Michael Deaver, Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff: Deputy Chief of Staff and Assistant to the President, 1981 1985

Michael Deaver’s White House title nominally ranked him under James Baker, the Chief of Staff. In actuality, Deaver had his own leadership role in the Reagan White House, one based on his long personal association with Ronald and Nancy Reagan. In the Reagan White House, Deaver, James Baker, and Edwin Meese shared the leadership of the White House staff, in a senior staff triumvirate nicknamed the “Troika.” Deaver’s role included oversight of matters that pertained to President and Mrs. Reagan’s public image or personal lives. He supervised the President’s travel and events, working to ensure that Reagan was presented to the media and the public in the best manner possible. He served as a liaison between Nancy Reagan and the White House staff, and dealt with her travel and events as well. He often accompanied President and Mrs. Reagan on their trips, or personally performed advance site visits – especially for overseas trips. He was a personal intermediary for the Reagans, taking messages directly to and from them. He dealt with issues involving Presidential security or the White House complex. Deaver had oversight of the Office of Appointments and Scheduling, Office of Presidential Advance, Office of the First Lady (including Social Affairs), White House Military Office, and President Reagan’s immediate office (e.g., his personal secretary). He was also heavily involved with the Office of Communications. In early 1984 the Deputy Chief of Staff office took over most aspects of communications, as part of a staff reorganization done for the 1984 campaign season.

Full Collection Description and Inventory List

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Collection Description

I. Correspondence, (1980-) 1981-1985. (Boxes 1-32)

This series contains material relating to Mr. Deaver’s work and life during his time on the White House staff.

II. Senior Staff Meetings, 1981-1984. (Boxes 32-33)

This series contains material relating to “Senior Staff Action Items” lists. These lists are also in many other Reagan Library collections. They record items that the White House Senior Staff discussed at its meetings, such as domestic and foreign policy issues, scheduled Presidential and Administration events, high-level personnel matters, and updates on other staff meetings.

III. Scheduling, 1981-1985. (Boxes 33-35)

This series contains material relating to proposals for Presidential events and travel, agendas for long-range Presidential scheduling meetings, and guidelines for political versus official travel. It is arranged by month.

IV. Subject File,1981-1985. (Boxes 35-65)

This series contains material relating to matters Mr. Deaver and his White House staff dealt with, including planning for events involving President and Mrs. Reagan; event invitations and schedule proposals; compilations of information on events; trip advance material, particularly for foreign trips; material pertaining to the design and decorating of the White House complex, and the wine and food served at White House functions; memos and letters on policy issues and other topics, exchanged with White House and Executive Branch units; gift reports, travel forms, and other administrative material pertaining to Deaver and the staff that he oversaw; and daily phone and correspondence logs maintained by Deaver’s secretary.

V. 1983 Economic Summit – Williamsburg, VA, 1983 (Boxes 65-66)

This series contains material relating to the 1983, Summit of Industrialized Nations (aka the Williamsburg Summit or 1983 G-7 Summit).

VI. Political Material, 1980-1984. (Boxes 67-71)

This series contains material relating to the 1984 Reagan re-election campaign, the 1982 mid-term elections, and other matters of a political nature. A large portion consists of public opinion polls and poll analyses, most of which are from Decision Making Information, the organization headed by longtime Reagan pollster Richard Wirthlin.

VII. Inaugural Material, 1980-1981, 1984-1985. (Boxes 71-73)

This series contains material relating to the 1985 Inaugural Committee and Inauguration ceremonies, including the launching and organization of the Committee, Committee budget figures and press releases, Committee staffing, draft and final event schedules, information on potential entertainers and food, draft seating charts and lists of invitees, lists of thank-you notes and congratulatory letters, and form letters from the Committee.

Box Number:

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13

Box 1

Correspondence – January 1981 (1)
Correspondence – January 1981 (2)
Correspondence – January 1981 (3)
Correspondence – February 1981 (1)
Correspondence – February 1981 (2)
Correspondence – February 1981 (3)
Correspondence – February 1981 (4)
Correspondence – February 1981 (5)
Correspondence – February 1981 (6)
Correspondence – March 1981 (1)
Correspondence – March 1981 (2)
Correspondence – March 1981 (3)
Correspondence – March 1981 (4)
Correspondence – March 1981 (5)
Correspondence – March 1981 (6)
Correspondence – March 1981 (7)
Correspondence – March 1981 (8)
Correspondence – March 1981 (9)
Correspondence – April 1981 (1)
Correspondence – April 1981 (2)
Correspondence – April 1981 (3)

Box 2

Correspondence – April 1981 (4)
Correspondence – April 1981 (5)
Correspondence – April 1981 (6)
Correspondence – April 1981 (7)
Correspondence – May 1981 (1)
Correspondence – May 1981 (2)
Correspondence – May 1981 (3)
Correspondence – May 1981 (4)
Correspondence – May 1981 (5)
Correspondence – May 1981 (6)
Correspondence – May 1981 (7)
Correspondence – May 1981 (8)
Correspondence – May 1981 (9)
Correspondence – June 1981 (1)
Correspondence – June 1981 (2)
Correspondence – June 1981 (3)
Correspondence – June 1981 (4)
Correspondence – June 1981 (5)
Correspondence – June 1981 (6)
Correspondence – July 1981 (1)
Correspondence – July 1981 (2)
Correspondence – July 1981 (3)

Box 3

Correspondence – July 1981 (4)
Correspondence – July 1981 (5)
Correspondence – July 1981 (6)
Correspondence – July 1981 (7)
Correspondence – July 1981 (8)
Correspondence – July 1981 (9)
Correspondence – August 1981 (1)
Correspondence – August 1981 (2)
Correspondence – August 1981 (3)
Correspondence – September 1981 (1)
Correspondence – September 1981 (2)
Correspondence – September 1981 (3)
Correspondence – September 1981 (4)
Correspondence – September 1981 (5)
Correspondence – October 1981 (1)
Correspondence – October 1981 (2)
Correspondence – October 1981 (3)
Correspondence – October 1981 (4)
Correspondence – October 1981 (5)
Correspondence – November 1981 (1)
Correspondence – November 1981 (2)

Box 4

Correspondence – November 1981 (3)
Correspondence – November 1981 (4)
Correspondence – November 1981 (5)
Correspondence – November 1981 (6)
Correspondence – November 1981 (7)
Correspondence – December 1981 (1)
Correspondence – December 1981 (2)
Correspondence – December 1981 (3)
Correspondence – December 1981 (4)
Correspondence – December 1981 (5)
Correspondence – December 1981 (6)
Correspondence – December 1981 (7)
Correspondence – December 1981 (8)
Correspondence – January 1982 (1)
Correspondence – January 1982 (2)
Correspondence – January 1982 (3)
Correspondence – January 1982 (4)
Correspondence – January 1982 (5)
Correspondence – January 1982 (6)

Box 5

Correspondence – January 1982 (7)
Correspondence – January 1982 (8)
Correspondence – January 1982 (9)
Correspondence – January 1982 (10)
Correspondence – January 1982 (11)
Correspondence – January 1982 (12)
Correspondence – February 1982 (1)
Correspondence – February 1982 (2)
Correspondence – February 1982 (3)
Correspondence – February 1982 (4)
Correspondence – February 1982 (5)
Correspondence – February 1982 (6)
Correspondence – February 1982 (7)
Correspondence – February 1982 (8)
Correspondence – February 1982 (9)
Correspondence – February 1982 (10)
Correspondence – 03011982-03151982 (1)
Correspondence – 03011982-03151982 (2)
Correspondence – 03011982-03151982 (3)
Correspondence – 03011982-03151982 (4)
Correspondence – 03011982-03151982 (5)
Correspondence – 03011982-03151982 (6)
Correspondence – 03011982-03151982 (7)

Box 6

Correspondence – 03161982-03311982 (1)
Correspondence – 03161982-03311982 (2)
Correspondence – 03161982-03311982 (3)
Correspondence – 03161982-03311982 (4)
Correspondence – 03161982-03311982 (5)
Correspondence – 03161982-03311982 (6)
Correspondence – 03161982-03311982 (7)
Correspondence – 03161982-03311982 (8)
Correspondence – April 1982 (1)
Correspondence – April 1982 (2)
Correspondence – April 1982 (3)
Correspondence – April 1982 (4)
Correspondence – April 1982 (5)
Correspondence – April 1982 (6)
Correspondence – April 1982 (7)
Correspondence – April 1982 (8)
Correspondence – April 1982 (9)
Correspondence – May 1982 (1)
Correspondence – May 1982 (2)
Correspondence – May 1982 (3)

Box 7

Correspondence – May 1982 (4)
Correspondence – May 1982 (5)
Correspondence – May 1982 (6)
Correspondence – May 1982 (7)
Correspondence – May 1982 (8)
Correspondence – June 1982 (1)
Correspondence – June 1982 (2)
Correspondence – June 1982 (3)
Correspondence – June 1982 (4)
Correspondence – June 1982 (5)
Correspondence – July 1982 (1)
Correspondence – July 1982 (2)
Correspondence – July 1982 (3)
Correspondence – July 1982 (4)
Correspondence – July 1982 (5)
Correspondence – July 1982 (6)
Correspondence – August 1982 (1)
Correspondence – August 1982 (2)
Correspondence – August 1982 (3)
Correspondence – August 1982 (4)
Correspondence – August 1982 (5)

Box 8

Correspondence – August 1982 (6)
Correspondence – August 1982 (7)
Correspondence – September 1982 (1)
Correspondence – September 1982 (2)
Correspondence – September 1982 (3)
Correspondence – September 1982 (4)
Correspondence – September 1982 (5)
Correspondence – October 1982 (1)
Correspondence – October 1982 (2)
Correspondence – October 1982 (3)
Correspondence – October 1982 (4)
Correspondence – November 1982 (1)
Correspondence – November 1982 (2)
Correspondence – November 1982 (3)
Correspondence – December 1982 (1)
Correspondence – December 1982 (2)
Correspondence – December 1982 (3)
Correspondence – December 1982 (4)
Correspondence – December 1982 (5)
Correspondence – December 1982 (6)

Box 9

Correspondence – December 1982 (7)
Correspondence – December 1982 (8)
Correspondence – January 1983 (1)
Correspondence – January 1983 (2)
Correspondence – January 1983 (3)
Correspondence – January 1983 (4)
Correspondence – January 1983 (5)
Correspondence – January 1983 (6)
Correspondence – January 1983 (7)
Correspondence – January 1983 (8)
Correspondence – February 1983 (1)
Correspondence – February 1983 (2)
Correspondence – February 1983 (3)
Correspondence – February 1983 (4)
Correspondence – February 1983 (5)
Correspondence – February 1983 (6)
Correspondence – February 1983 (7)
Correspondence – February 1983 (8)
Correspondence – February 1983 (9)

Box 10

Correspondence – March 1983 (1)
Correspondence – March 1983 (2)
Correspondence – March 1983 (3)
Correspondence – March 1983 (4)
Correspondence – March 1983 (5)
Correspondence – March 1983 (6)
Correspondence – March 1983 (7)
Correspondence – March 1983 (8)
Correspondence – March 1983 (9)
Correspondence – March 1983 (10)
Correspondence – April 1983 (1)
Correspondence – April 1983 (2)
Correspondence – April 1983 (3)
Correspondence – April 1983 (4)
Correspondence – April 1983 (5)
Correspondence – April 1983 (6)
Correspondence – April 1983 (7)
Correspondence – April 1983 (8)
Correspondence – April 1983 (9)
Correspondence – April 1983 (10)

Box 11

Correspondence – May 1983 (1)
Correspondence – May 1983 (2)
Correspondence – May 1983 (3)
Correspondence – May 1983 (4)
Correspondence – May 1983 (5)
Correspondence – May 1983 (6)
Correspondence – June 1983 (1)
Correspondence – June 1983 (2)
Correspondence – June 1983 (3)
Correspondence – June 1983 (4)
Correspondence – June 1983 (5)
Correspondence – June 1983 (6)
Correspondence – June 1983 (7)
Correspondence – June 1983 (8)
Miscellaneous Incoming Correspondence July 1983 (1)
Miscellaneous Incoming Correspondence July 1983 (2)
Miscellaneous Incoming Correspondence July 1983 (3)
Miscellaneous Incoming Correspondence July 1983 (4)
July 1983 Correspondence (1)

Box 12

July 1983 Correspondence (2)
July 1983 Correspondence (3)
July 1983 Correspondence (4)
July 1983 Correspondence (5)
July 1983 Correspondence (6)
July 1983 Correspondence (7)
July 1983 Correspondence (8)
July 1983 Correspondence (9)
July 1983 Correspondence (10)
July 1983 Correspondence (11)
July 1983 Correspondence (12)
July 1983 Correspondence (13)
August 1983 Miscellaneous Incoming File
August 1983 Correspondence (1)
August 1983 Correspondence (2)
August 1983 Correspondence (3)
August 1983 Correspondence (4)
August 1983 Correspondence (5)
August 1983 Correspondence (6)
August 1983 Correspondence (7)

Box 13

August 1983-September 1983 Miscellaneous Incoming (1)
August 1983-September 1983 Miscellaneous Incoming (3)
August 1983-September 1983 Miscellaneous Incoming (5)
August 1983-September 1983 Miscellaneous Incoming (6)
September 1983 Outgoing (1)
September 1983 Outgoing (3)
September 1983 Outgoing (5)
September 1983 Outgoing (7)
September 1983 Outgoing (9)
September 1983 Outgoing (11)
October 1983 Incoming (1)
October 1983 Incoming (2)