Sweet, Robert W.: Files, 1985-1988

Domestic Policy Council

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Scope and Content Note

Scope and Content

The Domestic Policy Council covered the broad sweep of U.S. domestic issues for 1985-1989 and this is reflected in the second Robert Sweet collection. Sweet helped develop policy on topics such as AIDS; education; tort policy; the ozone; Agent Orange; adoption; drug abuse; federal seat belt law; fetal transplantation; and more. Sweet remained heavily interested in education policy and chaired the Parental Role in Education Working Group in the closing year of the Administration.

This collection consists of original memos, correspondence, drafts of working group papers, reports, studies, and more. Robert Sweet made multiple copies of his working material, including a reference copy of most of the memos and correspondence that passed through his office. Sweet specifically labelled this reference copy as “administrative” and this was maintained as a separate series.

This collection consists of seven series, one of which contains two subseries. The series are as follows: SERIES I: AIDS Subject Files; SERIES II: Education Policy Files: Subseries A: Subject Files; SERIES II: Subseries B: Publications; SERIES III: Working Group Files; SERIES IV: Domestic Policy Council Files; SERIES V: Subject Files; SERIES VI: Chronological Files; and SERIES VII: Administrative Files.

Series List

SERIES I: AIDS SUBJECT FILES

This series contains material relating to Robert Sweet's involvement in the Reagan Administration's response to the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)/Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS) crisis. The material documents Sweet's role in coordinating and developing federal policies regarding HIV and AIDS on medical and biological grounds. It consists of all working material including Sweet's memos, correspondence, draft reports, meeting minutes, etc. from the Health Policy Working Group on AIDS; draft policy points for the President; reports and data on possible AIDS testing for military enlistment and/or federal prison populations; reports from the Center for Disease Control (CDC), the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and others; and facts sheets and background information on HIV and AIDS.

Sweet was also involved in framing the response to AIDS within the conservative social policies of the second Reagan Administration. This includes working material on public and parental notifications; sex education in schools; publications on AIDS and safe sex, etc.

This series is arranged alphabetically by the folder title.

SERIES II: EDUCATION POLICY FILES

SUBSERIES A: Subject Files

This subseries contains material relating to education policy initiatives within President Reagan's second term. Material covers the Civil Rights Act of 1984; dismantling the Department of Education; the Hatch Amendment; home schooling; parental choice in education; Historically Black Colleges and Universities; staffing the National Institute Education (NIE); phonics and literacy reform; and school discipline.

Robert Sweet was the chairman of the Parental Role in Education Working Group. This series contains the work material from this group including numerous drafts of the final reports; comments on drafts from Working Group members; and material on the functioning of the working group.

The series is arranged alphabetically by the folder title.

SUBSERIES B: Publications

This subseries consists of the publications on current methodology and theory in the field of the education. The subseries is arranged alphabetically by the folder tile.

SERIES III: WORKING GROUP FILES

As the Deputy Executive Secretary of the Domestic Policy Council, Robert Sweet monitored the progress of different domestic policy initiatives through the DPC working groups created to deal with specific issues. This series contains material regarding the oversight of these working groups in the second Reagan Administration. It includes communications between working group chairs and outside interested parties; press releases; drafts of final reports; meeting minutes; attendees; scheduling for meetings; draft decision memos for the President and Sweet's handwritten notes from his personal attendance at some meetings.

Due to content, folders for two working groups, the Health Policy Working Group was moved to SERIES I and folders for the Parental Role in Education was moved to SERIES II: Subseries A. Folder titles were slightly adjusted for standardization. This series is arranged alphabetically by folder title.

SERIES IV: DOMESTIC POLICY COUNCIL FILES

This series contains material regarding the topics covered by the Domestic Policy Council such as acid rain, seat belt usage, welfare reform, and other topics. The material reflects Robert Sweet's administrative role in monitoring and assisting the DPC and working groups in dealing with policy issues. Material reflecting this function includes draft decision memos for President Reagan, plans and schedules for pending legislation and policy issues; fact sheets on different working group topics; correspondence; and publications.

This series is arranged alphabetically by folder tile and then chronologically where necessary.

SERIES V: SUBJECT FILES

This series contains material regarding social issues such as abortion; drug abuse; fetal experimentation and transplants; religious liberties; and pornography This material was generally handled by the wider Office of Policy Development in addition to the DPC. This series contains other staffing assignments for Sweet from the Office of Policy Development including reviews and edits of official administration communication; speeches given by President Reagan; interviews; luncheon papers; messages; and scheduling.

This series is arranged alphabetically by folder title.

SERIES VI: CHRON FILES

This series contains Robert Sweet's Domestic Policy Council incoming and outgoing correspondence. The material documents Sweet's daily activities and schedules. The material is comprised of letters; memos; articles invitations; transcripts of his speeches; travel reimbursements; resumes received; and personal correspondence. It starts January 1985 and goes through December 1988.

This series is arranged chronologically.

SERIES VII: ADMINISTRATIVE FILES

This series contains material marked as "administrative" by Sweet. It consists of copies of most of the material from previous series. In addition to photocopies of previous memorandum and correspondence, this series contains budgetary information; invitations to meetings; assignments given to Sweet by Assistant to the President for Policy Jack Svahn; correspondence sent to the White House and forwarded to the DPC for handling (computer tracking correspondence); and all the logistical information for events and conferences Sweet attended.

This series is arranged alphabetically and then chronologically.

Biography

Biography

Robert Sweet served as a senior member of the Office of Policy Development and the Domestic Policy Council in the first and second administration, respectively. He specialized in education policy but coordinated general domestic policy initiatives.

Robert Sweet was born in Durham, Maine in 1937. He obtained his BA in English from the University of Maine, Orono in 1960 and completed graduate coursework in chemistry and wage and salary administration from University of New Hampshire, Durham and Brandeis University, respectively.

Sweet worked primarily in education. Prior to his bureaucratic career, from 1960-1962 he taught at the junior high and high school level. From 1962-1979 he was an educational salesman and consultant with two major textbook companies where he conducted teacher training seminars in educational methodology and material utilization in the classroom at the elementary and secondary level. During that time, he was also a member of the Governor’s Commission on Public Education for the state of New Hampshire, for 1973-1974. His work consisted of efforts to recodify state statutes for education and to implement a model voucher plan. Additionally, he served six years as a New Hampshire regional school board representative (1974-1980), where he was the chairman of the board for multiple terms. Robert Sweet was also one of the founders and first President of the Fair Haven Christian School in Essex, MA, which opened in 1977.

In the early 1980s, Robert Sweet served multiple positions within the Department of Education culminating in his appointment to the White House in the Office of Policy Development in 1983. In March of 1982, Robert Sweet was appointed by President Reagan to serve as Deputy Director of the National Institute of Education (NIE) in the US Department of Education. Concurrently, he was the Acting Director at NIE from June 17, 1982-January, 1983. He joined NIE after serving as Special Assistant in the Elementary and Secondary Education Division of the Department of Education.

On March 28, 1983 Robert Sweet joined the Office of Policy Development. Under the direction of the Assistant Director for Federalism, Health and Human Resources, he was responsible for assisting in the development and implementation of policies relating to all aspects of education and disability.

In 1985, new Chief of Staff Donald Regan reorganized the White House staff Cabinet Council system. The seven Cabinet Councils for the first Administration were reorganized into two bodies: The Domestic Policy Council (DPC) and the Economic Policy Council (EPC). Ralph Bledsoe from the Office of Policy Development became the Secretary/Director of the DPC and Sweet was made the Deputy Executive Secretary. He also continued to coordinate health and education policy. As Deputy Executive Secretary he coordinated working groups on a wide variety of domestic policy issues focusing on his specialties - the handicapped, education and adding AIDS and family issues. His function was to ensure they created legislation and policy that fit under the broad umbrella of the Reagan White House policy directive. Sweet attended Domestic Policy Council meetings and helped draft decision memos for the President, as well as other logistical functions for the Domestic Policy Council.

In 1993, Robert Sweet co-founded the nonprofit the National Right to Read foundation, which focuses on the specific mission of returning scientifically validated classroom instruction in reading to public schools. He is married to Joy Sweet and has five children and currently resides in Virgin

Record Type

Textual

Last Modified Date

2025-01-02

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Sweet, Robert W.: Files, 1985-1988

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