The U.S. President’s Advisory Committee on Government Organization (the Rockefeller Committee) was established by Executive Order 10432 on January 24, 1953.
[Government Printing Office. U.S. Government Organization Manual 1953-1954. Washington, DC: GPO. p. 444.] Members of the committee were appointed by President
Dwight D. Eisenhower
Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower (born David Dwight Eisenhower; ; October 14, 1890 – March 28, 1969) was an American military officer and statesman who served as the 34th president of the United States from 1953 to 1961. During World War II, ...
and served without compensation.
Nelson A. Rockefeller served as Chairman until 1958; upon his resignation,
Arthur S. Flemming
Arthur Sherwood Flemming (June 12, 1905September 7, 1996) was an American government official. He served as the United States Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare from 1958 until 1961 under President Dwight D. Eisenhower's administration ...
served as Chairman. Other permanent members were Dr.
Milton S. Eisenhower
Milton Stover Eisenhower (September 15, 1899 – May 2, 1985) was an American academic administrator. He served as president of three major American universities: Kansas State University, Pennsylvania State University, and Johns Hopkins Universit ...
and Don K. Price, Jr. In addition to the permanent members, the committee had the services of experts from government, universities and business who acted as consultants. A few of the consultants were: Dr. Ernest Williams, Professor Emmette S. Redford, Herman Pollack, Fordyce Luikart,
Willard Bascom
Willard Newell Bascom (November 7, 1916 in New York City – September 20, 2000 in San Diego, California), was an engineer, adventurer and scientist, as well as a writer, photographer, painter, miner, cinematographer, and archeologist, who first p ...
, Jerold Kieffer,
Joseph Dodge
Joseph Morrell Dodge (November 18, 1890 – December 2, 1964) was a chairman of the Detroit Bank, now Comerica. He later served as an economic adviser for postwar economic stabilization programs in Germany and Japan, headed the American delegation ...
, and William Barclay Harding.
Committee objectives
To strengthen the executive authority of the president and of the heads of departments and agencies to facilitate administration within the Executive Branch.
To clarify the internal organization of individual departments or agencies.
To improve government-wide procedures within the Executive Branch, particularly in the fields of personnel management and budget controls, with a view to facilitate and strengthen departmental management.
To better organization related or overlapping governmental activities through interdepartmental transfers.
To eliminate functions which have outlived their usefulness, and curtail activities which are extended beyond present need.
Committee procedures
Review of pertinent material prepared in recent years on improvements in government organization, including: the Hoover Commission Report, the Temple University Survey, Bureau of the Budget staff papers, and special departmental studies
Evaluation of material in relation to the above objectives, and preparation of tentative recommendations for action.
Discussions with the Budget Director, Cabinet heads and Congressional leaders to develop common views on organization and management recommendations. These recommendations will take into consideration the political issues involved.
Submission of a series of recommendations to the president for approval.
The Committee to be of such assistance as appropriate in connection with: (a) Preparation by the Bureau of the Budget and Departments of proposed legislation and Executive Orders to carry out the approved recommendations, and (b) Preparation of a time schedule for submission of legislation by the Director of the Budget.
The Committee was abolished February 10, 1961, by President
John F. Kennedy
John Fitzgerald Kennedy (May 29, 1917 – November 22, 1963), often referred to by his initials JFK and the nickname Jack, was an American politician who served as the 35th president of the United States from 1961 until his assassination ...
. Its functions
were transferred to the
U.S. Bureau of the Budget.
References
{{reflist
External links
U.S. President's Advisory Committee on Government Organization Records, Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Library
American advisory organizations