MASENG, MARI: Files, 1988 – REAGAN LIBRARY COLLECTIONS

Material noted in bold within this collection is currently available for research use. If a folder is available for research use it may still have withdrawn material due to Freedom of Information Act restrictions. Most frequent withdrawn material is national security classified material, personal privacy, protection of the President, etc. Any non-bolded folder is closed for research.

The non-bolded folders are subject to Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests under the provisions of the Presidential Records Act (PRA).

If you are interested in submitting a FOIA request for access to any of the unavailable records or have any questions about these collections or series, please contact our archival staff at 1-800-410-8354, outside the US at 1-805-577-4012, or email reagan.library@nara.gov

MASENG, MARI: Files, 1988

Office of Speechwriting, Speechwriter, 1981-1983

Office of Public Liaison, 1986-1987 (see separate inventory)

Office of Communications, July 1988-November 1988

Biography

Mari Maseng was born in Chicago on March 15, 1954. She attended the University of South Carolina, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in 1975.

After university graduation, Maseng became a reporter for the Charleston Evening Post. Shortly after leaving college, Maseng began her long association with Republican politicians. In 1979, she began work as a press aide to Representative Phil Crane (R-IL) and also served as a Staff Director for Senator Bob Dole’s presidential primary campaign in 1979. After Dole dropped out of the race, she supported the Reagan-Bush team.

Maseng served throughout the 1980 Reagan campaign and on four separate occasions within the Reagan Administration. Maseng began work as a media strategist for the Reagan-Bush campaign and then as a press aide to Mrs. Reagan during the transition period. In 1981 Maseng served in the White House as a member of the President’s speechwriting staff leaving in November 1983. In November 1983, she started to work for Secretary of Transportation Elizabeth Dole as Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs.

Ms. Maseng left government service in November 1985 to become Director of Corporate Relations at the Beatrice Companies in Chicago, and was named a Corporate Officer by the Board of Directors.

Maseng was brought back to the White House in May 1986 to be the Director of the Office of Public Liaison. She remained at the White House until July 1987. At this time she became Press Secretary of the Senator Robert Dole for President Campaign. After Senator Dole suspended his campaign in early 1988, she was, again, recruited for a White House position. She returned to the White House in July 1988 replacing Tom Griscom as Director of the Office of Communications and Planning and as Assistant to the President.

After leaving the White House at the end of the Reagan administration, Maseng founded her own political and communications consulting firm. However, for the third time Maseng worked for Senator Robert Dole as communications director of the Dole presidential campaign in 1996. She remained with the campaign until Dole received the nomination and then returned to her private company.

In 1991 Maseng married George Will, columnist for the Washington Post and a regular contributor to ABC News They have one son.

Scope & Content Note

Mari Maseng returned to the White House in July 1988 as Assistant to the President for Communications and Planning, and Director of the Office of Communications. She replaced Tom Griscom who left the White House when his mentor and fellow Tennessean, Howard Baker, left in June 1988. The collection reflects this short time period but also reflects Maseng’s responsibilities as the ultimate head of speechwriting, public affairs and media relations. The communications arm of the White House was heavily involved in molding “Reagan legacy” pieces and assisting with the election of then Vice President George H.W. Bush.

As presently constructed the Office of Communications does not have a set of “office” records. The Library identified some administrative material within the final boxes of Maseng’s material sent to record’s management. We have retained this material within the Maseng collection.

The Office of Communications was briefly reorganized in 1984 when David Gergen left the post of Director of Communication in the fall of 1983. The Communications Office and all its suboffices operated as part of the Deputy Chief of Staff’s (Michael Deaver) responsibility. Day-to-day supervision was handled by Michael McManus. At this time a post was created to handle “communication planning” which was filled by Pam Bailey.

With the hiring of Patrick Buchanan as the Director of Communications in early 1985, the Office of Communications returned to its original status. While Buchanan intended to fill the Pam Bailey position, and actually hired someone, it was actually never used during the Buchanan years. When Tom Griscom replaced Patrick Buchanan in March 1987, the post was renamed – Assistant to the President for Communications and Planning and Maseng continued with this title also. This combined the post in one person, and they retained the position of Director of the Office of Communications.

The Library does not appear to have a Maseng collection for her time in the Office of Speechwriting as a speechwriter. Please refer to the Office of Speechwriting: Speech Drafts and Research Office to find material associated with Ms. Maseng as a speechwriter.

The collection consists of four series: SERIES I: Subject File, SERIES II: Trip File; SERIES III: Bush-Quayle 1988 Campaign; and SERIES IV: Publications.

SERIES I: Subject File, 1988 (4.6 l.ft.; Box 1-12)

This series consists of material relating to interaction with special interest groups; editing and approving speeches and statements on the Defense Authorization veto, the plant layoff bill veto, the Iranian Airline shoot down, and the President’s farewell address; creating communication “action plans” to assist White House agendas such as the FY 1990 budget, public diplomacy plans; and Reagan “Legacy” issues; and speeches, themes, and planning focused on the election of Vice-President George H.W. Bush and the President’s role in assisting the Vice-President. This series also contains material relating to administrative matters for the Office of Communication including staff meeting agendas and notes, weekly issues reports to the President, staff manuals, forms, parking, salary and hiring issues. Administrative files within this collection often contain material from previous Directors of Communication, Thomas Griscom and Patrick Buchanan. The material in this series is arranged alphabetically.

SERIES II: Trip File (.4 l.ft, Box 12-13)

This series consists of material relating to trips taken by the President in support of the Vice-President’s 1988 campaign for the Presidency. Files consist of trip schedules, notes on planning the trip, speech drafts, speech finals, and local press coverage. Often several events or even additional stops are included within the folders. The material in this series is arranged chronologically.

SERIES III: Bush-Quayle 1988 Campaign (.4 l. ft.; Box 13-14)

This series consists of material relating to publications to promote George Bush’s candidacy; manuals and directories from the Campaign on surrogate speakers and building coalitions; a copy of George Bush’s Inaugural Address and a Richard Wirthlin poll commissioned by the Republican National Committee on national public attitudes for the time period of October 31, 1988-November 2, 1988. The material is arranged alphabetically by folder title.

SERIES IV: Publications (.4 l.ft.; Box 14-15)

This series consists of magazines and reports published during late 1988. It consists of the centennial of the National Geographic magazine; journals from the Government Accounting Office and the Brookings Institute; a manuscript version of the Heritage Foundation’s Mandate for Leaders: III; and reports on the White House Conference on Drug-Free America and fiscal year 1990 budget material. Larger items have been transferred to the book collection. The material is arranged alphabetically by publication title.

CONTAINER LIST

SERIES I: SUBJECT FILE

Box 1

AIDS (1)(2)

Administration

The Almanac of American Politics, 1988 – Selected Pages

American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU)

American Newspaper Publishers Association (ANPA)

Armed Forces Voters Week

Articles on Administration Officials

Attacks on Reagan at the Democratic National Convention

Attorney General Thornburgh

Baker, James – Resignation

Bevacqua, Anita

Beyond War Broadcast

Bios

Boca Raton Letter

Boland, Matthew

Brinkley, David

Brokaw, Tom

Budget (1)-(4)

Businessweek Interview Joe Wright/OMB

California Fundraisers

Campaign 1988

Box 2

Campaign Watch Summary

Canadian Broadcasting Corporation

Captive Nations Day Statement - 07/13/1988 (P)

Cavazos, Lauro

Child Abduction

Child Care

CNN Interview 09/09/1988

CNN Interview 01/12/1989

Columnists

Combined Federal Campaign

Communications, Office of

[Communications, Office of – Historical Information]

[Communications, Office of – Review] (Binder) (1)-(3)

Communications Staff Meetings (1)(2)

Communications Wrap-Up of Election Coverage

Computer Information

Contras

Counsel re: Speeches (empty)

CTRCK Codes

Demuth, Chris (AEI) (1)-(3)

Department of Defense Authorization (1)-(4)

Box 3

Devine, Donald [Citizens for America]

Dolan Geneva Trip

Domenici

Domestic Policy Speech (1)-(3)

Donattelli Meeting

Dresses

Drought

Drug Bill

Drugs (1)-(3)

Duberstein

Duberstein Personal Press Plan

Economic Bulletin

Economic Policy Council (1)(2)

Education and Bennett

Statement on Employment

ESPN Interview / POTUS

Ethics Bill (1)(2)

Ethics in Government

Executive Office of the President – Drug-Free Workplace Plan

Falling from Grace

Family Magazine

Box 4

Farewell Address - POTUS

Farewell Back-Up

Fetal Research

First Lady Talking Points

Fisher, Audrey, Interview

Foreign Policy

Foreign Policy [Speech] University of Virginia: Charlottesville 12/16/1988

Forest Fires

French Journalists, MM/FD (Maseng/Donatelli) Meeting - 11/08/1988 (1)(2)

Glassner, Mike

Gorbachev

Government Waste

Grace Commission

Greenville Professional Women's Forum

Gribben, Bill

Hayes, Stephen

Highway Users Foundation

Hispanic Briefing

Hispanic Media

Hispanics

Homeless

Horatio Alger Association

[Housing – Possible Arkansas Event]

Human Events

Interviews – White House

Interviews Following Events

Issues Update – 07/08./1988

Issues Update – 07/22/1988

Issues Update – 07/29/1988

Issues Lunch – 09/12/1988 (empty)

Issues Paper - 09/18/1988 (empty)

Issues Lunch 10/03/1988

Issues Lunch 10/17/1988 (empty)

Issues Lunch: 10/24/1988 (empty)

Issue Paper: 11/04/1988

Issues Lunch: 11/10/1988 (empty)

Issues Lunch: 11/14/1988

Issues Paper: 12/05/1988 (empty)

Issues Paper: 12/09/1988

Issues Paper: 12/16/1988 (empty)

Issues Updates – Communications Section

Issues Updates – Weekly Report to the President (1)

Box 5

Issues Updates – Weekly Report to the President (2)-(5)

Japanese Internment Legislation - Signing Ceremony

Jobs

Judicial Nominees

Key Political Reporters

Klugmann, Mark

Koppel: News from Earth

Kudlow, Lawrence

Labor, Department of - Secretary McLaughlin (1)(2)

LaFarge Corporation

Last 100 Days

Last Six Months (1)(2)

Legacy

Legacy Booklets [“Reagan Record” & “Promises Made, Promises Kept”]

Legal Services

Library Court Coalition/Meetings/Eric Licht (1)-(3)

Marlin [Fitzwater]

Maseng Biography

McKay Report

McLaughlin Interview

Meal Acceptance Guidelines

Media and Broadcast Relations

Media Bashing

Media/Communications

Media Events

Box 6

Media Executives Briefing 08/03/1988

Media Fall Plan (1)-(3)

Media: Fall Plan / Local - E. Board (1)-(3)

Media Fall Plan / Op-eds M. Blakey

Media Plan for Surrogates

Media Requests

“Meet the Press”

Minimum Wage Supporters

NASA/Also See Space

National Federation of Business and Professional Women – Vice President’s Speech,

07/24/1988

National Governor's Association (POTUS) 08/08/1988

Nedelman, Jeffrey (1)(2)

Negative Campaigning

Nevada

Newspaper Column - POTUS

Nicaragua

Nobel Peace Prize

Nominations

Noriega

U.S. vs. North

October Planning (1)-(3)

Box 7

Oglesby Memos

[Ohio Press Reaction to Frank Lavin Visit]

O'Neill, George 09/08/1988

One Liners

Op-ed Info. (Blakey) (1)(2)

Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) Statement

Parental Leave

Parking, Communications Office

People - Garry Clifford

Personnel - Media & Broadcast Relations (1)(2)

Personnel - Public Affairs

Personnel - Research

Personnel – Speechwriting (1)-(6)

Planning

Planning I – July 1988 (1)(2)

Planning I – August 1988

Planning I – September 1988

Planning I – October 1988

Planning I – November 1988

Planning II – April 1988

Planning II – May 1988

Planning II – June 1988

Box 8

Planning II – July 1988 (1)-(4)

Plant Closings

Political Planning File (1)(2)

Polyconomics

Post Election Events - Marion Blakey

Poverty and Employment August 1988

POTUS Address to Junior High Students 11/14/1988 (1)(2)

POTUS Address to the United Nations 09/26/1988 (1)-(4)

Presidential Remarks – Resignation of James Baker III 08/05/1988

President's Committee on the Arts & Humanities

Press at Republican Convention

Press Conference, Final

Press Coverage – 1988 (1)-(3)

Box 9

Press Coverage – 1988 (4)-(6)

Press Items, Possible

Privatization - Presidential Decision

[Proposition 65 – California] (1)(2)

Public Affairs

Quad Commission

Quayle, Dan

Radio Address Memos

Radio Speech

Rahn, Richard

Range / Hooley

Reagan Record / Blakey

The Reagan Record on the Crusade for a Drug-Free America

A Report from the National Drug Policy Board – Toward a Drug-Free America: The

National Drug Strategy and Implementation Plans

Republican Convention (1)-(4)

Research (empty)

Retrospective - Requests for Interviews

Ronald Reagan (RR) Farewell

Rowney, Ambassador Edward

Sanchez, Rudy

Satellite Addresses

Schedule, Pending Information / Recommendations (1)-(3)

Box 10

Science and Mathematics Award

Security Information

September Highlights

September 1988 Planning (1)-(5)

Smith, Congressman Dennis

Smith, Hedrick - Interview

Social Security

South Carolina

Space

Speech Themes

Speeches, Timeliness of Comments

Speechwriters Read

Stationary

Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI)

Target Groups

Television Addresses - Presidential

Teller, Edward

[Terry Abdoo – Personal Documents]

Themes [1988]

Themes [Campaign 1988]

Themes [Democratic Opinion re: Reagan]

Themes [Drug Issues - July 1988]

Box 11

Themes [Economic Recovery] (1)-(3)

Themes [Events – Fall 1988]

Themes [Last Seven Months – July 1988]

Themes [Last Six Months – July 1988]

Themes [Legislative Issues – July 1988]

Themes [Speech – July 1988]

Themes [Trips – July 1988]

Themes [White House Activities – July 1988]

Tickler (1)(2)

Trade Bill

Transition

[Transition Resignations & Resumes] (1)(2)

United Nations Security Council - Vice President's Remarks

University of Virgnia

USA Today Television

USIA Programming in Support of the 1988 Elections Report (1)(2)

Van Dongen, Dirk

Victory 1988

Waldron / Events

Wallace, Mike Interview

Washington Campus

Washington Industrial Roundtable

Washington Institute for Near East Policy

Weyrich

Whalen, Richard

Whales

White House Correspondence Manual, 1986 (1)(2)

Box 12

White House Staff Gift Record Forms

White House Staff Manual, 1988 (1)-(3)

Whittaker Chamber Farms

Wick, Charles / USIA

Williamson, Rich

Wilson, James Q.

Wirthlin (1)-(3)

Women Issues

Women Appointees / Rebuttal

World Press Institute

Wright, Joe

The Year of the Young Reader

Youth 2000

SERIES II: TRIPS

Box 12, cont.

Presidential Trip to Iowa and Illinois, Drought- 07/14/1988 (1)-(3)

Presidential Trip to Cincinnati 08/08/1988 (1)(2)

Presidential Trip to Missouri – 09/14/1988

Presidential Trip to Houston, TX - 09/22/1988

Presidential Trip to Chicago, IL - 09/30/1988 (1)(2)

Presidential Trip to Detroit, Michigan - 10/07/1988 (1)

Box 13

Presidential Trip to Detroit, Michigan - 10/07/1988 (2)(3)

Presidential Trip to Philadelphia, PA, & West Orange, NJ – 10/12/1988 (1)(2)

Presidential Trip to Ohio 10/19/1988

Presidential Trip to Raleigh, NC & Bowling Green, KY- 10/21/1988

Presidential Trip to California, Nevada, Wisconsin, Ohio, 11/01/1988-11/02/1988

Presidential Trip to Warren, MI & Mesquite, TX, 11/05/1988

Presidential Trip to California 11/07/1988

SERIES III: Bush-Quayle 1988 Campaign

Box 13, cont.

Bush-Quayle ’88: National Coalitions Leaders Manual (1)-(4)

George Bush: Leadership on the Issues, RNC, October 1988

Inaugural Address, 01/20/1989

Surrogates, Bush/Quayle

Wirthlin Poll for Republican National Committee, 10/31/1988-11/02/1988 (1)-(4)

Box 14

Wirthlin Poll for Republican National Committee, 10/31/1988-11/02/1988 (1)-(14)

SERIES IV: Publications

Box 14, cont.

The Brookings Review, Winter 1988

Budget, 1990 – Pamphlets

The Deficit Debate: Critical Crossroads to the Future, Touche Ross, 1984

The GAO Journal, Fall 1988

Mandate for Leadership III: Policy Strategies for the 1990s, Heritage Foundation,

1989 (1)-(4)

Box 15

Mandate for Leadership III: Policy Strategies for the 1990s, Heritage Foundation,

1989 (5)-(10)

[Material Transferred to Book Collection – Transfer Forms]

National Geographic - December 1988

National Geographic Society Centennial Awards, 1888-1988 - Brochure

Our Changing Planet: A U.S. Strategy for Global Change Research, Committee on

Earth Sciences, 1989

Regulatory Program of the United States Government, April 1, 1988-March 31,

1988

The White House Conference for a Drug Free America: Final Report, June 1988