--------------- COL,SER,FLDR ID............ 026800000 ACCESSION.................. 70-NLF-339 RECORD CODE................ C TITLE...................... GRAND RAPIDS ORAL HISTORY COLLECTION ...DESCRIPTION... Seven people who knew Gerald Ford as a young man discuss their acquaintanceships, Grand Rapids politics in the 1930's and 1940's, and Ford's 1948 congressional campaign. Included are interviews with Arthur G. Brown, Philip W. Buchen, Kay Clark, Paul G. and Margaret E. Goebel, Dorothy L. Judd, Williard B. Ver Meulen, and Niel A. Weathers. ...ABSTRACT... Seven people who knew Gerald Ford as a young man discuss their acquaintanceships, Grand Rapids politics in the 1930's and 1940's, and Ford's 1948 congressional campaign. Included are interviews with Arthur G. Brown, Philip W. Buchen, Kay Clark, Paul G. and Maraget E. Goebel, Dorothy L. Judd, Willard B. Ver Meulen, and Niel A. Weathers. SUBJECT DESCRIPTOR......... Grand Rapids, Congressional Elections, Political Affairs LC SUBJECT TERM............ GRAR, UNCONEA, Grand Rapids, United States. Congress--Election, 1948 BEGINNING DATE............. 1927 ENDING DATE................ 1948 VOLUME..................... 0.3 UNITS MEASUR............... linear feet ...RELATED MATERIAL... The Ford Scrapbooks have some material on the 1948 congressional campaign and the Ford Congressional Papers have a few items. The Bentley Historical Library of The University of Michigan holds the papers of several individuals involved in Grand Rapids politics in the 1930's and 1940's. ADDL UNDESC. ACCRETIONS.... N ...ARRANGEMENT... Arranged in a single alphabetical sequence. PREFERRED CITATION......... Grand Rapids Oral History Collection, Gerald R. Ford Library CLASSIFICATION CODE........ U, Not Classified LANG. CODE(S).............. eng LOCATION................... 2-01-14-5 DATE OF OPENING............ 04/1981? CREATORS NAME.............. National Archives and Records Administration CONFORMING NAME............ National Archives and Records Administration CONFORMING NAME INDICATOR.. A CREATORS RELN TO PRES...... Archival repository CREATORS CURRENT POSN...... None ...BIOGRAPHICAL NOTE... Interviews with Ford friends and associates DONORS NAME................ National Archives and Records Administration DONORS RELN TO CREATOR..... SELF SOURCE OF LEGAL TITLE...... DM, Donated materials ...PROVENANCE... The Office of Presidential Libraries selected Tom Soapes of the National Archives to conduct a series of oral histories on Gerald Ford's early political career in Grand Rapids. Dr. Soapes ran the program from Washington, visiting the Ford Library to do research. After conducting the interviews, Soapes supervised their transcription and obtained deeds of gift. At the conclusion of the project, he turned the tapes and transcripts over to the Ford Library. ...RESTRICTIONS... Open. ...LITERARY RIGHT... Each interviewee has donated to the United States of America his or her copyrights in the interview tapes and transcripts. WRITTEN PERMISSION......... N BOX........................ ******* GRAND RAPIDS ORAL HISTORY --------------- COL,SER,FLDR ID............ 026800001 ACCESSION.................. 70-NLF-339 RECORD CODE................ F TITLE...................... Brown, Arthur G. - Interview, 1/26/80 ...DESCRIPTION... Interview concerning the Grand Rapids South High School football team in the late 1920's and early 1930's, subsequent meetings of the 30-30 Club, and his friendship with Gerald Ford since 1927. SUBJECT DESCRIPTOR......... Presidential Personal, Recreation, Grand Rapids BEGINNING DATE............. 1927 ENDING DATE................ 1948 BOX........................ 1 PAGE COUNT................. 30 GRAND RAPIDS ORAL HISTORY --------------- COL,SER,FLDR ID............ 026800002 ACCESSION.................. 70-NLF-339 RECORD CODE................ F TITLE...................... Buchen, Philip W. - Interview, 1/18/80 (Covers only the years 1938-1948) ...DESCRIPTION... Interview concerning his early friendship with Gerald Ford, their entry into law partnership in 1941, and Ford's 1948 campaign for Congress. Included are comments on Jack Stiles work as campaign chairman. SUBJECT DESCRIPTOR......... Presidential Personal, Grand Rapids, Congressional Elections BEGINNING DATE............. 1938 ENDING DATE................ 1948 BOX........................ 1 PAGE COUNT................. 26 GRAND RAPIDS ORAL HISTORY --------------- COL,SER,FLDR ID............ 026800003 ACCESSION.................. 70-NLF-339 RECORD CODE................ F TITLE...................... Clark, Kay - Interview, 1/28/80 ...DESCRIPTION... Interview concerning her activities as head of the women's division of Gerald Ford's 1948 congressional campaign and her contacts with the Fords thereafter. Includes comments on Jack Stile work as head of the campaign. SUBJECT DESCRIPTOR......... Presidential Personal, Congressional Elections, Grand Rapids BEGINNING DATE............. 1935? ENDING DATE................ 1948 BOX........................ 1 PAGE COUNT................. 23 GRAND RAPIDS ORAL HISTORY --------------- COL,SER,FLDR ID............ 026800004 ACCESSION.................. 70-NLF-339 RECORD CODE................ F TITLE...................... Goebel, Paul G. and Margaret E. - Interview, 1/25/80 ...DESCRIPTION... Interview concerning politics in Grand Rapids under the McKay machine, the work of the Home Front, and the early life and political beginnings of Gerald Ford. SUBJECT DESCRIPTOR......... Presidential Personal, Grand Rapids, Political Affairs BEGINNING DATE............. 1930? ENDING DATE................ 1955? BOX........................ 1 PAGE COUNT................. 16 GRAND RAPIDS ORAL HISTORY --------------- COL,SER,FLDR ID............ 026800005 ACCESSION.................. 70-NLF-339 RECORD CODE................ F TITLE...................... Judd, Dorothy L. - Interview, 1/25/80 ...DESCRIPTION... Interview on politics in Grand Rapids under the McKay machine, notably the work of the League of Women Voters and Citizens Action. SUBJECT DESCRIPTOR......... Grand Rapids, Political Affairs, Presidential Personal BEGINNING DATE............. 1934? ENDING DATE................ 1954? BOX........................ 1 PAGE COUNT................. 17 GRAND RAPIDS ORAL HISTORY --------------- COL,SER,FLDR ID............ 026800006 ACCESSION.................. 70-NLF-339 RECORD CODE................ F TITLE...................... Ver Meulen, Willard B. - Interview, 1/26/80 ...DESCRIPTION... Interview concerning politics in Grand Rapids under the McKay machine, especially Ver Meulen's experiences organizing the Home Front. SUBJECT DESCRIPTOR......... Grand Rapids, Political Affairs, Presidential Personal BEGINNING DATE............. 1941? ENDING DATE................ 1949? BOX........................ 1 PAGE COUNT................. 45 GRAND RAPIDS ORAL HISTORY --------------- COL,SER,FLDR ID............ 026800007 ACCESSION.................. 70-NLF-339 RECORD CODE................ F TITLE...................... Weathers, Niel A. - Interview, 1/28/80 ...DESCRIPTION... Interview concerning his law work with Ford, 1946-1948, his participation in the 1948 congressional campaign, and his association with Gerald Ford. SUBJECT DESCRIPTOR......... Presidential Personal, Congressional Elections, Grand Rapids BEGINNING DATE............. 1946 ENDING DATE................ 1948 BOX........................ 1 PAGE COUNT................. 16 GRAND RAPIDS ORAL HISTORY ---------------