By Jennifer Marciello, Archivist
The Kennedy Library is pleased to announce the opening of the Charles Tyroler II Personal Papers collection.
This collection consists of personal and professional papers relating to his work as the executive director of the Democratic Advisory Council, a branch of the Democratic National Committee, from 1957 to 1960. The collection spans the years from 1950-1963 and primarily contains correspondence, general office files, memorandums, statements, news clippings, subject files, and committee files relating to Tyroler’s role as executive director.
Charles Tyroler II was born on January 2, 1915 in New York City. He attended the Lincoln School of Teachers College, Columbia University and later he studied at the University of Chicago. In 1936 he completed a master’s degree in political science at Columbia University.
Tyroler began his political career in Washington as an assistant to the Secretary of Defense from 1950 to 1953. He then managed Estes Kefauver’s 1956 vice-presidential campaign during the 1956 Democratic National Convention, becoming heavily involved in the Democratic National Committee. From 1957 to 1960 Tyroler served as the executive director of the Democratic Advisory Council (DAC). Officially formed on February 15, 1957 by Democratic national chairman Paul Butler, the DAC was an offshoot of the Democratic National Committee with an express mission to further the programs and principles of the Democratic Party and present new programs and meet problems which may arise during the period between conventions. Influential members included former president Harry Truman, Adlai Stevenson, and senators John F. Kennedy, Hubert Humphrey, and Stuart Symington.
[CTPP-063-035-p0119 & CTPP-063-035-p0120: A memo from Seymour E. Harris to Senator John F. Kennedy offering recommendations to treat the economic recession, 10 March 1958.]
The DAC’s main charter was to consult and make recommendations to Democrats holding public office at all levels of government and continuously study and form recommendations on matters of public policy and political activities which were of concern to the Democratic Party. The DAC was primarily composed of individual advisory committees on a range of topics relating to various political, social, and economic issues. Typically, members of each committee were experts in their field: economists, political leaders, academics, and foreign policy experts, nominated based on their status, knowledge, abilities and experience.
On behalf of the DAC, Tyroler was also involved in fundraising activities such as the 1959 Diamond Jubilee fundraising dinner in tribute to Eleanor Roosevelt.
[CTPP-001-004-p0062: Announcement of Senator John F. Kennedy’s participation in the 1959 Diamond Jubilee fundraising dinner in tribute to Eleanor Roosevelt.]
After the election of Democratic President John F. Kennedy, the DAC was officially abolished in March of 1961, with the reasoning that policy should be made at the White House and by the leadership of Congress.
After his time as executive director, Tyroler remained involved in the Democratic party, and contributed to the presidential campaigns for Lyndon B. Johnson, and Humphrey. After leaving the DAC in 1961, Tyroler founded Quadri-Science, Inc., a private research and consulting firm in Washington, D.C., serving as its president until 1980. In 1976, he became a senior partner at Counselors on National Problems, as well as the director of the Committee on Present Danger. In 1981 Tyroler was appointed by President Ronald Reagan to the President’s Intelligence Oversight Board and continued to serve during the George H. W. Bush Administration.
Charles Tyroler II died on March 13, 1995 in Bethesda, Maryland.
All are welcome to visit the Library to work with our collections, and you can make an appointment by contacting an archivist at Kennedy.Library@nara.gov.