Oral history transcript, Lawrence F. O'Brien, interview 15 (XV), 11/20/1986, by Michael L. Gillette

Title:

Oral history transcript, Lawrence F. O'Brien, interview 15 (XV), 11/20/1986, by Michael L. Gillette

Number of Pages:

62

Description:

O'Brien's swearing-in ceremony as a U.S. postmaster general in Hye, Texas; William Manchester's book Death of a President; Springfield, Massachusetts' O'Brien Day in November 1965; speculation that O'Brien would run for the Senate in Massachusetts against Edward Brooke; how Kenneth O'Donnell's gubernatorial campaign in Massachusetts affected O'Brien's relationship with O'Donnell; the eventual Senate race between Endicott Peabody and Brooke; the role of postal unions; problems in the postal service when O'Brien became postmaster general; initiatives to change the postal service; whether or not patronage from postal employees would have an effect on congressional support for Post Office Department reform; O'Brien's meeting with Charles Schultze and LBJ to discuss the postal budget; getting congressional approval for the Post Office Department budget; the Post Office and Civil Service Committee members who did not support adjusting postal rates; the influence of direct mail organizations; Senator Daniel Brewster's interest in mail cover; U.S. Postmaster General James Farley's tenure; a proposal to adjust postal service salaries to compensate for cost-of-living disparities across the country; the idea to put anti-smoking public service announcements on mail trucks; patronage while Edward Day was U.S. postmaster general; the expectation that congressmen would be able to name postmasters; postal union response to efforts to save money and modernize the mail-handling process; the introduction of the zip code; working with, and learning from, European mail systems; trips to Europe to learn about their postal systems; O'Brien's visit with Pope Paul VI and their conversation regarding Vietnam; efforts to improve mail service between the U.S. and Vietnam; O'Brien's work to head a savings-bond drive; how O'Brien's congressional experience helped him as postmaster general; O'Brien's April 1968 departure from the Post Office Department and how it delayed progress on reform proposals; mail-cover policy under O'Brien; how the Post Office Department dealt with mail fraud and obscenity; a threat to O'Brien's safety in New Jersey; the role of postal inspectors; the 1966 Chicago mail crisis; discrimination in the Post Office Department; changes in mail transportation patterns and methods; the process of issuing new stamps.

Contributor:

O'Brien, Lawrence F. (Lawrence Francis), 1917-1990

Collection:

LBJ Library Oral Histories

Collection Description:

Go to List of Holdings

Series:

Transcripts of LBJ Library Oral Histories

See Also:

See all online interviews with Lawrence F. O'Brien

Relation:

Go to Interviewee bio page

Rights:

Possibly copyright restricted: see deed at end of transcript for details