Sims, Robert B.: Files, 1982-1984

National Security Council

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Scope and Content Note

Scope and Content Note

The Robert B. Sims National Security Council collection consists of material regarding press relations and public affairs for the first Reagan Administration. Notable events and topics for this time period include the Soviet shoot-down of the Korea airliner, KAL007 in September 1983; the U.S. Marines part in the peace-keeping force in Lebanon and the subsequent bombing of the marine barracks in October 1983; the turmoil in Poland due to the "Solidarity" movement and the imposition of martial law, the U.S. calls for no western technological or construction help for the Soviet gas pipeline to western Europe; and arms control and other strategic U.S. policies.

Most of the collection is Sims’ work product with some of other NSC press and public affairs staff materials intermixed. Notably the other work product is from Karna Small, Marc Brazil and Baerbel Houck.

This collection consists of three series: SERIES I: Subject File, 1982-1984; SERIES II: Administrative File, 1982-1983; and SERIES III: Chronological file, 1982-1984.

Series List

SERIES I: Subject File, 1982-1984

This series consists of memos, correspondence, cables, reports, meeting agendas, notes, working papers, and press releases re NSC press relations and public affairs. Some of Karna Small’s work product can be found in this series. Also, Marc Brazil’s and Baerbel Houck’s work product is intermixed. It appears Brazil and Houck filled in when Sims was working as Deputy Press Secretary for Foreign Affairs, before Karna Small was appointed full-time to the NSC. This series is arranged alphabetically by subject and then chronologically.

SERIES II: Administrative File, 1982-1983

This series consists of memos and correspondence re interview requests, speaking engagements, and speaking requests. This series is arranged alphabetically by topic and then chronologically.

SERIES III: Chronological File, 1982-1984

This series consists of memos, correspondence, and notes regarding Sims’ and other NSC staffers’ work regarding NSC press relations and public affairs. It includes the work product of Marc Brazil and Baerbel Houck who appeared to have filled-in before Karna Small replaced Sims full-time. This series is arranged chronologically.

Biography

Biography

Robert Bell Sims (November 26, 1934-September 10, 2003) was a public and press affairs official for the Navy, the National Security Council, and the White House Press Office. Outside of government service Sims was a working reporter, editor, publisher, and executive with the National Geographic Society.

Robert Sims was born in Alamo, Tennessee, a small town near Jackson, Tennessee, on November 26, 1934. He graduated from Union University in Jackson in 1956. He continued his employment as a reporter with the local paper, the Jackson Sun, from 1956-1957. Named as a National Rotary Foundation Fellow in international relations, Sims spent 1957 at the University of Sydney, Australia. In 1958, Sims was working as the Director of Public Relations for Union College when he entered the U.S. Navy as an Ensign after completing the Officer's Candidate School at Newport, Rhode Island.

During his naval career, Sims served in the Mediterranean, California, Wisconsin, and Vietnam. Sims served as a public affairs specialist. He was Special Assistant for Public Affairs to the Secretary of the Navy, 1974-1978, and Deputy Chief of Information for the Navy Department, 1978-1981. While in the Navy, Sims furthered his education earning a double master's degree at the University of Wisconsin in political science and journalism. He also graduated from the National War College.

Sims was a Senior Research Fellow at the National Defense University before joining the Ronald Reagan White House National Security Council staff. In April 1982 Sims was named a Special Assistant to the President for Press Relations. After a structural reorganization at the NSC, Sims was Special Assistant to the President and Director of Public Affairs for the National Security Council. He formally served in this post from June 1983-October 1983. He was then appointed Special Assistant to the President and Deputy Press Secretary for Foreign Affairs in November 1983. However, he continued to serve the NSC until April 1984 when Karna Small was officially appointed full-time to replace Sims in his position.

Following his time in the White House, Sims returned to the Navy, this time as a civilian. In 1984, Sims resigned his naval commission having achieved the rank of Captain. Sims was appointed as Assistant Secretary of Defense for Public Affairs from 1985-1987. He often acted as a spokesperson for Secretary of Defense Caspar Weinberger.

Leaving government service, Sims joined the National Geographic Society in 1987 as their first vice-president for communications. In 1989, he became a senior vice president and the head of all advertising for the National Geographic publications. Sims reorganized all the National Geographic publications into a single entity and at his retirement in 2001 Sims was the president of this magazine group.

Sims was accorded many accolades for his career including selection to the Board of Trustees for the National Geographic Society, a Distinguished Service Award from Union University, selected as a member of the Magazine Publishers Association Board and appointed as a member of the Board of Visitors for the University of Tennessee's College of Arts and Sciences.

Sims published a book in 1983, The Pentagon Reporters. The book was based on numerous interviews Sims had with reporters he worked with in Washington, DC regarding how they covered national defense issues.

In 2001, upon retirement Sims returned to his home town of Alamo, Tennessee. Tennessee. In Alamo, he continued to work as the publisher of the weekly Alamo Crocket Times, a job he inherited from his father in 1974.

Sims married Patricia Lytton in 1961 and they had four children and numerous grandchildren.

Robert Sims died from cancer on September 10, 2003, at the age of 68 in Jackson, Tennessee.

Record Type

Textual

Last Modified Date

2024-02-26

WHORM Alpha File

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Sims, Robert B.: Files, 1982-1984

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