Reading Room Document

Constitutional or statutory authority of the President to make available to the widow of the Reverend Mr. Reeb an Air Force airplane to transport her from Birmingham to Boston.

The document is a response to a request for advice on the President's authority to make an Air Force airplane available for humanitarian purposes. The conclusion reached is that the President has the authority, as Chief Executive and Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces, to use personnel and property of the Armed Forces for humanitarian activities. The document also presents a review of the constitutional and statutory provisions that support this conclusion, as well as examples of previous humanitarian activities carried out by the President using the Armed Forces. The questions presented for review include the constitutional and statutory authority of the President to use the Armed Forces for humanitarian purposes, as well as the potential misuse of public funds.

May 25, 1965