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Oral history
John F. Kennedy Oral History Collection
JFKOH-ROAH-03
This interview focuses on U.S. economic policy in regards to Cuba during the Kennedy Admin., reactions of U.S. citizens to the Cuban policy, and the United States' economic investments in Cuba at the time of Fidel Castro's takeover, among other things.
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.
Oral history
John F. Kennedy Oral History Collection
JFKOH-WIEK-01
This written statement focuses on William E. Knox’s trips to the Soviet Union and Knox’s meeting with Chairman Krushchev in 1962, among other issues.
Sound recording
Papers of John F. Kennedy. Presidential Papers. President's Office Files.
JFKPOF-TPH-05A-1
Sound recording of a telephone conversation between President John F. Kennedy, John J. McCloy, and Secretary of State Dean Rusk. They discuss McCloy’s dealings with Vasilii V. Kuznetsov concerning the surveillance and quarantine of Cuba. They also discuss plans to speak to U Thant of the United Nations (U.N.).[White House Operator?] speaks to McCloy as he holds for President Kennedy.
Transcript included. This sound recording was originally recorded on Dictation Belt 5A, which contains additional sound recording(s) following this one. To hear all of the recordings on the Dictation Belt, see Digital Identifier: JFKPOF-TPH-05A, Title: Telephone Recordings: Dictation Belt 5A.
Sound recording
Papers of John F. Kennedy. Presidential Papers. President's Office Files.
JFKPOF-TPH-05A
Dictation Belt 5A contains three undated sound recordings. Item 5A.1 is a telephone conversation between President John F. Kennedy, John J. McCloy, and Secretary of State Dean Rusk. They discuss McCloy’s dealings with Vasilii V. Kuznetsov concerning the surveillance and quarantine of Cuba. They also discuss plans to speak to U Thant of the United Nations (U.N.). [White House Operator?] speaks to McCloy as he holds for President Kennedy. Item 5A.2 is a telephone conversation between United States Army General Chester V. Clifton and an unidentified man. On the advice of former president Dwight D. Eisenhower, the man asks General Clifton to arrange a meeting with President John F. Kennedy for Clarence Francis and S.H. Egbert. The recording begins in mid-conversation. Item 5A.3 is a sound recording of a telephone conversation between Secretary of State Dean Rusk and an unidentified man. They discuss negotiations on Cuba at the United Nations (UN). The recording begins in mid-conversation and 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-41-3
Sound recording of a telephone conversation held on October 28, 1962, between President John F. Kennedy and former President Harry S. Truman. They discuss dealings with Soviet Premier Nikita S. Khrushchev for ending the Cuban Missile Crisis.[White House Operator?] places the call at President Kennedy’s request and a delay follows.
This sound recording was originally recorded on Dictation Belt 41, 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-41, Title: Telephone Recordings: Dictation Belt 41.
Sound recording
Papers of John F. Kennedy. Presidential Papers. President's Office Files.
JFKPOF-TPH-41-2
Sound recording of a telephone conversation held on October 28, 1962, between President John F. Kennedy and former President Dwight D. Eisenhower. They discuss dealings with Soviet Premier Nikita S. Khrushchev for ending the Cuban Missile Crisis.[White House Operator?] connects the call at President Kennedy’s request.
Transcript included. This sound recording was originally recorded on Dictation Belt 41, 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-41, Title: Telephone Recordings: Dictation Belt 41.
Sound recording
Papers of John F. Kennedy. Presidential Papers. President's Office Files.
JFKPOF-TPH-41
Dictation Belt 41 contains four sound recordings. Item 41.1 is a telephone conversation between unidentified men. They discuss aerial reconnaissance and various proposals involving airplanes or aerial photography, including the sale of an airplane to the United Nations (U.N.). Most of one speaker’s side of the conversation is indistinct. The conversation ends abruptly and machine noise follows. Item 41.2 is a telephone conversation held on October 28, 1962, between President John F. Kennedy and former President Dwight D. Eisenhower. They discuss dealings with Soviet Premier Nikita S. Khrushchev for ending the Cuban Missile Crisis. [White House Operator?] connects the call at President Kennedy’s request. Item 41.3 is a telephone conversation held on October 28, 1962, between President John F. Kennedy and former President Harry S. Truman. They discuss dealings with Soviet Premier Nikita S. Khrushchev for ending the Cuban Missile Crisis. [White House Operator?] places the call at President Kennedy’s request and a delay follows. Item 41.4 is a telephone conversation held on October 28, 1962, between President John F. Kennedy and former President Herbert Hoover. They discuss conditions for ending the Cuban Missile Crisis. The recording begins in mid-conversation. Machine noise follows the conversation.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-32-3
Sound recording of a telephone conversation possibly held on October 23, 1962, between President John F. Kennedy and Deputy Secretary of Defense Roswell L. Gilpatric. They discuss setting rules of engagement for a naval blockade of Cuba, in case American naval forces need to engage Soviet ships. They also discuss arranging a meeting with Governor Nelson A. Rockefeller of New York and the Civil Defense Committee.The recording begins in mid-conversation. After the conversation, there is a brief fragment of indistinct speech followed by another brief exchange between President Kennedy and Gilpatric. Machine noise follows.
This sound recording was originally recorded on Dictation Belt 32, which contains additional sound recording(s) preceding this one. To hear all of the recordings on the Dictation Belt, see Digital Identifier: JFKPOF-TPH-32, Title: Telephone recordings: Dictation Belt 32.
Sound recording
Papers of John F. Kennedy. Presidential Papers. President's Office Files.
JFKPOF-TPH-32-1
Sound recording of a telephone conversation held on October 23, 1962, between President John F. Kennedy and General Lucius Clay. President Kennedy reads a message from Soviet Premier Nikita S. Khrushchev delivered in response to U.S. actions during the Cuban Missile Crisis. President Kennedy invites General Clay to be involved in discussions about the crisis and expresses concern about possible consequences for Berlin, Germany.The recording begins in mid-conversation.
This sound recording was originally recorded on Dictation Belt 32, which contains additional sound recording(s) following this one. To hear all of the recordings on the Dictation Belt, see Digital Identifier: JFKPOF-TPH-32, Title: Telephone recordings: Dictation Belt 32.
Sound recording
Papers of John F. Kennedy. Presidential Papers. President's Office Files.
JFKPOF-TPH-32
Dictation Belt 32 contains three sound recordings. Item 32.1 is a telephone conversation held on October 23, 1962, between President John F. Kennedy and General Lucius Clay. President Kennedy reads a message from Soviet Premier Nikita S. Khrushchev delivered in response to U.S. actions during the Cuban Missile Crisis. President Kennedy invites General Clay to be involved in discussions about the crisis and expresses concern about possible consequences for Berlin, Germany. The recording begins in mid-conversation. Item 32.2 is a brief telephone exchange between Personal Secretary Evelyn Lincoln and Secretary of State Dean Rusk. Secretary Rusk asks to see President John F. Kennedy. The recording begins in mid-sentence and ends abruptly. Item 32.3 is a telephone conversation possibly held on October 23, 1962, between President John F. Kennedy and Deputy Secretary of Defense Roswell L. Gilpatric. They discuss setting rules of engagement for a naval blockade of Cuba, in case American naval forces need to engage Soviet ships. They also discuss arranging a meeting with Governor Nelson A. Rockefeller of New York and the Civil Defense Committee. The recording begins in mid-conversation. After the conversation, there is a brief fragment of indistinct speech followed by another brief exchange between President Kennedy and Gilpatric. Machine noise follows.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-31
Sound recording of a telephone conversation held in October 1962 between President John F. Kennedy and Adlai E. Stevenson, Ambassador to the United Nations (U.N.). They discuss the Soviet Union’s military buildup on Cuba.Most of Ambassador Stevenson’s side of the conversation is inaudible. A lengthy period of machine noise follows the conversation.
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
White House Audio Collection
JFKWHA-144
Sound recording of the President’s News Conference of November 20, 1962 (News Conference 45). The President begins the press conference with an update on the Cuban Missile Crisis, stating that Soviet Prime Minister Nikita Khrushchev would withdraw IL-28 bomber planes in Cuba within 30 days and that the naval quarantine of Cuba was lifted as a result of the withdrawal. The President then announces the signing of Executive Order 11063, which prevented discrimination in housing facilities owned or operated by the federal government, and the creation of the Committee on Equal Opportunity in Housing. The President also announces advances in northeast India by the Chinese, and the deployment of a team headed by Assistant Secretary of State W. Averell Harriman to determine India’s military assistance needs. Following these statements the President answers questions from the press on a variety of topics including Cuba, information policies between the press and the government, Executive Order 11063, and the current situation between India and China.
Sound recording
White House Audio Collection
JFKWHA-143-004
Sound recording of President John F. Kennedy’s radio and television statement on the dismantling of Soviet missile bases in Cuba. In his speech President Kennedy indicates that the missile bases are in the dismantlement process, and explains that the naval quarantine on Cuba will remain in effect until the situation is resolved.
Sound recording
White House Audio Collection
JFKWHA-142-001
Sound recording of President John F. Kennedy’s radio and television address to the nation regarding the former Soviet Union’s military presence in Cuba. In his speech President Kennedy reports the establishment of offensive missile sites presumably intended to launch a nuclear offensive against Western nations. The President characterizes the transformation of Cuba into an important strategic base as an explicit threat to American security, and explains seven components to his proposed course of action: quarantine all offensive military equipment under shipment to Cuba, increase the degree of surveillance, regard a possible attack launched from Cuba as a Soviet attack, reinforce the Guantanamo Bay Naval Base, call for a meeting of the Organ of Consultation, call for an emergency meeting of the United Nations Security Council, and demand that Premier Nikita Khrushchev cease his current course of action. In his speech the President famously states, “Our goal is not the victory of might, but the vindication of right- not peace at the expense of freedom, but both peace and freedom, here in this Hemisphere, and, we hope, around the world.”
Sound recording
White House Audio Collection
JFKWHA-126
Sound recording of the President’s News Conference of September 13, 1962 (News Conference 43). The President begins the press conference with a statement concerning the recent shipments of supplies and technicians into Cuba from the Soviet Union, events that led to the Cuban Missile Crisis. He goes on to say that the United States would not take military action against Cuba unless necessary. The President then answers questions from the press on a variety of topics including the Alliance for Progress, civil rights, the Chicago Northwestern Railway strike, the military space program, nuclear testing, and the President’s request for special reserve mobilization powers.
Textual folder
Theodore C. Sorensen Personal Papers
TCSPP-049-006
Textual folder
Theodore C. Sorensen Personal Papers
TCSPP-048-013
Photograph folder
White House Photographs
JFKWHP-1962-10-23-B
AR28, ST15, KN25
Photograph folder
White House Photographs
JFKWHP-1962-10-22-B
ST15, KN24
Photograph folder
White House Photographs
JFKWHP-1962-11-02-B
KN25
Photograph folder
Department of Defense Cuban Missile Crisis Briefing Materials
DODCMCBM-010-004
Aerial photograph of medium-range ballistic missile (MRBM) launch site number 3 in San Cristobal, Cuba, as it appeared on October 27, 1962 (see Briefing Board #21).
Photograph folder
Department of Defense Cuban Missile Crisis Briefing Materials
DODCMCBM-010-002
Aerial reconnaissance photograph showing an intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM) launch site in Guanajay, Cuba, as it appeared on October 23, 1962 (see Briefing Board #19).