Breadcrumb

John A. Scali (White House Special Files: Staff Member and Office Files)

Date Start
1971
Date End
1972
Abstract

The Presidential historical materials of John A. Scali, Special Consultant to the President are in the custody of the National Archives and Records Administration under the provisions of Title I of the Presidential Recordings and Materials Preservation Act of 1974 (P.L. 93-526, 88 Stat. 1695) and implementing regulations. In accordance with the act and regulations, archivists reviewed the file group to identify personal and private materials and nonhistorical items. These items have been returned to Scali.

Materials covered by the act have been archivally processed and are described in this register. Items which are security classified or otherwise restricted under the act and regulations have been removed and placed in a closed file. A Document Withdrawal Record (GSA Form 7279) with a description of each restricted document has been inserted at the beginning of each folder from which materials have been removed. A Document Control Record marks the original position of the withdrawn item.

Employees of the National Archives will review periodically the unclassified portions of closed materials for the purpose of opening those which no longer require restriction. Certain classified documents may be declassified under authority of Executive Order 13526 in response to a Mandatory Review Request (NA Form 14020) submitted by the researcher.

  • Linear feet of materials:   3
  • Approximate number of pages:   6,400
Biographical Note

1918 April 27 Born in Canton, Ohio

1942 B.S., in Journalism, Boston University

1942 Reporter, Boston Herald

1942-1943 Reporter, Boston Bureau of the United Press

1942 July-1943 May Reporter, Boston Herald Traveler

1943-1945 War Correspondent, Office of Coordination of Inter-American Affairs

1943 June-1945 March Information Publicist, Office of Emergency Management, Executive Office of the President, Washington, D.C.

1944 Associated Press War Correspondent, European Theater of Operations

1945-1961 Diplomatic Correspondent, Washington Bureau of the Associated Press

1961-1971 Chief Diplomatic Correspondent, ABC News, Washington, D.C.

1971-1973 Special Consultant to the President

1973-1975 United States Representative to the United Nations

1975- Senior Correspondent, ABC News, Washington, D.C.

Scope and Content Note

These files reflect John A. Scali's activities as Special Consultant to the President from 1971 to 1973. As a White House consultant, Scali advised and reported directly to the President on communications policy relating to foreign affairs. He also briefed small groups of newsmen and Congressmen on foreign policy. In his role as senior advisor to the President, Scali traveled extensively with Nixon, including the Presidential trips to China and the Soviet Union. His tenure as a special consultant ended in 1973, with his appointment as United States Representative to the United Nations.

The materials are arranged into one series:

  1. Subject Files

The Subject Files series consists of memoranda supplemented by correspondence, congressional testimony, talking papers, press releases, notes, charts, clippings, reports, articles, photographs, and printed matter. The Colson action memos in this series contain communications between Scali and Charles Colson. They concern Scali's role in the daily news planning operation as well as his role in planning the President's schedule. The records concerning the 1972 Campaign relate to the advice Scali gave to Colson's staff on how to gain the maximum impact of the President's foreign policy remarks and activities on the re-election campaign.

Other records in the subject files also document Scali's responsibilities as Special Consultant. The Chinese Table Tennis Team records reflect Scali's role as the President's personal representative in escorting the Chinese team around the United States during its 1971 tour. Records pertaining to China, India-Pakistan, Lebanon, Soviet Union, and Vietnam also reflect Scali's duties as an advisor to the President. Unclassified Defense Department photographs of the Soviet weapons systems introduced into South Vietnam were removed from this series and transferred to the Audiovisual Collection of the Nixon Presidential Materials Project. Electrostatic copies of these photographs have been inserted in the files.

Names that appear throughout the collection are Ronald L. Ziegler, Henry A. Kissinger, Alexander M. Haig, Charles Colson, and H. R. Haldeman. Communications with Daniel Z. Henkin, Assistant Secretary of Defense for Public Affairs, with State Department personnel show that Scali worked closely with other agencies.

Series Description

Boxes:   1-8
Series:   Subject Files
Spans:   1971 - 1972
Description:   Originals and electrostatic copies of incoming and outgoing memoranda, letters, congressional testimony, talking papers, press releases, notes, charts, clippings, reports, articles, photographs, telegrams, and printed matter. Folders arranged alphabetically by subject title, and materials in folders arranged in reverse chronological order.

Folder Title List

SUBJECT FILES, 1971-72

Box 1

Out Card: Boni Project-International Press Conference
Boni Project
Colson Action Memos [1 of 7]
Colson Action Memos [2 of 7]
Colson Action Memos [3 of 7]
Colson Action Memos [4 of 7]
Colson Action Memos [5 of 7]
Colson Action Memos [6 of 7]
Colson Action Memos [7 of 7]
Congressional

Box 2

'72 Campaign [1 of 4]
'72 Campaign [2 of 4]
'72 Campaign [3 of 4]
'72 Campaign [4 of 4]
China Trip July 19, 1971 [1 of 3]
China Trip July 19, 1971 [2 of 3]
China Trip July 19, 1971 [3 of 3]
China-Follow-Up

Box 3

Presidential Involvement in Chinese Table Tennis Visit [enclosed folder]
Chinese TT Team Publicity
Chinese Table Tennis Team April 21, 1971 [1 of 4]
Chinese Table Tennis Team April 21, 1971 [2 of 4]
Chinese Table Tennis Team April 21, 1971 [3 of 4]
Chinese Table Tennis Team April 21, 1971 [4 of 4]
Correspondence (Miscel.) [1 of 3]
Correspondence (Miscel.) [2 of 3]
Correspondence (Miscel.) [3 of 3]

Box 4

Day in the Life of the President December 1971
Drugs May 28, 1971 [1 of 2]
Drugs May 28, 1971 [2 of 2]
Earthquake-Nicaragua Dec. 1972
Foreign Aid Strategy
Haldeman-President [1 of 2]
Haldeman-President [2 of 2]
India-Pakistan [1 of 2]
India-Pakistan [2 of 2]

Box 5

Job Seekers
Kissinger
Land Reform in VietNam
Lebanon Crisis Sept. 1972
Congressman Paul McCloskey April 1971
Mansfield Amendment
Media Policy [1 of 2]
Media Policy [2 of 2]

Box 6

Miscellaneous Staff Memos [1 of 3]
Miscellaneous Staff Memos [2 of 3]
Miscellaneous Staff Memos [3 of 3]
Moscow Trip
New York Times

Box 7

Orphans-(Vietnamese)
Peterson Briefing 6/8/71
President's News Conference
POW's 4/71
SALT Announcement May 20, 1971
Vice President's Trip

Box 8

Vietnam [1 of 4]
Vietnam [2 of 4]
Vietnam [3 of 4]
Vietnam [4 of 4]
Vietnam Withdrawal Rate
North Vietnam Offensive