Office of the Historian

254. Memorandum From the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Kissinger) to President Nixon1

Washington, February 23, 1971.

SUBJECT

  • The U.N. Development Fund

I sent you a memorandum (attached at Tab A) on January 27th,2 recommending replacements for Paul Hoffman as director of the U.N. Development Program.

At George Bush’s request, Peter Flanigan had several conversations with Mr. Andrew Overby, plus a meeting in Washington, to discuss his possible interest in replacing Hoffman. At the meeting in Washington with Overby, Marshall Wright of my staff was present. Overby is obviously well-qualified for this position. Currently a vice president in charge of international affairs for the First Boston Corporation, he was an Assistant to the Secretary of the Treasury from 1952 to 1957, during which time he was also U.S. Executive Director of the World Bank, and the U.S. Executive Director of the International Finance Corporation.

While no offer has been made to Overby, he is currently considering whether he would be willing to replace Hoffman if the offer were forthcoming. In light of this fact, would you wish to reorder your list of priorities as to candidates for this post?

Your previous ordering was:

1.
Rudy Peterson
2.
Tom Killefer
3.
Graham Martin
4.
Franklin Murphy

Action:

  • Make Overby number
  • Not interested in Overby3

  1. Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 300, Agency Files, USUN, Vol. VI. No classification marking. Sent for action. A stamped note reads: “The President has seen.”↩
  2. Document 253.↩
  3. Neither option is checked, and Nixon wrote: “What is his attitude toward RN—I think he is rather dull from my recollection.” A memorandum from Kissinger to Nixon, dated March 12, noted that Peter Flanigan had described Overby as “pompous if not dull.” Nixon’s handwritten notes on that memorandum struck out the names of Graham Martin and Franklin Murphy, reducing his choices to Rudy Peterson and Tom Killefer, in that order. He indicated that he did not wish to consider Overby for the position. (National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 300, Agency Files, USUN, Vol. VI)↩