Executive Assistant to the Director records

The Office of the Director of the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution was established in 1930 by Henry Bigelow, its first director. The history of the support staff to the director is incomplete, but each director has had an assistant in addition to a secretary. Columbus Iselin held the position of General Assistant under Bigelow. As director, Iselin established the position of Assistant to the Director, which was a general administrative support position. Charles Innis was the first person to hold the position of Executive Assistant to the Directorate and served both Paul Fye and John Steele from 1972 until 1989. The Executive Assistant functions primarily for the Director, although the position sometimes supports both the Assistant Director of Administration and the Assistant Director.

Innis described his duties to include: processing and routing the director’s mail and answering some general correspondence as well as preparing drafts for the director. He also produced the Institution’s Annual Report; planned conferences and managed conference facilities; arranged for visiting dignitaries, military, groups and corporate members; acted as liaison between the director’s office and the development office; served as Clerk to the Nominating Committee; handled budgets, programs, and communications pertaining to employee morale; coordinated follow-up between the director’s office and Graded and Marine Personnel Committee; coordinated ONR (Office of Naval research) Omnibus Proposals, site visits and Naval War College conferences, and Johnson Lectures; developed Institution archives program with Archivist; arranged Executive Committee meetings; organized the director’s files; coordinated Ad Hoc meetings; and arranged retirement and 30 year award programs.