THE FRANK CHURCH PAPERS AT BOISE STATE UNIVERSITY

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP10T01930R000400100009-6
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: March 21, 2012
• Sequence Number: 9
• Publication Date: October 15, 1984
• Content Type: MEMO

Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/03/21 : CIA-RDP10T01930R000400100009-6
October 15, 1984
MEMORANDUM FOR THE RECORD
Subject: The Frank Church papers at Boise State University
Following the receipt of the September 17, 1984 response of
Boise State y to my letter about the Frank Church
papers, and I agreed that I should meet with the
Senate Historian, Richard Baker, before answering Boise State.
The purpose of the meeting would be to familiarize myself with
the Senate procedures for (1) segregating Committee files from a
member's files generally, and Senator Church's specifically; and
(2) protecting classified information received by Senate
committees., I arranged to meet with Dick Baker on October 11 at
the Hart Senate Office Building. He requested and I agreed that
Michael Davidson, Senate Legal Counsel, attend the meeting.
The focus of the meeting was not as anticipated. Although we
discussed the pertinent procedures for segregating and
protecting classified information, the major topic of conver-
sation was the appropriate means of satisfying the executive
branch that the Church collection does not include classified
information, as contended by the Boise State and Senate
officials. The catalyst for this additional subject was an
apparent "SOS" from Boise State to Dick Baker, who frequently
consults with universities and historical societies on issues
pertaining to a former Senator's donated papers. Despite our
best efforts to play this issue down and to allay Boise State's
fears, it appears that the University still suspects an
executive branch effort to expropriate the Church papers.
Unfortunately, Boise State's reaction has elevated the issue to
a potential separation of powers problem. When I suggested that
I meet with Boise State officials to discuss the issue and,
possibly, review a sample of the papers, Mike Davidson countered
that such an action would constitute an executive branch
intrusion into the prerogatives of the Senate and of individual
Senators. Faced with this combative stance, I was compelled to
rebut to-e contention that the executive branch is out of line on
this issue even as I continued to play down the degree of
controversy.
Finally, Dick Baker offered an alternative approach to
satisfying our concerns. He stated that he had been in touch
with Rob Simmons, Staff Director of the Senate Select Committee
on Intelligence. Rob had informally agreed that he would be
willing to dispatch several "experts" from the Committee staff
to Boise to review the Church papers to see if there had been
any bleeding of Committee files or classified information. When
I asked Dick if Boise State and the Church family had agreed to
such an inspection, he replied, Not as yet," but suggested that
they would very likely be agreeable. I then indicated that such
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/03/21 : CIA-RDP10T01930R000400100009-6 ,
 Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/03/21 : CIA-RDP1 OT01930R000400100009-6
a proposal held some promise for compromise, but that the
executive branch would likely seek some representation to
satisfy the legitimate interests of protecting its information.
I advised them that I would discuss their proposal with my
points of contact and that I would be back in touch with them.
I propose to hold tight pending opportunity to discuss the
status of the situation with his colleagues. In any event, I
plan to delay our next move until after the election.
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/03/21 : CIA-RDP1 OT01930R000400100009-6