Policy Development, Office of: Records

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Collection Date

1981-1989

Scope and Content Note

The Library is currently finalizing a physical arrangement of this collection based on an arrangement from 2020.

This collection is arranged into ten series: SERIES I: Subject File; SERIES II: Administration; SERIES III: Meetings; SERIES IV: Domestic Policy Office Budget Materials; SERIES V:

SERIES DESCRIPTIONS

SERIES I: SUBJECT FILE, 1981-1989, 2.5 l.ft.; Box F001-F003

SERIES II: ADMINISTRATION, 1981-1989, 5.5 l.ft.; Box F003-F009

This series consists of material for general administration of the Office of Policy Development (OPD) including purchasing, maintenance of the physical offices and equipment such as copiers and computers, facility usage in the White House, personnel files including leave and timekeeping, payroll, benefits, and personal information; forms for requests within the White House, travel requests and vouchers; and general information about the Office of Policy Development Administration functions.

The Office of Policy Development is a legislated office in the Office of the President to advise the President on primarily domestic policies. Its structure is much like a federal agency with its own Administrative Officer (known as the Director of Administration, OPD). Judy Johnston was the Director of Administration from 1981-1987 until her untimely death on October 26, 1987. The Library has not been able to determine if this was a sudden death, but has found some indication that it was an illness that required her to go on sick leave. We have broken up this series into five sub-series (A-E) to reflect this change in the Administrative position. Subseries A (General Office) and Subseries B (Travel) comprise the material handled under Johnston’s supervision, 1981-September 1987.

With the death of Johnson, the Director of the Office of Policy Development Gary Bauer moved to quickly replace her. The White House hired Douglas Cannon who had worked previously as a management special advisor in the Department of Education. He was hired as the new Director of Administration, OPD on November 21, 1987. On July 15, 1988 an additional title of Senior Staff Member was added to his functions. Cannon resigned on November 18, 1988 to leave government service for a position working on ESOPs (Employee Stock Option Plans).

David Alexander was hired as the new Director of Administration to close out the Reagan Administration. The remaining three Subseries for after Johnston's death are: Subseries C (General Office), Subseries D (Travel) and Subseries E (Cannon’s Subject Material).

Cannon brought some subject material from the Department of Education with him and he was actively working on ESOPs and employee ownership regarding legislative issues and he organized the White House Briefing for Employee Ownership Week on October 6, 1988.

After nearly seven years as Director of Administration, OPD, Johnston appeared to have a “well-oiled machine.” Her staff had prepared all new folders for ongoing issues for fiscal year 1988 (starting 10/1/1987). With just a few exceptions, these folders were found empty within the boxes forwarded to the Reagan Library. They were removed for disposal in 2025.

All subseries are arranged alphabetically by folder title.

SUBSERIES A: Director – Judy Johnston, 1981-1987 – General Office (4.2 l.ft.; Box F003-F006)

SUBSERIES B: Director – Judy Johnston, 1981-1987 – Travel (1.3 l.ft.; Box F007-F008)

SUBSERIES C: Director – Cannon/Alexander, 1987-1989 – General Office (1.3 l.ft.; Box F008-F009)

SUBSERIES D: Director – Cannon/Alexander, 1987-1989 – Travel (0.3; Box F009)

SUBSERIES E: Doug Cannon Subject Material, 1985-1988 (0.4 l.ft.; Box F009)

SERIES VI: PERSONNEL MATERIAL (2.4 l.ft.; Box F015-F017)

SERIES VII: 1980 CAMPAIGN MATERIAL (1.0 l.ft.; Box F018)

This series consists of background material; journal and newspaper clippings; government publications; notes; and correspondence on the specific issues within this series. Most of the folders contain only background information, but some folders contain notes and correspondence and paper and talking point drafts for the campaign. There is strong evidence that this material was created by Doug Bandow and it is likely the Library will transfer this material to the Bandow collection at some point in the near future.

SERIES VIII: REFERENCE FILES (l.ft.; Box F018-)

Series List

SERIES I: Subject File, 1981-1989

Biography

Office History

Assistant to the President for Policy Development was the highest position in the While House formulating, coordinating, implementing and advising the President on domestic policy issues and some international policy issues, especially on economics. Martin Anderson (1981-1982), Edwin Harper (1982-1983), and John “Jack” Svahn (1983-1986) were appointed as Assistant to the President for Policy Development for 1981-1987. Svahn’s successor was Gary Bauer (1987-1988) and then Franmarie Kennedy-Keel (1988-1989).

Anderson, Harper and Svahn were commissioned White House Officers and were not line staff members of the White House. Because of their Assistant to the President status, all three were allowed to participate in political functions and were not subject to the Hatch Act. The responsibilities of this position changed over the two Reagan Administrations. Martin Anderson oversaw the Office of Policy Development and the Office of Drug Abuse Policy. Edwin Harper and Jack Svahn oversaw the Office of Drug Abuse Policy, the Office of Planning and Evaluation (until it was shutdown in late 1984), the Office of Policy Development and the Office of Policy Information.

The Office of Policy Development was run by individual Directors. Edwin Gray was the Director of the Office of Policy Development from 1981-1982 and Roger Porter was the Director of the Office of Policy Development from 1982-1987 under Harper and Svahn. Both Bauer and Kennedy-Keel had the title of Deputy Assistant to the President for Policy Development and had the dual post as Director of the Office of Policy Development

In 1982, a suboffice of Policy Development was created called the Office of Policy Information. Edwin Gray was named as the Director of this office and he continued in this post through August 1982 when he returned to his position with Great American Federal Savings Bank in San Diego, California. Succeeding him was Kevin Hopkins. Both Gray and Hopkins had served in the 1980 Reagan-Bush campaign.

Last Modified Date

2026-01-10

WHORM Alpha File

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Policy Development, Office of: Records

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