Other Activities, 1958-1986

In his retirement, Harold Brayman offered regular advice to local and nationally prominent politicians. Most of these individuals were known to Brayman from his days in journalism or from Du Pont, and many of them were Republicans. Brayman wrote to congratulate on political positions, to advise on the Delaware political climate, to comment on legislation, to suggest campaign strategies, and even to offer constructive criticism on the effectiveness of speech deliveries.

Correspondence in this subseries is with several Delawareans: Senators John J. Williams, J. Caleb Boggs, Bill Roth, C. Douglass Buck, and Joseph Biden, Jr.; Representatives Bill Roth, Pete du Pont IV, and Thomas B. Evans, Jr.; Governors Pete du Pont IV, Russ Peterson, and Michael N. Castle; and Wilmington Mayor Harry Haskell, Jr. Brayman was actively involved in advising for the 1970 U.S. Senate elections, and was a charter member of the Republican Senatorial Inner Circle. Brayman eventually broke from the group when he disapproved of their wasteful fundraising strategies. Among the Republican senators corresponding with Brayman were John G. Tower (Tex.), William E. Brock III (Tenn.), Robert w. Packwood (Oreg.), Robert Dole (Kan.), Orrin Hatch (Utah) , Paul Laxalt (Nevada) , and John Heinz (Penn.).

Brayman also corresponded with presidential aides: General Alexander Haig; Herbert Klein, Special Assistant to Vice President Lyndon Johnson, later Director of Communications for the Executive Branch to Richard Nixon; and Gerald F. terHorst, Press Secretary to Gerald R. Ford. The folders of "White House files" document Brayman's advice to the Nixon Administration, which was actively solicited by Herb Klein.

Brayman offered comments on the President's press conferences and views on the public image of the President and his Administration, as well as issues of the day: Vietnam, the economy, the Congress as "spenders," the "Black sector," crime, and drugs. In 1971-1972, Brayman was invited to serve as a volunteer consultant member of the Public Relations Advisory Group to the Committee for the Re-election of the President. The group consisted of about 50 members who communicated by memoranda, mail, phone, and meetings in Washington. Chairman Kenneth Youel oversaw the analysis and summary of reports submitted by the Advisory Group, and distributed their advice to key campaign officials. Correspondence and memoranda in these folders thoroughly document Brayman's involvement with this group. The files include letters of appreciation from President Nixon and President Ford.

Other activities documented in this subseries include awards of recognition, participation in the Wilmington Rotary Club, and other writing projects. Brayman received the Golden Plate Award of the American Academy of Achievement in 1965. The other writing projects include contributions to books and journals, guest editorials, a book proposal, and Brayman's history of the Lincoln Club of Wilmington.