The Records of the Chief Executive Officer documents the widely recognized role of MCI’s leader William G. McGowan in reshaping the telecommunications industry and shows his deep involvement in various aspects of company business: antitrust and union issues, legislature, new technologies, MCI corporate activities, operations and public relations, subsidiaries, selected mergers and acquisitions. The series also includes his personal correspondence, materials relating to his outside activities, and an artifact collection. It is arranged into 13 subseries: Correspondence; Subject Files; Meetings and Events; Speeches; Board of Directors Meetings; Financial Subject Matter; Studies Conducted for MCI; Publications by William McGowan; Personal Papers; MCI Printed Matter; External Publications; Ephemera; and Artifacts.

Correspondence includes chronological files, memoranda and electronic mail, and correspondence pertaining to personal and professional matters including FCC and SEC regulation, AT&T activities, becoming a public company, antitrust matters, McGowan’s heart transplant, Christmas cards, and correspondence with Timothy E. Wirth, U.S. Senator from Colorado and chairman of the Senate Sub-Committee on Telecommunication, Consumer Protection, and Finance.

Subject files includes records pertaining to advertising, marketing, and promotions; antitrust issues; AT&T, the Bell System and Bell Operating Companies; MCI operations, services, subsidiaries, selected mergers and acquisitions, and new technologies such as cellular service, satellites, and fiber optics; telecommunications competitors; MCI stock and bond offerings; investments including junk bonds; FCC petitions, briefs and related materials; Georgetown University (McGowan was on the board); MCI law firm Haley Bader & Potts; IBM; international telecommunications markets; the National Industry Advisory Committee to advise the FCC on national defense and emergency preparedness planning; the National Security Telecommunications Advisory Committee (NSTAC) regarding the emergency response system and nationwide telecommunications in general; NSFNET (National Science Foundation Network), precursor to the Internet; speeches delivered by people other than McGowan; telecommunications legislation including the Consumer Communications Reform Act of 1977 (a.k.a. “Bell Bill” or H.R. 8) and correspondence with legislators; union issues, especially 1984 strike and union-busting (International Brotherhood of Teamsters) at MCI’s newly acquired Western Union International, Inc. and boycott of MCI by other unions; and various reports.

Meeting and Event files contain notes about and materials from meetings attended by McGowan including Annual Stockholders meetings. Files are arranged chronologically. Texts of speeches delivered by McGowan were removed by the MCI archivist and included with speeches in the next subseries.

Speeches are arranged chronologically and contain texts of or notes for speeches delivered by McGowan.

Board of Directors Meetings contains mainly meeting files (1973-1992, incomplete) and typically include the agenda of the meeting, minutes of previous meetings, financial and other information about MCI, correspondence, and mailings (including clippings and MCI publications) sent to Board members from William McGowan for their information. In addition, there are a few files about selected board member, fragmentary committee files, an indemnification agreement, a calendar of meetings and related records.

Financial Subject Matter is fragmentary and includes selected Business Plans and supporting documentation; balance sheets; daily cash reports, business projections, financial statistics, financing strategies, flash reports, operating plans, SEC questionnaires, and other financial reports and documentation.

Studies Conducted for MCI is comprised of reports by outside consultants on varied subjects including service between St. Louis and Texas, New Orleans, Memphis and Atlanta, and Boston and New York; technical equipment at MCI; MCIs investment potential; corporate public relations; and MCI’s identity and reputation. Publications by William McGowan includes articles in Communications News, Executive Excellence, Journal for Corporate Growth, Sloan Management Review, Leaders, and Telecommunications Managementt; a chapter in The NASDAQ Handbook The Stock Market for the Next Hundred Years; and letters to the editor in The New York Times and the Wall Street Journal. William McGowan’s Personal Papers includes address books; his rolodex; limited records of his personal investments and finances; and files regarding Catholic University, Georgetown University Board of Directors and fund raising, especially regarding the Vincent T. Lombardi Cancer Research Center of the Georgetown University Medical Center; Harvard University Business School reunions; King’s College (Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania); Presbyterian University of Pittsburgh and his heart transplant; Pope John Paul III’s U.S. visit; University of Scranton; and dedication of the Bill and Sue McGowan Center for Artificial Heart and Lung Research at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (later known as the McGowan Center for Artificial Organs, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center).

MCI Printed Matter includes a Management Report; The Business of Electronic Journalism and MCI; business plans; organizational charts; credit card activity; customer reports by region; The Data Communications Market: A Strategy for Entry, Data Transmission Trends and Future Circuit Needs; Engineering Department budgets; various reports on Execunet, Handbooks for New Sales Representatives; Key Factors; management operations reports; management plans; an employee opinion survey; The MCI Institute of Information Management Technology; The Institute of Telecommunications Technology: Winning the Competitive Edge in the Information Age; MCI Management Letter; MCI Management Notes; MCI Special Training Report: Training at MCI; Net Sales Analysis; Performance Engineering Reports; rating agency presentations; multiplex engineering status report; and strategic reviews.

External Publications includes a large collection of clippings with subjects such as AT&T, antitrust, the telecommunications industry, lobbying, MCI services, satellite communications, Satellite Business Systems (SBS), and McGowan’s heart transplant. Also included is a large collection of articles and extracts about MCI business and history, antitrust issues, the Bell System, AT&T, the telecommunications industry, and related matters.

Ephemera contains a MI-COM Communications binder, a booklet to promote MCI’s 4K Plus services, oversized broadsides announcing MCI stock and bond offerings, brochures, McGowan’s business cards, MCI calling cards, and oversized “get well” card from the MCI Richardson, Texas staff, an invitation to the reception celebrating victory in MCI vs. AT&T, posters and related materials.

Artifacts contains Clio and Effie awards for advertising, bookends commemorating the construction of MCI’s Campbell Creek, Texas facility and the Telecom*USA acquisition: W and M computer key cuff links, an enamel sign for American Telephone & Telegraph Co. and Associate Companies Local and Long Distance Telephone Bell System: and commemorative buttons, coffee mug, medals, money clip, paperweights, pitcher, plaques, and tie tacks.