Meese, Edwin, III: Files, 1981-1985

Counsellor to the President, 1981-March 1985

Folders noted as “Open” may still contain closed material due to Freedom of Information Act restrictions. Most frequent withdrawn material is national security classified material, personal privacy, protection of the President, etc. Folders noted as closed are subject to Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests under the provisions of the Presidential Records Act (PRA).

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Scope and Content Note

This collection is currently “in process” and will be fully available for research use within the next five years. Please check with your archivist for any difficulty in locating folders listed on topic guides, as they will be “in transit” during this time period. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause

Box 1-17 are available in whole for research use.

Series List

SERIES I: CABINET AND CABINET COUNCILS

This series consists of three subseries: Subseries A: Cabinet Material; Subseries B: Cabinet Councils; and Subseries C: Cabinet Matters Files.

SUBSERIES A: The Cabinet

This subseries consists of material relating to President Ronald Reagan Cabinet administrative matters, Cabinet breakfast meetings and a few select Cabinet meetings. Administrative material establishes specific responsibilities for issues and communication methods for the Cabinet members and the White House. Cabinet breakfast meetings were held without the President but with Edwin Meese as “chairman” of the meetings. This material consists of talking points with the emphasis on how the Cabinet and Cabinet Councils should work and present decisions to the President, contacts with the press, public and the White House; and specific issues discussed which required Cabinet wide assistance and cooperation. Select Cabinet Meetings covered the long-term grain agreements, particularly with the Soviet Union; product liability, the Commerce Clause of the Constitution and mid-term planning exercises. For more on specific issues discussed in Cabinet matters, see Subseries C: Cabinet Matters Files.

SUBSERIES B: Cabinet Council Material

This subseries consists of material relating to the Cabinet Council system of executive governing President Reagan preferred. Edwin Meese was the architect of the system and created the eventual seven cabinet councils: Cabinet Council on Commerce and Trade, Cabinet Council on Economic Affairs, Cabinet Council on Food and Agriculture, Cabinet Council on Cabinet Council on Human Resources, Cabinet Council on Legal Affairs, Cabinet Council on Management and Administration and Cabinet Council on Natural Resources and Environment. Material concerns the creation of the Councils and Council procedures. Also included are multiple folders on meetings of individual Cabinet Councils covering material relating to trade issues on automobiles, textiles, export of Alaska oil, privatization of LANDSAT, maritime issues, and trade policy with Japan and Mexico; Lesser Developed Countries (LDC) debt; possible country debt defaults; tax policy; monetary policy; drug abuse policy and drug crime;

Some of the Cabinet Council material includes a folder containing “Flash Reports.” These appear to be memos from the Executive Secretary of the individual Cabinet Councils to Meese and usually the Assistant to the President for Policy Development. They contain a quick recap of the substance of Cabinet Council meetings prior to formal minutes being released. The most extensive of the Flash Reports are for the Cabinet Council on Economic Affairs.

SUBSERIES C: CM (Cabinet Matters) Files

This subseries consists of material relating to Cabinet Meeting and Cabinet Council Meeting agenda items. Meese, along with Assistant to the President for Cabinet Affairs, Craig Fuller, facilitated a computer tracking system for all issues brought before the Cabinet and Cabinet Councils. Generally the material was listed as an agenda item for each particular meeting and assigned a Cabinet Matter (CM ) number for tracking on action. Notes from the White House state that this material was maintained as a “reference” copy for the Office of the Counsellor to the President and maintained by staff member Edwin Thomas. The material contains some handwritten notes of Ed Meese, Kenneth Cribb and James Jenkins in addition to Thomas. The material continues on long after Thomas left the Counsellor’s staff. Many of the folders were empty but material on the subject can be found in the Subject File series of this collection. Additional material on these topics can also be found in the Subject File series.

This material consists of agendas for meetings, meeting participant lists, background material for agenda items, handwritten notes on topics and follow-up decisions for the President. Topics covered are mostly on domestic policy concentrated on tax policy, trade policy, the management of the Federal government, entitlements, and some legal issues. Outcomes from background papers are generally not included in this material.

The folders are arranged according to the Cabinet Matter (CM) numbers assigned by the Office of Cabinet Affairs, so they are in rough chronological order. Copies of most of these documents are also available in the White House Office of Records Management Subject File categories FG010-01 (Cabinet) and FG010-02 (Cabinet Councils).

"In-Process" Material

Biography

Edwin Meese, III was a long-time associate and supporter of President Ronald Reagan. He served in the gubernatorial offices of President Reagan as Chief of Staff. When James Baker was selected as Chief of Staff in the first Reagan Administration, a special position with equal power was created for Meese, Counsellor to the President. Together with Michael Deaver, Deputy Chief of Staff, they formed the executive “troika” for running the first Reagan Administration.

Meese’s specific responsibilities included the administration of Reagan’s preferred form of government – Cabinet and Cabinet Councils; the Office of Cabinet Affairs; the Office of Policy Development and the Office of Planning and Evaluation. In addition, Richard Allen, the President’s Advisor for National Security Affairs reported to the President through Meese. This procedure was changed when William Clark became the Advisor for National Security Affairs in 1982.

Record Type

Textual

Last Modified Date

2025-01-30

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Meese, Edwin, III: Files, 1981-1985

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