Breadcrumb

  1. Home
  2. Library Collections
  3. Harry S. Truman Papers
  4. The Papers of Harry S. Truman Staff Member and Office Files Spencer R. Quick Files

The Papers of Harry S. Truman Staff Member and Office Files Spencer R. Quick Files

Date Span: 1950-1953

Special Assistant to the Assistant to the President, Dr. John Steelman, 1951-1953

The Spencer R. Quick Files document his work on the White House staff from 1951-1953 as Special Assistant to the Assistant to the President, Dr. John Steelman. During this period, Quick worked closely with the Advertising Council, a non-profit group that helped develop public service advertising campaigns. These documents pertain to campaigns for armed forces recruiting, savings bonds, civil defense, public health, income taxes, better schools, nursing, and the military, among other topics. The files include print, radio, and television advertising materials, correspondence, memoranda, meeting minutes, press releases, progress reports, and other printed material related to various advertising campaigns undertaken by federal government agencies. The collection has two correspondence series, the first from 1950-1951 and the second from 1951-1953. The collection is arranged chronologically, and thereunder alphabetically.

[Administrative Information | Biographical Sketch | Collection Description | Series Descriptions | Folder Title List]

ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION

Size: 4.4 linear feet (ca. 8800 pages).
Access: Open.
Copyright: Harry S. Truman donated his copyright interest in writings in these files to the United States government. Documents created by U. S. government officials in the course of their official duties are likewise in the public domain. Copyright interest in any other writings in these files is assumed to remain with the authors of the documents, or their heirs.
Processed by:Willie Harriford (1961); Tammy Kelly and David Clark (2002).

[ Top | Administrative Information | Biographical Sketch | Collection Description | Series Descriptions | Folder Title List ]

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH

1922 (July 4)

 

Born, Chicago, Illinois

1940

 

Entered University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana

1942-1945

 

Served in the U.S. Army Air Forces

1948

 

Graduated from University of Illinois with B.A. in Journalism and Advertising

1948-1949

 

Sales Promotion Staff Member, Sears Roebuck and Co.

1949-1950

 

Assistant Sales Promotion Manager, Borden Company

1950-1951

 

Assistant Advertising Manager, Orange Crush Company

1952-1953

 

Special Assistant to the Assistant to the President, Dr. John R. Steelman; Program Coordinator under Charles W. Jackson, Advertising Council Liaison, The White House

1953

 

Entered Virginia Theological Seminary

1956

 

Graduated from Virginia Theological Seminary with Bachelor of Divinity Degree, ordained as an Episcopal priest

1957-1961

 

Rector of Grace Church, Goochland, Virginia

1961-1966

 

Rector, St. Petere's Church, Smyrna, Delaware

1966

 

Became Vicar, St. Alban's Church, Hagerstown, Maryland

1971-1986

 

Worked with the Bishop of Kentucky

[ Top | Administrative Information | Biographical Sketch | Collection Description | Series Descriptions | Folder Title List ]

COLLECTION DESCRIPTION

The Spencer R. Quick Files document his work as Special Assistant to the Assistant to the President, Dr. John Steelman. The Quick Files are part of the Staff Member and Office Files of the Harry S. Truman Papers. Quick did not take the material in these files with him at the conclusion of his government service. These records remained in Washington, D.C., until the end of the Eisenhower Administration, when they were removed from the Executive Office Building along with other records. In February 1961, the records were transferred from the Eisenhower Library to the Truman Library. The collection is approximately 4.4 linear feet in volume, arranged chronologically by year, and thereunder alphabetically by folder title in two correspondence series.

In his position, Quick's chief role was as a liaison between the government and the Advertising Council, a non-profit group comprised of representatives from the American advertising industry. The Advertising Council's mission was to provide federal agencies, as well as private groups, with free facilities and assistance in developing advertising for "non-controversial" causes and public service announcements. Quick's files include reference to advertising campaigns for federal agencies as well as private groups that sponsored messages deemed important to the national welfare.

Regarding federal agencies, the Quick Files document work done by the Advertising Council on behalf of the Armed Forces in general, as well as the Army, Navy, Marines, and Coast Guard. Much of this material relates to recruitment campaigns. The Advertising Council also worked with the Department of Commerce, the Department of Agriculture, the Department of Labor, the Department of the Interior, the U. S. Public Health Service, the Veterans Administration, the Bureau of Internal Revenue, and the Department of the Treasury. Some private advertising campaigns affecting the national welfare were on behalf of nursing, better schools, and health, reflecting, problems associated with the "baby boom" of the 1940s and 1950s.

The first correspondence series contains correspondence, radio announcements, advertising copy, meeting minutes, newspaper clippings, memoranda, press releases, reports, and printed materials pertaining to Quick's work with the Advertising Council and its campaigns, from 1950-1951. The Advertising Council's campaigns related to the armed forces prestige, better schools, careers in nursing, civil defense program, National Association of Broadcasters, physically handicapped program, savings bonds, social security program, and public health. A majority of the material from 1950-1951 was addressed to Quick's predecessor, John T. Gibson.

The second correspondence series contains correspondence, memoranda, press releases, clippings, print and radio advertising copy, agendas, minutes of meetings, newspaper clippings, drafts of legislation, charts and graphs, handwritten notes, telegrams, reports, and other printed material relating to the Advertising Council and its campaigns, from 1951-1953. The campaigns pertain to armed forces, Atomic Energy Commission, better schools, careers in nursing, civil defense, Ground Observers Corps, physically handicapped program, public health, savings bonds, and federal agencies.

Some notable types of documents in the Quick Files include samples of print advertising ( posters, billboards, newspapers, magazines), radio advertising copy, and "Radio Fact Sheets", which were distributed to radio stations. These sheets summarized the goals of the ad campaign and provided suggestions for radio ads. Also included is material from the Army complaining about the way its female soldiers, were portrayed in the media and appealing to the Advertising Council for assistance in combating the problem. The Quick Files also contain biological warfare pamphlets, propaganda booklets, "Duck & Cover" comic book, and a draft of a speech. One of the pamphlets, is entitled "Potentialities of Biological Warfare Against Man" which was reprinted by the Federal Civil Defense. Also included is a small amount of material related to advertising on television, which was just emerging as a major information medium.

Related collections in the Truman Library are the files of Charles W. Jackson and John T. Gibson. Their files, like Quick's, are part of the Staff Member and Office Files of the Harry S. Truman Papers.

[ Top | Administrative Information | Biographical Sketch | Collection Description | Series Descriptions | Folder Title List ]

SERIES DESCRIPTIONS

Container Nos.

 

Series

1-3

  CORRESPONDENCE, 1950-1951
Correspondence, memoranda, press releases, clippings, print and radio advertising copy, agendas, minutes of meetings, newspaper clippings, drafts of legislation, charts and graphs, reports, and other printed material documenting Quick's work as Special Assistant to the Assistant to the President, Dr. John Steelman. Arranged alphabetically by subject.

4-11

  CORRESPONDENCE, 1951-1953
Correspondence, memoranda, press releases, clippings, print and radio advertising copy, agendas, minutes of meetings, newspaper clippings, drafts of legislation, charts and graphs, handwritten notes, telegrams, reports, and other printed material documenting Quick's work as Special Assistant to the Assistant to the President, Dr. John Steelman. Arranged alphabetically by subject.
[ Top | Administrative Information | Biographical Sketch | Collection Description | Series Descriptions | Folder Title List ]

FOLDER TITLE LIST

CORRESPONDENCE, 1950-1951

Box 1

  • Advertising Council - Miscellaneous Correspondence, 1951
  • Advertising Council - White House Meeting, January 11, 1951
  • Advertising Council correspondence, 1951
  • Armed Forces - General Correspondence, 1951
  • Armed Forces - Nurse Recruitment, 1951
  • Armed Forces - Prestige Campaign, 1951
  • Armed Forces - Prestige Campaign - Infantry, 1951
  • Armed Forces - Prestige Campaign - WAC [Women's Army Corps], 1951
  • Armed Forces Day, May 19, 1951
  • Association of National Advertisers, 1951
  • Battle Report - Washington, 1951
  • Better Schools Campaign - Correspondence, 1951
  • Careers in Nursing, 1951
  • Civil Defense - Miscellaneous

Box 2

  • Civil Defense Program
  • Commerce Department, 1951
  • Editors and Publishers Meeting, June 29, 1951
  • Graphics, 1951
  • Miracle of America
  • Miscellaneous [National Safety Council, Guide for Advertising in Foreign Countries]
  • N. A. B. [National Association of Broadcasters] Defense Bulletin
  • National Association of Broadcasters
  • Physically Handicapped Program - Correspondence, 1951
  • Physically Handicapped Program - General
  • Radio Allocations
  • Radio Bulletin
  • Radio Bulletins
  • Savings Bond Campaign - Correspondence, 1951
  • Savings Bond Campaign - General

Box 3

  • Social Security Program - Correspondence
  • Social Security Program - General
  • Student Nurse Recruitment Campaign
  • Transportation and Outdoor Advertising Bulletin
  • U. S. Public Health Service - General
  • White House Meeting, October 22, 1951

CORRESPONDENCE, 1951-1953

Box 4

  • Advertising Council - Correspondence, 1952
  • Advertising Council - General, 1952
  • Advertising Council - Meeting, 1952
  • Advertising Council -Newspaper Cooperation Plan, 1952
  • Advertising Federation of America, 1952
  • Advertising Liaison - General, 1952
  • Agriculture Department - General, 1952
  • Air Force, Department of the- General, 1952
  • American National Red Cross - General, 1952
  • Armed Forces - General, 1952
  • Armed Forces - Infantry Prestige, 1952

Box 5

  • Armed Forces Day 1952
  • Armed Forces Nurse Recruitment - 1952
  • Armed Forces Prestige - Correspondence
  • Armed Forces Women's Recruitment - Correspondence
  • Armed Forces Women's Recruitment - General [1 of 2]
  • Armed Forces Women's Recruitment - General [2 of 2]
  • Army, Department of the
  • Association of National Advertisers, 1952
  • Atomic Energy Commission, 1952
  • Battle Report-Washington
  • Better Schools Campaign - Correspondence
  • Better Schools Campaign - General
  • Careers in Nursing

Box 6

  • Chronological File - January-June, 1952
  • Chronological File - July-September, 1952
  • Chronological File - October-December, 1952
  • Civil Aeronautics Board - General
  • Civil Defense Campaign - Correspondence
  • Civil Defense Campaign - General [1 of 2]
  • Civil Defense Campaign - General [2 of 2]
  • Civil Defense Campaign - Industrial

Box 7

  • Civil Service Commission
  • Commerce Department - General
  • Defense Department
  • Defense Production Administration - General
  • Federal Power Commission - General
  • Federal Security Agency
  • Federal Trade Commission
  • Graphics
  • Ground Observers Corps - Correspondence [1 of 2]
  • Ground Observers Corps - Correspondence [2 of 2]
  • Ground Observers Corps - General [1 of 2]
  • Ground Observers Corps - General [2 of 2]

Box 8

  • Ground Observers Corps - Joint Education Program
  • Ground Observers Corps - Minutes
  • Ground Observers Corps - Program
  • Ground Observers Corps - Spencer R. Quick
  • Income Tax Program
  • Industrial Safety Program
  • Interior Department
  • Labor Department
  • Magazine Publishers Meeting - May 6, 1952
  • Marine Corps - General
  • Miracle of America
  • Miscellaneous [1 of 2 - pamphlets re: mental health, cancer, communism, TV/radio industry rules]
  • Miscellaneous [2 of 2 - correspondence with Netherlands Government Information Service; remarks of Paul A. Walker]
  • Mutual Security Agency
  • National Association of Radio and T. V. Broadcasters

Box 9

  • National Business Publications
  • National Guard Program
  • National Maritime Day
  • Navy Department
  • Office of Defense Mobilization
  • Office of Price Stabilization
  • Outdoor Advertising
  • Physically Handicapped Program - Correspondence
  • Physically Handicapped Program - General
  • Post Office Department
  • Public Health Service - General
  • Public Health Service - Muscular Dystrophy Program
  • Public Health Service - National Mental Health
  • Radio Allocations

Box 10

  • Radio Allocations - Plan Schedules [1 of 3]
  • Radio Allocations - Plan Schedules [2 of 3]
  • Radio Allocations - Plan Schedules [3 of 3]
  • Radio Bulletins
  • Savings Bond Campaign - Correspondence

Box 11

  • Savings Bond Campaign - General [1 of 2]
  • Savings Bond Campaign - General [2 of 2]
  • State Department
  • Student Nurse Campaign
  • Television Allocation Plan
  • Transportation and Outdoor Advertising Bulletins
  • Treasury Department
[ Top | Administrative Information | Biographical Sketch | Collection Description | Series Descriptions | Folder Title List ]

The creation of this online resource was made possible in part by funding from the William T. Kemper Foundation - Commerce Bank, Trustee.