LETTER TO MR. BENJAMIN C. EVANS, JR. FROM B. POWELL HARRISON, JR.

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP79M00467A002700090018-5
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 7
• Document Creation Date: December 12, 2016
• Document Release Date: July 16, 2002
• Sequence Number: 18
• Publication Date: July 30, 1976
• Content Type: LETTER

Remarks. To 17:. For` your file. :: This .was-a basically;.
provocative but supportive, group of about- 55 men. _
To 6: . Paul: I thought:-you might be inter.-'-`-
e sted that Sam Adams was there -and.asked no
question, nor did he participate in the discussion:-.;
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Oatlands
0RJC PRE'
July 30, 1976
Mrs. Isabella Grant. Administrator
OATLANDS COUNCIL MEMBERS
Burr Powell Harrison. Jr.. Chairman
Leesburg. Va.
Mrs. B. Franklin Nalle, Vice Chairman
Leesburg. Va.
Mrs. Thomas Delashmutt, Secretary
Aldie. Va.
Huntington Harris
Leesburg. Va.
Mrs. C. Oliver Iselin. Jr.
Middleburg. Va.
Emory Kirkpatrick
Ashburn. Va.
Donald F. MacKenzie
Middleburg. Va.
Mrs. Beach Pennebaker
Washington, D.C.
Mrs. Burdette Wright
Leesburg. Va.
E. DeLong Bowman
The Plains. Va,
Neill Phillips. Rear Admiral (USN Ret.)
Uppers ills. Va.
Gurry Owen
Leesburg. Va.
Er-Officio
Robert Carter
Vienna. Md.
Mrs. Eustis Emmet
Leesburg. Va.
David E. Finley
Leesburg. Va.
Mrs. David E. Finley
Leesburg. Va.
THE NATIONAL TRUST FOR
HISTORIC PRESERVATION
The Honorable Gordon Gray
Chairman of the Board of Trustees.
James Biddle
President
Joseph Prendergast
Executive Director
Outlands is a property of the
National Trust for Historic Preservation
Headquarters office: Decatur House on
Lafayette Square, 748 Jackson Place,
N.W., Washington. D.C. 2 006
Tel: [phone]
Mr. Benjamin C. Evans, Jr.
Secretary General - CIA
3033 Woodland Drive, N. W.
Washington, D. C. 20008
This is to thank you for the fantastically
expert and interesting presentation you gave the.
men at Oatlands last Friday evening on the subject
of the current "intelligence" situation in Washing-
ton. I daresay that you have seldom appeared before
a group that was more interested in the subject.
At times three or four men were trying to ask
questions or talk at the same1 moment. All of this,
of course, was evidence of the extreme interest our
group had in the subject and the clever way in which
you brought forth the questions from the men so
that you would not have to make statements in advance.
It was a most successful evening and it was
certainly delightful. to me to have had such a
wonderful opportunity to meet you and see you in
action. My sincerest thanks on behalf of Oatlands
and I hope you will be able to attend our next two
meetings as one of the gang. They will take place
at Oatlands 8 p.m. Friday night, September 17th,
and again Friday evening, October 15th. With
thanks again and the best of wishes.
Sincerely,
B. POWELL HARRISON, JR.
P. 0. Box 324
Leesburg, Virginia 22075
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Mr. B. Powell Harrison, Jr.
P. 0. Box 324
Leesburg, Virginia 2Z?7 5
23 June 1976
Dear Mr. Harrison:
This will acknowledge your letter of 16 June inviting
my participation in your "Conversations" at Oatlands on
23 July. I am pleased to accept and will count on your
assurances that this session will be "off the record and
that no newsmen will be present." .
Jan and I are also delighted to accept Mrs.
Prendergast's kind invitation for dinner.
Sincerely,
B. C. Evans
Executive Secretary
cc: Mrs. Joseph Prendergast
Mr. Alfred Dennis
ES/BCEvans: sfc
Distribution:
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OFFICIAL ROUTING SLIP
Mr. Ben Evans
Remarks:
Looks fine - good luck.
A. T. Falkiewicz
A/DCI
22 June 1976
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 Oatlands
June 16, 1976
Mrs. Miriam Rabb, Administrator
OATLANDS COUNCIL MEMBERS
Burr Powell Harrison, Jr., Chairman
Leesburg, Va.
Mrs. Burdette S. Wright, Vice Chairman
Leesburg, Va.
Mrs. Joseph Prendergast, Secretary
Aldie, Va.
E. DeLong Bowman
The Plains, Va.
Phillip P. Brownrigg
Leesburg, Va.
Mrs. William C. Grayson
Upperville, Va.
Huntington Harris
Leesburg, Va.
Mrs. C. Oliver Iselin, Jr.
Middleburg, Va.
Donald F. MacKenzie
Middleburg, Va.
The Hon. George C. McGhee
Middleburg, Va.
W. Hugh Peal
Leesburg, Va.
Neill Phillips, Rear Admiral (USN Ret.)
Upperville, Va.
Robert Carter
Vienna, Md.
Mrs. Eustis Emmet
Leesburg, Va.
David E. Finley
Leesburg, Va.
Mrs. David E. Finley
Leesburg, Va.
THE NATIONAL TRUST FOR
HISTORIC PRESERVATION
The Honorable Gordon Gray
Chairman of the Board of Trustees
James Biddle
President
Joseph Prendergast
Executive Director
Oatlands is a property of the
National Trust for Historic Preservation
Headquarters office: Decatur House on
Lafayette Square, 748 Jackson Place,
N.W., Washington. D.C. 20006
Tel: [phone]
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Mr. Benjamin C. Evans, Jr.
Secretary General - CIA
3033 Woodland Drive, N. W.
Washington, D. C. 20008
I am thrilled to be informed by both Mrs. Joseph
Prendergast of Oak Hill and Mr. Alfred Dennis of Leesburg
that you are w>_l ing"to be the program for our Conversa-
tion at Oatlands on July 23rd at 8 p.m. in the evening.
You and Mrs. Evans will be invited to a dinner prior
to the 8 p.m. event.
The subject matter which we have designated for
our session that evening is "America's Current Intelli-
gence Flap. Where to, now?", a subject in which you are
so closely associated. I hasten to add that your comments
will be off the record and that no newsmen will be present.
This is the ninth season of our Conversations at Oatlands
program and they have always been strictly private for
the benefit of the persons present and have never been
reported in the press. We have had many important govern-
ment officials, including Dean Rusk, all of whom felt free
to speak their minds.
The Conversations are limited to 50 people, all men.
It is a stag function. It is held in the main room of
the Oatlands plantation house and a bar will be operated
during the evening. The concept is that we men of the
area will be discussing the problems of the day in an
informal way and over a glass of booze, as did George Carter
back around 1810.
I will introduce you to the group between 8:00 p.m.
and 8:15 p.m. You can develop the theme in any way you
wish and take any type of liberty, your uninterrupted
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Mr. Benjamin C. Evans, Jr.
Page Two
June 16, 1976
comments running from 20 to 40 minutes, depending upon your personal
choice. Then, you can throw the subject open to questions. Our group
are not at all bashful to bring up questions. After about 20 minutes
to a half hour of questions, the group usually falls into sort of a debate
or overall discussion with the men present expressing their opinions;
hence our title of "Conversations." I will sit by you and assist in
managing the question and discussion period to the extent that it appears
necessary. As the discussion begins to tail off, I exercise my @0 judgment
and declare the evening at an end, seldom prior to 9:30 p.m. and never later
than 10 p.m.
It is exceedingly good of you to show an interest in being with us.
I am sure you will enjoy meeting our group, and perhaps in the future you
would like to participate in it as one of the regular members. We will
be happy to add you as a complimentary member for the remaining sessions
this year and see that you receive notices)and next year you will receive
the usual invitation to join the group for the season, which this year
cost $35.
Please let me know what questions you may have and if we may look
forward to having you as our guest conversationalist for Friday evening,
July 23rd.
Sincerely,
,X r
B. POWELL HARRISON, JR.
P. 0. Box 324
Leesburg, Virginia 22075
BPH,Jr:bac
cc: Mrs. Joseph Prendergast
Mr. Alfred Dennis
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