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The Presidential historical materials of Leonard Garment are in the custody of the National Archives and Records Administration under the provisions of Title I of the Presidential Recordings and Materials Preservation Act of 1974 (44 U.S.C. 2111 note) and implementing regulations. In accordance with the act and regulations, archivists reviewed the file group to identify personal and private materials (including materials outside the date span covered by the act) as well as nonhistorical items. These materials have been returned to the individual who has primary proprietary interest.
Materials covered by the Act have been archivally processed and are described in this register. Items which are security classified or otherwise restricted under the act and regulations have been removed and placed in a closed file. A Document Withdrawal Record (GSA Form 7279 or NA Form 14021) with a description of each restricted document has been inserted at the beginning of each folder from which materials have been removed. A Document Control Record marks the original position of the withdrawn item. Employees of the National Archives will review periodically the unclassified portions of closed materials for the purpose of opening those which no longer require restriction. Certain classified documents may be declassified under authority of Executive Order 13526 in response to a Mandatory Review Request (NA Form 14020) submitted by the researcher.
- Linear feet of materials: 88.3
- Approximate number of pages: 212,000
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Biographical Note
May 11, 1924 Leonard Garment born in Brooklyn, New York
1942-1949 Attended Brooklyn College and Brooklyn Law School, Brooklyn, New York; also performed as a clarinetist in various jazz bands, including Woody Herman's, during this period.
1949 Joined the law firm of Mudge, Stern, Baldwin, and Todd.
1957 Became partner and served as head of the Litigation Department. Met Richard M. Nixon in 1963 when he joined the law firm, thereafter known as Nixon, Mudge, Rose, Guthrie & Alexander.
1966-1967 Became involved in Richard M. Nixon's Presidential campaign
1968 Returned to law firm after Nixon's election; became its Washington, D.C. representative.
May 28, 1969 Joined the White House staff as a special consultant to the President. Assisted the President on a variety of special projects, with special emphasis in the areas of civil and human rights, Indian affairs, voluntary action and the arts.
May 10, 1973 Designated Acting Counsel to the President following John W. Dean III's resignation
January 4, 1973 Resigned as Acting Counsel and appointed as Assistant to the President.
June 1974 Departed White House staff.
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Scope and Content Note
The office files of Leonard Garment reflect his responsibilities as a Special Consultant to the President concerned with domestic issues in the areas of civil and human rights, native American affairs, plans for the American Revolution Bicentennial celebration, cultural affairs (including both the National Endowment of the Arts and the National Endowment for the Humanities), and voluntary action. In addition, they contain documents related to Garment's role as Acting Counsel to the President during the Watergate crisis following John W. Dean III's resignation in April 1973.
Leonard Garment's Staff Member and Office Files (SMOF) is divided into eleven series. The White House Memos File contains a chronological sequence of memoranda concerning the internal operations of Garment's office. The next series, the Chronological File, concerns the external activities of the Nixon administration. This is followed by the Correspondence Files which contain communications between Garment and his friends and associates. The Public Opinion Mail File is subdivided into two subseries and contains petitions and correspondence from the general public. The Speeches/Meetings File is composed of transcripts of speeches made by Leonard Garment before numerous organizations at a variety of events. They also contain rough drafts, newspaper clippings, and miscellaneous background information on the organizations; and interviews with The Christian Science Monitor. The Alpha-Subject Files reflect the wide scope of Leonard Garment's involvement in domestic issues with a concentration on civil rights. Folders are arranged in alphabetical order by folder title. In a few instances, the folders are not arranged by the first word in the title but by another one. In these cases the letter under which the folder title has been arranged is underlined. For example, "Hasek, Eliska - Presidential Messages" is filed under "P" for Presidential Messages. Words that appear in brackets were not part of the original folder title and have been added to clarify the title, i.e. "Bic[entennial] Parks". The next series, Office of Assistant for Cultural Affairs, is subdivided into six subseries. These are the office files of Carol V. Hanford and Starke Meyer, Garment's assistants in the area of the arts and cultural affairs. Nixon's Political Campaign - 1968 Files contain pre-Presidential and personal documents and has been withdrawn in its entirety. This is followed by the Political Campaign - 1972 File which holds information about the President's 1972 campaign. Documents which relate to Mr. Nixon as a political candidate rather than as President Nixon has been withdrawn in accordance with the guidelines under the Presidential Recordings and Materials Preservation Act. The next series, Leonard Garment's Personal File, much of which has been returned, contains private and family matters. A few letters which contain information about the Nixon administration have been retained. The last series is a Publication File. This is a miscellaneous collection of reports, House and Senate Committee hearings and books on a variety of domestic issues.
Photographs, sound recordings and museum objects have been transferred from Garment's files to the audio-visual unit and the domestic gift unit.
Information related to the Leonard Garment Staff Member and Office Files include the Staff Member and Office Files of Bradley H. Patterson and John D. Ehrlichman; and the following files in the White House Central Files subject files: Arts (AR), Education (ED), Housing (HS), Human Rights (HU), Indian Affairs (IN), Bureau of Indian Affairs (FG 19-9), American Revolution Bicentennial Commission (FG 75), Commission on Civil Rights (FG 90), Indian Claims Commission (FG 142), National Council on Indian Opportunity (FG 173), Cabinet Committee on Voluntary Action (FG 252), and National Center for Voluntary Action (FG 259).
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Series Description
Boxes: 1-6
Series: White House Memos | Folder Title List
Spans: 1969-1973
Description: Composed predominantly of internal White House memoranda and notes to and from Leonard Garment or his assistant, Bradley H. Patterson, Jr., concerning daily operations of the office. Also contains copies of memos to the President from other White House staffers, correspondence and the Congressional Record. Arranged in alphabetical order.
Boxes: 7-8
Series: Chronological Files | Folder Title List
Spans: 1973-1974
Description: Composed of correspondence, notes and memoranda concerning external White House affairs. Arranged in chronological order by month.
Boxes: 9-13
Series: Correspondence Files | Folder Title List
Spans: 1969-1972
Description: Composed of communications between Garment and his friends and associates. Correspondence, notes, memoranda and newspaper clippings. Arranged in alphabetical order by name of correspondent.
Boxes: 14-25
Series: Public Opinion Mail | Folder Title List
Spans: 1972-1973
Description: Composed of petitions and correspondence from the general public. Subdivided into two subseries: (1) petitions - concerning separation of church and state, and the status of minority draft resisters, and (2) unacknowledged correspondence expressing pro & con views of the President's actions. Arranged in chronological order by month.
Boxes: 26-30
Series: Speeches/Meetings Files | Folder Title List
Spans: 1969-1974
Description: Consists of speeches delivered by Leonard Garment at meetings. Includes speech transcripts, rough drafts, newspaper clippings, reprints, pamphlets, correspondence, memoranda and notes. Arranged in alphabetical order by name of organization or by event.
Boxes: 31-175
Series: Alpha-Subject Files | Folder Title List
Spans: 1969-1974
Description: Correspondence, memoranda, handwritten notes, reprints, newspaper clippings, magazine articles, reports, press releases, Congressional Record, legal briefs, cables, telegrams, messages, maps, photographs and sound recordings. Arranged in alphabetical order.
Boxes: 176-221
Series: Office of Assistant for Cultural Affairs [OACA] | Folder Title List
Spans: 1968-1973
Description: The papers of Carol V. Harford (January 1968-April 1972) and Starke Meyer (April 1972-June 1, 1973), staff assistants to Leonard Garment in the Office of Cultural Affairs. Consists of six subseries:
Boxes: 176-179
Series: OACA/White House Memos Files | Folder Title List
Spans: 1970-1972
Description: Internal White House memoranda and notes to and from Leonard Garment or Carol V. Harford concerning the operations of the Office of Cultural Affairs. Includes newspaper clippings, pamphlets and cables. Arranged in chronological order.
Boxes: 180-181
Series: OACA/East Wing Memos | Folder Title List
Spans: 1969-1973
Description: Internal White House communications concerning Mrs. Nixon's schedule. Consists of correspondence, memoranda, notes, pamphlets, newspaper clippings, magazine articles and photographs. Arranged in chronological order.
Boxes: 182-183
Series: OACA/Inter-office Memo Files | Folder Title List
Spans: 1969-1973
Description: Internal White House memoranda from/to Leonard Garment and his assistants, Carol V. Harford or Starke Meyer, Herb Klein, or Lucy Winchester, speech transcripts, newspaper clippings, proposals, press releases, pamphlets, brochures, reports, post card and photographs. Includes memoranda for Mrs. Nixon. Arranged in alphabetical order.
Boxes: 184-189
Series: OACA/Correspondence Files | Folder Title List
Description: Correspondence to/from Leonard Garment and his assistants and cultural organizations, internal memoranda, advertisements, programs, newspaper clippings, catalogues, music scores, and photographs. Includes correspondence to the President. Arranged in alphabetical order.
Boxes: 190-206
Series: OACA/Alpha-Subject Files | Folder Title List
Spans: 1969-1973
Description: Correspondence, memoranda, proposals, newspaper clippings, speech transcripts, photographs, magazine articles, cables, telegrams, pamphlets, newsletters, reports and press releases. Arranged in alphabetical order.
Boxes: 207-221
Series: OACA/Public Programs | Folder Title List
Spans: 1969-1973
Description: Correspondence, memoranda, pamphlets, newspaper clippings, articles, advertisements, brochures, magazines, Congressional Record, reports, agenda, engraved invitations, catalogues and photographs. Arranged in alphabetical order.
Boxes: 222-252
Series: Political Campaign Files | Folder Title List
Spans: 1968
Description: This series has been withdrawn.
Boxes: 253
Series: Political Campaign Files | Folder Title List
Spans: 1972 (1971-1973)
Description: Newspaper clippings, press releases, reports, newsletters, memoranda, speech drafts, time tables. Arranged in alphabetical order.
Boxes: 254-255
Series: Personal Files | Folder Title List
Description: Most of this series has been withdrawn. A few pieces of correspondence concerning the Administration's business affairs has been retained.
Boxes: 256-265
Series: Publications | Folder Title List
Description: Miscellaneous reports, Committee hearings, and books on a variety of domestic issues.
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Folder Title List
Available as a searchable  pdf file.
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