Washington, D.C. The committee met, pursuant to notice, at 10 a.m., in room 5110, New Senate Office Building, Hon. John O. Pastore, presiding. Present: Senators Pastore and Pearson. Senator PASTORE. The hour of 10 having arrived, we will commence this hearing. We are very happy and honored indeed to have with us this morning the Presidential nominee for the Office of Telecommunications, Dr. Clay T. Whitehead, who is not only a distinguished Californian and Kansan, but also a distinguished American. I am very happy that we have the senior Senator from California here to introduce our nominee. STATEMENT OF HON. GEORGE MURPHY, U.S. SENATOR FROM CALIFORNIA Senator MURPHY. Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. I am very pleased today to have the opportunity to introduce Dr. Whitehead to what I consider to be one of the most important areas of Government. I would like to say that the wonders of the State of California are well known. Sometimes I think we boast a little too often about them, about the great people and progress and scenery and all the other beauties which the Lord has endowed us with out there. Today I take great pride in presenting to you a young man who, early in life, heeded Horace Greely's immortal words and went West to settle in California. We are very pleased that he did. Although a native of the great State of Kansas, Tom Whitehead has lived most recently in California prior to his appointment to the White House staff in January 1969. I believe that this young man typifies in so many ways the great young breed of talent that exists not only in California, but across this great country of ours. I know that the chairman will agree with me that too often these days we hear about some of those who create problems rather than those of the young breed who would not only continue the great legend of America, but would improve it and do a much better job. He has proven himself greatly as Special Assistant to the President. Although he is only 31 years of age, he has already packed in three (17) decades a full and abundant career. He has accomplished more and attained greater recognition than many do in a full lifetime. Following the 1968 election Mr. Whitehead served on the Presidentelect's Task Force on Budget Policies and assisted on transition matters. Since being a member of the White House staff his responsibilities have included the space, atomic energy, and other technically related programs, as well as maritime affairs, liaison with regulatory agencies, and several economic and organizational matters. Mr. Whitehead was previously with the Bell Telephone Laboratories during his undergraduate studies as part of the MIT-Bell Laboratories cooperative program. Prior to obtaining his doctorate, he was a consultant at the Rand Corp., where he worked on arms control, air defense, and spacecraft engineering studies. After completing his Ph. D., he joined the Rand staff to plan and organize a policy research program on health services and other domestic policy areas. He also has served as a consultant to the Bureau of the Budget. Tom Whitehead was born on November 13, 1938, in Neodesha, Kans., and graduated from Cherokee County Community High School in Columbus, Kans. He received his B.S. and M.S. degrees in electrical engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, majoring in communications theory and systems engineering. He later received his Ph. D. in management, also from MIT, with concentration on policy analysis, economics, and research and development management. While at MIT, he taught courses in electronics and political science. He was elected to the engineering and scientific honorary societies Tau Beta Pi, Sigma Xi, and Beta Kappa Nu. Mr. Whitehead served in the U.S. Army for 2 years, attaining the rank of captain, where he worked on Army chemical defenses and the possible threat to the United States from biological warfare. Mr. Chairman, it is my special privilege to present to my esteemed colleagues an especially able young Californian and to recommend him for your favorable consideration. I would only add one last thought-I believe we are very fortunate in having a man of Tom Whitehead's talent and ability and experience in Government today. He has an excellent background that recommends him well to be Director of the Office of Telecommunications Policy. His performance as a counselor to the President has given him great experience in Government, and I would recommend most highly that he be nominated for the Director of the Office of Telecommunications Policy. Senator PASTORE. Thank you very much. We will hear now from the junior Senator from Kansas. STATEMENT OF HON. ROBERT DOLE, U.S. SENATOR FROM KANSAS Senator DOLE. Well, I want to add to what has been related by the senior Senator from California. A combination of having been born in Kansas and then moving to California may mean something—mean we lost a good Kansan. But in all seriousness Tom Whitehead is especially well qualified, as Senator Murphy has pointed out. I know something of his family since his sister is on my staff, and they are fine people, very capable. I would like to file a statement, Mr. Chairman. But in any event, to express my confidence in Mr. Whitehead and his background, his competency, his potential and his ability. Senator PASTORE. You may (The statement follows:) file your statement. STATEMENT OF HON. ROBERT DOLE, U.S. SENATOR FROM KANSAS Mr. Chairman, I wish to join my distinguished colleague from California in presenting Mr. Whitehead to the committee. While California is his adopted State, Mr. Whitehead was born and raised in southeast Kansas, and his family still resides in Columbus, Kans. He graduated from Cherokee County Community High School and then left Kansas to continue his education at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where he compiled an outstanding record and received G.S. and M.S. degrees in electrical engineering, with specialization in communications theory and systems engineering, and took a Ph. D. degree in management. His broad range of academic endeavor has been complimented by practical experience in several diverse fields and pursuits. He conducted research at the Bell Telephone laboratories while at MIT, he served as a consultant and fulltime staff member at the Rand Corp., and most recently he has been a special assistant to President Nixon dealing with a wide variety of policy and technical matters. I feel Mr. Whitehead's qualifications make him uniquely and thoroughly suited to serving as the director of the office of telecommunications policy, and I am pleased to present him on behalf of his native State of Kansas. Senator PASTORE. We will hear from the senior Senator from Kansas. Senator PEARSON. Mr. Chairman, I want to concur in the comments and observations by my colleague, Senator Dole, and also Senator Murphy. I haven't known Mr. Whitehead before, but his credentials are excellent, including his point of origin. I am tremendously impressed with his experience and qualifications. Senator Murphy is right, we are very fortunate to have before us a man of this caliber, who has dedicated himself to public service. I wish you well, Mr. Whitehead. Senator PASTORE. We will include a letter from Mr. Shipley in the record. (The letter follows:) Hon. WARREN G. MAGNUSON, REPUBLICAN NATIONAL COMMITTEE, Chairman, Senate Commerce Committee, U.S. Senate, Washington, D.C. DEAR SENATOR: I strongly recommend that your committee favorable report the nomination of Dr. Clay T. Whitehead of California to be Director of the Office of Telecommunications Policy. I have known Dr. Whitehead to be a man of exceptional professional qualification with a broad background in the field of telecommunications. He would be able to serve the public interest in a fair and objective way. Sincerely yours, CARL L. SHIPLEY. OPENING STATEMENT BY SENATOR PASTORE Senator PASTORE. Now I have an opening statement here, it is a little longer than usual, and of course, the Senators don't have to remain if they don't want to. It is because, as Senator Murphy has brought out, this is one of the most important functions in our Government today, especially in connection with internationl relations, and because it is an office that has been of intense interest to me as the chairman of this subcommittee and the entire membership of the committee, that I indulge today in a rather long statement. I think this needs to be said for the record. Today the committee considers the nomination of Dr. Clay T. Whitehead to be Director, Office of Telecommunications Policy. Reorganization Plan No. 1 of 1970 abolished the Office of Assistant Director of the Office of Emergency Preparedness held by the Director of Telecommunications Management, and established in the Executive Office of the President the Office of Telecommunications Policy. At this juncture I wish to insert in the record a copy of Reorganization Plan No. 1 of 1970, and the President's letter of transmittal to the Congress. (The information follows:) REORGANIZATION PLAN NO. 1 OF 1970 MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES TRANSMITTING REORGANIZATION PLAN NO. 1 OF 1970 FEBRUARY 9, 1970.-The message and accompanying papers referred to the Committee on Government Operations and ordered to be printed U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE WASHINGTON: 1970 |