LETTER TO ROBERT GATES FROM JAN MEYERS

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP90G00152R001202410026-2
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 7
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: December 1, 2011
• Sequence Number: 26
• Publication Date: February 13, 1987
• Content Type: LETTER

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EXECUTIVE SECRETARIAT
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19 Feb '87
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JAN MEYERS
3D DISTRICT, KANSAS
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY COMMITTEE
SUBCOMMITTEES:
NATURAL RESOURCES, AGRICULTURE
RESEARCH AND ENVIRONMENT
SPACE SCIENCE AND APPLICATIONS
SMALL BUSINESS COMMITTEE
SUBCOMMITTEE:
TAX. ACCESS TO EQUITY CAPITAL
AND BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES
Elk
WASHINGTON OFFICE:
1407 LONOwoRTH HOUSE OFFICE BUILDING
12021225-2885
DISTRICT OFFICE:
204 FEDERA NSAS ,KS 66101
QCongre~cg of the initeb ~tatt KA
fsouot of Iepregentatibtg
Wagbington, 30C 20515 __-
February 13, 1987
The Honorable Robert Gates
Acting Director of Central Intelligence
Washington, D.C. 20505
Dear Director Gates:
We are very pleased that you will accept our invitation to
be honored as "Kansan of the Year" at the annual dinner of the
Kansas State Society here in Washington.
As we indicated, the event will be held Saturday, April 4,
1987 at Amelia's Restaurant in the Crystal City Underground.
Cocktails will begin at 7:00 p.m., with dinner at 8:00 p.m. Of
course, we hope that your wife, Rebecca, and your children will
also attend.
You undoubtedly are familiar with the "state societies"
here; however, for the record, this event is "non-political" and
is bi-partisan. The banquet is held in conjunction with the
National Cherry Blossom Festival, and is not a fundraiser for any
cause or charity. While the program is not yet finalized, the
Kansas Cherry Blossom Princess will participate and other elected
officials may have a part as their schedules permit. For
instance, we have extended an invitation to Senator Dole to make
a few remarks.
I've enclosed copies of two previous Kansas State Society
dinner programs for your information.
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The Honorable Robert Gates
page 2
February 13, 1987
As the "Kansan of the Year" you should include comments
focusing on your Kansas background and heritage and how that
might relate to your career and your present high position of
responsibility and trust. If you wish to expand your remarks
beyond that, please feel free to do so. I imagine that a 10 or
15-minute talk would be appropriate.
We greatly appreciate your acceptance, and look forward to a
most pleasant evening as you become acquainted and re-acquainted
with your many Kansas well-wishers in Washington.
Sincerely,
N MEYERS
Member of Congress, and
1986-1987 President of the
Kansas State Society
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PROGRAM
Welcome ............... Jerry Waters,
President, Kansas State Society
Election of
Officers........... Henry Staudinger,
Chairman, Nominating Committee
Presentation of 1986
Kansas Cherry Blossom
Princess ..............John Crutcher,
Commissioner, Postal Rate Commission
Presentation of
Outstanding Kansans
of 1986 ..................Jerry Waters
Response ........... William Taggart
Catherine Schnittker
Ernest Garcia
Robert Day
Presentation of
Kansas Art Work Door Prizes
....... commentary by Don Lambert
Presentation of other door prizes
throughout the evening.
OFFICERS
OUTSTANDING KANSANS
1963 Honorable Frank Carlson
1964 Dr. William Menninger
1965 Honorable Harry Darby
1966 Honorable John A. Schnittker
1967 It. Michael Vendetti
Staff Sgt. Stephen R. Francis
Sgt. Tyrill Kooken
Photo M2nd Robert Ray Howard, Jr.
1968 Honorable Robert Docking '
1969 Honorable Robert F. Ellsworth
1970 Honorable George M. Stafford
1971 Brig. Gen. Elizabeth Hoisington
1972 None Selected
1973 Captain Ronald E. Evans
1974 Archbishop Ignatius J. Strecker
1975 Mr. McDill "Huck" Boyd
1976 Honorable Elmer Staats
Ms. Mildred Odom
1977 Honorable Bob Dole
1978 Dr. John Jarrott
1979 None Selected
1980 None Selected
1981 None Selected
1982 Joe Engle
1983 John Riggins
1984 Honorable Larry Winn, Jr.
1985 Jim Lehrer
Lynette Woodard
Kansas Society
Contributors, 1986
Air Midwest
American Optometric Association
Mr. & Mrs. Glen Archer
Boeing Company
Burlington Northern
Cargill
Cities Service Oil & Gas Corporation
Empire District Electric Company
Farmland Industries
First National Bank of Liberal
E.A. Jaenke & Associates
HNG/InterNORTH
JT&A, Inc.
Kansas Association of Broadcasters
Kansas Bankers Association
Kansas Chamber of Commerce and Industry
Kansas City Power & Light
Kansas Electric Cooperatives
Kansas Farm Bureau Federation
Kansas Gas & Electric
Kansas Grain and Feed Dealers Association
Kansas Independent Oil & Gas Association
Kansas League of Savings Institutions
Kansas Livestock Association
Marion Laboratories, Inc.
National Cooperative Business Association
Pizza Hut
Santa Fe Southern Pacific Corporation
Security Benefit Life Insurance Company
Southwestern Bell Telephone
Taggart & Associates, Inc.
The Tobacco Institute
Walnut Valley State Bank of El Dorado
President .... . .................Jerry Waters
Vice President ...Congresswoman Jan Meyers
Secretary ................. Mrs. Jo Jorgenson
Treasurer . ....... . . . ...... Mrs. Bert Bigham
Cover: a 20 acre bouquet created by Kansas artist Stan Herd ror
the state's 125th birthday in a clover field on the Jr. Neis farm.
southeast of Lawrence. Clover makes up the flowers and tab'e
top with the quilting effect achieved by mowing. The vase j,
planted to milo sorghum.
the annual
KANSAS STATE
SOCIETY
Cherry Blossom Dinner
April 5, 1986
Army-Navy Country Club
Arlington, Virginia
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Kansas Cherry Blossom Princess
Janelle Beth Larson
Kansas will be represented in the 1986 Cherry
Blossom Festival (April 6-12) by Janelle Beth
Larson of Hiawatha. She is the daughter of De-
lbert and Nancy Larson.
Janelle is a freshman at Kansas State University
where she is majoring in animal science with a
special interest in genetic engineering.
Her many honors include Kansas Hereford
Queen, Miss Tenn of Kansas, National Director
of American Junior Hereford Association, KSU
Agriculture Ambassador, and Farm House Little
Sister. She is a member of Kappa Kappa Gamma,
Block and Bridle, and the Future Farmers of
America.
Janelle has taught in a special education swim-
ming program, actively participated in various
church programs and helped host foreign ex-
change students. She is an accomplished pianist,
saxophonist and skier.
We are, indeed, proud to have Janelle
representing Kansas in the National Cherry Blos-
som Festival.
This year we are recognizing four Kansans for their many
accomplishments. Although all live in this area, each main-
tains ties with Kansas through work and famil y-related act, i-
ties.
Robert Day
Robert Day is one of Kansas' most prominent
and prolific young writers. His first book, The
Last Cattle Drive, was published in 1981. This
was followed by Teaching Creative Writing in
1980 and In MyStead in 1981. His fourth book,
Four-Wheel Drive Quartet, will be published in
August.
Among his many awards and recognitions are
a Yaddo Fellowship, a McDowell Fellowship, a
National Endowment to the Arts Fellowship, a
Maryland Arts Council Fellowship and the Sea-
ton Award for fiction.
Robert has been a writer in residence at the
University of Kansas and at the prestigious Iowa
writer's workshop. He is currently professor of
English and Director of the O'Neill Literary
House at Washington College, Chestertown,
Maryland.
Robert earned a B.A. and M.A. from the Uni-
versity of Kansas and an M. F.A. from the Univer-
sity of Arkansas. He taught at Fort Hays State
College. While there he worked on a nearby
ranch, an experience that inspired his first book.
He grew up in Johnson County and maintains
a residence in Lawrence. Although living and
working on the East coast, Kansas remains the
inspiration for and focus of most of his writing.
Ernest E. Garcia
Ernie Garcia was confirmed by the U.S. Sen-
ate as its current Sergeant At Arms on June 3,
1985. He is the first Hispanic ever to hold that
position.
The Sergeant At Arms is the Senate's chief law
enforcement and protocol officer. He supervises
a budget of $75 million, and 1,600 employees.
Ernie also serves as the Senate coordinator for all
official visits by the President and visiting foreign
dignitaries and advises the Senate leadership on
all security matters affecting the U.S. Capitol and
the personal security of the Members of the Sen-
ate.
Prior to assuming his current position, Ernie
was Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for
three years and before, served in 1981 as Special
Assistant to President Reagan.
Ernie was born in Garden City in 1946 and
holds residency in Wichita. He attended Wichita
State University and the University of Kansas
where he earned his undergraduate and two
graduate degrees with honors.
Upon completing his education, Ernie served
six years in the U.S. Marine Corps and is an
officer in the Marine Corps Reserves. He tirst
came to Washington as Legislative Assistant to
Senator Bob Dole.
Ernie and his wife, Ana Maria Granero, have
one son, Felipe.
Catherine Schnittker
Catherine Schnittker is a court services
coordinator of the Offender Aid and Restoration
Office of Arlington County, Virginia, a program
she pioneered in founding in the late 1970s.
As coordinator she is responsible for placing
juvenile and adults in community service work
as an alternative to sentencing. Under her direc-
tion the number of assigned community service
hours has risen dramatically and through her
ability to motivate young people, many juveniles
under her supervision have been hired as paid
employees after performing their required hours
of community service. Catherine also helps the
Arlington Juvenile Court operate Argus House, a
structured residential group home for adolescent
boys.
In 1983, Catherine was presented the
Meritorious Award for community service in the
field of Juvenile Justice by the Virginia Juvenile
Officers' Association. She has been recognized
by several other church and community orga-
nizations.
Catherine grew up in Beloit, Kansas, and was
graduated from Marymount College, Salina. She
is now a candidate for a Lay Theology Certificate
from Georgetown University. Catherine has
been active in numerous professional organiza-
tions, and is the mother of five children and one
grandchild.
William A. Taggart
Bill Taggart is President of Taggart & Associ-
ates, Inc., a Washington government relations
firm, and Senior Associate of The Martin Haley
Coll 1161nivs.
Bill has been active in Republican politics for
30 years - 10 years with Senator Bob Dole as a
legislative assistant and political advisor. He
served on the Platform Committee of the Repub-
lican National Convention in 1976 and 1980,
and on the Agriculture Advisory Committee of
the 1981 Reagan Presidential Transition Team.
In 1974, Bill was staff member of the Delega-
tion to the World Food Conference in Rome.
Subsequently, he was a member of the World
Food Conference delegation, and advisor to
Secretaries of Agriculture Bob Bergland and John
Block. Since 1981, he has been a member of
President Reagan's Agriculture Policy Advisory
Committee.
Bill graduated from the University of Kansas
with a B.S. in journalism. He has owned and
published two weekly newspapers in Lawrence
and Perry, Kansas, and directed public relations
for the nation's largest grain cooperative.
He is a member of the Capitol Hill Club and
treasurer of the Commodity Club of Washington,
D.C.
Bill has been a tireless supporter of the Kansas
State Society, giving generously of his time and
energy. His wife, Judy, is president of JT&A, a
public relations firm. They have four children.
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PROGRAM
Welcome... Congressman Jim Slattery,
President. Kansas State Society
Election of
Officers ....... . ... Henry Staudinger,
Chairman, Nominating Committee
Presentation of the
reigning Cherry Blossom
Queen ............... by Hal Bigham,
immediate past president,
Kansas State Society
Presentation of 1985
Kansas Cherry Blossom
Princess ............. by Rep. Slattery
Presentation of Kansans
of the Year........... by Rep. Slattery
Response ...... Miss Lynette Woodard
Mr. Jim Lehrer
The Kansas State Society of
Washington, D. C., would like to
extend a special thanks to
P.J. and Jo Jorgenson for
their assistance in making this
dinner possible.
KANSAS STATE SOCIETY
OFFICERS
President............ Congressman Jim Slattery
Vice President ................ Dr. Jerry Waters
Secretary .................. Mrs. Jo Jorgenson
Treasurer ................... Mrs. Bert Bigham
OUTSTANDING KANSANS
1963 Honorable Frank Carlson
1964 Dr. William Menninger
1965 Honorable Harry Darby
1966 Honorable John A. Schnittker
1967 Lt. Michael Vendetti
Staff Sgt. Stephen R. Francis
Sgt. Tyrill Kooken
Photo M2nd Robert Ray Howard Jr.
1968 Honorable Robert Docking
1969 Honorable Robert F. Ellsworth
1970 Honorable George M. Stafford
1971 Brig. Gen. Elizabeth Hoisington
1972 None Selected
1973 Captain Ronald E. Evans
1974 Archbishop Ignatius J. Strecker
1975 Mr. McDill "Huck" Boyd
1976 Honorable Elmer Staats
1977
1978
1979
1980
1981
1982
1983
Declassified in Part
Ms. Mildred Odom
Honorable Bob Dole
Dr. John Jarrott
None Selected
None Selected
None Selected
Joe Engle
John Riggins
The Kansas State Society would like to thank the
following sponosrs for their support in making
the 1985 Cherry Blossom Dinner a success:
Alameda Plaza
American Optometric Association
Boeing Company
Burlington Northern
Cargill Incorporated
Continental Telephone
Cooperative League of the USA
E.A. Jaenke and Associates
Empire District Electric Company
FMC Corporation
InterNorth Corporation
Kansas Association of Broadcasters
Kansas Bankers Association
Kansas Chamber of Commerce and Industry
Kansas City Power and Light
Kansas Electric Cooperatives, Inc.
Kansas Farm Bureau
Kansas Gas and Electric
Kansas Grain and Feed Dealers Association
Kansas Independent Oil ana Gas Association
Kansas League of Savings Institutions
Kansas Livestock Association
Marion Laboratories
Marriott Corporation
National Farmers Organization
National Milk Producers Federation
Panhandle Eastern Pipeline Company
Rockwell International
Safeway Stores
Santa Fe Industries, Inc.
Security Benefit Group
SmithKline Beckman Corporation
Southwestern Bell Telephone Company
Standard Oil (Indiana)
Sun Company
Taggart & Associates
Tobacco Institute
Volume Shoe Corporation
Walnut Valley State Bank, El Dorado
Robert J. and Nancy L. Woody
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THE ANNUAL
KANSAS STATE
SOCIETY
CHERRY BLOSSOM
DINNER
April 6, 1985
Army-Navy Country Club
Arlington, Virginia
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The Reigning Cherry Blossom Queen
The 1985 Kansas Cherry Blossom Princess
Kansan of the Year
Kansan of the Year
Heather Miller
Kansas was honored with the selection of
Heather Ann Miller, the 1984 Cherry Blossom
Princess. as queen of Washington's Cherry Blos-
som festivities. Heather is a versatile musician
who has received many awards, including three
top ratings in the Kansas State Piano Auditions.
The daughter of Jerry and Beverly Miller of Sylvia,
Heather attends Kansas State University. Kan-
sans are honored to have this talented young
woman represent not only their state but the nation
as the reigning Cherry Blossom Queen.
Kristy Marker
Jim Lehrer
Associate Editor and Co-anchor of
The MacNeil/Lehrer NewsHour on PBS
The winner of many prestigious journalism
awards,* Mr. Lehrer has drawn upon his print and
broadcasting experience to develop an incisive and
straightforward brand of reporting and questioning
on the MacNeil/Lehrer program, America's only
nationwide hour of evening news.
Mr. Lehrer became a recent news source himself,
producing a PBS program on his struggle back from
a heart attack. While "My Heart, Your Heart" was
extraordinary journalism, the program must also be
praised for its strong message and public service.
Among Mr. Lehrer's many awards for his jour-
nalistic accomplishments are an Emmy, the George
Peabody Award, the William Allen White Foun-
dation Award for Journalistic Merit and the Uni-
versity of Missouri School of Journalism Medal of
Honor.
He is the author of two books, a former infantry
officer in the U.S. Marine Corps, and before en-
tering broadcast journalism, was city editor of The
Dallas Times-Herald.
Mr. Lehrer was born in Wichita and lived in
several Kansas communities, including Marion,
Sedgwick and Independence. He now lives in
Washington with his wife, Kate, and three daugh-
ters.
The Kansas State Society is honored to name
Mr. Lehrer a Kansan of the Year.
Lynette Woodard
Assistant Women's Basketball Coach
at the University of Kansas
Miss Woodard is the most prolific scorer in the
history of women's basketball. During her career
at K.U., her 3,469 points surpassed such greats
as Wilt Chamberlain and Jo Jo White. She was a
member of the 1980 U.S. women's basketball team
at the Olympic Games, and at the 1984 games in
Los Angeles, was captain of the team that won
the Gold Medal.
Miss Woodard is the first woman selected for
the University of Kansas Athletic Hall of Fame.
Although her list of honors is far too long for
such limited space, recent awards have included
the 1985 National Role Model from the National
Conference of Christians and Jews. and the Out-
standing Young Woman of the Year award from
the Wichita Jaycee Women. She was the first
woman selected for the NCAA Top Five Award,
and is the recipient of the coveted Wade Trophy
and the Broderick Award.
She has excelled in the classroom as well. She
received Academic All-American honors in 1980
and 1981, and earned a degree from K.U. in
speech communications and human relations.
Her career objectives are playing professional
basketball, becoming a professional model, and
being a public relations representative.
It has been said that Miss Woodard, a native of
Wichita, is an "all-everything woman." The
Kansas State Society is honored to name Miss
Woodard a Kansan of the Year.
The State of Kansas will be represented in the
1985 Cherry Blossom Festival by Kristy Lind
Marker of Topeka. She is the daughter of Gary and
Kathy Keller. An accomplished dancer and vocalist,
Kristy was graduated from Washburn Rural High
School and will attend the University of Kansas.
She is a dance instructor, singer and choreographer
with a distinguished list of accomplishments that
include performances in ballet and jazz dance as
well as choral and pop vocal groups.
We are proud to have Kristy represent Kansas in
the national Cherry Blossom Festival.
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