May 15, 1951
MEMORANDUM OF CONVERSATION
Participants: Dr. Frank Corrigan Mr. Acheson
Dr. Corrigan called upon me at his request. He said that he brought me a message from the President to the effect that the President wished to talk with me about Dr. Corrigan's future. Dr. Corrigan informed me that under the law he was supposed to retire on July 31, 1951; however, either the President or I could extend this period. He (Dr. Corrigan) believed that he was in the prime of life, thought that he was a special case, thought that his work at the UN was of the greatest importance, and requested me either
(a) to recommend to the President that he should be reappointed as Ambassador to Venezuela, in as much as he had heard that Mr. Armour wished to retire, or
(b) extend his period of active service in New York for an active period of five years.
I said that I would consult people in the Department and would discuss the matter with the President. I pointed out the grave difficulty of making exceptions to retirement laws. I had been through this in the academic field in New Haven and again in the Government. It always resulted in difficulty since everyone regarded himself as a special case; if exceptions began, they inevitably became the rule. Dr. Corrigan pressed me to make a commitment that I would support his recommendations with the President. This I refused to do.
Upon leaving, he suggested that we reorganize the political liaison work at the UN to have a political advisor with regional assistance. I gathered from his reference to himself as the senior political officer that he contemplated being the political advisor
(2)
with an assistant for each of the geographic areas. He said he had made this recommendation to the President also.
I should be prepared to discuss this matter with the President at my Thursday meeting.
DA
S:DAcheson:mlm