During the first administration, Chief of Staff James A. Baker, Deputy Chief of Staff Michael Deaver, and Counsellor to the President Edwin Meese served together as President Reagan’s lead advisors. They were dubbed "The Troika." After they left in 1985, the Chief of Staff held this lead role alone.
WHITE HOUSE OFFICE - DEPUTY CHIEF OF STAFF
SERVED
Michael K. Deaver
January 1981-05/10/1985
W. Dennis Thomas
07/12/1985-05/23/1987
Kenneth M. Duberstein
03/23/1987-June 1988
M.B. Oglesby, Jr.
July 1988-01/20/1989
Michael Deaver maintained a separate Deputy Chief of Staff office with a separate staff. All other Deputy Chiefs of Staff worked out of the Chief of Staff office. Dennis Thomas served as a de facto deputy chief of staff, although his official title was Assistant to the President.
WHITE HOUSE OFFICE - COUNSELLOR TO THE PRESIDENT
SERVED
Edwin Meese, III
January 1981-February 1985
WHITE HOUSE OFFICE - ASSISTANT TO THE PRESIDENT FOR NATIONAL SECURITY AFFAIRS
SERVED
Richard V. Allen
1981-January 1982
William P. Clark
February 1982-November 1983
Robert ("Bud") McFarlane
November 1983-December 1985
John M. Poindexter
December 1985-November 1986
Frank C. Carlucci
December 1986-November 1987
LTG Colin L. Powell
December 1987-01/20/1989
WHITE HOUSE OFFICE - DEPUTY ASSISTANT TO THE PRESIDENT FOR NATIONAL SECURITY AFFAIRS
SERVED
James ("Bud") Nance
1981-January 1982
Robert ("Bud") McFarlane
January 1982-October 1983
John M. Poindexter
October 1983-November 1985
LTG Colin L. Powell
December 1986-November 1987
John D. Negroponte
November 1987-01/20/1989
WHITE HOUSE OFFICE - ASSISTANT TO THE PRESIDENT FOR CABINET AFFAIRS
SERVED
Craig Fuller
February 1981-March 1985
Alfred H. Kingon
April 1985-February 1987
Nancy S. Risque
February 1987-01/20/1989
WHITE HOUSE OFFICE - ASSISTANT TO THE PRESIDENT FOR COMMUNICATIONS
SERVED
David R. Gergen
January 1981-01/15/1984
Patrick J. Buchanan
February 1985-February 1987
John O. Koehler
03/01/1987-03/09/1987
Thomas C. Griscom
April 1987-07/16/1988
Mari Maseng
July 1988-01/20/1989
At the start of the Administration, Staff Director David Gergen oversaw the Office of Communications and the Office of Speechwriting. Gergen was named Assistant to the President for Communications in mid-1981. After Mr. Gergen left the White House staff, the Communications office became a unit within the Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff. Communications was reestablished as a separate office in February 1985.
WHITE HOUSE OFFICE - COUNSEL TO THE PRESIDENT
SERVED
Fred F. Fielding
March 1981-March 1986
Peter J. Wallison
March 1986-March 1987
Arthur B. Culvahouse, Jr.
March 1987-01/20/1989
WHITE HOUSE OFFICE - ASSISTANT/DEPUTY ASSISTANT TO THE PRESIDENT FOR INTERGOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS
SERVED
Richard S. Williamson
February 1981-May 1983
Lee L. Verstandig
June 1983-1985
The Office of Intergovernmental Affairs was combined with the Office of Political Affairs for the 2nd Reagan Administration.
WHITE HOUSE OFFICE - ASSISTANT TO THE PRESIDENT FOR LEGISLATIVE AFFAIRS
SERVED
Max L. Freidersdorf
January 1981-January 1982
Kenneth M. Duberstein
1982-December 1983
M.B. Oglesby, Jr.
1983-1986
William L. Ball, III
1986-1988
WHITE HOUSE OFFICE - ASSISTANT TO THE PRESIDENT FOR POLICY AFFAIRS
SERVED
Martin Anderson
January 1981-March 1982
Edwin L. Harper
March 1982-July 1983
John ("Jack") A. Svahn
September 1983-1986
Gary L. Bauer
January 1987-01/20/1989
WHITE HOUSE OFFICE - ASSISTANT/DEPUTY ASSISTANT TO THE PRESIDENT FOR POLITICAL AFFAIRS
SERVED
Franklyn ("Lyn") Nofziger
1981-November 1981
Edward J. Rollins
1982-1983
Margaret D. Tutwiler
1984-1985
The Political Affairs office was disbanded in October 1983, with most of its staff leaving for positions in the President’s 1984 re-election campaign. During the campaign James Baker’s assistant, Margaret Tutwiler, handled most of the political matters for the White House. She was named Deputy Assistant for Political Affairs in September 1984. Political Affairs for the second administration was combined with the Office of Intergovernmental Relations.
WHITE HOUSE OFFICE - ASSISTANT TO THE PRESIDENT FOR POLITICAL AND INTERGOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS
SERVED
Edward J. Rollins
February 1985-November 1985
Mitchell E. Daniels, Jr.
November 1985-March 1987
Frank J. Donatelli
March 1987-01/20/1989
For President Reagan’s second term, Political and Intergovernmental Affairs were combined into one office.
WHITE HOUSE OFFICE - ASSISTANT/DEPUTY ASSISTANT TO THE PRESIDENT FOR PRESIDENTIAL PERSONNEL
SERVED
Pendleton E. James
1981-1982
Helen von Damm
1982-1983
John S. Herrington
1983-1985
Robert H. Tuttle
1985-1989
WHITE HOUSE OFFICE - PRESS SECRETARY
SERVED
James S. Brady
01/21/1981-02/28/1989
Larry M. Speakes - Principal Deputy Press Secretary
06/17/1981-02/01/1987
M. Marlin Fitzwater - Assistant to the President for Press Relations
02/02/1987-01/20/1989
After Press Secretary James Brady suffered serious head wounds during the March 30, 1981 assassination attempt on the President, his assistant Larry Speakes assumed the Press Secretary’s day-to-day functions. Speakes was named “Principal Deputy Press Secretary” on June 17, 1981. When Speakes left, his assistant Marlin Fitzwater took over this role, with the title “Assistant to the President for Press Relations.”
WHITE HOUSE OFFICE - ASSISTANT/DEPUTY ASSISTANT TO THE PRESIDENT FOR PUBLIC LIAISON
SERVED
Elizabeth H. Dole
1981-January 1983
Faith Ryan Whittlesey
March 1983-April 1985
Linda Chavez
April 1985-April 1986
Mari Maseng
May 1986-June 1987
Rebecca Range
September 1987-01/20/1989
WHITE HOUSE OFFICE - PHYSICIAN TO THE PRESIDENT
SERVED
Dr. Daniel A. Ruge
1981-1986
Dr. John E. Hutton
1987-01/20/1989
Executive Office of the President - Director, Office of Management and Budget (OMB)
SERVED
David A. Stockman
1981-1985
James C. Miller, III
1985-1988
Joseph R. Wright, Jr.
1988-1989
Executive Office of the President - Deputy Director, Office of Management and Budget (OMB)
SERVED
Edwin L. Harper
1981-1982
Joseph R. Wright, Jr.
1982-1988
John F. Cogan
1988-1989
Executive Office of the President - Chairman, Council of Economic Advisers (CEA)
SERVED
Murray L. Weidenbaum
1981-1982
Martin Feldstein
1982-1984
William Niskanen (Acting)
1984-1985
Beryl W. Sprinkel
1985-1989
Executive Office of the President - Members, Council of Economic Advisers (CEA)
SERVED
Jerry L. Jordon
1981-1982
William A. Niskanen (Acting Chairman, 1984-1985)
1981-1985
William Poole
1982-1985
Thomas Gale Moore
July 1985-April 1989
Michael L. Mussa
August-1986-September 1988
Michael L. Mussa was a consultant for the Council of Economic Advisers, 1985-mid-August 1986, until he was confirmed as one of the three members of the CEA.
Executive Office of the President - United States Trade Representative (USTR)
SERVED
William E. Brock, III
1981-1985
Clayton Yeutter
1985-1989
Executive Office of the President - Deputy U.S. Trade Representative
SERVED
David R. MacDonald
1981-1983
Michael B. Smith
1981-1989
Robert E. Lighthizer
1983-1985
Peter O. Murphy
1983-1989
M. Alan Wood
1985-1987
Michael A. Samuel
1986-1989
Alan F. Holmer
1987-1989
Executive Office of the President - Science Advisor and Director, Office of Science & Technology Policy
SERVED
George ("Jay") A. Keyworth, II
1981-1985
William R. Graham, Jr.
1986-1989
Executive Office of the President - Chairman, President’s Foreign Intelligence Advisory Board
SERVED
Anne L. Armstrong
1981-1990
Executive Office of the President - Chairman, President’s Intelligence Oversight Board