117. Editorial Note
On October 3, 1961, Fowler Hamilton was sworn in as Administrator of the new Agency for International Development (AID). The Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 specified that a new agency would replace the International Cooperation Administration and the Development Loan Fund within 60 days after enactment of the law. Executive Order 10973, November 3, 1961, specified the terms for the establishment of the Agency for International Development. The Department of State Delegation of Authority No. 104, November 3, 1961, conferred specific responsibilities on the Agency for International Development. Both the Executive Order and the Delegation of Authority were deemed to have been in effect since September 30. For text of the President’s remarks at the swearing-in ceremony, see Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: John F. Kennedy, 1961, pages 633-634. For an extract from Executive Order 10973, see Department of State Bulletin, November 27, 1961, pages 900-902. For text of Department of State Delegation of Authority No. 104, see 26 Federal Register, 10608.
President Kennedy’s September 20 letter of appreciation to ICA Director Henry R. Labouisse for his services, and Labouisse’s October 6 farewell message to the ICA staff are both in the Washington National Records Center, RG 286, AID Administrator Files: FRC 65 A 481, Labouisse. The President appointed Labouisse as Ambassador to Greece on December 15.
A memorandum from Ball and Hamilton to John O. Bell, October 14, designated Bell as chairman of a task force, with two additional representatives from the Department of State and two from AID, “to review the functional assignments and responsibilities of the Department and AID and to recommend plans for achieving the most effective and efficient division of labor between the two and the elimination of unnecessary functions.” Bell’s group was to present its report as soon as possible, with an interim report in any case no later than October 21. (Department of State, Central Files, 110.4-AID/10-1461) This report has not been found.