<Li> Background information for the reporter's knowledge but not specifically attributable to the President nor the White House </Li> <P> George Akerson continued the tradition of meeting daily with reporters, and though usually of jovial temperament, was not known for the precision that was the hallmark of some of his predecessors, such as Cortelyou . On one occasion, he incorrectly stated that sitting Supreme Court Justice Harlan Stone had been elevated to be Chief Justice, only to have to issue a statement later that the actual nominee was Charles Evans Hughes . Akerson also struggled at times with his role in a growing White House staff . Akerson was one of three secretaries to the President, and some speculated that Hoover's closeness to his other secretary, Lawrence Richey, a former detective and Secret Service agent, made it difficult for Akerson to obtain the kind of information he needed to effectively do his job . As poor coverage made President Hoover appear detached and out of touch amidst a worsening depression, Richey and Akerson disagreed about the most effective press strategy, with Akerson promoting the idea that Hoover should leverage the increasingly influential platform of radio, and Richey arguing that the radio strategy was not worthy of the presidency . Akerson resigned not long thereafter, and Theodore Joslin, a former reporter, was named as the new secretary . Relations between the Hoover Administration and the press continued to decline . </P> <P> During the administration of Franklin D. Roosevelt, former journalist Stephen Early became the first White House secretary charged only with press responsibilities . The manner in which Early approached his portfolio and increasingly high - profile nature of the job have led many to state that Early is the first true White House Press Secretary, both in function and in formal title . Prior to joining the Roosevelt campaign and administration Early had served as an editor to the military paper Stars and Stripes and also as a reporter for the Associated Press . When Roosevelt was nominated on James Cox's ticket as the vice presidential nominee in 1920, he asked Early to serve as an advance representative . As an advance representative, Early traveled ahead of the campaign, arranged for logistics and attempted to promote positive coverage for the candidates . </P> <P> When President Roosevelt won the presidency in 1932, he chose Early to be his secretary responsible for handling the press, or as the role was becoming known, "the press secretary ." After accepting the job, Early laid out for Roosevelt his vision of how the role should be conducted . He requested having unfettered access to the President, having his quotes and statements directly attributable to him as press secretary, and offering as much factual information to the press as it became available . He also convinced Roosevelt to agree to twice - weekly presidential press conferences, with the timing of each tailored to the different deadline schedules of the White House Press Corps . Early also made himself available to the press corps as often as he could, and though he was not known for a lighthearted or amiable demeanor, he earned a reputation for responsiveness and openness, even having his own telephone number listed unlike some of those who held the job after him . </P>

Who created the formal position of white house press secretary in part because of his media savvy