Ask the Scholar
Document scope · 1 page
Scholar
Ask about this object, its catalog metadata, its source description, or the page inventory.
For page-specific OCR and visual context, open one of the page chats.
Scholar Source Context
Document identity
localId
7337338
label
Exchange of Letters Between the President and Kenneth R. Cole, Jr.
core
doc
dtoType
document
citationUrl
pageCount
1
Source metadata
id
7337338
sourceUrl
contentType
document
title
Exchange of Letters Between the President and Kenneth R. Cole, Jr.
citationUrl
collections
White House Press Releases (Ford Administration)
Press Releases
largeImageUrl
imageCount
1
hasImages
yes
source
import
hasTranscription
no
Source extras
naId
7337338
levelOfDescription
item
productionDates
day
13
logicalDate
1974-12-13
month
12
year
1974
recordType
description
ocrSource
nara-archive
Single page context
seq
1
pageIndex
0
type
document
mediaId
2a1cf999a667e78b
ocrText
Digitized from Box 5 of the White House Press Releases at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
DECEMBER 13, 1974
Office of the White House Press Secretary
THE WHITE HOUSE
EXCHANGE OF LETTERS
BETWEEN THE PRESIDENT AND
KENNETHR. COLE, JR.
December 13, 1974
Dear Ken:
It is with deepest regret that I accept your resignation as Assistant
to the President for Domestic Affairs and Executive Director of the
Domestic Council effective in March, 1975, as you requested.
Needless to say, you will be greatly missed here at the White House,
where you have served so admirably for the past six years. Since the
earliest days of the Nixon Administration, you have played a leading
and vital role in shaping the direction of national domestic policy.
From revenue sharing, welfare reform and health care, to anti-crime
legislation, drug-abuse prevention planning and energy policy, your
sweep and scope have been across the board. As the President's
representative with the Nation's Governors and other local government
officials, you have performed superbly. Their praise and universal
respect for you should be a special source of satisfaction to you.
Beyond this, however, I want to express my personal appreciation for
your contributions to my Administration in its first days and throughout
the transition. I am especially grateful for your selflessness in tem-
porarily setting aside your plans to the private sector in order to assist
in the transition'and completion of the 1974 legislative program. Also,
your guidance andtcounsel in helping to shape and 'establish this Administra-
tion's domestic agenda Hamblbeen immensely valuable.
You may be sure you and your family have Mrs. Ford's and my warmest
best wishes for every success and happiness in the years ahead,
Sincerely,
JERRY FORD
December 12, 1974
Dear Mr. President:
When President Nixon asked me to join the White House staff six years
ago, I came with the personal conviction that the Federal Government
had grown so big as to be unresponsive to the people's needs and with the
personal desire to help in the restoration of power and responsibility
to the people themselves. Through such historic initiatives as General
Revenue Sharing, I believe that process of restoration has begun. Your
own role has been an indispensable part of the process from the beginning,
and your continuing leadership will carry it forward to completion.
(MORE)
-2-
Serving my country has always been of the highest importance to
me, and the opportunity to participate at the highest levels of
government will always be the most meaningful and the most
rewarding experience of my life. You and your predecessor gave
me the opportunity to serve in a way I never envisioned, even in my
wildest dreams, and my gratitude for the confidence reposed in me
is literally beyond expression.
Now, I believe, it is time for me to pursue my career in the private
sector. With mixed feelings of regret and thanks and anticipation,
I ask therefore that you accept my resignation as Assistant to the
President for Domestic Affairs and Executive Director of the Domes-
tic Council, effective March 2, 1975.
We are fortunate to have you as our President. We need your leadership
to restore confidence in government. But more importantly we need
your leadership to restore confidence in ourselves. Government
cannot do everything for everybody, but individual Americans, working
together, can meet and beat the toughest of challenges. I believe
you are setting the example for us to follow, and that the people will
respond. I consider it an honor and a privilege to have been able to
work with you. If as a private citizen I can be of help, please
know that you can count on me.
Marilyn and I wish you great success in the future and wish for you,
Mrs. Ford and your family all the happiness that life can bring.
Very respectfully,
KENNETH R. COLE, JR.
#
#
#