The Commission on Intergovernmental Relations (popularly known as the Kestnbaum Commission) was created by an act of the

United States Congress The United States Congress is the legislature of the federal government of the United States. It is bicameral, composed of a lower body, the House of Representatives, and an upper body, the Senate. It meets in the U.S. Capitol in Washing ...

on July 10, 1953, to make recommendations for the solution of problems involving federal and state governments. Its final report was issued on June 28, 1955. At the time he made appointments to the Commission, President Eisenhower described it as "an historic undertaking: the elimination of frictions, duplications and waste from Federal-state relations; the clear definition of lines of Governmental authority in our nation; the increase in efficiency in a multitude of Governmental programs vital to the welfare of all Americans."

Controversy

The original chairman,

Clarence Manion Clarence E. "Pat" Manion (July 7, 1896 – July 29, 1979) was an American lawyer and conservative radio talk show host who was dean of Notre Dame Law School. from 1941 to 1952 He hosted the radio show ''Manion Forum'' which later aired on televisio ...

, was asked to resign in February 1954 by the

White House The White House is the official residence and workplace of the president of the United States. It is located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., and has been the residence of every U.S. president since John Adams in ...

, apparently over his advocacy of the

Bricker Amendment The Bricker Amendment is the collective name of a number of slightly different proposed amendments to the United States Constitution considered by the United States Senate in the 1950s. None of these amendments ever passed Congress. Each of them ...

to the U.S. Constitution. He had also been criticized for frequent absences, and lecture tours attacking the

Tennessee Valley Authority The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) is a federally owned electric utility corporation in the United States. TVA's service area covers all of Tennessee, portions of Alabama, Mississippi, and Kentucky, and small areas of Georgia, North Carolin ...

. Meyer Kestnbaum was appointed to replace him in April. Dudley White, Ohio newspaper publisher, who had been appointed executive director for the commission, resigned in protest over Manion's ouster; Noah M. Mason also resigned from the Commission."2 Quit in Protest of Manion Ouster," ''New York Times'', February 19, 1954

Commission members

The commission had twenty-five members. Fifteen were appointed by President

Dwight D. Eisenhower Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower (born David Dwight Eisenhower; ; October 14, 1890 – March 28, 1969) was an American military officer and statesman who served as the 34th president of the United States from 1953 to 1961. During World War II, ...

, five by the Speaker of the House, and five by the President of the Senate. Presidential appointees: *

, Chairman, until February 1954 * Meyer Kestnbaum, Chairman, from April 1954 *Gov. Alfred E. Driscoll, Vice-Chair *Prof. William Anderson * Lawrence A. Appley *Gov. John S. Battle * John E. Burton * Marion Bayard Folsom *Mayor Charles P. Henderson *

Oveta Culp Hobby Oveta Culp Hobby (January 19, 1905 – August 16, 1995) was an American politician and businessperson who served as the first United States secretary of health, education, and welfare from 1953 to 1955. A member of the Republican Party, Hobby wa ...

*Ex-Gov. Sam H. Jones *

Clark Kerr Clark Kerr (May 17, 1911 – December 1, 2003) was an American professor of economics and academic administrator. He was the first chancellor of the University of California, Berkeley, and twelfth president of the University of California. B ...

* Alice K. Leopold *

Val Peterson Frederick Valdemar Erastus Peterson (July 18, 1903 – October 17, 1983), also known as Val Peterson, was an American politician and diplomat who served as the 26th governor of Nebraska from 1947 to 1953, as director of the Federal Civil Defense A ...

*Gov.

Allan Shivers Robert Allan Shivers (; October 5, 1907 – January 14, 1985) was an American politician who served as the 37th governor of Texas. Shivers was a leader of the Texas Democratic Party during the turbulent 1940s and 1950s and developed the lieutena ...

Dan Thornton Daniel Isaac J. Thornton (January 31, 1911 – January 18, 1976) was an American Republican politician who served as the 33rd governor of the state of Colorado from 1951 to 1955. Biography Daniel Isaac J. Thornton was born in Hall County, Texa ...

U.S. Senate: *Sen.

Alan Bible Alan Harvey Bible (November 20, 1909 – September 12, 1988) was an American lawyer and politician. A member of the Democratic Party, he served as a United States Senator from Nevada from 1954 to 1974. He previously served as Attorney General ...

(filled vacancy) *Sen.

John Marshall Butler John Marshall Butler (July 21, 1897March 14, 1978) was an American lawyer and politician. A Republican, he served as a United States Senator from Maryland from 1951 to 1963. Early life and career Born in Baltimore, Maryland, to John Harvey and ...

(filled vacancy) *Sen. Guy Cordon (left office January, 1955) *Sen. Robert C. Hendrickson (left office January, 1955) *Sen.

Clyde R. Hoey Clyde Roark Hoey (December 11, 1877May 12, 1954) was an American Democratic politician from North Carolina. He served in both houses of the state legislature and served briefly in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1919 to 1921. He was Nor ...

(died May 12, 1954) *Sen.

Hubert H. Humphrey Hubert Horatio Humphrey Jr. (May 27, 1911 – January 13, 1978) was an American pharmacist and politician who served as the 38th vice president of the United States from 1965 to 1969. He twice served in the United States Senate, representing Mi ...

*Sen. Wayne L. Morse (filled vacancy) *Sen. Andrew F. Schoeppel U.S. House: *Rep. John D. Dingell *Rep.

James I. Dolliver James Isaac Dolliver (August 31, 1894 – December 10, 1978) served six terms as a Republican U.S. Representative from Iowa's 6th congressional district, beginning in 1944. He was the nephew of U.S. Senator Jonathan Prentiss Dolliver of Iowa. B ...

*Rep. Brooks Hays *Rep.

Angier Goodwin Angier Louis Goodwin (January 30, 1881 – June 20, 1975) was a United States Representative from Massachusetts. He graduated from Colby College in 1902, and attended Harvard Law School three years later. He was admitted to the Maine bar that s ...

(filled vacancy) *Rep. Noah M. Mason (resigned February 18, 1954) *Rep. Harold C. Ostertag

References

{{reflist

Sources

* "10 Senators Join Panels: Nixon Names Them to Review Economic and Tax Policies," ''New York Times'', August 8, 1953 * John Marshall Butler, ''The Commission on Intergovernmental Relations: A Report to the President for Transmittal to the Congress,'' Washington, DC., 1955.

External links

Report of the Commission on Intergovernmental RelationsRecords of Meyer Kestnbaum
Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Library

Intergovernmental Relations Presidency of Dwight D. Eisenhower