National Security Adviser
WHITE HOUSE SITUATION ROOM
PRESIDENTIAL DAILY BRIEFINGS, 1974-77
Collection Finding Aid
National Security Advisers Henry Kissinger and Brent Scowcroft sent to President Ford, almost daily, a short highly-classified memo of disparate “Information Items” drawn from intelligence and diplomatic sources (click here for an example). These often were supplemented by other memos. They tell of developments in various countries, international negotiations, important events, and high-level conversations and correspondence. The information is primarily reportive and analytical rather than a briefing on current or proposed U.S. actions. The collection’s title derives from box titles applied by NSC staff at the end of the Ford administration. The collection has no known relationship to the “Presidential Daily Briefs” of the Central Intelligence Agency.
QUANTITY
7.6 linear feet (ca. 6,000 pages)
DONOR
Gerald R. Ford (accession number 77-118)
ACCESS
Open, but some materials continue to be national security classified and restricted. Access is governed by the donor’s deed of gift, a copy of which is available on request, and National Archives and Records Administration regulations (36 CFR 1256).
COPYRIGHT
Gerald R. Ford donated to the United States of America his copyrights in all of his unpublished writings in National Archives collections. The copyrights to materials written by other individuals or organizations are presumed to remain with them. Works prepared by U.S. Government employees as part of their official duties are in the public domain.
Prepared by William McNitt, May 2011
This collection mostly comprises White House letterhead memoranda submitted by National Security Advisers Henry Kissinger and Brent Scowcroft to President Ford on virtually a daily basis. These highly-classified memoranda are labeled “Information Items” and are usually two to three pages in length. They contain information and analysis on developments in various countries, international negotiations, important events, and high-level conversations and correspondence. Individual item-reports vary from a single paragraph to three-quarters of a page in length.
For the early weeks of the Ford presidency, State Department memoranda from the previous evening labeled “President’s Evening Report” (usually a single page in length) are often attached to the National Security Adviser’s memoranda. In later months these generally are not found. Also appearing in many folders, however, are two to three page memoranda from the Situation Room to the National Security Adviser labeled either “Information Items” or “Additional Information Items.” These apparently report on information received on evenings and weekends after the NSC staff had gone home.
The collection contains material touching on all major foreign affairs developments during the Ford administration, along with many lesser events. Along with frequent reports concerning long-term topics such as relations with the Soviet Union, foreign aid, the Cyprus crisis, Middle East developments, or the Vietnam War, researchers will discover scattered items on most countries.
The collection’s title derives from box titles applied by NSC staff at the end of the Ford administration. The collection has no known relationship to the “Presidential Daily Briefs” of the Central Intelligence Agency.
The White House Situation Room: Presidential Daily Briefings is one of many sub-collections that comprise the National Security Adviser Files. The provenance of the Ford National Security Adviser Files and an explanation of the designations “Presidential” and “Institutional” are provided in Appendix A.
Related Materials (May 2011)
The Ford Library holds several other collections received from the Situation Room:
- Evening Reports from the NSC Staff
- Former President Nixon’s Intelligence Briefings
- Logs of Presidential Activities and World Events
- Noon and Evening Notes
- Scowcroft’s Morning Newspaper Summaries
Boxes 1-19 Presidential Daily Briefings, 1974-77. (7.6 linear feet)
Short memoranda from the National Security Adviser or the Department of State to the President or from the White House Situation Room to the National Security Adviser. These memoranda, produced almost daily, were intended to keep President Ford aware of foreign affairs developments all over the world. Arranged chronologically.
Box 1 Presidential Daily Briefings
8/9/74
8/10/74
8/12/74
8/13/74
8/14/74
8/15/74
8/16/74
8/17/74
8/19/74
8/20/74
8/21/74
8/22/74
8/23/74
8/24/74
8/26/74
8/27/74
8/28/74
8/29/74
8/30/74
8/31/74
9/2/74
9/3/74
9/4/74
9/5/74
9/6/74
9/7/74
9/9/74
9/10/74
9/11/74
9/12/74
9/13/74
9/14/74
9/16/74
9/17/74
9/18/74
9/19/74
9/20/74
9/21/74
9/23/74
Box 2 Presidential Daily Briefings
9/24/74
9/25/74
9/26/74
9/27/74
9/28/74
9/30/74
10/1/74
10/2/74
10/3/74
10/4/74
10/5/74
10/7/74
10/8/74
10/9/74
10/10/74
10/11/74
10/12/74
10/14/74
10/15/74
10/16/74
10/17/74
10/18/74
10/19/74
10/21/74
10/22/74
10/23/74
10/24/74
10/25/74
10/26/74
10/28/74
10/29/74
10/30/74
10/31/74
11/1/74
11/2/74
11/4/74
11/5/74
11/6/74
11/7/74
11/8/74
Box 3 Presidential Daily Briefings
11/9/74
11/11/74
11/12/74
11/13/74
11/14/74
11/15/74
11/16/74
11/18/74
11/20/74
11/24/74
11/25/74
11/26/74
11/27/74
11/28/74
11/29/74
12/2/74
12/3/74
12/4/74
12/5/74
12/6/74
12/7/74
12/9/74
12/10/74
12/11/74
12/12/74
12/13/74
12/14/74
12/16/74
12/17/74
12/18/74
12/19/74
12/20/74
12/21/74
12/23/74
12/24/74
12/26/74
12/27/74
12/28/74
12/29/74
12/30/74
12/31/74
Box 4 Presidential Daily Briefings
1/2/75
1/3/75
1/4/75
1/6/75
1/7/75
1/8/75
1/9/75
1/10/75
1/11/75
1/13/75
1/14/75
1/15/75
1/16/75
1/17/75
1/18/75
1/20/75
1/21/75
1/22/75
1/23/75
1/24/75
1/25/75
1/27/75
1/28/75
1/29/75
1/30/75
1/31/75
2/1/75
2/3/75
2/4/75
2/5/75
2/6/75
2/7/75
2/8/75
2/10/75
2/11/75
2/12/75
2/13/75
2/14/75
Box 5 Presidential Daily Briefings
2/15/75
2/17/75
2/18/75
2/19/75
2/20/75
2/21/75
2/22/75
2/25/75
2/26/75
2/27/75
2/28/75
3/1/75
3/3/75
3/4/75
3/5/75
3/6/75
3/7/75
3/8/75
3/10/75
3/11/75
3/12/75
3/13/75
3/14/75
3/15/75
3/17/75
3/18/75
3/19/75
3/20/75
3/21/75
3/22/75
3/24/75
3/25/75
3/26/75
3/27/75
3/28/75
3/29/75
3/30/75
3/31/75
4/1/75
4/2/75
Box 6 Presidential Daily Briefings
4/3/75
4/5/75
4/8/75
4/9/75
4/10/75
4/11/75
4/12/75
4/14/75
4/15/75
4/16/75
4/17/75
4/18/75
4/19/75
4/21/75
4/22/75
4/23/75
4/24/75
4/25/75
4/26/75
4/28/75
4/29/75
4/30/75
5/1/75
5/2/75
5/3/75
5/6/75
5/7/75
5/8/75
5/9/75
5/10/75
5/12/75
5/13/75
5/14/75
5/15/75
5/16/75
5/17/75
5/19/75
5/20/75
5/21/75
Box 7 Presidential Daily Briefings
5/22/75
5/23/75
5/24/75
5/26/75
5/28/75
6/3/75
6/4/75
6/5/75
6/6/75
6/7/75
6/9/75
6/10/75
6/11/75
6/12/75
6/13/75
6/14/75
6/16/75
6/17/75
6/18/75
6/19/75
6/20/75
6/21/75
6/23/75
6/24/75
6/25/75
6/26/75
6/27/75
6/28/75
6/30/75
7/1/75
7/2/75
7/3/75
7/4/75
7/5/75
7/7/75
7/8/75
7/9/75
7/10/75
7/11/75
Box 8 Presidential Daily Briefings
7/12/75
7/14/75
7/15/75
7/16/75
7/17/75
7/18/75
7/19/75
7/21/75
7/22/75
7/23/75
7/24/75
7/25/75
7/26/75
7/28/75
7/29/75
7/30/75
7/31/75
8/1/75
8/2/75
8/4/75
8/5/75
8/6/75
8/7/75
8/8/75
8/9/75
8/11/75
8/13/75
8/14/75
8/15/75
8/16/75
8/18/75
8/19/75
8/20/75
8/21/75
8/22/75
8/23/75
8/25/75
8/26/75
8/27/75
Box 9 Presidential Daily Briefings
8/28/75
8/29/75
8/30/75
9/2/75
9/3/75
9/4/75
9/5/75
9/6/75
9/8/75
9/9/75
9/10/75
9/11/75
9/12/75
9/13/75
9/15/75
9/16/75
9/17/75
9/18/75
9/19/75
9/22/75
9/23/75
9/24/75
9/25/75
9/26/75
9/27/75
9/29/75
9/30/75
10/1/75
10/2/75
10/3/75
10/4/75
10/6/75
10/7/75
10/8/75
10/9/75
10/10/75
10/11/75
10/13/75
10/14/75
10/15/75
Box 10 Presidential Daily Briefings
10/16/75
10/17/75
10/18/75
10/20/75
10/21/75
10/22/75
10/23/75
10/24/75
10/25/75
10/27/75
10/28/75
10/29/75
10/30/75
10/31/75
11/1/75
11/3/75
11/4/75
11/5/75
11/6/75
11/7/75
11/8/75
11/10/75
11/11/75
11/12/75
11/13/75
11/14/75
11/15/75
11/17/75
11/18/75
11/19/75
11/20/75
11/21/75
11/22/75
11/24/75
11/25/75
11/26/75
11/28/75
11/29/75
12/1/75
Box 11 Presidential Daily Briefings
12/2/75
12/3/75
12/4/75
12/5/75
12/6/75
12/8/75
12/9/75
12/10/75
12/11/75
12/12/75
12/13/75
12/15/75
12/16/75
12/17/75
12/18/75
12/19/75
12/20/75
12/22/75
12/23/75
12/24/75
12/26/75
12/27/75
12/29/75
12/30/75
12/31/75
1/2/76
1/3/76
1/5/76
1/6/76
1/7/76
1/8/76
1/9/76
1/10/76
1/12/76
1/13/76
1/14/76
1/15/76
1/16/76
1/17/76
Box 12 Presidential Daily Briefings
1/19/76
1/20/76
1/21/76
1/22/76
1/23/76
1/24/76
1/26/76
1/27/76
1/28/76
1/29/76
1/30/76
1/31/76
2/2/76
2/3/76
2/4/76
2/5/76
2/6/76
2/7/76
2/9/76
2/10/76
2/11/76
2/12/76
2/13/76
2/14/76
2/16/76
2/17/76
2/18/76
2/19/76
2/20/76
2/21/76
2/23/76
2/24/76
2/25/76
2/26/76
2/27/76
2/28/76
3/1/76
3/2/76
3/3/76
Box 13 Presidential Daily Briefings
3/4/76
3/5/76
3/6/76
3/8/76
3/9/76
3/10/76
3/11/76
3/12/76
3/13/76
3/15/76
3/16/76
3/17/76
3/18/76
3/19/76
3/20/76
3/22/76
3/23/76
3/24/76
3/2576
3/26/76
3/27/76
3/29/76
3/30/76
3/31/76
4/1/76
4/2/76
4/3/76
4/5/76
4/6/76
4/7/76
4/8/76
4/9/76
4/10/76
4/12/76
4/13/76
4/14/76
4/15/76
4/16/76
4/17/76
Box 14 Presidential Daily Briefings
4/19/76
4/20/76
4/21/76
4/22/76
4/23/76
4/24/76
4/26/76
4/27/76
4/28/76
4/29/76
5/1/76
5/3/76
5/4/76
5/5/76
5/6/76
5/7/76
5/8/76
5/10/76
5/11/76
5/12/76
5/13/76
5/14/76
5/15/76
5/17/76
5/18/76
5/19/76
5/20/76
5/21/76
5/22/76
5/24/76
5/25/76
5/26/76
5/27/76
5/28/76
5/29/76
5/31/76
6/1/76
6/2/76
6/3/76
Box 15 Presidential Daily Briefings
6/4/76
6/5/76
6/7/76
6/8/76
6/9/76
6/10/76
6/11/76
6/12/76
6/14/76
6/15/76
6/16/76
6/17/76
6/18/76
6/19/76
6/21/76
6/22/76
6/23/76
6/24/76
6/25/76
6/26/76
6/28/76
6/29/76
6/30/76
7/1/76
7/2/76
7/3/76
7/5/76
7/6/76
7/7/76
7/8/76
7/9/76
7/10/76
7/12/76
7/13/76
7/14/76
7/15/76
7/16/76
7/17/76
7/19/76
7/20/76
Box 16 Presidential Daily Briefings
7/21/76
7/22/76
7/23/76
7/24/76
7/26/76
7/27/76
7/28/76
7/29/76
7/30/76
7/31/76
8/2/76
8/3/76
8/4/76
8/5/76
8/6/76
8/7/76
8/9/76
8/10/76
8/11/76
8/12/76
8/13/76
8/14/76
8/16/76
8/17/76
8/18/76
8/19/76
8/20/76
8/21/76
8/23/76
8/24/76
8/25/76
8/26/76
8/27/76
8/28/76
8/30/76
8/31/76
9/1/76
9/2/76
9/3/76
Box 17 Presidential Daily Briefings
9/4/76
9/6/76
9/7/76
9/8/76
9/9/76
9/10/76
9/11/76
9/13/76
9/14/76
9/15/76
9/16/76
9/17/76
9/18/76
9/20/75
9/21/75
9/22/75
9/23/75
9/24/75
9/25/76
9/27/76
9/28/76
9/29/76
9/30/76
10/1/76
10/2/76
10/4/76
10/5/76
10/6/76
10/7/76
10/8/76
10/9/76
10/11/76
10/12/76
10/13/76
10/14/76
10/15/76
10/16/76
10/18/76
10/19/76
Box 18 Presidential Daily Briefings
10/20/76
10/21/76
10/22/76
10/23/76
10/25/76
10/26/76
10/27/76
10/28/76
10/29/76
10/30/76
11/1/76
11/2/76
11/3/76
11/4/76
11/5/76
11/6/76
11/8/76
11/9/76
11/10/76
11/11/76
11/12/76
11/13/76
11/15/76
11/16/76
11/17/76
11/18/76
11/19/76
11/20/76
11/22/76
11/23/76
11/24/76
11/25/76
11/26/76
11/27/76
11/29/76
11/30/76
12/1/76
12/2/76
12/3/76
Box 19 Presidential Daily Briefings
12/4/76
12/6/76
12/7/76
12/8/76
12/9/76
12/10/76
12/11/76
12/13/76
12/14/76
12/15/76
12/16/76
12/17/76
12/18/76
12/20/76
12/21/76
12/22/76
12/23/76
12/24/76
12/27/76
12/28/76
12/29/76
12/30/76
12/31/76
1/3/77
1/4/77
1/5/77
1/6/77
1/7/77
1/8/77
1/10/77
1/11/77
1/12/77
1/13/77
1/14/77
1/15/77
1/17/77
1/18/77
1/19/77
1/20/77