities, Taxes, Presidential Campaign, Swine Flu	Press Secretary's Press Briefing
August 30, 1976	Korean Crisis, Rhodesia	National Security Adviser's Memoranda of Presidential Conversations
September 8, 1976	Presidential Campaign	Advocate Travel Memo
September 28, 1976	Kissinger Trip to Rhodesia	National Security Adviser's Memoranda of Presidential Conversations
November 5, 1976	Presidential Transition	Press Secretary's Press Briefing