Francis C. Keppel (#141)

An Inventory of His Personal Papers
1930-1975
In the John F. Kennedy Library
National Archives and Records Administration

Administrative Information
Biographical Note
Collection Overview
List of Series
Collection Description


Administrative Information

Abstract
Papers 1930-1975
Educator, government official. Commissioner of Education, Department of Health, Education and Welfare (1963-1965); chairman of the board, General Learning Corporation (1966-1974). Correspondence, subject files, speeches, testimony, and memorandums.

Access
Open.

Usage Restrictions
According to the deed of gift signed January 1974, the donor has retained during his lifetime the literary property rights to his personal, nonofficial writings. Upon his death in 1990, all rights passed to the government. Documents in this collection that were prepared by officials of the United States as part of their official duties are in the public domain. Users of these materials are advised to determine the copyright status of any document from which they wish to publish.

Copyright
The copyright law of the United States (Title 17, United States Code) governs the making of photocopies or other reproductions of copyrighted material. Under certain conditions specified in the law, libraries and archives are authorized to furnish a photocopy or other reproduction. One of these specified conditions is that the photocopy or reproduction is not to be “used for any purpose other than private study, scholarship, or research.” If a user makes a request for, or later uses, a photocopy or reproduction for purposes in excesses of “fair use,” that user may be liable for copyright infringement. This institution reserves the right to refuse to accept a copying order if, in its judgment, fulfillment of the order would involve violation of copyright law. The copyright law extends its protection to unpublished works from the moment of creation in a tangible form. Direct your questions concerning copyright to the reference staff.

Provenance
Received from Francis Keppel of Cambridge, MA, in February 1974 (Acc. 1974-040); in October 1975 (Acc. 1976-010); in March 1976 (Acc. 1976-027); and in October 1980 (Acc. 1981-004).

Extent
About 56,000 pages (24 linear feet, 5 linear inches ; 28.23 cubic feet)

Withdrawn Items: 132
Selected folders may contain withdrawal sheets where 132 documents, in accordance with the donor's deed of gift, were removed from the collection. These include documents which may be used to injure or harass any living person. All withdrawn documents have been placed under seal and upon request the Kennedy Library will review any material which has been closed for a period of not less than 2 years for the purpose of opening items which no longer require restrictions. Researchers should consult the reference staff to obtain the appropriate form(s).

Date Opened
1991.

Processed by
Christina Horn

Encoded by
James M. Roth

Related Collections
Francis Keppel Oral History Interview, John F. Kennedy Presidential Library
Francis Keppel Oral History Interview, Lyndon B. Johnson Presidential Library
  

The Personal Papers of Francis C. Keppel (1916-1990)

Biographical Note

Collection Overview
The papers of Francis Keppel cover the years 1930 to 1975, with the bulk of the material pertaining to 1966-74. Most of the papers relate to the two positions for which Keppel was best known: U.S. Commissioner of Education (1962-65) and chairman of General Learning Corporation (1966-74). The collection is arranged into seven series: series 1. Office of Education, 1962-66; series 2. Chronological File, 1966-73; series 3. Regrets File, 1966-69; series 4. Board and Committee Work, 1966-73; series 5. Meetings and Speeches, 1966-74; series 6. Campaign Files, 1960-75; and series 7. Personal File, 1930-66.

The series Office of Education, 1962-66, contains personal papers for Francis Keppel's tenure as Commissioner and as Assistant Secretary of Health, Education and Welfare (1965-66). There is material on the important educational issues of the day, including the National Education Act of 1963. Of particular note are several folders on Keppel's 1966 book, The Necessary Revolution in American Education . Included are transcripts of several discussions, undertaken in preparation for the book, in which Keppel talked about his philosophy of education.

Four series correspond to the period during which Mr. Keppel was chairman of General Learning Corporation (GLC): Chronological File, 1966-73; Regrets File, 1966-69; Board and Committee Work, 1966-73; and Meetings and Speeches, 1966-74. The Board and Committee Work, 1966-73, is made up of material relating to the considerable work Keppel did outside GLC during the time he worked for that company. In particular, the series contains a great deal of material on the Board of Higher Education of the City University of New York, for which Keppel served as vice chairman from 1967 to 1971. Also notable are several folders on the Harvard University Board of Overseers, of which Keppel was a member from 1967 to 1973.

The series Campaign Files, 1960-75, consists of two files: Education Policy, 1960-62 and Fundraising, 1968-75. The Education Policy, 1960-62 files cover Keppel's service on education policy committees for various politicians, particularly for presidential candidate Hubert Humphrey in 1968. Keppel also served on a task force for President Nixon in 1969. The other files, Fundraising, 1968-75, concern the fundraising work Keppel did for various candidates, particularly for Representative John Brademas of Indiana, who was very involved in education policy during his time in the House of Representatives. Keppel served as either chairman or vice chairman of the National Friends of John Brademas for several campaigns.

The series Personal File, 1930-66, contains correspondence, official records, and clippings relating to personal matters.

Also available at the Kennedy Library are an oral history done with Mr. Keppel for the John F. Kennedy Library in 1964, and a two-part oral history done for the Lyndon B. Johnson Library in 1969 and 1972.
  

List of Series
Series 1. Office of Education, 1962-66
Series 2. Chronological File, 1966-73
Series 3. Regrets File, 1966-69
Series 4. Board and Committee Work, 1966-73
Series 5. Meetings and Speeches, 1966-74
Series 6. Campaign Files, 1960-75
Series 7. Personal File, 1930-66
  

Collection Description

Series 1. Office of Education, 1962-66.
4 boxes.
Arrangement: alphabetical by subject.

This series contains correspondence, background material for legislation, memoranda on policy, news clippings, press releases, and manuscript for, correspondence about, and reviews of The Necessary Revolution in American Education . The material relates to Francis Keppel's service as U.S. Commissioner of Education, 1962-65, and as Assistant Secretary for Education, 1965-66.
  

Series 2. Chronological File, 1966-73.
6 boxes.
Arrangement: chronological.

This series consists of outgoing correspondence, memoranda, speeches, and articles for most of the time Francis Keppel was Chairman of the Board of General Learning Corporation (1966-74). The series also contains material relating both to GLC and to Keppel's outside activities.
  

Series 3. Regrets File, 1966-69.
2 boxes.
Arrangement: alphabetical.

This series contains Francis Keppel’s incoming and outgoing correspondence, memoranda, and background materials related to declined invitations for speeches and papers.
  

Series 4. Board and Committee Work, 1966-73.
22 boxes.
Arrangement: alphabetical by subject.

This series contains correspondence, memoranda, reports, speeches, and news clippings covering Francis Keppel’s committee work outside the Board of General Learning Corporation (1966-74).
  

Series 5. Meetings and Speeches, 1966-74.
16 boxes.
Arrangement: alphabetical by group meeting.

This series consists of correspondence, memoranda, meeting agendas, speeches, papers, and background materials related to meetings attended and speeches given during the time Francis Keppel was with the General Learning Corporation.
  

Series 6. Campaign Files, 1960-75.
3 boxes.
Arrangement: alphabetical.

This series is arranged into two files: Education Policy, and Fundraising. The Education Policy (1960-62) files consist of correspondence, memoranda, task force reports, position papers, campaign literature, and news releases relating to the education task forces that Francis Keppel served on, for Hubert Humphrey, George McGovern, and Richard Nixon. The Fundraising (1968-75) files contains correspondence, fundraising letters, campaign literature, and news clippings for the several candidates for whom Keppel did fundraising work. Most of the material relates to Congressman John Brademas of Indiana.
  

Series 7. Personal File, 1930-66.
3 boxes.
Arrangement: alphabetical.

This series contains letters, telegrams, military papers, school and college records, financial and legal documents, and news clippings relating to personal matters of Francis Keppel.