Letter Accepting the Resignation of Peter J. Wallison as Counsel to the President

Dear Peter:

It is with deep regret and gratitude for your assistance and advice that I accept your resignation as Counsel to the President, effective March 20, 1987.

This is the second opportunity I've had to thank you for your work in this Administration. When you joined our White House team in 1986, you brought with you the benefit of your experience as General Counsel for the Department of the Treasury during my first term. Twice we successfully lured you away from the private sector to public service, and on both occasions you responded with the blend of personal integrity and professional skill that has been the hallmark of your entire career. Your over 20 years as a lawyer have been split nearly equally between private practice and the government, a sign of your lifelong devotion to the common good.

Working with you closely this past year I have only come to appreciate more fully your talents, character, and judgment. As Counsel to the President, you had but a single client, but in a truer sense you served the institution of the Presidency and through it the people of this great Nation. You took on with enthusiasm and sensitivity one of the most demanding jobs in Washington. These are my own words of thanks for your many contributions, but I know that they convey as well the gratitude of the American people for all you've accomplished.

The profound respect and good wishes of your many friends and colleagues go with you as you leave the White House. May you, Frieda, and your family find the future filled with every blessing and happiness.

Sincerely,

RONALD REAGAN

Dear Mr. President:

On March 20, 1987, I will resign as Counsel to the President, having served almost a year in your White House. To say it has been an honor to serve as your Counsel would not do justice to my feelings at this moment.

In your openness, warmth, and good sense you embody everything that is admired about our country. In your modesty and strong sense of trusteeship you have lent dignity to the Presidency. In your many personal kindnesses to me, you have demonstrated your sensitivity to the small as well as the large dimensions of your Office.

I came here to help you complete a journey that history will record as one of the most successful Presidencies of the century. There have been rough spots along the way; there always are. But your qualities as a person and as a leader will never never fail you. I will always look back on this time as one of the proudest of my life, and I will always be available to you in the future.

Respectfully,

PETER J. WALLISON