Memorandum on Appointment of Rutledge as Examiner-in-Charge of the San Francisco Office

Mr. Will Maslow
Director of Field Operations

Clarence M. Mitchell
Associate Director of Field Operations

Appointment of Rutledge as Examiner-in-Charge of the San Francisco Office

April 12, 1945

As you know, Mr. Kingman has a special arrangement on the West Coast under which he designates Mr. Edward Rutledge as Examiner-in-Charge of the San Francisco Office.1 In view of the excellent work performed by Mr. Rutledge and the considerable territory under Mr. Kingman’s supervision, it is my belief that we should take official notice of this designation and so inform Mr. Rutledge.

I believe that all of our regions should have examiners-in-charge of offices in the regional cities. This should enhance the statu[r]e of our regional directors and make for better operating relationships between our agency and other branches of the Government. In Philadelphia, for example, it would enable Mr. Fleming to maintain a liaison with the regional office of the War Manpower Commission and the examiner-in-charge could handle any necessary relationships with the Area Directors of WMC which fall within the Philadelphia territory.

After listening to Mr. McKnight’s conversation concerning his region, I am convinced that regional directors would have more time for supervision and handling of extremely difficult cases if we could make such an arrangement.

I suggest that we take the action immediately in San Francisco and as soon as it is practical in other regions.

MS: copy, HqR3, Office Files of George M. Johnson. M.

[1] Rutledge was appointed examiner in charge of the San Francisco office and served for a short time (see biographical directory). Rutledge was the only example of an examiner in charge acting in the same area as the Regional Director. Other examiners in charge ran offices in different major regional cities from that of the regional director. Examples include Robert E. Brown in Los Angeles, Milo Manly in Pittsburgh, Edward Swan in Detroit, and Harold James in Cincinnati. FEPC budget cutbacks precluded implementation of Mitchell’s suggestion.