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Executive Order 10459 🏛️✅ Zone 1: Maximum Authority Constitutional Fidelity (+0.29) 📜 Art. II §2: Commander-in-Chief Supervisory Authority

Executive Order 10459—Amendment of Executive Order No. 10422 of January 9, 1953, Prescribing Procedures for Making Available to the Secretary General of the United Nations Certain Information Concerning United States Citizens Employed or Being Considered for Employment on the Secretariat of the United Nations

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Tuesday, June 2, 1953
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7 min read (1,346 words)

Executive Brief • At a Glance

⏱️ 7 min read (1,346 words) • ● In Effect
🎯 Primary Mandate

Paragraphs 3, 4, 5, and 6 of Part I of Executive Order No. 10422 are amended to read as follows: "3.

⚖️ Constitutional Footing
🏛️✅ Zone 1: Maximum Authority
Express or Implied Congressional Authorization
📜 Art. II §2: Commander-in-Chief Supervisory Authority
🏛️ Scope & Affected Sectors
Armed Forces & Military Establishments Merchants, Importers & Commercial Enterprises Sovereign State Governments & Localities Executive Departments & Federal Civil Servants

Plain-English Translation & Framers' Constitutional Analysis

Early Statesman synthesis distilling legal jargon into practical meaning, statutory anchors, and structural constitutional impacts.

Signed by President Dwight D. Eisenhower on June 2, 1953, this order concerns Amendment of Executive Order No. 10422 of January 9, 1953, Prescribing Procedures for Making Available to the Secretary General of the United Nations Certain Information Concerning United States Citizens Employed or Being Considered for Employment on the Secretariat of the United Nations. Paragraphs 3, 4, 5, and 6 of Part I of Executive Order No. 10422 are amended to read as follows: "3. The preliminary investigation conducted by the Civil Service Commission shall be a full background investigation conforming to the investigative standards of the Civil Service Commission, and shall include reference to the following: (a) Federal Bureau of Investigation flies. (b) Civil Service Commission files.

Constitutional Assessment: Scrutinized through Article II, Section 2, this action exercises the President's constitutional role as Commander in Chief. Early Framers recognized broad executive discretion in commanding military forces during conflict, provided it remains bounded by congressional declarations and respects civilian domestic courts.

Key Directives & Operative Actions

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Paragraphs 3, 4, 5, and 6 of Part I of Executive Order No. 10422 are amended to read as follows: "3.

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The preliminary investigation conducted by the Civil Service Commission shall be a full background investigation conforming to the investigative standards of the Civil Service Commission, and shall include reference to the following: (a) Federal Bureau of Investigation flies.

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Whenever information disclosed with respect to any person being investigated is derogatory, within the standard set forth in Part II of this order, the United States Civil Service Commission shall forward such information to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Bureau shall conduct a full field investigation of such person: Provided, that in all cases involving a United States citizen employed or being considered for employment on the internationally recruited staff of the United Nations for a period exceeding 90 days, the investigation required by this Part shall be a full field investigation conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

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Reports of full field investigations shall be forwarded through the United States Civil Service Commission to the International Organizations Employees Loyalty Board, established by Part IV of this order and hereinafter referred to as the Board.

Constitutional & Societal Entities Impacted

🏛️ Armed Forces & Military Establishments 🏛️ Merchants, Importers & Commercial Enterprises 🏛️ Sovereign State Governments & Localities 🏛️ Executive Departments & Federal Civil Servants 🏛️ Private Citizens & Property Owners
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The Framers' Constitutional Council

1787 Prism

Evaluating this order against the constitutional debates of 1787 and the limits of Article II executive power.

🏛️✅ Zone 1 (Maximum Authority)
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"When the President acts pursuant to an express or implied authorization of Congress, his authority is at its maximum, for it includes all that he possesses in his own right plus all that Congress can delegate."

— Justice Robert H. Jackson, Youngstown Sheet & Tube Co. v. Sawyer (1952) Express or Implied Congressional Authorization
JM

James Madison

Separation of Powers & Legislative Primacy

"The constitutional magistracy was designed not to invent policy, but to be the faithful instrument of the laws passed by the people's representatives." — Speech in the First Congress (1789)

Madison would approve the structural posture of this order. The President acts strictly in subordination to statutory authority granted under Article II, Section 3 ("take Care that the Laws be faithfully executed"). The checks and balances hold firm because the policy origin remains with the legislature.

Madisonian Stance: Concurring (Statutory)
AH

Alexander Hamilton

The Energetic Executive & Unified Command

"The direction of war implies the direction of the common strength; and the power of directing and employing the common strength must be under the direction of the single hand of the Executive." — Federalist No. 74 (1788)

Hamilton would forcefully champion executive discretion here. For foreign entanglements, commerce defense, and national security, deliberative assemblies are too slow and faction-ridden. A unified, energetic Executive exercising swift command is precisely what the Philadelphia Convention intended for national preservation.

Hamiltonian Stance: Strong Prerogative Support
GM

George Mason

Bill of Rights, Due Process & 10th Amendment

"The president will be surrounded by flatterers and sycophants... and the great powers of the executive will gradually absorb the liberties of the people." — Cato IV (Anti-Federalist, 1787)

The Anti-Federalist prism advises continuous democratic vigilance. Even routine administrative directives aggregate centralized federal power away from town halls and state assemblies toward a distant executive apparatus.

Anti-Federalist Stance: Eternal Vigilance Required
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Five Measurable "Constitutional Friction" Dimensions

An objective audit measuring potential separation-of-powers tension against the United States Constitution and established Supreme Court doctrine.

⚖️ Discretionary Twilight Zone
40 / 100 friction index
Dimension 1 • Art. I, §1 & §8

Legislative Encroachment & Purse

Moderate Friction

Administers commerce or fiscal programs requiring ongoing statutory delegation and legislative oversight.

Benchmark: Power of the purse, taxes/tariffs, and rule of law reserved to Congress.
Dimension 2 • Art. II, §1 & §3

Executive Scope & Faithfulness

Moderate Friction

Directs internal executive branch machinery, agency workflows, and federal personnel.

Benchmark: Faithfully execute laws enacted by Congress vs. unilateral decree.
Dimension 3 • 10th Amendment

Federalism & State Sovereignty

Moderate Friction

Engages state and local partners in cooperative federalism programs.

Benchmark: Police powers and un-delegated responsibilities reserved to the States.
Dimension 4 • 5th & 14th Amendments

Due Process & Individual Rights

Moderate Friction

Applies regulatory or compliance standards to private contractors or commercial entities.

Benchmark: Protection of private property, contracts, liberty, and procedural justice.
Dimension 5 • Separation of Powers

Youngstown Jacksonian Tier

Low Friction

The President operates strictly as the constitutional Chief Executive, carrying out policy established by Congress with strong statutory backing.

Benchmark: Express or Implied Congressional Authorization
⚖️ Audit Synthesis

This order operates within Justice Jackson’s Zone of Twilight, resting upon concurrent presidential authority or congressional silence.

Weighted composite: Art. I (25%), Art. II (25%), Federalism (15%), Due Process (15%), Youngstown (20%).
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How to read these dimensions: Executive power expands whenever an administration acts without explicit statutory authorization from Congress (Article I), touches upon police powers historically reserved to the states (Tenth Amendment), or limits private rights and property without judicial process. A low friction score indicates strict concordance with enacted law; a high friction score highlights orders testing the limits of presidential discretion.
Total Words
1,346
8,337 characters
Estimated Read Time
7 min
@ 200 words / min
Flesch-Kincaid
16.6
Post-Graduate Legal
Language Tone Score
+0.29
Constitutional Fidelity
How is this scored?
Text size:

Official Archival Text

View Source Document

Whereas Executive Order No. 10422 of January 9, 1953, prescribes procedures for making available to the Secretary General of the United Nations and the executive heads of other public international organizations certain information concerning United States citizens employed or being considered for employment by the United Nations or other public international organizations of which the United States is a member; and Whereas the said Executive Order No. 10422 incorporates by reference certain of the procedures provided or authorized by Executive Order No. 9835 of March 21, 1947, as amended; and Whereas Executive Order No. 9835, as amended, has been revoked by section 12 of Executive Order No. 10450 of April 27, 1953, effective thirty days from that date:

NOW, THEREFORE, #now-therefore

by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution, statutes, and treaties of the United States, .including the Charter of the United Nations, and as President of the United States, it is hereby ordered as follows: 1. Paragraphs 3, 4, 5, and 6 of Part I of Executive Order No. 10422 are amended to read as follows: "3. The preliminary investigation conducted by the Civil Service Commission shall be a full background investigation conforming to the investigative standards of the Civil Service Commission, and shall include reference to the following: (a) Federal Bureau of Investigation flies. (b) Civil Service Commission files. (c) Military and naval intelligence files as appropriate. (d) The files of any other appropriate Government investigative or intelligence agency. (e) The files of appropriate committees of the Congress. (f) Local law-enforcement files at the place of residence and employment of the person, including municipal, county, and State law-enforcement files. (g) Schools and colleges attended by the person. (h) Former employers of the person. (1) References given by the person. (J) Any other appropriate source. However, in the case of short-term employees whose employment does not exceed ninety days, such investigation need not include reference to subparagraphs (f) through (j) of this paragraph. "4. Whenever information disclosed with respect to any person being investigated is derogatory, within the standard set forth in Part II of this order, the United States Civil Service Commission shall forward such information to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Bureau shall conduct a full field investigation of such person: Provided, that in all cases involving a United States citizen employed or being considered for employment on the internationally recruited staff of the United Nations for a period exceeding 90 days, the investigation required by this Part shall be a full field investigation conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. "5. Reports of full field investigations shall be forwarded through the United States Civil Service Commission to the International Organizations Employees Loyalty Board, established by Part IV of this order and hereinafter referred to as the Board. Whenever such a report contains derogatory information, under the standard set forth in Part n of this order, there shall be made available to the person in question the procedures of the Board provided or authorized by Part IV of this order (including the opportunity of a hearing) for inquiring into the loyalty of the person as a United States citizen in accordance with the standard set forth in Part n of this order. The Board shall transmit its determinations, as advisory opinions, together with the reasons therefor stated in as much detail as the Board determines that security considerations permit, to the Secretary of State for transmission to the Secretary General of the United Nations for his use in exercising his rights and duties with respect to the personnel of the United Nations as set out in the Charter and in regulations and decisions of the competent organs of the United Nations. "6. At any stage during the investigation or Board proceeding, the Board may transmit to the Secretary of State, for forwarding to the Secretary General, in as much detail as the Board determines that security considerations permit, the derogatory information disclosed by investigation. This shall be for the purpose of assisting the Secretary General in determining whether or not he should take action with respect to the employee or the person being considered for employment, prior to the completion of the procedures outlined in this order. The making available of any such information shall be without prejudice to the right of full hearing as provided for herein." 2. Paragraph 1 of Part II of Executive Order No. 10422 is amended to read as follows: "1. The standard to be used by the Board in making an advisory determination as provided for in paragraph 5 of Part I of this order with respect to a United States citizen who is an employee of, or is being considered for employment by, the United Nations, shall be whether or not on all the evidence there is a reasonable doubt as to the loyalty of the person involved to the Government of the United States." 3. Executive Order No. 10422 is further amended by adding the following new part at the end thereof: "PART IV—INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS EMPLOYEES LOYALTY BOARD "1. There is hereby established in the Civil Service Commission an International Organizations Employees Loyalty Board of not less than three impartial persons, the members of which shall be officers or employees of the Commission. "2. The Board shall have authority in cases referred to it under this order to inquire into the loyalty to the Government of the United States of United States citizens employed, or considered for employment, by international organizations of which the United States is a member, and to make advisory determinations in such cases, under the standard set forth in Part n of this order, for transmission by the Secretary of State to the executive heads of the international organizations coming under the arrangements made pursuant to Parts I and III of this order. "3. The Board shall make necessary rules and regulations, not inconsistent with the provisions of this order, for the execution of its functions. There shall be included in such rules and regulations provisions for furnishing each person whose case is considered by the Board: (a) A written statement of the alleged derogatory information, in as much detail as security considerations permit. (b) An opportunity to answer or comment upon the statement of alleged derogatory information, in writing, and to submit affidavits. (c) An opportunity for hearing before the Board, or a panel thereof of at least three members, including the right of the person to be represented by counsel, to present witnesses and other evidence in his behalf, and to cross-examine witnesses offered in support of the derogatory information: Provided, that the Board shall conduct its hearings in such manner as to protect from disclosure information affecting the national security. "4. Based upon all the evidence before it, including such confidential information as it may have in its possession, the Board shall make its determinations in writing, and shall send to each person who is the subject thereof a copy. In cases in which hearing or other action is by a panel of three members, the action or determination of the panel shall constitute the action or determination of the Board, except that rules and regulations pursuant to paragraph 3 of this Part shall be adopted by action of the Board as a whole. "5. Except as otherwise specified in this order, the Civil Service Commission shall provide the necessary investigative and other services required by the Board. All agencies of the executive branch of the Government are authorized and directed to cooperate with the Board, and, to the extent permitted by law, to furnish the Board such information and assistance as it may require in the performance of its functions. "6. All cases arising under this order which are pending before the Regional Loyalty Boards and the Loyalty Review Board of the Commission on the effective date of Executive Order No. 10450 of April 27, 1953, shall on that date be transferred to the Board." This order shall become effective on May 27, 1953. DWIGHT D. EISENHOWER

THE WHITE HOUSE, #signature

June 2, 1953.

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Referenced By Later Executive Orders (1)

Subsequent presidents who cited, amended, continued, or revoked this directive in later orders.

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Scholarly & Legal Citations

Exec. Order No. 10,459 (June 2, 1953), https://executiveordersarchive.org/orders/app-executive-order-10459-amendment-executive-order-no-10422-january-9-1953-prescribing.