Busing (1 of 3) Box: 3
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Ronald Reagan Presidential Library Digital Library Collections This is a PDF of a folder from our textual collections. Collection: Blackwell, Morton: Files Folder Title: Busing (1 of 3) Box: 3 To see more digitized collections visit: https://reaganlibrary.gov/archives/digital-library To see all Ronald Reagan Presidential Library inventories visit: https://reaganlibrary.gov/document-collection Contact a reference archivist at: [email protected] Citation Guidelines: https://reaganlibrary.gov/citing National Archives Catalogue: https://catalog.archives.gov/ SEP 8 1!181 ' MEMORANDUM THE WHITE HOUSE WASHIN GTON September 4, 1981 TO: ED MEESE FROM: MORTON BLACKWEL~ RE: Proposed meeting between yourself and representatives of the National Association for Neighborhood Schools, Inc. The National Association for Neighborhood Schools is the larges and most influential anti- busi ng o rganization in the country. T ey have been in frequent contact with the Office of Public Liaison, and are anxious to arrange a m~eting with you to discuss their concerns. These concerns center around reports in the news media that the Administration does not intend to push hard for the "social issues, " a term which generally encompasses the busing issue. Various statements that have been attributed to members of the Admi n ist ration by the press have been the cause of some anxiety in NANS. For example, they have specifically mentioned a statement by Max Friedersdorf that "it (social issues) is an area: we are wise to stay out of" and a statement by you that expressed your concern regarding legislation removing fromth.e Federal courts jurisdiction over busing cases. They would be interested in discussing vzith you (a) the role o f the Justice Department in encouraging :w discouraging court-ordered forced busing , (b) the Administration's positions on various con gressional i nitiati ves regarding forcea busing, and (c) the extent of the Admini stration's willingness to l o bby in Congress for those positions. I:n addition, they would probably wish to discuss the situation in Missouri, where an already warm court battle over desegregation has been heating up considerably. The Missouri affiliates of NANS were furious when, in mid-August, the Justice Department urged the Supreme Court not to hear an appeal to court-ordered desegregation by· Missouri Attorney General John Ashcroft. They were somewhat more encouraged just yesterday, when Craig Crenshaw of th:e Justice Department made a motion in court opposing Judge Hungate's contro versial order naming 18 school districts as defendents in the suit. (One of the five NANS representatives at the meeting will be the ~ad of a Missour1 affiliate of NANS, Mr. Gayle Taylor.) As you know, the issue of forced busing is an extremely sensitive and important one to many citizens around the country. Because such I . MEMORANDUM THE WHITE HOUSE WASHINGTON court orders involve th.e determination of where children will go to school, parents of affected children understandably come to feel that their control over their child's edrication is being threatened. Opponents of forced busing are worried that the President is backpeda.ling on commi tmerits he made du:r;ing the campaign. A meeting between the representatives of NANS and yourself could deal with this anxiety before it grows to less manageable proportions. They understand th.at you may not be able o present them with a complete policy, but they want to be heard before such a policy is formulated. You may not be able to satisfy them completely, but the simple fact th.at th.e meeting is taking place will go a long way toward assuaging their fears. I. think such a meeting i s very important, and urge you to arrange one. I would be ha.ppy· to talk with you or a member of your staff about details·. ( l: have att,a,ched a, l.i..st of those · represeritatives of NANS who woul d attend this meeting : ) MEMORANDUM THE WHITE HOUSE WASHINGTON 1. William D. D'Onofrio - President, NANS 2. Mr. James A. Venema - Board Member, NANS 3. Mrs. Kaye C. Cook - Secretary, NANS 4. Mr. Clarence B. Randall, Jr. - NANS Washington lobbyist 5. Mr Gayle Taylor - NANS affiliate head from Missouri STOP FORCED BUSING NATIONAL ASSOCIATION FOR NEIGHBORHOOD SCHOOLS, INC. ~ August 31 , 1981 Mr. Morton Blackwell Special Assistant to the President 128 Executive Office Building OFFICERS & DIRECTORS: Washington DC 20501 President: Wm. D. D'Onofrio, Wilmington, De. Attn: Miss Shortley 1st V.P.: Robert DePrez, Louisville, ky. 2nd V.P. : Robert Shanks, Cleveland , Ohio Dear Miss Shortley: Secretary: Kaye C. Cook, Fredericksburg, Va . This will respond to your request in our telephone conver Treasurer: Earl Stauffer, Columbus, Ohio sation of this a. m. concerning a list of those from my organization who would attend a meeting with key admjnistra tion officials to discuss the busing issue. George Armstrong, Louisville, Ky. Noreen Beatty, Those in attendance will in all probability be: Pittsburgh, Pa. Lillian Dannis, Warren, Mich. 1. Myself, as President of NANS. Joyce DeHaven, 2. James A. Venema a NANS board member. Dallas, T exes Mr. Mary Eisel, 3. Mrs. Kaye o. Cook, NANS Secretary. Omaha, Nebraska 4. Mr. Clarence B. Randall, Jr., NANS Washington lobbyist. Marlene Farrell, Nashville, Tenn. 5. Possibly Mrs. Barbara Mueller (a NANS board member) or Ruth Glascott, Mr. Gayle Taylor ( NANS affiliate head) from the St. Bayonne, N.J. Joyce Haws, Louis area. Cleveland , Ohio Jim Kelly, Please note that Mr. Venema, Mr. Rana.all, Mrs. Cook, Mrs. Boston, Mass. Mueller and myself were all present at a June 3, 1981 meeting William Lynch, Austin, Texas with Mr. Blackwell. Jackie LeVine, Los Angeles, Cal. Libby Ruiz, I do not foresee the above list being added to. It may be that Tucson, Arizona it will be reduced in size. Don Schlipp, Eau Claire, Mich. Dan Seale, Lubbock, Texas In my letter to Mr. Blackwell of August 25, 1981t; suggested Dan Shapiro, Mr. Edwin Meese III and Mr. James Baker as the aClministration Los Angeles, Cal. people with whom we would like to meet. After further thought, Frank Southworth, Denver. Colorado we feel we would like to add Mr. Lynn Noftziger. Frankly, we Ed Studley. Boston, Mass. feel that Mr. Noftziger might be even more sympathetic to the James Venema, views and goals of our organization. I'm sure that Mr. Black New Castle, De. well, as a strong conservative, can appreciate this. Nancy Volts, Boston. Mass. You are aware, I assume, that our top priority in this vein continues to be a meeting with the President himself. We feel that as the foremost national anti-busing organization, with an unbiemished record of patiently working over long years through our governmental process we are surely entitled to ST OP FORCED BUSING president's office communications office membership office 1800 W. 8th St. 3905 Muriel Ave. 4431 Okell Rd. Wilmington, DE 19805 Cleveland, OH 44109 Columbus, OH 43224 e Hr. Morton Blackwell August 31, 1981 Page 2 having the President hear our concerns directly on this crucial domestic issue.· o rio, President r Neighborhood Schools, Inc. STOP FORCED BUSING NATIONAL ASSOCIATION FOR NEIGHBORHOOD SCHOOLS, INC. ~ August 25, 1981 Mr . Mort on Blackwell Special Assistant t o t he President 128 Executive Office Building OFFICERS & DIRECTORS: Washington DC 2050 President: Wm. D. D'Onofrio, Wilmington, De. 1st V.P.: Robert DePrez, Louisville, Ky. 2nd V.P.: Robert Shanks, Dear Mr . Blackwell : Cleveland, Ohio Secretary: Kaye C. Cook, Fredericksburg, Va . Mr . Gayle Wm . Taylor, president of our St. Charles County, Treasurer: Earl Stauffer, Missouri affiliat e 1 has called me wit h a report of his Columbus, Ohio t elephone conversat ion with you of this a . m. As per your conversat ion wit h Mr . Taylor, this will both George Armstrong, Louisville, Ky. request and agree to a meet ing between myself and o~her Noreen Beatty, Pittsburgh, Pa. NANS leaders nd Messrs. Edwin Meese III and James Baker. Lillian Dannis, Warren, Mich. As I am "just up the road" in Wilmington, Delaware, the Joyce DeHaven, Dallas, Texas meeting may be at the convenience of t he White House people Mary Eisel, involved as concerns time and date. However , I do plan to be Omaha, Nebraska Marlene Farrell, on vacat ion the werek of September 13 and will be unavailable Nashville, Tenn. during that period. Ruth Glascott, Bayonne, N.J. Joyce Haws, Cleveland, Ohio I am tentat ively scheduled to testify before the Constitu Jim Kelly, tion and Civil Rights subcommitt ee of the House Judiciary Boston, Mass. Committee on September 23 . I would be pleased to have the William Lynch, Austin, Texas meet ing coordinated wit h my visit : to Washington on that Jackie LeVine, date or even the day before or after. However , I would also Los Angeles, Cal. Libby Ruiz, be pleased to have the meeting set up for any date prior to Tucson, Arizona September 12. Don Schlipp, Eau Claire, Mich. Dan Seale, Our concern, of course, as would be expressed at such a meeting, Lubbock, Texas Dan Shapiro, is the Administrat ion' s substantive posit ion on the busing issue .' Los Angeles, Cal. Thi s involves t he actions of the Dept. of Just i ce and t he Ad Frank Southworth, Denver, Colorado ministrat ion position on anti-busing congressional i nit iat i ves. Ed Studley, Boston, Mass. James Venema, New Castle, De. Nancy Yotts, Boston, Mass. o, President Neighbor hood Schools, Inc. cc : Mr . Mr . Telephone : 302- b58- 1856 STOP FORCED BUSING president's office ommunications office membership office 1800 W. 8th St. 3905 Muriel Ave. 4431 Okell Rd. Wilmington, DE 19805 Cleveland, OH 44109 Columbus, OH 43224 ~ STOP ORCED BUSmG ~ NATIONAL ASSOCIATION FOR NEIGHBORHOOD SCHOOLS, INC.