Eisenhower Ten
The Eisenhower Ten or E-10 were a group of U.S. citizens who were secretly tasked by President Eisenhower in 1958 to serve as administrators in the event of a national emergency. There were actually nine positions, but one administrator-designate resigned and was replaced. Eisenhower discussed the issues with each appointee and then personally sent letters of invitation on March 6, 1958. The selection and appointment of these administrator-designates was classified Top Secret.[1][2]
In an emergency, each administrator was to take charge of a specifically activated agency to maintain the continuity of government. These agencies would be subordinate to the Director of the Office of Emergency Resources. Gordon Gray, the director of the Office of Defense Mobilization, coordinated meetings.
In May 1961, Fred Dutton, special assistant to President Kennedy, discovered copies of the letters and informed National Security Advisor McGeorge Bundy.
| Agency | Administrator-designate |
|---|---|
| Emergency Censorship Agency | Theodore F. Koop Vice President of CBS |
| Emergency Communications Agency | Frank Stanton President of CBS |
| Emergency Energy and Minerals Agency | John Ed. Warren Senior Vice President of First National City Bank |
| Emergency Food Agency | Ezra Taft Benson Secretary of Agriculture |
| Emergency Housing Agency | Askel Nielsen President of Title Guaranty Company |
| Emergency Manpower Agency | James P. Mitchell Secretary of Labor |
| Emergency Production Agency | Harold Boeschenstein President of Owens-Corning |
| Emergency Stabilization Agency | William McChesney Martin, Jr. Chairman of the Federal Reserve |
| Emergency Transport Agency | Frank Pace Executive Vice President, General Dynamics resigned January 8, 1959 |
| Dr. George Pierce Baker Harvard Business School appointed January 8, 1959 |
References
- ↑ "This Letter Will Constitute Your Authority: the Eisenhower Ten". CONELRAD.com.
- ↑ "Continuity Of Government, Then And Now". Secrecy News. Federation of American Scientists. December 17, 2003.