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Oral history
John F. Kennedy Oral History Collection
JFKOH-MJH-01
In this interview Hillenbrand discusses President John F. Kennedy [JFK] entering office amid the Berlin crisis; working as the Director of the Office of German Affairs with JFK; the Berlin Task Force and the Ambassadorial Group; JFK's attitude towards the German problem and German reactions to the Kennedy Administration; the State Department and Germany; the 1961 Vienna talks with Nikita S. Khrushchev; the erection of the Berlin Wall and the crisis it generated; the Kennedy Administration's reaction and response to the Berlin Wall; talks with Russia over Berlin and the Wall; the press "leaks crisis" on the Germany problem; JFK's working style and approach to problems, according to Hillenbrand; the impact of the Cuban Missile Crisis on the Berlin talks; JFK's German policy and relationship with German leaders; and what JFK accomplished related to Germany, among other issues.
Oral history
John F. Kennedy Oral History Collection
JFKOH-LWH-01
In this interview, Lord Harlech discusses John F. Kennedy’s [JFK] early opinions on disarmament; dealings with Nikita S. Khrushchev and the Soviet Union; the Cuban crisis; issues with selling and testing American missiles; how JFK’s relationship with British Prime Minister M. Harold Macmillan developed over time and how they worked together on specific issues; how JFK’s interest in politics and foreign affairs developed; difficulties with France over their nuclear program in 1962; JFK’s skills and character; JFK’s different circles of friends; and JFK and Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy Onassis’ approaches to life in the public eye, among other issues.
Photograph folder
White House Photographs
JFKWHP-1961-09-15-C
AR11
Photograph folder
White House Photographs
JFKWHP-1961-07-25-B
AR09, ST03
Photograph folder
White House Photographs
JFKWHP-1961-08-21-D
AR10, KN07
Oral history
John F. Kennedy Oral History Collection
JFKOH-LDC-01
Clay discusses Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson’s 1961 visit to Berlin, the Berlin Wall crisis, and John F. Kennedy’s special committee to study foreign aid, among other issues.
Oral history
John F. Kennedy Oral History Collection
JFKOH-ABJC-04
Chayes discusses John F. Kennedy’s 1961 meeting with Nikita Sergeyevich Khrushchev, the 1961 Berlin Crisis, and the building of the Berlin Wall, among other issues.
Oral history
John F. Kennedy Oral History Collection
JFKOH-MGB-01
Bundy discusses John F. Kennedy’s (JFK) thinking and decision making style; his relationship with other members of his administration, including his close working relationship with Theodore C. Sorensen; the aftermath of the Bay of Pigs invasion; the Cuban Missile Crisis; Laos and the Vietnam War; the threat of military conflict with the Soviet Union over Berlin; and JFK’s relationship with other heads of state, among other issues.
Oral history
John F. Kennedy Oral History Collection
JFKOH-RFK-04
In this interview Robert F. Kennedy [RFK] discusses American aid to Argentina; American, British, and French involvement in Africa; the 1962 executive order about segregation in federally-funded housing; appointing African-American judges; changes John F. Kennedy [JFK] was contemplating in the Alliance for Progress; the Dominican crisis; the wheat sale to the Soviet Union; the Bobby Baker case; preparing for JFK’s 1964 campaign; RFK’s return to work after JFK’s assassination and disagreements among the Cabinet members and under President Lyndon B. Johnson; changes in White House staff and the Democratic Party; RFK’s political plans for after 1964; and JFK’s opinions of his staff and appointees, among other issues.
Oral history
John F. Kennedy Oral History Collection
JFKOH-RFK-02
In this interview Robert F. Kennedy [RFK] discusses the 1961 Berlin crisis; American forces, military and diplomatic, in Germany; John F. Kennedy’s [JFK] recommendation for Americans to have fallout shelters; nuclear testing; problems with the Department of State; the start of the conflict in Vietnam, 1961; the Department of Justice under RFK and organized crime; RFK’s difficult relationship with J. Edgar Hoover; the wiretapping bill; new federal judgeships in 1961 and other presidential appointments; the Alliance for Progress; Red China; crises during JFK’s presidency and how he was an optimist; RFK’s move for an income tax increase during the Berlin crisis; RFK’s disagreements with President JFK; indecisiveness over picking JFK’s running mate, 1960; the missile gap; fighting and UN operations in the Congo; Nikita S. Khrushchev’s speeches; RFK’s 1962 trip to Japan, Indonesia, Germany, and other countries; the release of Allen L. Pope; Dutch disputes in Southeast Asia; the 1961 crisis in the Dominican Republic and the assassination of Rafael Leonidas Trujillo Molina; the 1962 disarmament conference in Geneva; Edward M. Kennedy’s 1962 campaign for U.S. Senate; the Kennedy family national and political reputation; the Justice Department under RFK and civil rights; and the 1962 steel crisis, among other issues.
Oral history
John F. Kennedy Oral History Collection
JFKOH-RFK-01
In this interview Robert F. Kennedy [RFK] discusses beginning John F. Kennedy's [JFK] presidential Administration with no political obligations; carefully picking Cabinet members, specifically Secretaries of State, Defense, and Treasury; RFK’s decision on what role to play in JFK’s Administration; JFK’s unhappiness with Dean Rusk as Secretary of State; JFK’s advisers and other presidential appointments; Cabinet meetings; Department of Justice organization under RFK; the first 100 days of the Kennedy Administration; the role of the Vice President, according to RFK; JFK’s relationship with Lyndon B. Johnson and why JFK put Johnson on the ticket in 1960; what JFK was most concerned with as President; domestic programs versus foreign affairs in the Kennedy Administration; Joseph P. Kennedy, Sr.’s role during JFK’s presidency; the Bay of Pigs, the aftermath, and its effect on JFK; how JFK approached problems as President; dealing with Georgi Bolshakov; negotiating with the Soviet Union in Vienna, over Laos and Cuba, etc.; JFK’s relationship with foreign heads of state; State Department staff and U.S. Ambassadors; the military coup in Vietnam; the Berlin crisis of the summer of 1961 and the Berlin Wall; RFK’s 1961 trip to the Ivory Coast; and Soviet and American nuclear testing, among other issues.
Sound recording
Edward M. Kennedy Senate Files
EMKSEN-AU0003-001-012
Sound recording of the radio program "Face Off." Senator Edward M. "Ted" Kennedy of Massachusetts and Senator Robert J. "Bob" Dole of Kansas comment on the Berlin Wall, noting it had been 25 years since the wall's construction in 1961. Senator Kennedy quotes from President John F. Kennedy's remarks upon signing the Golden Book at the Rathaus Schöneberg on Rudolph Wilde Platz in Berlin, Germany, including President Kennedy's line, "Ich bin ein Berliner." The episode aired on Wednesday, August 27, 1986, on the Mutual Broadcasting System.
Sound recording
Edward M. Kennedy Senate Files
EMKSEN-AU0008-010-014
Sound recording of the radio program "Face Off." Senator Edward M. "Ted" Kennedy of Massachusetts and Senator Alan K. "Al" Simpson of Wyoming debate President George H. W. Bush's handling of U.S, foreign policy during times of rapid change in East Germany, which has opened its borders and announced its intention to hold free elections. Senator Kennedy mentions the inspiration of President John F. Kennedy's remarks in 1963 upon signing the Golden Book at the Rathaus Schöneberg on Rudolph Wilde Platz in Berlin, Germany, and quotes President Kennedy's line, "Ich bin ein Berliner." The episode aired on Tuesday, November 21, 1989, on the Mutual Broadcasting System.
Sound recording
Edward M. Kennedy Senate Files
EMKSEN-AU0008-010-009
Sound recording of the radio program "Face Off." Senator Edward M. "Ted" Kennedy of Massachusetts and Senator Alan K. "Al" Simpson of Wyoming debate President Bush's handling of U.S. foreign policy during times of change in Eastern Europe, citing free movement across the East German border and the Berlin Wall, and new freedoms in Poland and Hungary. The episode aired on Tuesday, November 14, 1989, on the Mutual Broadcasting System.
Sound recording
Papers of John F. Kennedy. Presidential Papers. President's Office Files.
JFKPOF-TPH-52-1
Sound recording of President John F. Kennedy dictating a memoir entry in November 1963. He talks about the coup in Saigon, South Vietnam, and the assassinations of Ngo Dinh Diem and Ngo Dinh Nhu, about the Soviet Union's stand on autobahn access, about American oil contracts in Latin-American countries, and about a statement by West German Chancellor Konrad Adenauer concerning the Berlin Wall. President Kennedy also speaks with his son John F. Kennedy, Jr.The recording ends abruptly.
Sound recording
Papers of John F. Kennedy. Presidential Papers. President's Office Files.
JFKPOF-TPH-30-2
Sound recording of three telephone exchanges. The first exchange is a telephone conversation held on October 22, 1962, between President John F. Kennedy and former President Dwight D. Eisenhower. They discuss ways to deal with the Cuban Missile Crisis and consider possible consequences, including nuclear war and actions taken by the Soviet Union in Berlin, Germany. The recording begins in mid-conversation.The second exchange is chatter involving [White House Operators?]. Machine noise follows.
The third exchange is a brief fragment of a telephone conversation between Secretary of State Dean Rusk and an unidentified man. They talk about an impending address to the nation on providing an “effective quarantine” against a threat.
This sound recording was originally recorded on Dictation Belt 30, which contains additional sound recording(s) preceding this one. To hear all of the recordings on the Dictation Belt, see Digital Identifier: JFKPOF-TPH-30, Title: Telephone recordings: Dictation Belt 30.
Sound recording
Papers of John F. Kennedy. Presidential Papers. President's Office Files.
JFKPOF-TPH-30
Dictation Belt 30 contains two sound recordings from October 22, 1962. Item 30.1 is a telephone conversation between President John F. Kennedy and John J. McCloy. President Kennedy asks McCloy to return to the United States from Frankfurt am Main, Germany, to support the handling of the Cuban Missile Crisis at the United Nations (U.N.). The recording begins in mid-conversation. Item 30.2 is a recording of three telephone exchanges. The first exchange is a telephone conversation between President John F. Kennedy and former President Dwight D. Eisenhower. They discuss ways to deal with the Cuban Missile Crisis and consider possible consequences, including nuclear war and actions taken by the Soviet Union in Berlin, Germany. The recording begins in mid-conversation. The second exchange is chatter involving [White House Operators?]. Machine noise follows. The third exchange is a brief fragment of a telephone conversation between Secretary of State Dean Rusk and an unidentified man. They talk about an impending address to the nation on providing an “effective quarantine” against a threat.Each item listed above is also available individually as an excerpt derived from this full-length digitized recording. See Related Records for more information.
Sound recording
Papers of John F. Kennedy. Presidential Papers. President's Office Files.
JFKPOF-TPH-27A-4
Sound recording of a brief telephone exchange in October 1963 between President John F. Kennedy and Secretary of State Dean Rusk. Secretary Rusk reports on Soviet officials and issues involving the Berlin access situation. The recording begins in mid-conversation. Machine noise follows the conversation.
Transcript included. This sound recording was originally recorded on Dictation Belt 27A, which contains additional sound recording(s) preceding and following this one. To hear all of the recordings on the Dictation Belt, see Digital Identifier: JFKPOF-TPH-27A, Title: Telephone recordings: Dictation Belt 27A.
Sound recording
Papers of John F. Kennedy. Presidential Papers. President's Office Files.
JFKPOF-TPH-27A-3
Sound recording of a telephone conversation held on October 10, 1963, between President John F. Kennedy and Secretary of Defense Robert S. McNamara. They discuss the Soviets permitting convoys to move at Berlin. Machine noise follows the conversation.
Transcript included. This sound recording was originally recorded on Dictation Belt 27A, which contains additional sound recording(s) preceding and following this one. To hear all of the recordings on the Dictation Belt, see Digital Identifier: JFKPOF-TPH-27A, Title: Telephone recordings: Dictation Belt 27A.
Sound recording
Papers of John F. Kennedy. Presidential Papers. President's Office Files.
JFKPOF-TPH-27A-1
Sound recording of a telephone conversation held on October 10, 1963, between President John F. Kennedy and Secretary of Defense Robert S. McNamara. They discuss a situation involving access at Berlin and related talks with Soviet officials.The recording begins in mid-conversation.
Transcript included. This sound recording was originally recorded on Dictation Belt 27A, which contains additional sound recording(s) following this one. To hear all of the recordings on the Dictation Belt, see Digital Identifier: JFKPOF-TPH-27A, Title: Telephone recordings: Dictation Belt 27A.
Sound recording
Papers of John F. Kennedy. Presidential Papers. President's Office Files.
JFKPOF-TPH-27A
Dictation Belt 27A contains six sound recordings. Item 27A.1 is a telephone conversation held on October 10, 1963, between President John F. Kennedy and Secretary of Defense Robert S. McNamara. They discuss a situation involving access at Berlin and related talks with Soviet officials. The recording begins in mid-conversation. Item 27A.2 is a telephone conversation held on October 10, 1963, between President John F. Kennedy and Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy. They talk about the hospitalization of newspaperman Ed Lahey and plan a future discussion. The recording begins in mid-conversation. Machine noise follows the conversation. Item 27A.3 is a telephone conversation held on October 10, 1963, between President John F. Kennedy and Secretary of Defense Robert S. McNamara. They discuss the Soviets permitting convoys to move at Berlin. Machine noise follows the conversation. Item 27A.3A is a brief fragment of a telephone conversation held in October 1963. An unidentified man (possibly Secretary of Defense Robert S. McNamara) says he will report back when he hears more information. The recording begins in mid-sentence. Item 27A.4 is a brief telephone exchange in October 1963 between President John F. Kennedy and Secretary of State Dean Rusk. Secretary Rusk reports on Soviet officials and issues involving the Berlin access situation. The recording begins in mid-conversation. Machine noise follows the conversation. Item 27A.5 is a telephone conversation held in October 1963 between Personal Secretary Evelyn Lincoln and Gerald G. Wagner. Lincoln reports that she has not relayed Wagner’s letter. [White House Operator?] announces the call. Machine noise follows the conversation.Transcript included. Each item listed above is also available individually as an excerpt derived from this full-length digitized recording. See Related Records for more information.
Sound recording
United States Information Agency Audio Recordings Collection
USIAAU-044
Sound recording of a Russian-language Radio Liberty (RFE/RL, Inc.) broadcast on October 12, 1961, called “War or Peace.” The radio broadcast includes excerpts from President John F. Kennedy's address in New York City before the General Assembly of the United Nations (U.N.) on September 25, 1961; excerpts cover nuclear testing and disarmament, a proposal for a treaty to stop nuclear testing, free elections, security, the crisis in Berlin, Germany, and the role and organization of the U.N. Also included are excerpts from remarks by the Premier of the Soviet Union Nikita S. Khrushchev and the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Soviet Union Andrei Gromyko. Accession MR-1965-143B
Oral history
Robert F. Kennedy Oral History Collection
RFKOH-JEN-05
In this interview Nolan discusses Robert F. Kennedy [RFK] right after John F. Kennedy’s assassination; RFK’s speeches and appearances in early 1964 and his plans to leave the Department of Justice; the trip to Europe in the summer of 1964; planning RFK’s visit to Poland; RFK in Germany and Poland; and RFK’s decision to run for Senate in New York in 1964 and his campaign, among other issues.
Sound recording
White House Audio Collection
JFKWHA-201-001
Sound recording of President John F. Kennedy’s address at the Free University of Berlin in Berlin, Germany. In his speech the President thanks the school for the Honorary Citizen award bestowed upon him, describes his hopes for the reunification of Germany, and discusses the future of Berlin in the context of the ideals of truth, justice, and liberty.
Sound recording
White House Audio Collection
JFKWHA-200-002
Sound recording of President John F. Kennedy’s remarks at the United States Headquarters in West Berlin, Germany. In his speech the President commends the United States military forces for their efforts concerning German-Soviet relations and the division of the city of Berlin.