This series contains the memoranda that Ernest Stern exchanged with President McNamara while he was Senior Adviser (later Research Adviser) and, beginning in April 1974, Director of Development Policy in the Office of the Vice President, Development Policy. The records consist of copies of Stern's memoranda to McNamara or to his immediate staff; copies of memoranda to McNamara from other Bank staff, especially VPD Hollis Chenery, that were copied to Stern; Stern's memoranda to Bank staff that were copied to McNamara; and memoranda and notes from McNamara or members of his staff to Stern. In many cases, Stern's original memoranda to McNamara were returned to him marked with the President's annotations or with a red stamp indicating President has seen. Stern's correspondence in this file predates his official appointment in VPD on November 1, 1972. Stern's memoranda transmit comments on papers prepared by Bank staff, suggestions for topics to be covered in briefing books prepared for the President, drafts of Presidential speeches, drafts of letters for the President's signature, and comments on correspondence received by McNamara.

The correspondence covers a wide-range of subjects: cooperation with the IMF; the establishment of the Development Committee and the Interim Committee; the Bank's response to the energy crisis; and the establishment of the Intermediate Financing Facility or Third Window. Filed at the end of the series are three items belonging to Stern's successor, Attila Karaosmanoglu: two October memoranda Chenery sent McNamara and copied to Karaosmanoglu and Karaosmanoglu's December 31 draft outlines for McNamara's annual speech.