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After the tumultuous events of 1968, the Democratic National Committee appointed two commissions to review the rules and procedures of the party and to recommend reforms to be implemented for the 1972 national convention. The Commission on Party Structure and Delegation Selection was first headed by George McGovern and then Donald Fraser.

The Commission on Rules, which O'Hara chaired, was mandated to codify and study the rules of past Democratic conventions and to propose permanent rules for the committees of the convention and for the convention itself. O'Hara conducted a series of hearings and meetings across the country and his commission issued a final report entitled "Call to Order ..." The Commissions recommendations were presented to the Rules Committee of the 1972 Democratic Convention, of which O'Hara was also chairman.

The O'Hara and McGovern-Fraser Commissions collaborated to prepare a draft charter for the party which was presented to the 1972 convention for consideration. The convention did not adopt the draft charter but did call for a Charter Commission to be established to prepare a party charter for consideration at a mid-term convention. O'Hara was appointed to the Charter Commission headed by Terry Sanford.

The Mikulski Commission was appointed by the Democratic National Committee in September 1972 to review the party's delegate selection procedure. O'Hara was not a member of the Commission but he did testify before it and followed its activities closely. In 1974 O'Hara was appointed to the Democratic Party Compliance Review Commission which was charged with enforcing the Mikulski Commission's delegate selection guidelines.

The papers relating to these commissions and committees include staff memoranda, background and issues papers, transcripts of hearing or copies of statements made to the commissions, reports and resolutions, and correspondence with commission members, Democratic Party officials, and members of the public.