Introduction

Judge Clark discusses his two years in Reagan's gubernatorial administration and his service as Deputy Secretary of State, National Security Advisor, and Interior Secretary during Reagan's first term in the White House. Clark recounts his first involvement in Reagan's political career as a County Chairman in the 1966 governor's race, and his two-year tenure in Sacramento as Cabinet Secretary and Executive Secretary. He touches briefly on the 1976 and 1980 campaigns, then describes his decision to join the State Department as Deputy Secretary in January 1981. Clark examines his 21 months in the White House as National Security Advisor, describing the role of the NSA (daily briefings, relationship with the foreign policy team, relationship with the White House staff), and highlighting the key events of this period (Grenada, Falklands War, Central America, Lebanon, U.S.-Soviet relations, the Reagan Doctrine). Clark also engages in a short discussion on his 15 months as Interior Secretary, and his major accomplishments in this position.

Copyright 2005 The Rector and Visitors of the University of Virginia. Publicly released transcripts of the Ronald Reagan Oral History Project are freely available for non-commercial use according to the Fair Use provisions of the United States Copyright Code and International Copyright Law. Advance written permission is required for reproduction, redistribution, and extensive quotation or excerpting. Permission requests should be made to the Miller Center, P.O. Box 400406, Charlottesville, VA 22904-4406