6 linear feet, 2 linear inches, 14 containers

The material in this collection contains correspondence, reports, memorandums, newspaper clippings, and handwritten notes. These materials relate to James Bonnen’s work during the Federal Statistical Reorganization Project from 1978-1980. These papers include information relating to the Federal Statistical Reorganization Project, including meetings notes, drafted documents, memos, and correspondence. In addition, the materials also contain records regarding bills related to the project, drafts of these bills, written correspondence, and draft rewrites.

James Bonnen

James Bonnen was born in Brookings, South Dakota on March 11, 1926. He grew up in College Station, Texas, the son of Mr. and Mrs. Clarence Bonnen. He developed an interest in agricultural economics at an early age because of his father who was a professor of agricultural economics at Texas A&M University. Early on in his life, Bonnen decided that he had in interest in the U.S. Military, and he volunteered for the U.S. Navy when he was too young to be a full member. He was assigned to the Navy’s wartime V-12 Officer Training Program at the Southwestern Louisiana Institute (now the University of Louisiana at Lafayette) in July of 1943, and then transferred to the Naval ROTC program at Tulane University in March of 1944. He served in active duty from 1943-1946 in the U.S. Navy, and continued to serve in the U.S. Navy Reserve until retiring in 1988 with the rank of Commander. After returning from active military service at the end of World War II he received his B.A. in Economics at the Texas A&M University, went on to receive his M.A. from Duke University and even further received his Ph.D. in Economics at Harvard University. He joined the staff at the University of Michigan in their department of agricultural economics in 1954.

He began contributing to governmental organizations in 1963 with a two-year term as the senior staff economist with the President’s Council of Economic Advisors. In 1964, he was on the Presidential Task Force on Agriculture, and from 1966-67 he was appointed by President Lyndon Johnson as a member of the National Advisory Commission on Rural Poverty. He was appointed Chairman of the first Committee on Economic Statistics of the American Agricultural Economics Association in 1972. In 1978, he was called to Washington to head the President's reorganization project for the Federal Statistical System. In 1984 he was elected a Fellow of the American Statistical Association as well as receiving the Distinguished Policy Contribution Award from the American Agricultural Economics Association for his contributions to U.S. agricultural statistical policy. He was also elected a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science in 1992. In 2000, he was invited to deliver the Leonard K. Elmhirst Lecture to open the TwentyFourth International Conference of Agricultural Economists, held at Berlin, Germany. He retired from MSU in 1996, but not before receiving the Distinguished Faculty Award some years earlier in 1972. James Bonnen passed away surrounded by family on July 28, 2013.

Textual

Arranged alphabetically by folder title.

James Bonnen’s Subject Files - NAID 586286

Containers 1-14. This series contains correspondence, memorandums, newspaper clippings, and handwritten notes. These materials relate to James Bonnen’s work with the Federal Statistical Reorganization Project during President Carter’s Administration. This material includes information relating to the federal statistics, mainly dealing with privacy concerns. Also included are his personal notes on meetings held, documents, and legislative bills pertaining to the project. In addition, the series also contains material on the Privacy Protection Act of 1980; material on conferences held to discuss the reorganization project, confidentiality legislation documents, and reports pertaining to many other different laws and bills.

These papers contain documents restricted in accordance with applicable executive order(s), which governs National Security policies, applicable statutes/agency restrictions, and material which has been closed in accordance with the donor’s deed of gift.

Terms Governing Use and Reproduction:

Copyright interest in these papers has been donated to the United States Government. Some of the records may be subject to copyright restrictions (i.e. newspapers, publications, etc.). Researchers should contact the publisher for further information.

The records are held at the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and Museum, 441 John Lewis Freedom Pkwy, NE, Atlanta, GA 30307.

Federal Statistical Reorganization Project

Statistics

Privacy

Reorganization

James Bonnen (1926-2013), Wayne Granquist

Office of Management and Budget

Federal Statistical Reorganization Project

Statistics

Privacy

Reorganization

1975 - 1981

Domestic Policy Staff

James Bonnen’s Subject Files

 

Container 1

  • “Comments on Recommendations and Location Options”
  • “Final Statistical Project Report Mailing List and Letters”, 1980
  • “Presentation (Transparencies) on Confidentiality Legislation”, 6/27/79
  • Administrative Conference of U.S. an “Option” for Location of Statistical Policy, 1979
  • Advisory Committee for the President’s Statistical System Project, 2/16/79
  • Advisory Committee for the President’s Statistical System Project, 2/17/79 
  • Advisory Committee Meeting for the Federal Statistical System Reorganization Project, 9/15/78
  • Agency Comments - Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Circulation of Central Statistical Office (CSO) Locations
  • Agency Comments - Second Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Version, Confidentiality Legislation
  • Agency Profiles for Confidentiality Legislation Process
  • Alternate Names for Central Statistical Office (CSO) 1/4/79
  • American Agricultural Economic Association (AAEA) - Presidential Address Conceptual Basis for Project Strategy, 1975
  • Assessment of Project Recommendation Priorities, 12/12/78

 

Container 2

  • Barbara Reece
  • Bonnen and Granquist Testimony on Project Purpose, 1978
  • Bonnen Comments on the Last Draft of the Presidential Decision Memorandum (PDM) 11/27/79
  • Bonnen’s Exit Memo to Granquist, 7/28/79
  • Bonnen’s Legislative Strategy Notes
  • Bonnen’s Notes for Visits with Wayne Granquist, 1979
  • Bonnen’s Notes on Why Statistical Policy Should Not be merged with Other Functions
  • Bonnen’s Post Project “Blast” on the 1981 Dismantling of Statistical Policy and Coordination
  • Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) - Draft Privacy Legislation
  • Census Advisory Committee of the American Economic Association (AEA) Meeting, 4/14/78
  • Central Statistical Office (CSO) - Table of Organization and Personnel Numbers
  • Clippings Related to the Reorganization Project, and Other Reorganization Projects
  • Comments - First Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Version, Confidentiality Legislation
  • Comments on 1411 Paperwork and Redtape Reduction Act, 1979

 

Container 3

  • Comments on Draft Memo for McIntyre
  • Comments on Health Education and Welfare (HEW) Draft Bill, 4/25/79
  • Comments on Paperwork Legislation (HR 6410) 1980
  • Comments on Progress Report and Revised Options Paper, 2/8/79 Commerce Proposal for Central Statistical Office (CSO) in Commerce as an Option
  • Confidentiality Legislation - Second Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Clearance Version, 4/24/79
  • Confidentiality Legislation Drafts, 1979
  • Confidentiality Legislation First Office of Management and Budget (OMB) - Clearance Version, 2/8/79
  • Controlling Paperwork Burdens on the Public Current Inventory of Organizational Units within the Executive Branch, 1977
  • Definitions - “Statistical File” and “Administrative Record”
  • Department of Transportation (DOT) Conference, 5/31/78
  • Development of Presentation, 12/19/78

 

Container 4

  • Distribution of Options Paper, 1978
  • Draft Legislation Statistical Policy Office in Executive Office of the President (EOP) 10/25/79
  • Draft Memo for Granquist to McIntyre on Horton Bill Implication for Office of Management and Budget (OMB), etc., 5/24/79
  • Draft Memo to President on Central Statistical Office (CSO) Location, 5/10/79
  • Draft of Administrative Paperwork Reduction Legislation Draft Paperwork Reduction Bill, 1979
  • Draft Reorganization Plan for Congress, 1979
  • Drafts of Brooks Paperwork Bill, 11/1/79 [1]
  • Drafts of Brooks Paperwork Bill, 11/1/79 [2]
  • Drafts of Final Project Report, 2/28/79-4/2/79
  • Drafts of Final Project Report, 4/12/79-6/11/79

 

Container 5

  • Drafts of McIntyre Memo to President, 1979
  • Duncan Seminar with project, 7/19/78
  • Economic Analysis Project Review, 5/15/78
  • Education Amendments Modifying the Federal Reports Act, 1978 Elmer Staats, 5/22/79
  • Executive Level Positions and Pay
  • Explanatory Materials on Project
  • Federal Reports Act Draft Amendment (Stan Morris) 1/8/79
  • Federal Statistical Reorganization Arlie House, Virginia, 7/28-30/97
  • Federal Statistical System Project Advisory Committee Meeting, 11/20/78

 

Container 6

  • Federal Statistical System Project Advisory Committee Meeting, 11/21/78
  • Federal Statistical System Project Issues and Options, 11/9/78
  • Fellegi Paper - Information Resource Management, 1978
  • Final Confidentiality Legislation, 10/2/79
  • Final Report - Statistical Reporter, 1980
  • First Drafts on Presidential Paper, 1979
  • Flap on Agriculture Access to Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Data, 3/28/73
  • General Accounting Office (GAO) - Staats Comments on Senate Paperwork Legislation and Statistical Policy Function, 1978
  • General Accounting Office (GAO) Draft Report on Clearance Process, 3/9/79
  • Government Accountability Office (GAO) - Statistical Reorganization Recommendations, 9/20/78
  • Government Affairs Committee
  • Government Comments on Administrative Conference of the U.S. (ACUS) - Location for Central Statistical Office (CSO)

 

Container 7

  • Government Operations Committee
  • Granquist Vita
  • Horton Paperwork Bill Statistical Modification, 6/1/79
  • House Information System Subcommittee Meeting, 4/4/78
  • Identifiable Records, 6/25/79
  • Information Policy Coordination in Office of Management and Budget (OMB), 1978 
  • Information Resources Management - Haase, Morris and Office of Management and Budget (OMB), 1978
  • Input to Task Forces on the Canadian Statistical System, 1978
  • Intelligence System Reorganization, 1978
  • Interview Notes
  • Issues and Options Paper, 11/30/78
  • Jack Anderson’s Column - My Memo on it, 6/8/79
  • Joe Duncan’s Responses to my Requests
  • Joint Economic Committee, 4/6/79
  • Legal Questions on Enclave for Statistical Confidentiality and Record Sharing
  • Lewin, Jim - Meeting with (House Government Operation) 6/20/78
  • Materials on Project before its Organization, 1977
  • Materials Presented to Project Advisory Committee, 2/16/79

 

Container 8

  • McIntyre Bill - S. 3144, 1978
  • Meeting with Alex Hoshovsky, 10/6/78
  • Meeting with Committee on National Statistics, 12/1/78
  • Meeting with Committee on National Statistics, 3/2-3/78
  • Meeting with Committee on National Statistics, 4/6/79
  • Meeting with Elmer B. Staats - Government Accountability Office (GAO) 4/11/78
  • Meeting with Elmer Staats, 2/7/79
  • Meeting with Resources for the Future (RFF) - Ed Dunn and Emery Castle, 2/8/79
  • Meeting with Senator Williams on HR10892, 5/3/78
  • Meeting with Shirley Kallek, 6/13/79
  • Meetings with Elmer Staats on Statistical Reorganization Issues and Paperwork Reduction Legislation, 2/7/79
  • Membership of Advisory Committee
  • Memorandum of Understanding Commerce and Office of Management and Budget (OMB) 8/8/78 
  • Memorandum to the Advisory Committee, 7/26/79 Memos to Advisory Committee, 1980
  • Miscellaneous Budget Papers
  • Miscellaneous Correspondence
  • Miscellaneous Mailing Lists
  • National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) - Discussion of Organization of Statistical Policy and Coordination, 1990
  • National Science Foundation (NSF) Location for Central Statistical Office (CSO)
  • Newspaper Clippings - Miscellaneous Statistical Problems
  • Notes for Reorganization Plan Message
  • Notes from Interviews, 3/7/79
  • Notes on a Federal Information Resource Management Policy
  • Notes on Advice to Project on Implementation
  • Notes on Authority for Statistical Functions

 

Container 9

  • Notes on Decline of Statistical Policy Directives (SPD)
  • Notes on People
  • Office of Management and Budget (OMB) - Bulletin ’78 (Wally Hasse)
  • OMB - Circular A-101, 12/19/73 OMB - Circular A-19, 7/31/72
  • OMB - Circular A-71, 7/27/78 OMB - Legislative Review of Statistical Confidentiality Legislation, 3/26/79
  • OMB - Management Division Final Comments on Draft, 1979
  • OMB - (Granquist) Strategy after Statistical Reorganization Fails in Congress, 1980
  • OMB - (Granquist) Testimony on HR6410, 2/21/80
  • OMB - Clearance Copy of Statistical Reorganization Act, 3/18/80
  • OMB - Correspondence Control
  • OMB - Letter to Jack Brooks and Granquist Draft
  • Options Papers (Improving the Federal Statistical System - Issues and Options) 11/30/78
  • Other Reorganization Plans
  • Paperwork and Statistics Bills - 96th Congress
  • Paperwork - Executive Order Draft
  • Paperwork Reduction Act of 1980
  • ersonnel Associated with Project, 2/16/79
  • Pettigrew and Congressman Lehman’s Staff Meeting, 3/28/78
  • Politicization of Statistics Post Project Correspondence
  • Presentation to Agricultural Statistics Advisory Committee - Census, 4/3/79
  • President’s Memo Establishing Statistical Reorganization Project, 5/11/78

 

Container 10

  • President’s Reorganization Project - Standards Manuel [1]
  • President’s Reorganization Project - Standards Manuel [2]
  • President’s Reorganization Project, Executive Office of the President, 1977
  • Presidential Decision MemorandumPresidential Decision Memorandum - Draft for Office of Management and Budget (OMB), 1979
  • Privacy Response Memorandum (PRM) - Draft Legislation on Functional Separation, 1979
  • Privacy Response Memorandum (PRM) - Issue 5 Exercise, 1978
  • Privacy Response Memorandum (PRM) (Presidential Privacy Initiative), 7/21/78
  • Private Comments on Options
  • Private Policy Coordinating Committee
  • Project Comments on Commerce Standout Statistical Establishment List (SSEL) Legislation, 1979
  • Project Meeting with Statistical Agencies, 5/26/78
  • Project Progress Report, 8/1/78
  • Project Report to Statistical Policy Coordinating Committee (SPCC) 3/20/79
  • Questionnaire - Letter to 38 Agencies Dated, 8/8/78

 

Container 11

  • Regulatory Reform and Regulation, 3/5/79
  • Reorganization Plan Number 1, 1977
  • Reorganization Plan Number 2, 1980
  • Reorganization Project Poetry, 1978
  • Reorganization Proposals, 1/16-17/79
  • Reorganization Study - Responsibility and Budget Workbook, 1977
  • Report and Recommendations of the Food and Nutrition Study, 1978
  • Research Bill (Draft) Return of Office of Federal Statistical Policy and Standards (OFSPS) to OMB, 1981
  • Reviews of Options Paper, 1978-1979 [1]
  • Reviews of Options Paper, 1978-1979 [2]
  • Revision of Government Printing Office (GPO) Legislation - Title 44, 7/6/79
  • Schultze Memo to President on Project - Presidential Decision Memorandum, 1/4/80
  • Scope of Federal Statistical System, 1978
  • Secretary Kreps’ Letter to McIntyre on Statistical Reorganization, 6/20/79

 

Container 12

  • Size of Executive Office of the President - White House - Congress
  • Standard Statistical Establishment List, 1979
  • Statistical Report - Defined for Clearance - Conflict Correspondence, 1978-79
  • Statistical Reporter, 1978
  • Statistical System History Background, 1978
  • Statistics Used in Allocating Funds
  • Status of General Accounting Office (GAO) - Responsibilities under the Federal Reports Act [1]
  • Status of General Accounting Office (GAO) - Responsibilities under the Federal Reports Act [2]
  • Strategy Notes
  • Summary of Comments on Options Paper - Organized by Chapters in the Options Paper
  • Sunset Bills - Bonnen Memo to Granquist, 7/18/78
  • Task Force #1 on Planning and Coordination [1]

 

Container 13

  • Task Force #1 on Planning and Coordination [2] 
  • Task Force #2 on Transmittal and Comment, 9/29/79
  • Task Force #3 on User Access to Federal Data, 10/19/78 [1]
  • Task Force #3 on User Access to Federal Data, 10/19/78 [2]
  • Task Force #4 Final Report, 10/27/78 [1]
  • Task Force #4 Final Report, 10/27/78 [2]
  • Task Force #4 Final Report, 10/27/78 [3]
  • Task Force Composition and Orientation, 6/26-30/78
  • Task Force Design, 7/5/78
  • Task Force Membership
  • Testimony for Congressman Lehman Subcommittee, 4/13/78
  • Testimony on H.R.11253 Federal Statistical Activities Control Act, 6/9/78

 

Container 14

  • Transparencies for Presentation on Confidentiality Legislation
  • US Department of Agriculture (USDA) Confidentiality Legislation
  • Waite Paper on Nature of Analysis, 10/2/78
  • Washington Statistical Society (WSS) - Annual Dinner Meeting, 6/7/79
  • White House and OMB - Table of Organizations, 1977
  • White House Reorganization Project
  • Work Plan - Follow-Up Meeting with Harrison Wellford, 5/4/78
  • Work Plan - Review, 4/25/78
  • Work Program - Economic Analysis Study, 1977
  • Work Program - Natural Resources - Environmental Study, 1977

 

 

Preferred citation: [Type of Document], [Names of Sender and Recipient or Title of Document], [Date], [Collection Title], [Series Title], [Folder Title], [Box Number], Jimmy Carter Presidential Library.

Acquisition information: These donated historical materials were received under provisions of the instrument of gift that James Bonnen signed in March, 1998.