The Life and Work of General Andrew J. Goodpaster by Nelson C. Richard

Author:Nelson, C. Richard
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: undefined
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield Publishing Group, Inc.
Published: 2012-04-09T04:00:00+00:00

The Eisenhower-Kennedy Transition (1960–1961)

Each new administration organizes the White House staff somewhat differently to accommodate different personalities and priorities. When the shift is from one political party to the other, the changes may be even more consequential.

Although the Democrats won the close election, and President Eisenhower later felt some regret that he had not supported the Nixon campaign more strongly, the president also believed that it was his duty to aid the new administration to ensure a smooth transfer of power. He met twice with President-elect Kennedy, who came away from the first meeting appearing very pale and somber after learning about the challenges he was about to face. At that meeting, Kennedy told President Eisenhower that he would like Brigadier General Goodpaster to stay for a time to assist in the transition. Eisenhower told Kennedy that he knew Goodpaster was eager to get back to troop duty and he didn’t know whether he would want to stay. Kennedy insisted that it was very important to him and that his staff was not clear as to Goodpaster’s duties and wanted to be sure there were no gaps. The issue arose again at their second meeting. President Eisenhower repeated Goodpaster’s desire to return to troop duty, to which Kennedy responded, “Well, you know, I could order him back if I had to.”[141]

President Eisenhower told Goodpaster after the meeting, “You’ve got to stay.” Goodpaster understood that he really did not have a choice, but was concerned that it had already been seventeen years since he was last with troops and that continued assignments in Washington removes one from the Army mainstream—leading troops in the field. Nevertheless, he began preparing for his role in aiding the transition.

Goodpaster consulted with President Eisenhower about the transition and the practice of allowing those in an outgoing administration to take all their papers with them. Goodpaster asked for permission to provide copies of papers on the key issues that were still in process. Eisenhower agreed.[142]

Goodpaster was the only member of the White House staff asked to remain for the transition. He met with Kennedy and suggested an approach that would involve working with the transition team and new staff so that every function he performed for President Eisenhower was assigned to some specific individual on the new White House staff. Kennedy agreed, and Goodpaster remained for about two months after the inauguration.

Near the end of the process, Goodpaster told President Kennedy that the one thing he was “uneasy about” was Kennedy’s decision to divide responsibilities among several individuals, with each reporting separately to the president. No one person had the kind of overall responsibility for national security affairs from the perspective of the president comparable to Goodpaster’s role. In addition to providing a morning briefing to the president on intelligence that had arrived overnight, along with a summary of important diplomatic cables and a report from the Defense Department on any exchanges between the chiefs and the field commands, Goodpaster was responsible for arranging meetings on national

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