Foreign Relations of the United States, 1917–1972, Volume VIII, Public Diplomacy, 1969-1972

56. Memorandum From the Cultural Affairs Adviser, Office of Policy and Plans, United States Information Agency (Bunce) to the Deputy Director for Policy and Plans (Weathersby)¹

Washington, December 5, 1969

SUBJECT

• Planning of the American Revolution Bicentennial Celebration

The National Bicentennial Plan

The Commission organized a meeting for the preparation of the American Revolution Bicentennial Plan at Williamsburg November 17–18. Besides the staff of the ARBC and a few private consultants, the participants included representatives of the White House, the several Federal agencies whose heads are ex-officio members of the Commission, and other Federal agencies that have an especial interest in the program. Phil Conley represented the Agency.

It was clear from the meeting that the Chairman of the Commission, John E. Wallace Sterling and the Executive Director, Melbourne L. Spector are worried over the great amount of work yet to be done by the ARBC in the remaining few months. They are prepared to step up pressure on all responsible parties to get the job done properly and on time.

The main topics discussed at the meeting were:

1. The Outline of the Commission’s Plan. The Commission’s staff presented a draft outline of the National Bicentennial Plan. In general terms the outline was approved by the meeting’s participants. In the outline the staff took its lead from several points that President Nixon has emphasized on various occasions. The Bicentennial is an occasion for celebration of the past, but more important it is an opportunity for the American people to rededicate themselves to the ideals of the past and to gird themselves for greater achievement in the future. The report, therefore, will try to give a new interpretation of the Declaration of Independence in terms that are meaningful today and will set national goals for the years between now and 1976 and for the century following. The President has mentioned particularly several areas in which the country can make great progress by 1976: management of our growing abundance, making real our ideals of full opportunity, cleaning up our air and water, balancing our system of transportation, improving our systems of education and health care. Above all, following the President’s injunction, the Bicentennial plan is to concern itself not only with material development but especially with the spiritual quality of American life. The celebration and the search and striving for new goals will involve not just the Federal Government but all the states and local communities, all parts of the society, indeed every person in the country.

2. Organization for the future work of the Commission. The Commission now has five Committees: Media; Arts, Humanities, and Science; Commerce and Labor; Events and Exhibitions; and Voluntary, Military and Service Organizations. The primary function of these Committees is to stimulate early planning and programming by state, local, and private organizations and institutions in their respective fields. In the nine weeks the Committees were in existence before the Williamsburg meeting only one had been active. The Williamsburg meeting agreed that each of these Committees needs a full-time assistant, if it is to accomplish its task and the Commission’s Executive Director will examine this question. As a result of his assessment, it is possible that the Commission or the White House will request certain agencies to detail an officer full time to the Commission until July 1970.

3. The Young People and the Bicentennial. Remarks of Jim Atwater of the White House staff led to much discussion of how the Commission can assure that the young people of the country will fully participate in both the celebration and the rededication. There was general fear that unless they have a significant role in planning the program, many important elements in our youth may consider the celebration not “their thing” and stay aloof from or even hostile to the whole program. A Committee of three, including Phil Conley, was set up to advise the Executive Director on this point.

4. Planning within Departments and Agencies. Each Agency represented at the Williamsburg meeting was asked to present to the Commission its program for the period from now to 1976. From the discussions at the meeting, it is clear that a great deal of planning and budgeting is going on in various agencies, e.g., Commerce, Interior (National Park Service), Smithsonian, and the Library of Congress. The Smithsonian and the Library of Congress, at least, have set up special staffs solely to plan their institution’s role in the Bicentennial.

5. International Aspects of the Bicentennial. The Department of State was asked by Mr. Spector to take the lead in developing the international program. Francis Colligan and Paul A. Cook of CU and Phil Conley (IOP) will meet soon as a first step toward accelerating the international planning.

USIA’s Role in the Bicentennial Period

As indicated in the attached outline, USIA will have a major role in publicizing and interpreting Bicentennial programs and projects in the U.S., helping in negotiations involving foreign governments or institutions, and carrying out special USIA projects.

Recommendations

1. The Agency should set immediately adequate machinery for internal planning, coordinating and executing its role in respect to the Bicentennial. The machinery could consist of the following:

a. A planning task force should prepare the Agency’s preliminary Bicentennial Plan. The membership of the Bicentennial task force could be similar to the Apollo XI Task Force² and include representation from IOP, IOA, and each medium and area office. In order that the Agency’s plan be considered in the National Bicentennial Plan, it should be submitted to the ARBC by February 29, 1970.

b. Upon completion of its report, the Bicentennial task force as a formed body can be disbanded, but each Agency element represented on the task force should designate one person to continue to be responsible for stimulating and coordinating all its programs relating to the Bicentennial.

c. At some time in the future when the volume of Agency programming and production will have reached a certain height, it will probably be necessary for the Director to appoint an Agency Coordinator for the Bicentennial Celebration.

2. If the Agency is called upon to detail an officer to the ARBC staff, it [should] do so.

3. The Director in a meeting with his senior staff make clear the following points: a. The importance of the Bicentennial Celebration, b. The tremendous opportunity the Bicentennial offers the Agency to present America’s past, present and future society in favorable light, c. The need for all elements of the Agency to buckle down and develop their recommendations for the Agency’s participation in and exploitation of the Bicentennial during the budget years from now until 1976.

Attachment

Paper Prepared in the Office of Policy and Plans, United States Information Agency ³

Washington, undated

USIA’s Role in Respect to American Revolution Bicentennial Celebration

The total number of projects or programs that will be carried on throughout the United States during the period of the Bicentennial Celebration will be beyond counting. Some programs will be frivolous and of only local and ephemeral significance. But a good number will be of international and lasting importance. Only some that are under consideration, study or even negotiation are: Olympics in Denver, Los Angeles, or both; major expositions at Boston, Philadelphia, and/or Washington; international symposia; major music, dance and film festivals; artistic and historical exhibits; competitions in literature and all other arts; commemorative stamp, medals, and coins; 76 or 200 new cities; establishment of a national theater; special research and publications programs; international scholarships; a chair of youth hostels.

Many of these programs will be occasions of festivity and pride. The Agency will have much to do in publicizing them. But surely USIA’s great opportunity lies in seizing upon these occasions and this era to emphasize the ideas and ideals that lay behind this country’s foundation and growth, in presenting to the world the new dedication the President urged upon the nation, the search for new short-term (till 1976) and long-term (1976–2076) goals, and above all programs that will be set in motion to achieve the short-range goals.

The Agency’s tasks relating to the Bicentennial can be grouped under five headings:

I. Advising ARBC and other agencies on actual or potential foreign opinion in relation to the Bicentennial or specific projects.

II. Publicizing and interpreting events of the Bicentennial. This will involve not only publicizing the events to overseas audiences but bringing out their significance.

III. Assisting other Federal Agencies, states, municipalities or private institutions in carrying out the international side of their programs. Any CU program will, of course, be administered in the field by USIS. Furthermore, other Federal agencies, certain state and local governmental or private institutions or organizations will seek the help of the State Department, the Agency, or Embassies in various matters such as borrowing materials from foreign institutions in events to be held in the U.S., negotiation for gifts or other tokens from foreign countries, suggesting that foreign institutions hold exhibits, music festivals, or other programs in their own countries to celebrate our Bicentennial. Regardless of whether the original approach is made to the Department, the Agency, or an Embassy the burden of handling the request in the field will fall on USIS.

IV. Adaptation or expansion of continuing USIA programs. Some of these programs may also fit under V below. The following suggestions have already been made by various parts of the Agency:

Special Forum programs⁴

Special issues of Dialogue

Bibliographies or appropriate subjects

A special book translation program for at least all the major languages (French, Spanish, Arabic). The program should cover all periods and all major problems or themes of American history.

Series of educational films for high school or college level on American history.

V. Special USIS Programs. Several suggestions have already been made:

A cluster of multi-media programs on such subjects as advancement (and retreat) of individual liberties in the U.S.

U.S. concern in the past for liberty and for improvement of the quality of human life outside its own borders.

Contributions U.S. has received from abroad—institution, ideas, mores, culture, and financing (railroads, canals, ranches,) etc.

U.S. contribution to mankind’s culture.

Development of the ideal of free education for all children.

Development of the arts in the U.S.

Awards for the best foreign books or university theses in American history, government, political system, etc.

Establishment and strengthening of research or documentation in centers overseas, drawing upon the new library techniques.

International, regional or national conferences on various themes relating to the American Revolution.

Publications of collections of essays by distinguished foreign leaders and intellectuals on the American contribution to the world, especially in the spiritual and cultural realms.

The Agency should also back appropriate projects that CU may propose, such as, at least one major bicentennial festival of the performing arts in each area and establishment of commemorative chairs in American studies at foreign universities.

1. Source: National Archives, RG 306, Office of Policy and Plans, 1963–1969, General Subject Files, 1949–1970, Entry UD–264, Box 311, CUL Culture (GEN). No classification marking. White sent the memorandum to Weathersby under a December 8 typewritten note, in which she wrote: “This is Phil Conley’s report on the Bicentennial. He recommends (p. 3) an Agency task force to submit a plan to the Commission by February 28, 1970.” She continued: “We did create a committee about a year ago but it seems to have been inactive. Hence I think we should probably accept Phil’s suggestion.” Weathersby initialed the typewritten note.
2. See Document 25.
3. No classification marking. No drafting information appears on the paper.
4. Program of broadcast lectures on a variety of subjects.