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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.
Sound recording
Papers of John F. Kennedy. Presidential Papers. President's Office Files.
JFKPOF-TPH-11A
Dictation Belt 11A contains six sound recordings. Item 11A.1 is a telephone conversation held on March 6, 1963, between President John F. Kennedy and Under Secretary of State George W. Ball. They discuss the cancellation of a visit by a French official. Machine noise precedes the conversation. [White House Operator?] speaks to Under Secretary Ball while he holds for President Kennedy. Item 11A.2 is a telephone conversation held on March 7, 1963, between President John F. Kennedy and United States Army General Chester V. Clifton. They discuss the issue of participation of Arkansas National Guard fliers in the Bay of Pigs invasion. The recording begins in mid-conversation. Machine noise follows the conversation. Item 11A.3 is a telephone conversation held on March 7, 1963, between President John F. Kennedy and Adrian S. Fisher. They discuss responding to a statement by Senator Thomas J. Dodd of Connecticut. Machine noise follows the conversation. Item 11A.4 is a telephone conversation held on March 7, 1963, between President John F. Kennedy and Under Secretary of State George W. Ball. They discuss international trade issues involving the United States, Great Britain, and the Soviet Union. The trade issues involve wool, oil, and a pipe embargo. The dictation belt skips occasionally. Item 11A.5 is a telephone conversation held on March 7, 1963, between President John F. Kennedy and Deputy Attorney General Nicholas deB. Katzenbach. They discuss civil rights issues in Mississippi and Louisiana and briefly discuss Interhandel. The recording begins in mid-conversation. [White House Operator?] ends the call. Machine noise follows the conversation. Item 11A.6 is part of a telephone conversation held on March 7, 1963. First an unidentified man notifies President Kennedy of the death of Thomas J. Shanahan. Then the unidentified man gives Personal Secretary Evelyn Lincoln additional information regarding Shanahan. The recording of this conversation ends abruptly and continues on Dictation Belt 11B.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.