1 linear foot, 4 linear inches, 3 containers
The material in this collection consists of memoranda, correspondence, speeches, briefing material, and energy reports. These files contain reports on energy and budgetary matters but not much material concerning Donovan’s work with commissions or special studies. “Memos to the President, 8/21/79 - 8/14/80 [CF, OA 706]”, contains material which covers the entire year Mr. Donovan was at the White House and documents his primary duties while he was Senior Adviser to the President.
This unique position of Senior Adviser to the President was created in 1979, in order to utilize the knowledge and experience of Mr. Donovan. He was in this position from August 15, 1979 to August 15, 1980. As Senior Adviser to the President he was provided with direct access to the President giving him the perspective of a White House insider. Donovan primarily worked on foreign matters while at the White House because the dominant issues from 1979 and 1980 were the American hostage crisis in Iran and the Afghanistan invasion, but he advised the President on both domestic and foreign issues.
His primary assignments included assisting in the creation and development of The President's Commission for a National Agenda for the Eighties and a Study of the United States Foreign Policy Objective and priorities, 1980-85.
Biographical information on key office personnel is located at the end of the finding aid.
The records of the Senior Adviser to the President (Hedley W. Donovan) are divided into one series:
Hedley W. Donovan’s Subject Files as Senior Adviser to the President
Scope and Content: Containers 1-3. This series was opened in November 1987. This series contains memoranda, correspondence, speeches, briefing material, and energy reports. Arranged alphabetically by folder title.
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.
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.
These historical materials were received under provisions of the instrument of gift that Jimmy Carter signed January 31, 1981.
The Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and Museum
441 Freedom Parkway NE Atlanta, GA 30307
Energy
Budget
Afghanistan
Iran
1979-1980
Hedley W. Donovan’s Subject Files as Senior Adviser to the President
Container 1
- Afghanistan [CF, OA 7 06]
- Asia Foundation [CF, OA 706]
- Briefing Papers, 10/3/79, 5/12/80 [CF, OA 706]
- Budget Appeals, 1981 [CF, OA 706] [1-5]
- Cabinet Summaries, 9/10/79, 11/13/79, 1/15/80 [CF,OA 706]
- Energy Briefing Material - Booklets [CF,OA 706]
- Energy Briefing Material - Briefing Book, 8/79 [CF,OA 706]
- Energy Briefing Material - Briefing Book, 8/79, Transportation Energy Initiatives [CF, OA 706]
- Energy Briefing Material -The Energy Security Corporation [CF,OA 706]
Container 2
- Energy Briefing Material - Proposals, Philosophies, and Programs [CF, OA 706]
- Eizenstat, Stu [CF, OA 706]
- Foreign Policy Study, 1980-1985 [CF, OA 706]
- Iran [CF, OA 706]
- Jamaica [CF, OA 706]
- Job Applicants [CF, OA 706]
- Jordan, Hamilton [CF, OA 706]
- McDonald, Al [CF, OA 706]
- Medal of Freedom [CF, OA 706]
- Memos to the President, 8/21/79-8/14/80 [CF,OA 706]
Container 3
- Personnel Matters [CF, OA 706]
- Political Activity Guidelines [CF, OA 706]
- Poston, Gretchen [CF, OA 706]
- President - Speeches [CF, OA 706]
- Presidential Correspondence, 10/5/79-12/5/79 [CF, OA 706]
- President's State of the Union Speech, 1980 [CF, OA 706]
- Resignation Letter to the President, 7/15/80 [CF, OA 706]
- Saunders, Hal [CF, OA 706]
- Secret Service [CF, OA 706]
- Secure Voice Service, New York City and Washington, DC [CF, OA 706]
- Security [CF, OA 706]
- Strauss, Ellen [CF, OA 706]
- Vice-President [CF, OA 706]
- Wise Men [CF, OA 706]
Biographical Information
Hedley W. Donovan
Hedley W. Donovan was born in Brainerd, Minnesota in 1914. He received an A.B. (magna cum laude) from the University of Minnesota in 1934. He received a B.A. (Rhodes Scholar) from Oxford University in 1936. He was a reporter for the Washington Post from 1937-1942. Donovan was a writer and managing editor for Fortune Magazine. In 1958, Donovan was chosen by the State Department as the economic expert on a three-man team to observe the electoral process in the Soviet Union. He was the editorial director and editor-in-chief of Time, Inc. from 1959-1979. In June 1979, Donovan became a senior advisor to President Carter. He was a fellow, faculty of government at Harvard University from 1980-1981. In 1981, he became a consultant for TimeLife. In 1985, he published his memoirs, Roosevelt to Reagan: A Reporter's Encounters with Nine Presidents.