Foreign Relations of the United States, 1917–1972, Volume VI, Public Diplomacy, 1961–1963

75. Minutes of a Meeting of the United States Advisory Commission on International Educational and Cultural Affairs¹

ACEC/S Document 2

Washington, April 5–6, 1962.

[Omitted here are the title page; emendations to the minutes; the Table of Contents; Section I: Agenda; and Section II: List of Participants.]

III. OFFICIAL COMMISSION BUSINESS

A. Call of the Roll:	April 5—All members present
	April 6—All members present except Father Hesburgh

B. Meeting with Secretary Rusk

The Secretary greeted Congressman Hays and the members of the Commission in the Diplomatic reception room. After a word of welcome he commented briefly on the important role international cultural and educational exchanges play in the foreign policy of the American people. He expressed his appreciation for the willingness of the members to serve on the Commission.

He referred to the work of the Commission and said “we want you to know that if there is anything at all we can do to support, encourage and stimulate your work, we shall be glad to do it . . . this Commission’s advice, encouragement and criticism are all needed in our work . . . we know there is always room for great improvement and we are searching for those improvements.”

Congressman Wayne Hays remarked that he was “happy and proud that the President had selected the type of people he has on this Commission” and expressed his opinion that educational and cultural exchange programs have great possibilities.

Chairman Gardner thanked the Secretary and Congressman Hays for their friendly words of welcome. On behalf of the Commission he said the members were “serving because of their deep conviction that this is an important job.” He pointed out that their usefulness depended on two factors—(1) “the seriousness of the Commission members,” and (2) “whether the organization will know how to use us—Until proven otherwise, I will accept the notion that they have the wisdom to do so.” (See Attachment 1² for full text of these remarks.)

C. Meeting with the President

The President received the Commission in the Cabinet Room at the White House in the presence of several Senators and Congressmen, including Senators Fulbright, Mundt, and Magnuson, and Representatives Hays, Rooney, and McDowell.³

After the usual amenities, the Chairman and then Dr. Murphy expressed their views about the Commission’s concern over the lack of an executive order, and the lack of one locus in Government for co-ordination of educational and cultural programs. The President agreed that the executive order should be issued soon, and went on to encourage the Commission to feel free to advise him and the Congress on any subject considered by the members as important. He solicited views from Senator Fulbright and Representative Rooney, among others, and both responded by remarking on the high caliber of the Commission, Representative Rooney saying in particular that he hoped this Commission would not engage in “waltzing around” as had previous Commissions. This comment led to general agreement that the Commission’s work would not be futile by any means if the Department and the President asked it to engage in important tasks.

After a discussion of some particular aspects of the Department’s exchange program, such as the African students, young labor leaders from Brazil (the President having been asked about the latter by President Goulart⁴ only the day before) the meeting broke up with a feeling that the Commission had received a most cordial welcome from the President.

D. Vice Chairman and Executive Committee

Mr. Roy Larsen was approved as Vice Chairman. Mr. Coombs expressed a desire that an Executive Committee, preferably three and not more than four members, be designated by the Chairman. Mr. Gardner will take care of this after all members have been confirmed.

E. Dates of Next Meeting

The dates for the next meeting were not scheduled. The Chairman announced that this would be done at a later day by the Staff Director who will communicate with all members.⁵

F. Issuance of the Executive Order to Implement the Programs Authorized by the Fulbright-Hays Act

At the morning session on April 5, the Commission was informed that the Executive Order formally delegating various activities authorized by the Fulbright-Hays Act had not been issued. Attention was called to the White House Press Release of February 27, 1961, when the predecessor of this Commission met with the President.⁶ The President said, in part, that “. . . this whole field [international educational and cultural relations] is urgently in need of imaginative policy development, unification and vigorous direction. These activities are presently scattered among many agencies of the Federal Government. Only by centering responsibility for leadership and direction at an appropriate place in the governmental structure can we hope to achieve the required results. I shall therefore look to the Secretary of State to exercise primary responsibility for policy guidance and program direction of governmental activities in this field . . .”

Following a discussion of this topic the Commission unanimously adopted the following Resolution:

“That the Commission feels that its effectiveness, as well as that of the Assistant Secretary for Educational and Cultural Affairs, will be continually minimized until there is identified officially a single point in Government for coordination of educational and cultural exchange;

“That this whole field is urgently in need of imaginative policy direction, unification and vigorous direction, and until such time as this is done the work of the Commission will be arid;

“That the Commission believes the central point in Government for coordination of these activities is clearly the Department of State;

“That the Commission is somewhat surprised that, in the year since the President had publicly declared that this was in fact the policy, this has not been implemented by an Executive Order;

“That the Chairman write a letter to the Secretary of State informing him of the Commission’s concern.”

During the afternoon session, following the meeting with the President, the following amendment to the above Resolution was unanimously adopted:

“That the Chairman write to the President⁷ thanking him for the warm reception the Commission was given; make reference specifically to the Commission’s Resolution and inform him that the Commission was delighted to hear that the Executive Order is now in the process of being issued; and

“That the Secretary of State be informed of this action taken by the Commission.”⁸

G. Report to the Congress due December 31, 1962

Mr. Gardner expressed concern about the preparing of a complete and thorough report on “past programs, etc.” by December 31, 1962—that is, the type of a report he would like to see the Commission produce at some later date. For this reason he asked that the Staff Director obtain from our Legal Adviser an opinion setting forth the minimum the report need contain in order to meet the requirements of the law. (See Attachment 3⁹ for reply from the Legal Adviser.)

H. Commission Members Afterthoughts of Meeting

Mr. Gardner directed the Staff Director to communicate with all members reminding them to send him their afterthoughts of the meeting.

I. Suggested Topics for the Next Meeting

Mr. Johnson offered the following topics for consideration at the next meeting:

1. Role of the Cultural Affairs Officer in the exchange program;

2. The Leader and Specialist Program;

3. Permission to attend conferences provided for under the new legislation;

4. Discussion of support for the junior year abroad program;

5. Selection System.

[Omitted here are Section IV: General Proceedings and eight attachments.]

1. Source: National Archives, RG 306, Office of Research and Assessment, Library, Archives, Office of the Archivist/Historian, Records Relating to the Advisory Commission on International Educational and Cultural Affairs, 1962–1978, Entry P–138, Box 1, U.S. Advisory Commission on International Educational and Cultural Affairs 1st–5th Meeting Minutes 1962–1963. Official Use Only. Prepared by the Departmental Staff of the USACIECA. All brackets are in the original. The Commission was established by the Fulbright-Hayes Act; this was its first meeting.
2. Attached but not printed is ACEC/S Document 2 [Attachment 1], “Remarks by Secretary Rusk, Congressman Wayne L. Hays, and Dr. John W. Gardner to Members-Designate of the U.S. Advisory Commission on International Educational and Cultural Affairs, Thursday, April 5, 1962.”
3. On April 5, the President met with the Commission at the White House from 12:10 until 12:40 p.m. Senators Humphrey, Sparkman, and McClellan and Representatives Morgan, Bolton, Merrow, Bow, and Zablocki also attended the meeting. (Kennedy Library, President’s Daily Diary) Under an April 4 covering memorandum to the President, Coombs transmitted an undated memorandum containing suggested talking points and background information concerning the April 5 meeting with the Committee. (Kennedy Library, White House Central Files, Subject Files, Executive, Box 207, FG 750, U.S. Advisory Commission on International Educational & Cultural Affairs)
4. Goulart met with the President at the White House April 3 and 4. For the memoranda of conversation, see Foreign Relations, 1961–1963, vol. XII, American Republics, Documents 223 and 224.
5. Dates subsequently set for June 19th and 20th. [Footnote is in the original.]
6. Reference is to Murphy, who chaired the U.S. Advisory Commission on Educational Exchange. On February 27, 1961, the President met at the White House from 2:50 until 3:25 p.m. with the members of both the Board of Foreign Scholarships and the U.S. Advisory Commission on Educational Exchange. (Kennedy Library, President’s Daily Diary) For the text of the President’s remarks at the meeting, see Public Papers: Kennedy, 1961, p. 126.
7. The Chairman wrote to the President and the Secretary on April 11, 1962. (See Attachment 2.) [Footnote is in the original. ACEC/S Document 2 [Attachment 2], attached but not printed, contains copies of these letters to the President and Rusk.]
8. The Chairman wrote to the President and the Secretary on April 11, 1962. (See Attachment 2.) [Footnote is in the original.]
9. Attached but not printed is ACEC/S Document 2 [Attachment 3], an April 17 memorandum from Teal to Donovan regarding the preparation of the report on past programs.