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Oral history
John F. Kennedy Oral History Collection
JFKOH-LHH-02
This interview focuses on the preparation and passage of the Trade Expansion Act, the United States’ trade with the Soviet Union and Cuba, and the Department of Commerce’s relations with Congress, among other issues.
Oral history
John F. Kennedy Oral History Collection
JFKOH-KGH-02
In this interview Heath discusses how she came to join the Office of Education; the leadership within the Office of Education and different ideas on how it should be run; other agencies within the Department of Health, Education and Welfare [HEW]; changes in the status and administration of HEW; various pieces of education legislation; the 1954 Supreme Court decision on separate but equal and segregation in schools; international education affairs; the reasons for pushing for general school aid over categorical aid; the 1955 White House conference on education; coalescing all the organizations within HEW into one voice for the Department; working with other Departments; the International Labor Organization and the United Nations; getting political support from the different presidential Administrations; the nationalization of the Suez Canal; the shift to considering social matters in a much broader context; the impact of the Sputnik launch on the Office of Education; and the National Defense Education Act, among other issues.
Oral history
John F. Kennedy Oral History Collection
JFKOH-FFC-01
Church discusses the 1960 presidential campaign and John F. Kennedy’s (JFK) campaign visit to Idaho in 1960, legislation during the Kennedy Administration, and various foreign policy issues during the Kennedy Administration, 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-03
In this interview Robert F. Kennedy [RFK] discusses the 1962 steel crisis; some major issues and accomplishments of John F. Kennedy’s [JFK] presidency; choosing the U.S. Ambassador to Russia; foreign aid and treaties; the military coup in Peru; the space race during the Kennedy Administration; the 1962 congressional and gubernatorial campaigns; JFK’s dinner for the Nobel Prize winners; the Polaris submarines; problems with the New York Herald Tribune; New York politics; various pieces of federal legislation, 1961–1963; the Dominican Republic; Department of Justice investigations under RFK; the difficulties of being Attorney General; congressional issues in early 1963; the Vietnam War escalation in 1963; American support of the coup in Vietnam; Henry Cabot Lodge as the U.S. Ambassador to Vietnam; the prisoners from the Bay of Pigs invasion; American actions in Cuba; unemployment and civil rights; RFK’s meeting with James Baldwin; JFK’s trips to the South and speeches on civil rights; the nuclear test ban treaty; and JFK’s trip to Ireland and Rome, 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.
Oral history
John F. Kennedy Oral History Collection
JFKOH-CJZ-01
Zablocki discusses John F. Kennedy’s [JFK] time while in the House of Representatives and the Senate, as well as his involvement in JFK’s presidential campaign and Wisconsin primary (1960). He also discusses his own relationship with, and support for, JFK, as well as JFK’s personality, among other issues.
Sound recording
Papers of John F. Kennedy. Presidential Papers. President's Office Files.
JFKPOF-TPH-23B
Dictation Belt 23B contains six sound recordings. Item 23B.1 is a telephone conversation between President John F. Kennedy and Senator George A. Smathers of Florida. It probably occurred between July 10 and July 17, 1963. They discuss President Kennedy’s response to an unidentified grievance, judgments about the suitability of men to serve in roles related to a railroad work rules dispute, and a press editorial critical of President Kennedy. The recording begins in mid-conversation. Item 23B.2 is closed. Personal conversations withdrawn under privacy provisions of the donor’s deed of gift. Item 23B.3 is a brief fragment of a telephone conversation held on July 17, 1963, between President John F. Kennedy and Secretary of the Treasury C. Douglas Dillon. The topic of discussion is unclear. The recording begins in mid-conversation. Item 23B.4 is a telephone conversation held on July 19, 1963, between President John F. Kennedy and Senator George A. Smathers of Florida. They discuss a legislative strategy for a foreign aid bill. The recording begins in mid-conversation. Item 23B.5 is a telephone conversation held on July 19, 1963, between President John F. Kennedy and Senator Russell B. Long of Louisiana. They discuss a foreign aid bill. [White House Operator?] announces the call. Item 23B.6 is part of a telephone conversation held on July 24, 1963, between President John F. Kennedy and Secretary of State Dean Rusk. They discuss hearings on a treaty banning atmospheric nuclear weapons tests, later known as the Partial Test Ban Treaty (PTBT) or the Limited Test Ban Treaty (LTBT) and the positions held by various Senators. The recording of this conversation ends abruptly and continues on Dictation Belt 23C.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
Papers of John F. Kennedy. Presidential Papers. President's Office Files.
JFKPOF-TPH-04K
Dictation Belt 4K contains eight sound recordings. The recording of the conversation in item 4K.1 begins on Dictation Belt 4J.6. Item 4K.1 is part of a telephone conversation held on October 2, 1962, between Personal Secretary Evelyn Lincoln and an unidentified man in the White House supply room. Lincoln orders envelopes. Machine noise follows the conversation. Item 4K.2 is a telephone conversation between Personal Secretary Evelyn Lincoln and a White House Operator. They discuss an incoming call from J. Robert Greenberg in Greenwich, Connecticut. Machine noise follows the conversation. Item 4K.3 is a telephone conversation between President John F. Kennedy and Speaker of the United States House of Representatives John W. McCormack of Massachusetts. They discuss legislative strategy regarding a foreign aid bill and make arrangements for meetings. The recording begins in mid-conversation. Machine noise follows the conversation. Item 4K.4 is a telephone conversation between Personal Secretary Evelyn Lincoln and a man identified as “George” (possibly United States Navy Admiral George G. Burkley, a physician assigned to the White House Physician’s Office). The man relays a message announcing the death of a man named either “John P. Harrington” or “John T. Harrington.” Machine noise follows the conversation. Item 4K.5 is a telephone conversation between Personal Secretary Evelyn Lincoln and a woman who answers the telephone in the office of Lawrence F. O’Brien, Special Assistant to the President. Lincoln begins to relay a message about the death of a man named either “John P. Harrington” or “John T. Harrington.” [White House Operator?] places the call at Lincoln’s request. The recording ends abruptly. Item 4K.6 is a telephone conversation between President John F. Kennedy and Lawrence F. O'Brien, Special Assistant to the President. President Kennedy notifies O’Brien of a discussion with Speaker of the United States House of Representatives John W. McCormack of Massachusetts. [White House Operator?] takes President Kennedy’s request to place the call. A delay follows, the telephone rings, and then [White House Operator?] announces the call to Personal Secretary Evelyn Lincoln. The recording of President Kennedy’s conversation with O’Brien ends abruptly. Item 4K.7 is a telephone conversation between President John F. Kennedy and Senator Mike Mansfield of Montana. They discuss legislative matters. The recording begins in mid-conversation. Item 4K.8 is a telephone conversation between President John F. Kennedy and a man identified as “Albert.” They discuss legislative strategy on H.R. 10, the Self-employed Individuals Retirement Act of 1962. The dictation belt skips and the recording ends abruptly.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
Papers of John F. Kennedy. Presidential Papers. President's Office Files.
JFKPOF-TPH-28A
Dictation Belt 28A contains five sound recordings. Item 28A.1 is a telephone conversation held on October 24, 1963, between President John F. Kennedy and President Josip Broz Tito of Yugoslavia. They discuss President Tito’s trip to New York. [White House Operator?] places the call at President Kennedy’s request. Item 28A.2 is a telephone conversation held on October 28, 1963, between President John F. Kennedy and Mayor Richard J. Daley of Chicago. President Kennedy asks Mayor Daley to speak to Representative Roland V. Libonati of Illinois about supporting a civil rights bill. The recording begins in mid-conversation. Item 28A.3 is a telephone conversation held on October 29, 1963, between President John F. Kennedy and Representative Charles Halleck of Indiana. They discuss a vote on a civil rights bill. [White House Operator?] speaks to Representative Halleck while he holds for President Kennedy. Item 28A.4 is a telephone conversation between President John F. Kennedy and Senator Mike Mansfield of Montana. They discuss economic and military assistance to Latin America and legislative strategy on a civil rights bill. Item 28A.5 is a brief telephone exchange on October 30, 1963, between President John F. Kennedy and a [White House Operator]. President Kennedy asks the operator to place a call to Speaker of the United States House of Representatives John W. McCormack of Massachusetts. The recording ends abruptly.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
Papers of John F. Kennedy. Presidential Papers. President's Office Files.
JFKPOF-TPH-26D
Dictation Belt 26D contains eight sound recordings. The recording of the conversation in item 26D.1 begins on Dictation Belt 26C.3. Item 26D.1 is part of a telephone conversation held on August 23, 1963, between President John F. Kennedy and Louis Harris. They continue to discuss polling on various issues, including tax cuts, Congress, and regional attitudes. Item 26D.2 is a telephone conversation held on August 23, 1963, between President John F. Kennedy and Assistant Secretary of State Frederick G. Dutton. They discuss congressional hearings on a treaty banning atmospheric nuclear weapons tests, later known as the Partial Test Ban Treaty (PTBT) or the Limited Test Ban Treaty (LTBT). Item 26D.3 is a telephone conversation held on August 23, 1963, between President John F. Kennedy and Special Assistant to the President Lawrence F. O’Brien. They discuss a bill on foreign aid and a bill on railroad work rules arbitration. Item 26D.3A is a brief telephone exchange on August 23, 1963, between President John F. Kennedy and a White House Operator. President Kennedy asks to speak to Secretary of Labor W. Willard Wirtz. Machine noise follows the exchange. Item 26D.3B is a brief telephone exchange on August 23, 1963, between a White House Operator and an unidentified man. They say hello. Machine noise follows the exchange. Item 26D.4 is a telephone conversation held on August 23, 1963, between President John F. Kennedy and Secretary of Labor W. Willard Wirtz. They discuss arbitration legislation concerning a dispute over railroad work rules. There is an echo throughout the recording. Item 26D.5 is a brief fragment of a telephone conversation between President John F. Kennedy and an unidentified man. They talk about a memorandum and arrange a meeting. The recording begins in mid-sentence. Item 26D.6 is a telephone conversation between President John F. Kennedy and an unidentified man. They discuss unidentified legislation. A delay precedes the conversation. The recording ends abruptly and much of it is badly garbled. 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.
Textual folder
Papers of John F. Kennedy. Presidential Papers. President's Office Files.
JFKPOF-052-001
This folder contains materials collected by the office of President John F. Kennedy's secretary, Evelyn Lincoln, concerning legislative activities and efforts to enact the Kennedy Administration's legislative program. Items include press releases concerning legislation, an overview of legislative items recommended by the President, reports prepared by Legislative Research, and a summary of legislation during the administration of President Dwight D. Eisenhower. Memoranda from Special Counsel and speechwriter Theodore Sorensen and Special Assistant to the President for Congressional Relations and Personnel Lawrence "Larry" O'Brien concerning individual congressmen and pieces of legislation are found throughout. Topics include trade, civil defense, agriculture, and natural resources development. The folder also contains memoranda concerning Congressional debates on foreign aid appropriations. The folder was originally titled "9/4/62-9/14/62 Military reserve units, Trade, Guyandot Reservoir, West Virginia, Passman Subcommittee."
Textual folder
Papers of John F. Kennedy. Presidential Papers. President's Office Files.
JFKPOF-049-006
This folder contains materials collected by the office of President John F. Kennedy's secretary, Evelyn Lincoln, concerning legislative activities and efforts to enact the Kennedy Administration's legislative program. Items include "Legislative Notes" and other data prepared by Legislative Research; reports on legislative progress from Special Assistant to the President for Congressional Relations and Personnel Lawrence "Larry" O'Brien; and a letter from Illinois Congressman Charles Melvin Price concerning the Aircraft Nuclear Propulsion program. Also included are materials regarding civil rights legislation and foreign aid, including a proposed amendment to the Foreign Aid Act. This folder was originally titled "March 1961:18-30, Aircraft nuclear propulsion, sugar, feed grains, minimum wage, civil rights, area redevelopment, social security."
Oral history
John F. Kennedy Oral History Collection
JFKOH-LS-02
This interview focuses on John F. Kennedy’s stance on domestic and foreign policy issues, his professional relationship with Saltonstall, and the Kennedy administration’s relations with Congress, among other topics.