Series IX: Public Relations

This series is the largest in the Sawhill collection, suggesting the area of most interest to this presidency. It comprises 21 Hollinger boxes for a total of 9.165 linear feet. As in Series II, it contains both NYU and non-NYU related material, sometimes in tandem as in the course he taught for several semesters at GBA, listed as "Ethical Choices in Developing Energy Policy," Box 44, folders 9-13. Particulars of his views on NYU and non-NYU matters can be found in the dozens of texts of lectures, speeches, interviews, etc., which have been retained. The series' main groupings are: Intellectual Life in New York, Invitations, Public Occasions and Public Presentations. Also located in this series are his general and energy-related correspondence sequences, as noted previously.

The series opens at Box 40, with a mixed grouping of public relations files. Sawhill can be seen reaching out into the local community in various ways in folders 1-2. A proposal addressing NYU's 150th Anniversary celebration can be found in folder 4, Levine to Sawhill. Acting President Ivan Loveridge Bennett Jr. takes on his new post, folder 5. A briefing piece prepared for the incoming Sawhill on community relations is in folder 9, Burneson to Sawhill, 8/1/75, along with a draft on dealing with the University's "neighbors," Maggin to Blumenfeld 6/4/76. NYU withdraws from the Washington Square Art Show in Box 41, folder 2, Patterson to Pagella 7/6/77, while folder 3 offers insight into the kinds of involvement with Washington Square Park NYU experienced.

Box 42 contains the energy-related correspondence, assembled alphabetically. Folder 5 includes a Sawhill quotation covering an announcement of the publication of a group of energy-related dissertations, Garland Publishing, Inc, 1/79. Folder 23 sketches Sawhill's work as energy advisor to the Sargent Shriver for President campaign. Folder 27 offers a news note on a Sawhill proposed energy plan, Energy Users Report, Number 290, 3/1/79. Folder 28 is the first of three containing correspondence associated with the preparation of the report for the Trilateral Commission; folders 1-2 in Box 43 complete the sequence. Folder 2 contains a copy of a briefing paper on "Energy Conservation, Pricing, and Alternatives" presented by Sawhill to a New York business audience hosted by David Rockefeller, North American Chairman of the Trilateral Commission 1/8/79. General correspondence occupies the balance of Box 43, and continues into Box 44. The courses taught sequence follows, in turn succeeded by Intellectual Life in New York matters, filling much of Box 45. Invitations from University and external hosts appear next, extending through Box 46 and much of Box 47.

Public Occasions incorporates several subsets, opening with a few folders devoted to Commencement matters; Box 47, folder 13 is the source of the highlight about the University's use of Washington Square Park, Sawhill to Lewis Rudin 3/12/76, and also contains a copy of Sawhill's remarks at his "first Commencement as President of NYU…" 6/3/76. Among the largest of the subsets, Lectures and/or Receptions, Dinners, Luncheons, fills much of Box 48 through Box 51, folder 8. Box 49, folder 1 offers a copy of Sawhill's remarks before a Real Estate Institute Dinner in which he discusses developments at NYU over the last year 3/24/77. A dinner for banking and securities industry executives to exchange views with Sawhill was hosted by NYU Trustee Lewis Preston 5/8/79, Box 50, folder 2, and Sawhill hosted a dinner for George H.W. Bush 3/14/79, Box 51, folder 4.

The sequence titled Public Presentations, Speeches and/or Articles, Interviews, Remarks succeeds Public Occasions. This opens with the pre-NYU grouping mentioned in Scope and Content, Box 51, folder 9 through Box 52, folder 5. The next section is subtitled NYU, NYC, Education, and continues through Box 56, folder 7. Box 56, folder 8 picks up with the subtitle Energy, Economy, etc., through Box 59, folder 6. Among these voluminous files, Box 53 contains an attack on Sawhill's priorities for NYU 12/1/75. the Village Voice, folder 3, "The case for the large private university," an interview with Sawhill 2/9/76, folder 4, and Sawhill on leadership as a participant in a TIME Magazine-sponsored conference, TIME 11/8/76, folder 5. The New York Times Magazine of 4/30/78 published a major article by Times education editor Edward B. Fiske on NYU, crediting Sawhill with the "Miracle on Washington Square," Box 55, folder 3. The following year CHANGE Magazine also published a major, though less enthusiastic article authored by free-lance writer Ron Chernow, "John Sawhill: Academe's Crisis Manager," May-June 1979, Box 56, folder 4.

In the Energy, Economy subset Sawhill testifies before the Maryland Public Service Commission on behalf of the Potomac Electric Power Company in a rate case, June (?) '76, Box 57, folder 5, the Durham (N.C) Morning Herald editorializes that "…(while) Mr. Sawhill continues to speak out on the need for serious conservation. It's a pity his words don't get more attention from government officials…" 1/2/77, Box 58, folder 1. Sawhill takes notes at the Seven Springs Center Symposium on "The Governance of Energy: The Proper Role of Industry and Government," 2/10-12/77 and, as noted in Series VII, publishes an Op-ed piece with wife Isabel V. Sawhill, "This article really is about income tax," both in Box 58, folder 2.

In Box 60, miscellaneous correspondence concerned with Public Presentations occupies folders 1-10. Folder 10 contains Sawhill's "going on leave' letter, while folders 11-13 deal with Speakers Bureau matters; a Sawhill biographical brochure with suggested lecture topics appears in folder 12. The balance of this series, Box 61, opens with Publications, folders 1-7, and closes with a variety of routine materials, folders 10-13. Folder 1 includes a copy which appeared in the 5/7/78 Kansas City Star of the syndicated New York Times article by Edward B. Fiske referred to above. An NYU profile and listing of University Centennial memorabilia are found in folder 9.