36. Memorandum From the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Brzezinski) to Secretary of State Vance and the Director of the United States Information Agency (Reinhardt)1
SUBJECT
- U.S. Advisory Commission on International Educational and Cultural Affairs
Leonard Marks, who has served as Chairman of the United States Advisory Commission on International Educational and Cultural Affairs (USAC/IECA) for the past four years, tells me that he would like to be reappointed to this position. I am impressed with the energy he has devoted to this part-time job. His experience in it and his service as Director of USIA during the Johnson Administration give him good credentials. He is enthusiastic about the President’s approach to human rights and freedom of information issues. Unless there is an equally good or better candidate who should be considered for this position, I am inclined to propose to the President that Leonard Marks be reappointed. I would like to have your views.
The Commission which Marks chairs has seven other vacancies to which we have the opportunity to appoint a spectrum of able people [Page 98] who can devote a small but meaningful share of their time to its work. Marks has suggested that new appointees be from the following categories:
• a college president with an interest in international affairs or experience in exchange programs with universities abroad
• a representative of organized labor
• a figure with experience as an impresario or producer in the performing arts
• a performer in the field of ballet, classical music or modern dance
• a Pulitzer Prize author or poet
• a representative of the motion picture or television industry with awareness of the impact of U.S. films shown abroad
• a business leader with extensive international experience
He has proposed some names in these categories, but before we begin compiling a list for the President to consider for appointment, I would like to have your suggestions also.
I would like to move ahead rapidly to have USAC/IECA fully rejuvenated by the time we become involved in the Belgrade meeting in June,2 so I would appreciate your response to this memorandum by 22 April 1977.
- Source: Carter Library, National Security Affairs, Staff Material, Horn/Special (Henze), Box 1, Chron File: 4–5/77. Confidential. Henze sent a copy of the letter to Brzezinski for his signature under an April 13 covering memorandum, in which Henze stated: “I recommend we suggest to the President that Leonard be reappointed, but we should first see how State and USIA feel about it and whether they might have other candidates to suggest. Unless they can make a good case for someone else, I doubt whether we could do better than Leonard Marks because he combines an aggressive approach with an enormous range of contacts.” (Ibid.) According to a NSC Correspondence Profile, attached to another copy of Henze’s April 13 covering memorandum, Brzezinski, on April 16, signed the copy of the memorandum addressed to Vance and Reinhardt. (Carter Library, National Security Affairs, Agency File, Box 9, International Communication Agency: 2–7/77) In his June 10 Evening Report to Brzezinski, Henze reported that he had engaged in several long telephone conversations with Marks: “Among other things he [Marks] reported conversation with Vance in which latter assured him he supported him for reappointment as Chairman of USAC/IECE.” (Carter Library, National Security Affairs, Staff Material, Horn/Special (Henze), Box 5, Evening Reports File: 2–6/77)↩
- See footnote 2, Document 13.↩