Oral history transcript, Joseph C. Swidler, interview 1 (I), 3/11/1988, by Michael L. Gillette

Title:

Oral history transcript, Joseph C. Swidler, interview 1 (I), 3/11/1988, by Michael L. Gillette

Number of Pages:

29

Description:

How Swidler met the Johnsons; LBJ's attitude toward oil and gas regulation while he was still a senator; Lee White, Swidler's successor as chairman of the Federal Power Commission (FPC); an incident regarding authorization of the Securities and Exchange Commission to organize the area boundaries of the operating electric companies; how Swidler became chairman of the FPC and what qualified him to fill the position; the need for reorganization in the FPC when Swidler became chairman; problems in the FPC relating to gas and power; early commissioners' interest in public ownership rather than regulation authority; Swidler's fairness to both private and public power interests; Swidler's efforts to keep rates low, but high enough to support research, new technology, and the reduction of rates; FPC chairman Jerome Kuykendall; members of the FPC; Swidler's voting role as swing man and duties as chairman of the FPC as opposed to a commissioner; Swidler's goals as chairman; the benefits of the FPC holding oral arguments; continuity on the FPC during the Kennedy-to-Johnson transition; work with Joe Califano; the November 1965 power blackout in the northeast U.S. and the FPC's role in investigating it; how the FPC went about gathering data to investigate the blackout; the report on the blackout and prevention of future blackouts; the recommended re-examination of control room standards and protocols; recommendations for facilities, such as hospitals and airports, that could not afford interruptions in power; Swidler presenting his report to LBJ and on television; the fear of sabotage to the power system.

Contributor:

Swidler, Joseph C.

Collection:

LBJ Library Oral Histories

Collection Description:

Go to List of Holdings

Series:

Transcripts of LBJ Library Oral Histories

See Also:

See all online interviews with Joseph C. Swidler

Relation:

 

Rights:

Possibly copyright restricted: see deed at end of transcript for details