Collection ID: FA374

Collection context

Summary

Creator:
Rockefeller, Nelson A. (Nelson Aldrich) (1908-1979), Whitman, Ann (1908-1991), and New York (State). Governor (1959-1973 : Rockefeller)
Extent:
10.09 Cubic Feet and 15 legal boxes, 8 letter boxes.
Language:
English .

Background

Scope and Content:

In her role as Governor Nelson A. Rockefeller's executive assistant, Ann Whitman maintained a large number of his office files. This series primarily covers the time period surrounding the 1968 Presidential election, when Governor Rockefeller sought the Republican party's presidential nomination. A significant portion of the material deals with the deepening conflict in Vietnam.

Biographical / Historical:

Ann Cook Whitman (1908-1991) was born in Perry, Ohio. She attended Antioch College, where she enrolled in the school's work-study program. She was sent to the Institute for Child Guidance in New York City. She chose a career as a secretary and left college. Her next job was as a personal secretary to Adele Rosenwald Levy, whose father, Julius Rosenwald, was a founder of Sears, Roebuck & Company.

In the early 1950s, Whitman worked for the Committee for a Free Europe. She was recruited to work for the Eisenhower presidential campaign in 1952, going on to work for Eisenhower as his personal secretary through his eight years in the White House and then for a short time at President Eisenhower's retirement home at Gettysburg.

In 1961, Whitman went to work for George Hinman, a political advisor to Governor Nelson Rockefeller. In 1965 she became Rockefeller's executive assistant. She went on to serve as Rockefeller's chief of staff during the first six months of his Vice Presidential tenure. In June 1975, Whitman returned to New York, assisting Rockefeller until her retirement in 1977.

Arrangement:

There are four subseries in this series, all of which are arranged alphabetically:

Subseries 1: Correspondence, 1967-1970 Subseries 2: Kissinger Reports on World Affairs and Countries, 1967-1969 Subseries 3: Issues and People, 1966-1973 Subseries 4: Campaign 1968

Access

RESTRICTIONS:

Open for research with select materials restricted as noted. Brittle or damaged items are available at the discretion of RAC. Researchers interested in accessing digital media (floppy disks, CDs, DVDs, etc.) or audiovisual material (audio cassettes, VHS, etc.) in this collection must use an access surrogate. The original items may not be accessed because of preservation concerns. To request an access surrogate be made, or if you are unsure if there is an access surrogate, please contact an archivist.

TERMS OF ACCESS:

The Rockefeller Archive Center has title, copyright, and literary rights in the collection, in so far as it holds them, and has authority to grant permission to cite and publish archival material from the collection.

LOCATION OF THIS COLLECTION:
15 Dayton Avenue
Sleepy Hollow, NY 10591, United States
CONTACT: