WHITE HOUSE OFFICE OF RECORDS MANAGEMENT SUBJECT FILES: DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE (FG020)

Research Availability:
Open - all records in the subject category have been processed and are available for research
Partial - some of the records in the subject category have been processed and available for research
None - no records in the subject category have been processed nor made available for research
N/A - No records are in this category

File Code Description Research
Availability
FG020

Department of Commerce (3.2 l. ft.; Box 1-8)
This secondary subject category contains material relating to recommendations, nominations, appointments, and resignations from the Department of Commerce; speeches delivered by Secretaries Malcolm Baldrige and William Verity; reports about growing industries, declining industries, troubled industries; the nomination and swearing-in of William Verity as Secretary after the death of Malcolm Baldrige; complaints regarding sponsored Department events; issues of the monthly “Economic Roundup”; Commerce Congressional testimony on  industries and technologies; concerns about Baldrige’s and Verity’s opinions on trading with the USSR; and departmental guidelines on talking to the media.

Open
FG020-01 Bureau of Economic Analysis (1 folder; Box 9)
This secondary subject category contains October 1986 copies of the “United States Department of Commerce News” published by the Bureau of Economic Analysis. It also contained a single case file regarding the Bureau of the Census. This case file was transferred to FG020-02.
Open
FG020-02 Census, Bureau of the (0.1 l.ft.; Box 9)
This secondary subject category contains material regarding recommendations, appointments and resignations for the Director of the Bureau of the Census; complaints from citizens about the burden of answering Census questionnaires; opposition to the proposed government reorganization placing the Bureau of the Census within the Department of the Treasury; and statistical reports on U.S. households.
Open
FG020-03 Domestic and International Business Administration (1 folder; Box 9)
This secondary subject category contained a single case file which was transferred to FG010-03 (Domestic Policy Council). The case file contained material on the creation of the Domestic Policy Council.
Open
FG020-04

Economic Development Administration (0.3 l.ft.; Box 9-10)
This secondary subject category contains material regarding recommendations, appointments and the resignation of the Assistant Secretary for Economic Development; recommendations for regional directors of the Economic Development Administration (EDA); protests about the Reagan Administration’s stated goal of eliminating the EDA; complaints from communities not successful in receiving EDA grants; support for controversial Assistant Secretary Carlos Campbell just prior to his firing in 1986; and controversial remarks by the final Assistant Secretary for Economic Development Owen Swindle.

A substantial amount of protest mail regarding efforts to cut the budget of the Economic Development Administration can be found in FI004 (Budget- Appropriations).

Open
FG020-05 Federal Fire Council (Terminated: 08/17/1982) (1 folder, Box 10)
This secondary subject category contained a single case file which was transferred to FG022-05 (Inspector General, Health and Human Services).
Open
FG020-06 Foreign Direct Investments, Office of
The White House Office of Records Management did not transfer any material within this secondary subject category to the Library.
N/A
FG020-07 Maritime Administration (2 folders; Box 10)
This secondary subject category contains material related to the transfer of the Maritime Administration from the Department of Commerce to the Department of Transportation. It includes a maritime policy working group meeting report; a letter from Congress supporting the transfer and a bill report on H.R. 4074 legislating the transfer to Transportation. The bill was signed by President Reagan on August 6, 1981 and the transfer was effective immediately.  This category contained a small amount of material transferred to FG024-09 (Maritime Administration, Department of Transportation).
Open
FG020-08 Minority Business Development Agency (0.1 ft., Box 10)
This secondary subject category contains material related to recommendations and appointments of the Director, Deputy Director and Regional Directors for the Minority Business Development Agency; opposition to dismantling or transferring the Agency to the Small Business Administration; a complaint about how Reductions-In-Force (RIFs) were applied to the Agency in 1983; an Inspector General report on possible political pressure in awarding grants by the Agency; comments on an Inspector General report on waste, fraud and abuse in the Agency; complaints from outside business regarding the Agency and a copy of the FY 1987 Federal Agency Performance for Minority Business Development.
Open
FG020-09 Bureau of Standards, National (1 folder; Box 10)
This secondary subject category contains material related to an individual’s application for employment with the National Bureau of Standards.
Open
FG020-11 National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) (0.8 l.ft.; Box 10-12)
This secondary subject category contains material related to recommendations, appointments, and resignations of the Director of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Deputy Directors and regional directors for the National Marine Fisheries Service; objections to proposed closures of National Weather Service bureau offices; White House staff comments on President Reagan’s pocket veto of S.1097, a piece of legislation designed to prevent closures of National Weather Service bureau offices; an objection to the appointment of Anthony Calio as Director of NOAA in 1985; a June 1983 Booz-Allen report on ways to make NOAA more efficient, including discontinuing services, privatizing some services, and possible reorganization within a different Cabinet agency; objections to the suggestions in the Booz-Allen report; and a single NOAA report on marine pollution from September 1981.
Open
FG020-12 Patent and Trademark Office (Includes the Board of Appeal) (0.2 l.ft.; Box 12)
This secondary subject category contains material related to recommendations, appointments and resignations of the Assistant Secretary of Commerce and Commissioner of the Patent and Trademark Office, and Assistant Commissioners; complaints from patent applicants at the length of time to receive a patent or patent application regulations; and Congressional concern regarding the Patent and Trademark Office’s jurisdiction over “intellectual property” in conflict with copyright granting.
Open
FG020-13 President’s Export Council (sic) (1 folder; Box 12)
From 1960-1973, the Department of Commerce administered the National Export Expansion Council. The White House Records Office gave the Subject Category designation of FG021-13 to this Council. In 1973, by Executive Order, this Council became the President’s Export Council and records management re-designated it as FG021-22. It is unclear when this ceased, but the Reagan Administration Record’s Management office classified the President’s Export Council as FG336. Six case files concerning the Export Council were mis-classified as FG020-13 and have been transferred to FG336.  This folder contains transfer sheets only for these six case files.
Open
FG020-14 United States Travel and Tourism Administration (0.4 l.ft.; Box 12-13)
This secondary subject category contains material related to recommendations, appointments and resignations of the Under Secretary of Commerce for Travel and Tourism; objections to appointees with experience in tourism and travel to the Soviet Union; appointees to the Advisory Board on Travel and Tourism; Congressional and public requests for individuals at the United States Travel and Tourism Administration (USTTA) to have working knowledge of the travel and tourism industry; Annual Reports of the USTTA; concerns about suggested elimination of the USTTA; and a request to coordinate USTTA participation in international fairs and expositions.
Open
FG020-15 Inspector General, Office of, Department of Commerce (1 folder; Box 13)
This secondary subject category contains material related to nominations of individuals as Inspector General for the Department of Commerce.
Open