COLLECTION FINDING AID



AMERICA SINCE HOOVER:

SELECTED DOCUMENTS FROM PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARIES, 1929-80




SUMMARY DESCRIPTION

Photostatic copies of memoranda, correspondence, handwritten notes, reports, diary entries, oral history transcripts, and tape recordings gathered from eight presidential libraries to illustrate prominent personalities, issues, and events in recent American history. The staff of each presidential library selected the particular items which appear in this collection. Prominent subjects include the New Deal, World War II, civil rights, relations with the Soviet Union, and U.S. involvement in Vietnam. The files are arranged chronologically by the library of origin and thereunder by subject.

QUANTITY
3 linear feet (ca. 4,500 pages) and 14 cassette recordings.

DONOR
For the donor of any given document, contact the presidential library which holds the original.

ACCESS
Open.

COPYRIGHT
For copyright information on any given document, contact the presidential library which holds the original.

Prepared: January 1992
[s:\bin\findaid\america since hoover.doc]


CONTAINER LIST

Box 1 - Herbert Hoover Library

  • Bonus March on Washington, 1932


  • Correspondence and presidential statements regarding increasingly violent demonstrations in Washington, DC, in July 1932. Includes a request for federal troops from the District of Columbia, HH's statement and message to Douglas MacArthur authorizing the use of the Army, Grand Jury testimony about mob violence, statements disparaging the marchers as "radicals," and reports from the War Department on action to restore order.

  • Depression--Letters from the Public to the White House


  • Letters to Herbert and Lou Henry Hoover from citizens appealing for money and clothing to help them cope with hardship, 1929-32. White House responses generally recommend local charities. Two cases, however, illustrate personal intervention by the Hoovers.

  • Depression--Relief Policies


  • Reports designed to show the extent of government action to combat the Depression; statements and news clippings supporting HH's Organization on Unemployment Relief or indicating administration policy to work with the private sector toward economic recovery.

  • Disarmament


  • Forty-nine page excerpt of a State Department report, 2/22/33, concerning naval disarmament and a summary of efforts to reduce land forces in western Europe since the end of World War I.

  • Manchurian Crisis


  • State Department reports on Fall 1931 Japanese invasion of Manchuria; efforts to coordinate U.S. response with that of Britain; various interpretations of Japan's intentions; suggestions of American interest in Manchurian railroads; a ten-page analysis of the Chinese government's capabilities, 2/13/33, accounting for the fortunes of Chinese communists and the impact of the Japanese invasion; a reflection on the Manchurian episode from W. Cameron Forbes, who represented the United States during part of it, expressed in a six-page personal note to HH in 1952.

  • Reconstruction Finance Corporation


  • Explanation of the program to relieve unemployment by financing the construction of public works; recapitulation of funds distributed to states under the program by February 1933; examples of specific projects funded; clipping about the relief program.

  • Relief and Construction Act of 1932


  • HH address to the Senate, 5/31/32, calling for a balanced budget and modest relief legislation; HH statement of 6/24/32 criticizing congressional action to approve relief spending without providing corresponding revenues.

  • Stock Market Crash


  • Two detailed analyses of the health of the stock market in late October 1929 prepared for HH by two prominent private financiers.

Box 2 - Franklin D. Roosevelt Library

  • Atomic Bomb


  • Correspondence with Albert Einstein, including Einstein's letter to FDR, 8/2/39, reporting on the newly-discovered energy potential of the nuclear chain reaction; complaints from Britain in 1943 about the U.S. developing the atomic bomb without joint cooperation; a March 1945 recommendation to FDR that he appoint a panel to investigate the progress of the Manhattan Project, which had recently passed $2 billion in spending.

  • Banking Crisis


  • Annotated script in FDR's hand of his radio address, 5/7/33, reporting on the banking crisis and administration actions since the Inauguration.

  • Civil Rights--Blacks and Chicanos During World War II


  • Petition to city of Los Angeles to develop rehabilitation programs for Chicanos; Army Air Force memo, 12/23/42, restricting access to portions of Amarillo, Texas, occupied by minorities; investigation of racist incidents against Chicanos and gang activity in Los Angeles in Summer 1943; a December 1943 report on racial tensions across the country; a 16-page report from the Office of War Information on the Harlem race riot in August 1943; correspondence regarding racial discrimination in the armed forces.

  • Foreign Policy, 1933-38


  • Marked draft in FDR's hand of his message to the London Economic Conference, July 1935 (?); FDR's major foreign policy speech, 10/5/37, alerting Americans to the threat of war but pledging to "adopt every practicable measure to avoid involvement in war"; correspondence between FDR and socialist Norman Thomas on the U.S. response to the Spanish civil war; excerpts from a letter from Charles Lindbergh to Joseph Kennedy expressing admiration for the German aviation industry in 1938.

  • Foreign Policy, 1939-41


  • Transcript of a presidential press conference, 2/3/39, including a lengthy exchange regarding the degree of U.S. involvement with Britain and France and FDR's view of the press's right to know privileged information; documents bearing on congressional action on neutrality; information about the evolving relationship between the U.S. and her future allies, including FDR's notes from a Cabinet meeting regarding the sale of destroyers to Great Britain and notes of Harry Hopkins's meeting with Stalin in June 1941; a recommendation that Charles Lindbergh's offer to serve the Army Air Corps be turned down because of his fascist sympathies.

  • Labor Unions


  • Documents concerning labor violence and labor response to New Deal programs; UAW actions to organize General Motors in 1937; negotiations between operators and coal miners in 1939, including a recommendation that FDR call John L. Lewis to "give him a little flattery"; information about American labor union financial support of unions associated with communists in Mexico.

  • New Deal--Black Americans


  • June 1934 minutes of an inter-department group "concerned with the special problems of Negroes," especially in labor and skilled employment; National Recovery Administration report on efforts to help Blacks; a speech by Colonel C.W. Stiles, M.D., "Medico Zoological Aspects of the Race Problem," and a resulting, vehement complaint to FDR from the NAACP; letters and memoranda concerning the government service of Clark Foreman, who was allegedly removed as Director of the Defense Housing Division because of his advocacy of fair treatment for Blacks.

  • New Deal--Civilian Conservation Corps


  • April 3, 1933 memo establishing procedures for the Civilian Conservation Corps; a report from someone employed by CCC applauding the program; FDR's hand-drawn organizational chart for the CCC and a note indicating his personal interest in the program.

  • New Deal--Cultural Programs


  • Letters requesting support of artists; correspondence regarding a WPA project in which FDR takes a personal interest; correspondence between FDR and Nelson Rockefeller revealing the lack of public appreciation for federal support of the arts.

  • New Deal--Labor


  • Correspondence regarding fair wages for work conducted under New Deal programs.

  • New Deal--Opposition


  • 1933 memo from Father Charles E. Coughlin criticizing FDR and the New Deal; a March 1934 letter from Huey Long criticizing FDR and notes regarding a reply; a transcript of Father Coughlin's radio address describing the Townsend Plan.

  • New Deal--Public Works Administration


  • July 1936 memo from Harold Ickes describing problems in setting up the Public Works Administration; September 1935 status report on PWA, and FDR's notes on same.

  • New Deal--Rural Programs


  • 1939 memo to FDR suggesting ways to meet the needs of rural families; a handwritten note to FDR from Rexford Tugwell, November 1939, expressing concern over the administration's position on the farm-tenant bill in Congress; a nine-page summary of farm policy in 1932-33 prepared for Tugwell by the Department of Agriculture in 1939.

  • New Deal--Social Security


  • FDR's August 1938 radio address assessing the Social Security program after three years; notes from Frances Perkins expressing thanks for FDR's acknowledgment of her role.

  • New Deal--Supreme Court


  • Recommendation by the Attorney General that FDR seek to expand and reform the federal judiciary to speed up the courts' work; FDR's explanation of why he seeks to expand the Supreme Court through legislation rather than by constitutional amendment.

  • New Deal--Urban Programs


  • A December 1933 report on the impact of New Deal relief programs in New York City; an undated report on problems faced by relief efforts in several cities in New York.

  • Works Progress Administration


  • Correspondence and notes regarding the use of the WPA for flood control projects in 1936; draft of a telegram to the Comptroller General from FDR urging prompt action on WPA projects.

  • World War II--Holocaust


  • Correspondence regarding FDR's meeting in December 1942 with representatives of various Jewish organizations to receive a memorandum documenting Hitler's decision to exterminate Jews, with memorandum; an entry from the Morgenthau diaries, 12/23/43, indicating a State Department coverup of Hitler's atrocities to prevent U.S. action; a request by the Executive Director of the War Refugees Board, November 1944, that the War Department authorize bombing Auschwitz and Birkenau to prevent further atrocities, and a reply indicating why such action would not be feasible.

  • World War II--Japanese Relocation


  • Reports and comments on "handling the Japanese question on the coast"; the Executive Order establishing the War Relocation Authority on 3/18/42; complaints about the program and FDR's response; excerpts from the June 1943 report of the War Relocation Authority dealing with relocation progress, evacuee reaction to the program, and operational details; a flyer with instructions to evacuate; a "Japanese Hunting License," as an example of anti-Japanese sentiment.

  • World War II--Pearl Harbor


  • December 8, 1941, cable reporting on the attack; excerpts from the report of the presidential commission which investigated the attack containing 21 findings related to American preparedness for the attack.

  • World War II--Roosevelt/Churchill Correspondence, 1939-41


  • Examples of letters and messages exchanged by the two leaders on such issues as the course of the war, American support of Britain, a November 1941 modus vivendi reached by the United States with Japan to ease relations, and the status of the British Empire after the war. To preserve secrecy, these exchanges refer to Churchill as "the Former Naval Person."

  • World War II--Roosevelt/Stalin Correspondence, 1943-45


  • Topics: 1943 meeting of FDR, Stalin, and Churchill in Teheran; Stalin's charge in April 1945 that Britain and the United States reached an independent agreement on peace terms with Germany, and FDR's disavowal.

  • World War II--Operation Overlord


  • Secretary of War Henry Stimson's 12/20/43 letter to FDR making the case for United States military command of the invasion of Europe; 6/14/44 "Eyes Only" message to the President and Secretary of War recounting progress of invasion; the text of FDR's "D-Day Prayer" broadcast to the nation on June 6.

  • World War II--United Nations


  • Findings of an October 1944 public opinion poll on international organizations; FDR letter, 3/29/45, expressing his hopes for the United Nations; correspondence with Senator Tom Connally about Senate ratification of the agreement; FDR's 4/13/45 radio address regarding world peace; annotated draft of the Atlantic Charter.

Box 3 - Harry S. Truman Library

  • Berlin Airlift


  • April 2, 1948, War Department cables regarding possible evacuation of Berlin; summaries of telegrams expressing various assessments of the Berlin blockade through the Summer of 1948; a report to the National Security Council, 7/28/48, on the U.S. military course of action with respect to Berlin; memoranda and other documents regarding American, British, French proposals to the Soviet Union to end the blockade.

  • Civil Rights--Blacks in the Military


  • Recommendations for appointments to the Committee on Equality of Treatment and Opportunity in the Armed Services; the Executive Order establishing the Committee; an October 1949 report to HST from the Committee evaluating the Army's "new racial program" which called for "equality of treatment and opportunity for all persons...."; HST's statement of 5/22/50 receiving the final report of the Committee.

  • Israel--U.S. Recognition (2 folders)


  • HST's handwritten comments and correspondence, news clippings, and presidential statements regarding the position of the United States in the United Nations regarding Palestine, and U.S. recognition of Israel. Includes HST's annotated statement of 5/14/48, recognizing the provisional government of Israel; information from the Jewish Agency for Palestine regarding the security of Israel; an undated complaint (ca. May 1949) from the U.S. to Israel regarding its treatment of Palestinian refugees and occupation of lands in violation of United Nations agreements, and Israel's response.

  • Labor--Steel Industry Dispute Documents dating from late 1951 into 1952 regarding wage and price issues in the steel industry, and the federal government's involvement in them. Includes notes on the opening session of a meeting of steel company and union representatives in the White House on 5/3/52 and assessments of the advantages and disadvantages of invoking the national emergency provision of the Taft-Hartley Act to resolve labor's dispute with the industry over wages.

  • Labor--Taft-Hartley Act


  • Analyses of the "Labor-Management Relations Act of 1947" prepared for HST; presidential statement promising to enforce the law, even though it was passed over HST's veto.

  • Marshall Plan


  • Draft outline notes for Dean Acheson's speech before the Delta Council, 5/8/47, expressing the administration's intention "to seek through a judicious use of its economic resources to help lay the basis for political stability in the world"; initial press and radio reaction to the speech; a memo describing the development of Secretary of State George Marshall's 6/5/47 address at Harvard University where he announced what became known as the "Marshall Plan"; a description of the plan, 7/10/47; and two reports on "European Recovery and American Aid," November 1947.

  • North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)


  • Draft of the "North Atlantic Security Arrangement," 1/14/49; recommendations from HST's advisers about U.S. policy toward NATO; briefing on NATO given to Dwight Eisenhower, 1/5/51; notes of a meeting with Eisenhower, HST, and HST's Cabinet, 1/31/51, in which Eisenhower reports on the situation in Europe; subsequent HST correspondence with Eisenhower reflecting the relationship between the two as well as conditions in Europe and NATO.

  • U.S.-Soviet Relations--Ideological Basis for the Cold War


  • Detailed, reflective, and analytical cable messages from the American Embassy in Moscow to the State Department characterizing the Soviet situation and stance toward the West. Many of these messages were composed by George F. Kennan in 1946; an analysis of the Soviet Navy's threat to the U.S., 1946; a paper on the background of Soviet foreign policy; excerpts from the Office of Intelligence Research's July 1949 report, "Soviet Internal Situation"; analyses of a Stalin interview in 1951; various other assessments of Soviet policy.

  • World War II--Potsdam Conference


  • HST's handwritten notes of 7/25/45, regarding the conference and his reflections on the potential of the atomic bomb, tested recently in New Mexico; HST letter to Bess, 7/20/45, on negotiations and arrangements; a description of HST's preparation for, and participation in, the Potsdam conference; radio address upon HST's return from Berlin, 8/9/45.

  • World War II--Use of the Atomic Bomb


  • Translation of a leaflet dropped to the Japanese people informing them that the U.S. had dropped a bomb on Hiroshima and asking them to pressure the Emperor to end the war; HST's response to a citizen critical of the use of the bomb; memoranda recalling the chronology of HST's actions in deciding to use the bomb; White House Press Release, and related documents, announcing the dropping of the bomb.

Box 4 - Dwight D. Eisenhower Library

  • Civil Rights


  • DDE letter, 7/22/57, articulating his assumptions about how to involve the federal government in civil rights issues; telegram, 9/24/57, from the Mayor of Little Rock requesting federal troops; DDE's handwritten notes about sending troops to Little Rock; telegram of support from Martin Luther King; correspondence regarding DDE's actions with Senators Russell Long and John Stennis, Jackie Robinson, and King; a June 1958 memo of a meeting between DDE and Black leaders.

  • Congo Crisis


  • Minutes of administration officials deliberating the U.S. position in the Congo in July and August, 1960; synopsis of State Department and CIA material reported to DDE; notes of a National Security Council meeting concerning national security implications of future developments in Africa.

  • Eisenhower Doctrine and Lebanon


  • Notes from a 1/1/57 meeting with the congressional leadership assessing the U.S. position in the Middle East; other documents on the Middle East, including a letter from DDE to William F. Knowland complaining about actions to reduce economic and military assistance to the region; several memoranda regarding possible U.S. action or intervention in Lebanon in 1958. These documents deal with such issues as Arab nationalism, the Soviet threat, and the importance of oil.

  • Eisenhower--Leadership and Personality


  • DDE letter, 8/3/56, containing personal reflections; expressions of DDE's principles for the United Nations and U.S. world leadership; 1/1/57 statement to congressional leaders on the nature of politics and governing.

  • Indochina--Vietnam, SEATO


  • Sixteen-page National Security Council memorandum, 4/7/54, regarding possible U.S. intervention in Indochina, the situation in Dien Bien Phu, and the consequences of a French defeat; notes of a briefing for members of Congress given by DDE; personal letters in April 1954 from DDE giving his estimation of the situation and possible repercussions; information about conditions for U.S. action; DDE's instructions to General J. Lawton Collins, Special United States Representative to Saigon, 11/3/54.

  • Loyalty Issues and McCarthy


  • Memoranda, correspondence, and staff and DDE diary entries on such issues as the Rosenberg conviction, Earl Warren's nomination to the Supreme Court, the conduct of Joseph McCarthy, and scientist Robert Oppenheimer as a security risk.

  • Suez Canal Crisis


  • Memoranda of presidential meetings and telephone calls, July-October 1956 about the British decision to challenge Nasser and the administration's assessment of it; the action France, the Soviet Union, Israel and other nations might take in the event of hostilities; and, possible use of the United Nations.

  • U.S.-Soviet Relations--Massive Retaliation Doctrine


  • Undated National Security Council summary of basic national security policy; memoranda regarding the containment of the Soviet Union and U.S. security responsibilities throughout the world; DDE's assessment of collective and national security requirements, September 1953; meeting summaries and staff diary entries documenting DDE's articulation of the "massive retaliation" doctrine.

Box 5 - John F. Kennedy Library

  • Civil Rights--Presidential Recordings Transcripts, Integration of the University of Mississippi, 1962


  • Transcripts of four meetings and twenty telephone conversations related to James Meredith's enrollment at the University of Mississippi. Participants in these conversations include John and Robert Kennedy, White House and Justice Department staff, the Governor of Mississippi, and others.

  • Civil Rights--Presidential Recordings Transcripts, 1963


  • Logs and transcripts of conversations about civil rights demonstrations and proposed legislation. Participants include John and Robert Kennedy, White House and Justice Department staff, other administration officials, Martin Luther King, and members of Congress.

  • Cuba--Bay of Pigs


  • June 1961 report from the Cuban Study Group, commissioned by JFK, about the lessons learned from Bay of Pigs. Includes these sections: narrative of the anti-Castro Operation Zapata, a description of the causes of the operation's failure, and recommendations from the group.

  • Cuba--Missile Crisis


  • Letters exchanged between JFK and Chairman Khrushchev after the U.S. discovery of Soviet missiles in Cuba; JFK doodlings, apparently done during meetings on the crisis.

  • Cuba--Missile Crisis, Presidential Recordings Transcripts (2 folders)


  • Transcripts (87 pages) of 10/16/62 meetings of JFK, RFK, Robert McNamara, Maxwell Taylor, Dean Rusk, LBJ, and other administration officials regarding the discovery of missiles in Cuba and the nature of the U.S. response. Transcripts (82 pages) of five meetings on 10/27/62 of the President's Executive Committee of advisers regarding the U.S. and Soviet handling of the crisis.

  • Economy--Wage and Price Controls--Steel Industry


  • White House press releases regarding steel industry and labor negotiations in March 1962; JFK's press conference remarks about steel industry price hikes and subsequent rollbacks in April.

  • Kennedy--Humor


  • Exchange of letters regarding the market value of JFK's presidential signature.

  • Kennedy--Miscellaneous


  • Letter from Michael Dukakis, 1/19/54, about the Bricker Amendment and the St. Lawrence Seaway; JFK doodling where the word "decesion" appears repeatedly.

  • Presidential Campaign, 1960--Catholicism as an Issue


  • JFK's remarks before a meeting of the Association of Ministers of Greater Houston and before the American Society of Newspaper Editors regarding his religious views as a campaign issue; newspaper clipping, church bulletins, and correspondence reflecting the campaign issue.

  • U.S.-Soviet Relations--Berlin Crisis


  • Memoranda of conversations between JFK and Khrushchev in June 1961 at their meeting in Vienna regarding their respective assumptions about foreign policy, relations between the two countries generally, and the issue of Berlin more specifically.

  • Vietnam


  • State Department, Saigon embassy, and White House cable traffic regarding the overthrow of President Diem in November 1963; a draft National Security Action Memorandum (NSAM) stating the U.S.'s objectives in Vietnam and position toward the provisional government; draft instructions from JFK to Maxwell Taylor, who was sent to Vietnam to appraise the situation; NSAM 273 indicating JFK intended to withdraw 1000 U.S. advisers by the end of 1963; document concerning the relationship of Laos to the crisis in South Vietnam, 1961.

Box 6 - John F. Kennedy Library

  • This box contains 13 audio tape cassettes about civil rights and one about the Cuban missile crisis. The transcripts in the previous box were drawn from these tapes.

Box 7 - Lyndon Baines Johnson Library

  • Civil Rights--Civil Rights Act of 1964


  • Memoranda for LBJ outlining administration strategy for passing civil rights legislation in late 1963 and 1964; "whip counts" indicating legislators' likely votes; documents concerning the relationship between the White House and Senate leaders over the cloture vote to permit action on the legislation; a memo on a possible civil rights backlash.

  • Civil Rights--Voting Rights Act of 1965 (2 folders)


  • White House memoranda and notes on legislative strategy; voter registration and education programs in the South; civil rights demonstrations in Alabama, including the march on Selma and the federal response; steps to ensure that the Democratic National Convention would be conducted without regard to racial considerations; meetings with Black leadership groups; a meeting with George Wallace; and, the funeral services for Reverend Mr. Reeb.

  • Detroit Riot (9 folders)


  • Memoranda and reports from May 1967 speculating on the potential for racial violence in the Summer in Detroit and elsewhere; transcripts of telephone conversations between local officials and the administration as the Detroit Riot unfolded concerning the federal role in quelling the riot; notes from presidential meetings with advisers and members of Congress; telegram from Martin Luther King to LBJ; expressions of support and criticism of LBJ's action to dispatch federal troops to Detroit; a detailed chronology of events, 7/23-26; letters, memoranda, and notes regarding possible federal assistance to Detroit in the wake of the riot, including statements from many Cabinet Secretaries; request from the City of Detroit outlining specific dollar needs; detailed information on LBJ's decision to send substantial aid to Detroit; minutes of its first meeting and other information about the work of the National Advisory Commission on Civil Disorders; documentation regarding Governor George Romney's request for federal assistance; final report of Cyrus Vance, sent by LBJ to Detroit to study federal activities there from 7/23 through 8/2; interview transcripts with the following: Warren Christopher, Cyrus Vance, Ramsey Clark, Charles Diggs, and Jerome Cavanaugh.

Box 8 - Lyndon Baines Johnson Library

  • Johnson--Personality


  • Excerpts from oral histories describing LBJ's personality and techniques.

  • Kennedy Assassination and Transition (3 folders)


  • Letters regarding JFK's invitation to Texas; daily logs showing LBJ's activities, 11/22-30/63; LBJ's and staff notes regarding events of the day; arrangements and talking points for LBJ's first Cabinet meeting; FBI's first report on assassination, 11/23/63, and subsequent information on the investigation of the assassination; documents about the Warren Commission's membership, operation, and credibility; and, a 1966 transcript of a tape prepared by LBJ staffer Liz Carpenter recounting the events surrounding the assassination (27 pages).

  • Martin Luther King Assassination (5 folders)


  • Presidential daily logs showing LBJ's activities, 4/4-9/68; message informing LBJ that King is dead; memoranda, correspondence, and other information regarding post-assassination racial violence, especially in Washington, DC; memoranda for the President and White House statements regarding federal action as a response; notes from LBJ's meting with Black leaders at the White House; notes from information fed to the White House Situation Room regarding racial violence; advice to LBJ about his attendance at the King funeral and his address to the nation, with occasional LBJ annotations; documents regarding the administration's legislative efforts; minutes and other information regarding meetings of the "Washington, D.C. Riot and Future Planning" group; oral history transcripts from Clark Clifford and Harry McPherson.

  • Vietnam--Gulf of Tonkin Incidents (2 folders)


  • Presidential daily logs showing LBJ's activities, 8/2-6/64; cables and messages to LBJ describing torpedo boat attacks on the U.S.S. Maddox, including a message from Khrushchev expressing concern; log entries and taped conversations from August 4-5 regarding action in the Tonkin Gulf and communications with Washington; notes taken during LBJ's meeting with congressional leaders on 8/4.

Box 9 - Richard M. Nixon Presidential Materials Staff

  • Abortion--Roe v. Wade


  • Letter from Congressman Lawrence Hogan criticizing the 1973 decision; memorandum from Patrick Buchanan to RN urging him to capitalize on the public sentiment against the decision.

  • China--Nixon's trip


  • RN letter to actor John Wayne, 1/13/72, and radio commentator Paul Harvey, 3/15/72, explaining the administration's position on the People's Republic of China; itinerary, briefing material, and information about logistics; miscellaneous documents.

  • Economy--Inflation


  • Memoranda about wage-price guidelines and control, 1969-73; congressional testimony from the Council of Economic Advisers; recommendations on how the administration can take the initiative on economic matters; reports on the status of the economy; memoranda concerning public disenchantment with wage and price controls in early 1972; presidential talking points about the economy and Commerce Department assessment, 1973.

  • Nixon--Personality and Character


  • RN memoranda to staff and daughters suggesting human interest angles to improve press coverage, giving directions on how dinner is to be served, instructing staff to seat Henry Kissinger next to someone other than "the most glamorous woman present" at State dinners, complaining about the quality of art in U.S. embassies; a 5/13/70 memorandum from RN to Bob Haldeman giving Nixon's version of his "secret" trip to the Lincoln Memorial in May 1970 (10 pages); RN's handwritten notes to Caroline and John Kennedy following their 1971 visit to the White House (Nixon's note to Caroline expresses his belief that "History is the best foundation for almost any profession....") and a reply from Jacqueline Kennedy.

  • Nixon--Relationship with the Press


  • Extensive memoranda from RN to his staff describing his preferences for dealing with the press and suggesting actions to influence press coverage of the administration; memoranda about media "fairness" and administration efforts to combat "media bias"; a memorandum from John Dean, 9/14/71, apparently submitting the first version of the White House "enemies" list; a study of media coverage of RN's Vietnam initiatives. These documents reveal the depth of Nixon's distrust of the media.

  • Nixon--Pentagon Papers


  • RN and staff memoranda outlining White House response to New York Times publication of the Pentagon Papers in June 1971 and how to take political advantage of it; poll results describing public awareness of the controversy; a memorandum describing Lyndon Johnson's break with Democratic presidential candidates on this issue.

  • Revenue Sharing


  • Memorandum about the geographic distribution of revenue sharing funds, 1970; RN's instructions to senior administration officials to improve the program; options memorandum for implementing revenue sharing, 1971; the tax credit contrasted to revenue sharing; a report on the activities of the National Citizens Committee for Revenue Sharing; arrangements for the October 1972 White House signing ceremony for revenue sharing.

  • Students for a Democratic Society (SDS)


  • Reports and memoranda on student demonstrations and violence, 1969-72; information about White House efforts to discredit SDS through congressional hearings and media coverage; memoranda on methods to acquire information about student organizations and to set up an internal security organization; FBI reports and directives; information about plans to disrupt the Republican and Democratic National Conventions; SDS, "Vietnam: No Mistake!"

  • Vietnam War--Antiwar Movement (2 folders)


  • Memoranda on administration's response to the 10/15/69 Moratorium protest; documents about plans for the Moratorium and for the anti-war Washington Action Project, 11/13-15/69; suggestions for ways to use students to support the administration; memorandum of RN's meeting with eight university presidents in the wake of the Kent State shootings, 1970; a published report from organizers on the 5/9/70 march on Washington, a police report on violence during the demonstration, and information on damage costs; a report expressing Secret Service concerns for the RN's safety; memoranda and reports concerning May 1971 and Fall anti-war demonstrations, especially those in Washington, 10/25-26/71; examples of anti-war literature; heavily annotated memoranda concerning amnesty, 1972; memoranda concerning possible demonstrations at the Republican National Convention and at Inaugural ceremonies in 1973.

  • Vietnam War--Bombing of Cambodia


  • Henry Kissinger letter, 6/10/70, indicating that Americans will avoid bombing cultural sites in Cambodia; RN letter to House Speaker Carl Albert, 8/3/73, stating personal reservations about the congressional requirement to end the bombing in Cambodia.

  • Vietnam War--Paris Peace Talks (2 folders)


  • RN's annotated reading copies of his addresses to the nation (12/15/69, 4/20/70, 4/30/70) reporting on efforts toward Vietnamization of the military effort and the lack of progress to negotiate an end to the war; Kissinger reports (declassified in July 1990) on break-through and continuing progress in negotiations, January 1973, and administration plans to follow up; RN's address to the nation announcing a cease fire and an agreement with Hanoi to end the war; copy of the agreement, 1/24/73, released by the White House; draft of RN's remarks recapitulating his administration's handling of Vietnam.

Box 10 - Richard M. Nixon Presidential Materials Staff

  • Vietnam War--War Powers Act (2 folders)


  • Memoranda describing the administration's position on war-making powers; congressional testimony on the issue; comment on congressional efforts to set up a commission to study the allocation of the war power; detailed analyses of Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearings in 1971 on war powers legislation; memoranda on response to war powers legislation in Congress, 1972-73; draft and final veto message for HJR 542--the War Powers Resolution, 10/22/73; information regarding override attempt.

  • U.S.-Soviet Relations--Arms Control


  • Memorandum outlining pre-SALT press strategy, 5/26/71; plan of action for ratification of SALT agreement, 5/18/72; copy of SALT Treaty, 5/26/72, and related documents; RN's remarks to the people of the Soviet Union, 5/28/72; proposals from Charles Colson to capitalize on the treaty to RN's political advantage; copy of Henry Kissinger's congressional briefing on SALT.

  • Watergate (2 folders)


  • Transcripts of the "smoking gun" tape, 6/23/72; correspondence in June 1972 about the use of a Special Prosecutor; handwritten notes from John Ehrlichman, April 1973, summarizing his investigation into the Watergate burglary and possible administration staff involvement; memo, 5/1/73, indicating RN's refusal to put certain staff files under FBI protection; advice on how to distance RN from the investigation; memorandum from George Bush describing the mood of the Republican party in July 1973; briefing on John Dean's congressional testimony; memoranda and draft presidential statements regarding the Ervin committee's and Special Prosecutor's requests for White House tapes, 1973; draft statement for RN about gaps in the tapes.

Box 11 - Gerald R. Ford Library

  • Clemency Program for Vietnam Draft Evaders and Deserters


  • Summary of reactions of veterans groups to GRF's amnesty position, 8/26/74; sample case summaries of Presidential Clemency Board considerations of individual appeals; GRF letter, 1/19/77, explaining his refusal to grant blanket amnesty to Vietnam-era draft evaders and deserters.

  • Economy


  • Minutes of GRF's meeting with Republican congressional leaders, 10/7/75, regarding tax and spending cut legislation; GRF's annotated veto statement on a temporary tax cut extension bill sent by Congress, 12/17/75.

  • Investigations of the U.S. Intelligence Community


  • CIA report on alleged domestic intelligence activities by the agency, 12/24/74; request for documentation from the Senate Select Committee to Study Governmental Operations with Respect to Intelligence Activities (the Church Committee), 3/12/75; memorandum for GRF discussing options for handling issues relating to the intelligence community, 9/18/75; CIA evaluation of the Church Committee's report on assassinations, 10/20/75; information about Church Committee hearings on covert activities in Chile; analyses of recommendations to reorganize the intelligence community.

  • Mayaguez Crisis


  • "Possible Scenarios for Recovery of Ship and Crew," May 1975 (12 pages); memorandum regarding the Mayaguez episode and the application of the War Powers Resolution; talking points for GRF when notifying members of Congress; summary of National Security Council meeting, 5/13/75.

  • Nixon Pardon


  • Eighteen-page memo prepared by Benton Becker, 9/9/74, summarizing the history and background of the pardon negotiations; draft of Nixon's statement acknowledging the pardon.

  • Nixon Resignation Briefing paper prepared for Nixon's meeting with his Cabinet, 8/6/74, based on the assumption that Nixon would not resign; annotated copy of GRF's remarks at that meeting, distancing himself from RN; documents prepared for the transition; GRF's remarks upon learning of RN's resignation.

  • U.S.-Soviet Relations--Arms Control


  • Henry Kissinger press conference remarks on the Vladivostok Agreement, 1974; memorandum for GRF regarding Henry Kissinger's meeting with General Secretary Brezhnev, 1/22/76, on arms reduction; a memorandum for GRF on remaining issues for SALT negotiations, 2/15/76.

  • U.S.-Soviet Relations--Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe (Helsinki)


  • Mailgram expressing opposition by the Nationalities Council of Michigan to the conference; GRF remarks at a meeting with Americans of Eastern European background at the White House, 7/25/75, explaining the value of the conference; Kissinger briefing paper for GRF about Ford's participation; advice to Ford on how to defend the Helsinki Agreement; GRF's handwritten query of Brent Scowcroft on the interpretation of the agreement.

  • Vietnam War--Fall of Saigon


  • Memoranda and cables from April 1975 assessing the situation in South Vietnam and analyzing various evacuation contingencies. Includes a special report to GRF on Vietnam from General Fred Weyand, dispatched by GRF to investigate the political and military situation in late March and early April (23 pages).

  • Vietnam War--Refugees Program


  • Memoranda on the use of the parole power to admit refugees; expressions of congressional and public opinion on GRF's program to resettle 130,000 Vietnamese and Cambodians in the U.S.; script of a slide show depicting "Operation New Life" at Ft. Chaffee, Arkansas; administration response to a request to help arrange the departure of Vietnamese still in Vietnam; 6/5/75 status report on the resettlement program.

Box 12 - Jimmy Carter Library

  • Camp David Accords


  • Handwritten letter from JC to Anwar Sadat, 10/21/77, requesting his help in advancing the cause of peace; handwritten letter from JC to Prime Minister Begin, 8/3/78, seeking progress in peace talks and offering to meet with him and Sadat at Camp David; documents about discussions of Israeli settlements in the West Bank and Gaza; memoranda following up Camp David to implement the agreement and to report progress.

  • Carter--Personality and Character


  • JC's annotated copy of general instructions to the White House staff on JC's preferences for procedures; JC's annotated instructions to improve efficiency in government; JC' personal messages to staff about such issues as employment of women and minorities in the White House, paperwork flow, reducing the cost of travel for staff, and reducing staff levels; memorandum raising considerations for JC's farewell address.

  • China--Normalization of Relations


  • Excerpt from JC's 5/22/77 speech at Notre Dame calling for normalization; memoranda about efforts to notify Congress in December 1978; memorandum to departments and agencies on procedures for dealing with the People's Republic of China and the Republic of China (Taiwan); talking points for use in discussing the meaning of normalization, 1/16/79; JC's remarks, 1/30/79, signing agreements with China to effect the normalization; miscellaneous documentation.

  • Deregulation (2 folders)


  • Staff memoranda on the administration's regulatory reform efforts, 1977-80, with emphasis on the Environmental Protection Agency's ozone rule, and railroad and trucking deregulation. Many of the memoranda contain JC's annotations. Also included is information about legislation and talking points about the issue.

  • Environment


  • Assessment of concerns raised by environmental leaders at a meeting with JC on 5/11/78; memoranda on such topics as the relationship between inflation and environmental and health regulations, the preservation of Alaskan lands, the federal response to the Three Mile Island episode 1979, hazardous waste disposal, and Love Canal; talking points for JC's meeting with environmental leaders, 11/6/79.

  • Iranian Hostage Crisis


  • Fall 1979 memoranda on Iranian demonstrations, security precautions to protect Americans, congressional sentiment, and the deportation of Iranian students; JC's annotated announcement about the Iranian situation, 4/7/80; Cyrus Vance's resignation, 4/21/80; announcement of failed rescue operation.

  • Panama Canal


  • Memoranda about a meeting with Gerald Ford where he indicated his support for JC; actor John Wayne's statement on the Panama Canal, 10/12/77; handwritten letter from JC to "Senator" urging his support of the treaties; information about Senate consideration of the treaties; handwritten JC letter to Senators who voted for the treaties, April 1978; JC remarks upon the ratification of the treaties.