Office Of Economic Opportunity

The Office of Economic Opportunity (OEO) was the agency responsible for administering most of the War on Poverty programs created as part of United States president Lyndon B. Johnson's Great Society legislative agenda. It was established in 1964 as an independent agency and renamed the Community Services Administration (CSA) in 1975.

The Richard Nixon administration made an unsuccessful effort to dismantle the agency in the 1970s. It was then successfully dismantled in 1981 by the Ronald Reagan administration, as it was moved into the Department of Health and Human Services as the Office of Community Services, with most of its programs continuing to operate.

History

Independent agency

The Office of Economic Opportunity was created through the efforts of President Lyndon Johnson in his War on Poverty campaign, which aimed to tackle economic and racial inequality. In 1964, Johnson signed the Economic Opportunity Act, which was the legislative keystone that provided funding for the OEO as a new agency within the Office of the President. R. Sargent Shriver served as its first director. The Office administered antipoverty programs such as VISTA, Job Corps, Community Action Program, and Head Start, and it quickly became a target of both left-wing and right-wing critics of the war on poverty legislation.

President Richard Nixon's appointment of Howard Phillips as Acting Director of OEO in January 1973 touched off a national controversy culminating in a court case in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia (''Williams v. Phillips'', 482 F.2d 669) challenging the legality of Phillips' appointment. The Court found Phillips's appointment illegal because it failed to meet the statutory circumstances enabling the appointment of an interim director without Senate confirmation as required by the U.S. Constitution. This judgment was upheld on appeal.

President Nixon's attempt to impound appropriated funds for OEO was ruled unconstitutional by Judge William B. Jones on April 11, 1973, in a case brought by Local 2677, AFGE; West Central Missouri Rural Dev. Corp.; and the National Council of OEO Locals.

With the passage of the Community Service Act (CSA) in 1975, Congressional reauthorization replaced the OEO with the Community Services Administration (CSA). The new agency retained its independent status as a smaller operating agency.

Department of Health and Human Services

President Ronald Reagan took office in 1981 with campaign promises to shrink social programs and return power to the states. Reagan acted on these promises by signing the Omnibus Reconciliation Act (OBRA) of 1981, legislation that significantly reduced the federal deficit and funding to antipoverty agencies. On September 30, 1981, OBRA transferred functions via the Community Services Block Grant to the states and a small staff in the Office of Community Services in the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) in Washington, D.C., abolishing the regional offices and approximately 1000 jobs. Although CSA was dismantled, most of the agency's programs continued to be operated either by HHS or by other federal agencies.

In 1986, the Office of Community Service was housed within the HHS Family Support Administration. In 1991, the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) was created by merging two HHS agencies: the Office of Human Development Services and the Family Support Administration. With this union, the Office of Community Services became one of ACF's programs.

Impact on Native Americans

Native Americans in the United States benefited from programs initiated by the Office of Economic Opportunity after its establishment in 1964. R. Sargent Shriver, then director of the OEO, contacted Dr. James Wilson in 1964 and asked if he would lead a department that solely concentrated on poverty within Indian Country. Dr. Wilson accepted the position and worked to reform federal government systems to increase Native American political representation and access to resources. This led to the implementation of policies that enabled Native American tribes to receive direct funding for various community programs. The community action program (CAP) was a central initiative of the OEO, designed to mobilize resources to address poverty. The OEO collaborated with the National Congress of American Indians to advance the CAPs, despite tensions with the Bureau of Indian Affairs. Tribal CAPs allocated funding to programs such as Head Start for preschoolers and initiatives for home improvement. Other focus areas included educational development, legal services, health centers, and economic development.

One of the notable outcomes of the OEO Indian initiative occurred in Navajo country. The Rough Rock Demonstration School was established to provide education that incorporated Navajo culture while also preparing students for interactions with the broader society. Run by Navajo, the school became the first wholly Native American–controlled school since the federal government took over the schools of the Five Civilized Tribes of Indian Territory (now Oklahoma) in the late 19th century. Rough Rock's establishment contributed to the creation of the Navajo Community College (now Diné College), recognized as the first modern tribal college. This initiative was part of a broader movement that expanded to over thirty tribal colleges and universities.

Although the Office of Economic Opportunity was abolished in 1981, many of its programs continued under other federal agencies. Its programs still exists, although in modified form, among other federal agencies, particularly the Department of Health and Human Services. Some states have established offices inspired by the OEO model to address poverty, promote self-sufficiency, and support community development.

Directors, 1964–1981

* R. Sargent Shriver 1964–1968
*Bertrand Harding 1968–1969
*Donald Rumsfeld 1969–1971
* Frank C. Carlucci 1971–1972
* Philip V. Sanchez 1972–1973
* Howard Phillips (acting) 1973–1973
*Alvin J. Arnett 1973–1974
*Bert A. Gallegos 1974–1976
*Samuel Martinez 1976–1977
*Graciela Olivarez 1977–1980

Notes

{{Lyndon B. Johnson

Defunct agencies of the United States government
Great Society programs
United States federal Indian policy
1964 in economic history
1964 establishments in the United States
1981 disestablishments in the United States