Kingon, Alfred H.: Files, 1985-1987

Office of the Cabinet Secretary: Assistant to the President and Cabinet Secretary

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Scope and Content Note

This collection is arranged into eight series: SERIES I: Chronological File, 1985-1987; SERIES II: Staff Meetings; SERIES III: Cabinet Material; SERIES IV: Domestic Policy Council; SERIES V: Economic Policy Council Material; SERIES VI: Joint Domestic Policy Council/Econoimc Policy Council; SERIES VII: Subject File; and SEREIS VIII: Telephone Logs

Series List

SERIES I: Chronological Files, 1985-1987

SERIES II: Staff Meetings

SERIES III: Cabinet Material

SERIES IV: Domestic Policy Council

SERIES V: Economic Policy Council

SERIES VI: JOINT DOMESTIC POLICY COUNCIL/ECONOMIC POLICY COUNCIL

SERIES VII: SUBJECT FILE, 1986

SERIES VIII: TELEPHONE LOGS, 1985-1987

Biography

Alfred Hugh Kingon served as White House Secretary of the Cabinet under President Ronald Reagan from 1985-1987 and as the United States Ambassador to the European Union from 1987-1989.

Kingon was born in Brooklyn, NY on May 11, 1931. He graduated from Union College (B.S,, 1953) and attended New York University Graduate School of Business Administration in 1956-1961.

His first employment was as an investment adviser with Burnham & Co., 1963-1967, then moving on as a security analyst, vice president, and director of research for Scheinman, Hochstin & Trotta in 1967-1969. He then finished his career in financial advising as a portfolio manager for the Businessman's Fund in 1969-1971.

Using his finance background, Kingon began work in publishing and editing with Macro Communications, Inc. He began as editor of Money & Credit from 1970-1973. He then served as editor in chief of Financial World (1973-1983) and Saturday Review (1980-1982).

In April 1983, Kingon joined the Reagan Administration as the Assistant Secretary of Commerce for International Economic Policy and then Assistant Secretary of the Treasury for Policy Planning and Communications in March 1984. At Treasury, Kingon became known to Secretary Don Regan who later hired him as the Cabinet Secretary on the White House staff.

While serving at Commerce and Treasury, Kingon was a member of the executive committee of the President's Private Sector Survey on Cost Control Task Force (1983-1984) and the President's National Productivity Advisory Committee (1982-1983).

As Cabinet Secretary at the White House, Kingon communicated the President's agenda to the agencies and coordinating policy and plans of the agencies in conjunction with Reagan's policy goals for the second administration. Notably, Kingon was at the White House for the Geneva and Reykjavik summits of President Reagan with General Secretary Mikhail Gorbachev of the Soviet Union.

Kingon was appointed in January 1987 to be the United States Ambassador to the European Union. He served from 1987 to July 1989.

After his government service, Kingon spoke to groups on spirituality, faith and prayer. He was raised with Jewish and Christian Science beliefs. He recounted the interest of him and his wife, Jackie, in "modern" Marian visions. While serving at the European Union, he and Jackie visited Medjugorje, Yugoslavia (now Bosnia-Herzegovina) to hear more about the Virgin Mary visions of six children in 1981. Kingon was given a letter for President Reagan and General Secretary from one of the children, Marija Pavlovic, pressing them to find a way to peace in the world. Kingon arranged to have one of the letters translated into Russian and Reagan did give this to Gorbachev.

Kingon died in New York City on October 1, 2025 of cardio-pulmonary arrest due to pneumonia. He was 94. He is survived by his wife, Jackie Goldwyn Kingon, artist and writer of humorous science fiction and son Michael Kingon, pianist with the Alvin Ailey Dance Center.

Record Type

Textual

Last Modified Date

2026-03-18

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Kingon, Alfred H.: Files, 1985-1987

Office of the Cabinet Secretary: Assistant to the President and Cabinet Secretary

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