Breadcrumb

Michael P. Balzano (White House Central Files: Staff Member and Office Files)

Date Start
1972
Date End
1973
Abstract

The Presidential historical materials of Michael P. Balzano are in the custody of the National Archives and Records Administration under the provisions of Title I of the Presidential Recordings and Materials Act of 1974 (44 U.S.C. 2111 note) and implementing regulations. In accordance with the act and regulations, archivists reviewed the file group to identify personal and private materials as well as nonhistorical items. Materials covered by the act have been archivally processed and described in this register.

  • Linear feet of materials:  3.3
  • Approximate number of pages:  8,000
Biographical Note

Michael Pasquale Balzano

November 6, 1935 Born, New Haven, Connecticut

1952 Dropped out of high school and became a refuse and garbage collector

1955 Apprentice lens grinder, American Optical Company, New Haven, Connecticut

1957 Returned to high school - night study

1961 Graduated high school

1966 Graduated University of Bridgeport magna cum laude - recipient of the Top Scholar Award, named Outstanding Senior

1971 Ph.D. in Political Philosophy, Georgetown University

1971 Special Assistant to the Director of the Peace Corps

1971-1972 Special Assistant to the Director of the Office of Economic Opportunity

1972 Married Denice Wiews

February 1972-March 1973 White House Staff Assistant

1973-1976 Director, ACTION

1978 Resident fellow, American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research

Scope and Content Note

Michael P. Balzano, Jr. was a White House Staff Assistant from February 1972 through March 1973. He worked under Charles Colson on "blue-collar" and "white ethnic group" concerns. Balzano acted as a liaison between the Nixon Administration and various segments of the population, including labor, Catholics, Poles, Slovaks, Italians, Greeks, Ukranians, Lithuanians, Estonians, and other Eastern European groups.

These groups had many concerns, which Balzano monitored. Among those were busing, crime, Eastern Europe, Radio Free Europe, patronage, ethnic representation in government, Nixon's visit to the Soviet Union, Vietnam, the Ethnic Studies Heritage Programs Act, and the Higher Education Act. The 1972 election was also a focal point. The support of the various groups was seen as both a goal for Balzano and as a measure of the success of the Nixon Administration in the first term.

Principal correspondents and persons discussed in the files are Charles Colson, W. Richard "Dick" Howard, the President, and Laszlo Pasztor. Also included are Dimitri Danielopol, Ralph Perk, Karol Sitko, Dagnija Kreslins, John Volpe, Edward Derwinski, and Fred Gualtieri.

Folder Title List

Box 1

Appointments: Administrative Ethnic Appointments
Auto Industry
Catholics
Conference on European Security
Congressional Activities - Busing
[Congressional Activities - Busing] Busing - Articles
[Congressional Activities - Busing] Back-up Material
[Congressional Activities - Busing] Draft Material
[Congressional Activities - Ethnic Studies Centers] - Ethnic Heritage Studies Centers Act [1 of 2]

Box 2

[Congressional Activities - Ethnic Studies Centers] - Ethnic Heritage Studies Centers Act [2 of 2]
Congressional Activities - Radio Free Europe
Back-up Material
Texts
[Crime/Law and Order]
[Crime/Law and Order] Crime
[Crime/Law and Order] Gun Control
[Crime/Law and Order] New Haven Police Department
[Democrats] Democratic Policy Council (Ethnic Platform)
[Democrats] Candidates and Issues - '72 Election
[Democrats] Cong. Frank Annunzio
[Domestic Policy] Fact Sheets

Box 3

The Economy [1 of 3]
The Economy [2 of 3]
The Economy [3 of 3]
[Ethnic and Minority Census] [1 of 2]
[Ethnic and Minority Census] [2 of 2]
[Ethnic General Information - by Nationality] Ethnics - E. European [empty]
[Ethnic General Information - by Nationality] Ethnics - German [empty]
[Ethnic General Information - by Nationality] Ethnics - Greeks [empty]
[Ethnic General Information - by Nationality] Ethnics - Italians [empty]
[Ethnic General Information - by Nationality] Ethnics - Poles
[Ethnic General Information - by Nationality] Ethnics - General
[Ethnic Leaders] Ethnics - Ethnic Leaders
[Ethnic Leaders] Fred Gualtieri
[Ethnic Leaders] Cardinal Krol
[Ethnic Leaders] Miscellaneous Ethnics

Box 4

[Ethnic Leaders] Ralph Perk, Mayor Cleveland
[Ethnic Leaders] Prominent German Leaders
[Ethnic Leaders] Prominent Greek Leaders
[Ethnic Leaders] Prominent Hungarian Leaders
[Ethnic Leaders] Prominent Italian Leaders
[Ethnic Leaders] Prominent Polish Leaders
[Ethnic Leaders] Prominent Slovak Leaders
[Ethnic Leaders] Prominent Ukrainian Leaders
[Ethnic Leaders] Rizzo - Mayor Philadelphia
[Ethnic Organizations] Italian American Civil Rights League
[Ethnic Organizations] Lithuanian American Council
[Ethnic Organizations] National Confederation of American Ethnic Groups
[Ethnic Organizations] Polish American Conference, Inc.
[Ethnic Organizations] Requests and Petitions
[Ethnic Organizations] Requests for Speaking Engagements
[Ethnic Organizations] Various
[Ethnic Organizations] Washington New Approach
Ethnic Report
Ethnic Study

Box 5

[Events] National Heritage Day (Presidential Proclamation)
[Events] Captive Nations Week
[Events] May 6-7, 1972, Polish Constitution Day & NRHGNC Banquet
[Events] Performance Lithuanian Dancers
[Events] Speaking Engagements
[Higher Education Act Amendment]
Holidays - Calendar
Inaugural Activities
[Issues] Anti-War Amendment [empty]
[Issues] Blacks
[Issues] Cooley's Anemia
[Issues] Housing
[Issues] Mafia
[Issues] Nuclear Arms Limitation
[Issues] SALT
[Issues] Soviet Union Visit

Box 6

[Issues] Issues
[Issues] Unemployment
[Issues] Vietnam
Italian-Americans
Labor
[Labor] Articles
[Labor] Fact Sheets
[Labor] Requests, correspondence, names of labor leaders
Mailings
[Mailings] Comments on Mailings
Memos - Advisory Councils/ Pres. & Dept.
Middle America - Blue Collar Worker Report
Miscellaneous
[Miscellaneous] Revolution

Box 7

National Advisory Council on Ethnic Studies [1 of 2]
National Advisory Council on Ethnic Studies [2 of 2]
Patronage
Patronage [Phillip Stem]
Pennsylvania
Personalities
[Personalities] Personalities
[Personalities] Paul Deac, Myroslav Gregory
[Personalities] Mike Remos
[Personalities] Karol Sitko
Polish-Americans
[Polish Blitz] 500 Anniversary of Copernicus
[Polish Blitz] Kosciusko Bill
[Polish Blitz] Polish Events - Copernicus
[Polish Blitz] Polish National Alliance
[Polish Blitz] Polish Organizations
[Polish Blitz] Polish Press

Box 8

[Polish Blitz] State Department Brochure
[Polish Blitz] Trade Center - Warsaw Poland
Presidential Messages
Press
[Press] 1968 Advertising Expenses
RNC - Heritage Groups Nationalities Division
[RNC - Heritage Groups Nationalities Division] Pending Requests
[RNC - Heritage Groups Nationalities Division] Reports
[Resumes] Alex Armendaris
[Resumes] George H. Baird
[Resumes] Alexander Barbieri
[Resumes] Resumes (continued)
[Resumes] Jack Burgess
[Resumes] Eugene Cafiero
[Resumes] Biagia DiUeto
[Resumes] Harry Hogan
[Resumes] Paul Kachulis
[Resumes] Mitchell Kafarski
[Resumes] Arne Kalm [empty]
[Resumes] Mitchell Kobelinski
[Resumes] Leonard Koldin
[Resumes] Edmund J. Kucharski
[Resumes] Raymond Kudukis
[Resumes] Myron Kuropas
[Resumes] Ralph Marcarelli
[Resumes] Joseph Matarazzo
[Resumes] Joseph Mattina
[Resumes] Janet Migala
[Resumes] Uewellyn M. Mullings
[Resumes] Franklin Mark Osanka

Box 9

[Resumes] Col. Harry Sachaklian
[Resumes] Ross Scumaci
[Resumes] Florence Perlow Shientag
[Resumes] John Stastny
[Resumes] Frank Stella
[Resumes] Alfred Sulmonetti
[Resumes] Taras Szmagala
[Resumes] Leonard F. Walentynowicz
[Resumes, Additional] [1 of 2]
[Resumes, Additional] [2 of 2]
Schedule Proposals
[Schedule Proposals] Hungarian Painting Presentation
1701 - Ethnic Activities (Campaign)
Speeches

Box 10

[Travel Auth. /Clearance Forms/T & A Forms] - Clearance Forms
[Travel Auth. /Clearance Forms/T & A Forms]Clearance Forms - used
[Travel Auth. /Clearance Forms/T & A Forms]Travel Requests
Vice President - Speeches [1 of 2]
Vice President - Speeches [2 of 2]
[White House] Fact Sheets
White House -- General]
[White House] - Hold
White House, Whose in Charge of What
White House Activities
[White House Activities] Autographed Pictures of President
[White House Activities] Blair House Dinners
[White House Activities] Ethnic Leaders Meeting with President
[White House Activities] General Information - Memo. letter. etc.
[White House Activities] State Dinners
[White House Activities] Telephone Call from the President
[White House Activities] White House Church Services