WALDRON, AGNES: Files, 1985-1988 – REAGAN LIBRARY COLLECTIONS

This collection has been reviewed by the Reagan Library staff and it is available for research. You may access this collection in our research room. There is no need to file a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request for any of the contents of this collection

WALDRON, AGNES: Files, 1985-1988

Speechwriting, Office of: Research Office, Director

Biography

Agnes Waldron had a long and varied career within the United States government and politics. Born in 1924, she graduated from the University of Connecticut with a degree in sociology in 1946. She then went on to complete a Masters degree in social work at Catholic University in Washington, DC. During the 1950s she worked as a case worker in the Hartford, Connecticut Diocesan Bureau of Social Services. She also worked with the Red Cross in disaster relief services.

In 1957, Waldron began her long association with the Republican Party, U.S. Presidents and politics. She worked for six years on the personal staff of Vice-President Richard Nixon as a research assistant focusing on domestic policy and handled all correspondence regarding domestic issues. She also prepared a daily news summary.

She left the former Vice-President’s staff in1963 and worked as a research assistant for the Stanford Research Institute, the American Enterprise Institute and finally, the House Republican Conference Committee. During late 1967 through the election, she returned to Nixon, joining the campaign as a research analyst. She joined the new Nixon administration as a Special Assistant to the Secretary of Health, Education and Welfare (Robert Finch). Waldron returned to the White House in 1970 as an assistant to the White House Press Secretary Ronald Ziegler. Here she met and worked for and with Patrick Buchanan and David Gergin.

Waldron remained at the White House through the end of the Gerald Ford administration. She became the Director of the Research Office in 1974 and also was the editor of the President’s news summaries.

When Gerald Ford lost the presidential election in 1976, Waldron was out of a job. She went to work for the Senate Republican Policy Committee as a research assistant doing reference and research, assisting with speeches and policy papers. While working there, she also worked for the Reagan for President campaign and on the Republican Platform, Task Force on Domestic Policy. She was the Director of Research for the editor-in-chief of the Platform. The Senate Republican Policy Committee re-organized their staff and offices in 1985 and Waldron’s position was eliminated.

Director of Communications Patrick Buchanan hired her in March 1985 as a personal assistant. In June 1985, she was promoted to, once again, be the Director of Research for the White House. This position, in the Reagan administration, was part of the Office of Speechwriting, one of a group of offices under the auspices of the Office of Communication. In October 1985, she also became an executive appointee, and had the title of Special Assistant to the President for Communications, Director of Research. This would be her third time working at the White House. Waldron remained in this position until the end of the administration.

Waldron did not work in the George H.W. Bush administration. She worked as a consultant before retiring in 1990.

Waldron died in 1991 of cancer. She was 66 years old.

Scope & Content

Agnes Waldron has a very small collection within the Reagan Library collections. It consists of materials reflecting Waldron’s administrative position as the Director of Research. Her collection consists of routine correspondence with individuals seeking employment as speechwriter, researchers and/or interns. Many of the individuals also submitted samples of their writing as either manuscripts or from published sources such as newspapers and magazines. The material is arranged chronologically by last name. It also includes some general files on types of resumes and some by individual names.

For access to Waldron’s actual work product as a researcher, please see the Office of Speechwriting: Speech Drafts. This collection lists individual researchers on the folder title. For example: “Signing Ceremony for H.R. 1085 New GI Bill Continuation Act (Gilder)(Waldron) 06/01/1987.” Consulting the Speech Research folder on this speech will contain Waldron’s research work. Her work product can also be found by just browsing through the Office of Speechwriting: Speech Research collection.

CONTAINER LIST

Box 1

Resumes--A (1)(2)

Resumes--B (1)-(12)

Resumes--C (1)-(5)

Box 2

Resumes--C (6)-(9)

Resumes--D (1)-(9)

Resumes--E (1)(2)

Resumes—F (1)-(5)

Box 3

Resumes--F (6)-(8)

Resumes--G (1)-(3)

Resumes--H (1)-(8)

Resumes--I

Resumes--J

Resumes—K (1)(2)

Box 4

Resumes--K (3)-(5)

Resumes--L (1)-(8)

Resumes—M(1)-(4)

Box 5

Resumes--M (5)-(7)

Resumes--N (1)-(4)

Resumes--O-P-Q (1)-(5)

Resumes—R (1)-(4)

Box 6

Resumes—S (1)-(7)

Resumes—T (1)(2)

Resumes--U-V-W-X-Y-Z (1)-(7)

Box 7

Rejectees

[Yolanda Fernandez]

Randy Hodge

Christian R. DeAngelis

Spencer De Witt

Interns

Mark D. Johnson

Resumes/Internships (1)(2)

Researchers Resumes (1)-(6)

Shirilla, Robert (1)-(3)

Yerger, Frank