Reagan Acts to Make Some Papers Public When Library Opens

At the urging of former President Ronald Reagan, 6.3 million pages of White House documents will be made public shortly after the opening of his presidential library near Simi Valley on Nov. 4, officials announced Tuesday.

Stung by earlier press reports and headlines that there would be “Nothing to Read at Reagan Library” because of a planned three-year restriction on release of all documents, Reagan urged his staff to do everything possible to make some documents available at the library opening, his aides said.

In a letter to National Archivist Donald W. Wilson, Reagan waived a 12-year delay on release of 1.5 million pages of selected presidential records covering routine position papers and offering factual information on issues ranging from agriculture to highways and bridges.

Reagan also asked that the archives open up an estimated 4.8 million pages of get-well cards, birthday greetings and other unsolicited letters delivered to Reagan during his eight years at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave.

“You could say it is the largest initial opening of documents at any presidential library,” said Ralph C. Bledsoe, the library’s director. Although he said he doubted that the contents of the documents would make headlines, Bledsoe said the papers might contain a few historical nuggets for historians or other academic researchers.

If their release is approved by President Bush as expected, the 6.3 million pages will be publicly available Nov. 12--a little more than a week after the historic meeting of Bush, Reagan and three other former Presidents at the library’s opening ceremony in the hills above Simi Valley.

The remainder of the library’s storehouse of 55 million pages of presidential documents--including all Iran-Contra documents--will remain shielded from public view for a decade or more by a variety of restrictions to protect national security, foreign policy and confidentiality.

Initially, the National Archives had planned to delay the release of all documents until a few years after the library opening so archivists could continue to categorize the mountain of paper without being slowed by requests from researchers, journalists or the public.

In February, The Times reported on the planned restrictions, which by that time had been changed to three years, in a story that ran under the “Nothing to Read” headline.

“I was told that the headline did stimulate some action here,” Bledsoe said. “When he (Reagan) realized that there would not be as much here for the research community as the tourists, he said, ‘Let’s open as much as we can.’ ”

In addition to White House records, the $60-million Reagan library complex also will contain a museum that through photographs, exhibits and films will trace Reagan’s life and give a view of history during Reagan’s years in the White House from the perspective of the former President.

Reagan has asked that 10 categories of White House documents be made available. The documents are related to agriculture, arts, education, highways and bridges, local government, natural resources, parks and monuments, recreation and sports, safety and accident prevention and state government.