Reagan Names New Director of Communication

President Reagan on Wednesday named Thomas C. Griscom, a longtime associate of Chief of Staff Howard H. Baker Jr., as White House assistant for planning and communications.

Griscom, 37, was press secretary for Baker when the Tennessee Republican served in the Senate.

When Baker accepted Reagan’s offer to become head of the White House staff on Feb. 27, replacing Donald T. Regan, he brought Griscom in to help with the transition.

To Direct Communications

In his new job, Griscom “will direct all White House communication activities and will be responsible for overall planning” in that area, the announcement said.

It said he will coordinate his work with the presidential appointments and scheduling office, presidential advance, the Office of Political and Intergovernmental Affairs, presidential speech writing and communications offices.

Before joining Baker in the White House at the end of February, Griscom was president and chief operating officer of Olgilvy and Mather, a public affairs firm in Washington headed by Jody Powell, who was former President Jimmy Carter’s press secretary.

Griscom succeeds former Associated Press executive John O. Koehler in the communications job that had been vacated earlier this year by Patrick Buchanan.