Even after the reorganization provided for the six Administrative Assistants “with a passion for anonymity,” White House Office activity continued to center around the three Secretaries. Although none of the Roosevelt men had absolutely fixed assignments, there were certain recurrent presidential obligations that had to be met day after day and the three Secretaries' responsibilities were oriented around the most persistent of these obligations. Stephen Early (followed by Jonathan Daniels) was in charge of relations with the press; and, although he sometimes handled other assignments, most of his time was spent on this job. Marvin H. McIntyre handled appointments and made overall arrangements for FDR’s trips. public appearances, and meet-'ings (the military aides handled the details). Brig. Gen. Edwin M. “Pa” Watson was Special legman, confidant, and, in some respects, the successor to Louis Howe. He later took over the appointments job when McIntyre succumbed to tuberculosis; and, when Watson died at sea aboard the Quincy returning from Yalta, Early inherited the appointments job.
The first three Administrative Assistants, James H. Rowe, Jr., William. McReynolds, and Lauchlin Currie were jacks-of-all-trades and handled whatever tasks were at hand. However, each did develop an area of special interest. McReynolds developed special skills in personnel matters and was an especially valuable coordinator of civil service matters. Rowe developed into a political trouble shooter with a special interest in patronage, Currie continued to keep a close watch On economic matters. The other six men who were appointed as Administrative Assistants from 1940 to 1945 also developed some areas of special interest for instance, David K. Niles became a skilful student of racial and minority group matters. But the great task of the Administrative Assistants was to serve as eyes and ears for the President and to be available for any task that Roosevelt might throw their way.
During the war years the organization of the White House Office changed considerably. Judge Samuel I. Rosenman became Special Counsel to the President, a title especially designed for him in recognition of his years of service to the President as his primary speech writer and adviser without pay. Rosenman continued to have primary responsibility for drafting speeches and messages to Congress and also was responsible for reviewing all bills and Executive Orders from both a legal and policy perspective. Although McIntyre, Watson, and Marguerite “Missy” LeHand, the President’s able and influential personal secretary, died during the war years, leaving major gaps in the staff, Rosenman was in no sense a chief of staff even though many crucial staff services centered in his office.
Earlier in the war period Harry L. Hopkins had moved into the White House with the title of Special Assistant to the President. Hopkins' role in World War II is well-known and does not need to be treated in detail here. Hopkins was a very special assistant who was involved in almost every aspect of White House Office activity an during the war years. His position was made firm by his special relationship with FDR and this, in turn, was enhanced by the fact that he actually lived in the President’s personal quarters on the second floor of the White House. Numerous stories are available about Hopkins' clashes with other staff members on policy and procedural matters Hopkins usually won. However, although Hopkins' position was a very special one in the war years, he too was never a chief of staff. Roosevelt might tell a staff member to “talk to Harry” about some problem rather than listen to the details himself, but Hopkins was not a Sherman Adams as some writers have suggested.