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Oral history
John F. Kennedy Oral History Collection
JFKOH-RH-01
In this interview Hilsman discusses his initial interactions with John F. Kennedy [JFK]; Hilsman’s appointment to the Department of State during the Kennedy Administration; Foreign Service officers and “hot-seat” jobs; issues with Dean Rusk as Secretary of State; reorganizing the Bureau of Intelligence and Research; the flow of information between the State Department and the White House; staffing the State Department; the use of satellite intelligence; John A. McCone; working with and around Robert F. Kennedy [RFK]; JFK, RFK, and Vietnam; Edward G. Lansdale; Maxwell D. Taylor; the connection between Vietnam and Laos; U.S. action in Laos; the Buddhist crisis in Vietnam; the impact of WWII on Hilsman and JFK’s generation; and the 1963 coup in Vietnam, among other issues.
Oral history
John F. Kennedy Oral History Collection
JFKOH-BBH-01
In this interview Hickenlooper discusses various meetings with President John F. Kennedy [JFK] on foreign relations; Soviet and American nuclear testing; the nuclear test ban treaty; the Bay of Pigs invasion; Laos and Vietnam; the Punta del Este Conference in 1962; the Cuban Missile Crisis, 1962; Hickenlooper's 1962 reelection campaign; traveling with JFK to Costa Rica; the 1961 Berlin crisis; JFK's congressional relations; and social occasions at the Kennedy White House, among other issues.
Oral history
John F. Kennedy Oral History Collection
JFKOH-LCH-01
In this interview Heinz discusses how he came to work in the Office of International Security Affairs [ISA] in the Department of Defense [DOD]; the changeover in the DOD between the Dwight D. Eisenhower and John F. Kennedy Administrations; Heinz’s view of the Bay of Pigs; the regular operations and organization within ISA, including the different regional desks’ responsibilities; relationships between the ISA and other agencies; ISA as “the little State Department”; differences of opinion between DOD and the State Department, the CIA, the Defense Intelligence Agency, and the Joint Chiefs of Staff; the debate over whether to put troops in Laos; Robert S. McNamara and Roswell L. Gilpatric; the status of Okinawa; the question of U.S. defense perimeters; and W. Averell Harriman’s trip to Geneva and the neutralization solution for Laos, among other issues.
Oral history
John F. Kennedy Oral History Collection
JFKOH-RFK-08
In this interview Robert F. Kennedy [RFK] discusses John F. Kennedy’s [JFK] Cabinet and appointing the various secretaries; problems in and JFK’s wariness of the Department of State; the ideal State Department organization; problems with Dean Rusk; Maxwell D. Taylor’s Cuba investigation; the Bay of Pigs and its effect on U.S. action in Laos; John McCone’s prediction of missiles in Cuba; Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson and foreign policy; JFK’s vice-presidential choice at the 1960 Democratic National Convention; Johnson’s hesitant acceptance of the vice-presidential slot; RFK’s appointment as Attorney General; RFK’s involvement in staffing the White House for JFK and other presidential appointments; Lord Harlech (William David Ormsby-Gore); and State Department staff, 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-UAJ-01
Deputy Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs. In this interview, U. Alexis Johnson discusses working with John F. Kennedy [JFK] during the Bay of Pigs Invasion, the Laos Crisis and the Cuban Missile Crisis, in addition to his personal experience with JFK’s conduct in official meetings, among other issues.
Oral history
John F. Kennedy Oral History Collection
JFKOH-RHJ-01
In this interview, Johnson discusses his personal experience working for the NSC, the transition into John F. Kennedy’s administration, and how the NSC handled conflict in Southeast Asia among other issues.
Sound recording
White House Audio Collection
JFKWHA-095
Sound recording of the President’s News Conference of May 17, 1962 (News Conference 33). During this press conference President Kennedy answers questions from the press on a variety of topics including the investigation of Billie Sol Estes’ involvement in federal farm programs, United States-French political differences concerning the Berlin negotiations and French President Charles De Gaulle’s proposal for an independent European nuclear deterrent, the dispatch of United States forces to Thailand, and the situation in Laos.
Sound recording
White House Audio Collection
JFKWHA-020
Sound recording of the President’s News Conference of March 23, 1961 (News Conference 8). President Kennedy begins the press conference with a statement concerning the advances of Communist forces in Laos, emphasizing his administration’s support for the goal of a peaceful, neutral, and independent Laos. Following this statement the President answers questions from the press on a variety of topics including the situation in Laos, foreign aid, and segregation.
Sound recording
White House Audio Collection
JFKWHA-016
Sound recording of the President’s News Conference of March 8, 1961 (News Conference 6). President Kennedy begins the press conference by urging the public to support Radio Free Europe. He then announces that he would be making a statement concerning his views of problems in the Americas following an upcoming reception at the White House; that he has directed Federal departments and agencies to speed up government spending; and the upcoming visit of Swedish Prime Minister Tage Erlander to the United States. He then makes several statements concerning the building of schools for Native American and Inuit children, the distribution of surplus food, and the polio outbreak in Cuba. Following the announcements the President answers questions from the press on a variety of topics including the President’s economic program, the situation in Laos, and federal aid to education.
Textual folder
Papers of John F. Kennedy. Presidential Papers. National Security Files
JFKNSF-183-001
This folder contains correspondence between President John F. Kennedy and Soviet Union Premier Nikita Khrushchev. Topics include relations between the United States and Soviet Union, Berlin and German unification, disarmament, nuclear testing, Laos, space flights, and the Bay of Pigs invasion. Also included in this folder are letters from Premier Khrushchev to President Dwight D. Eisenhower and John J. McCloy, Advisor to President Kennedy on Disarmament. This folder contains some Russian-language material.
Textual folder
Papers of John F. Kennedy. Presidential Papers. National Security Files
JFKNSF-319-001
This folder contains memoranda regarding the Special Group for Counter-Insurgency (CI).Topics include establishment of the group, foreign police training programs, the adequacy of communications systems in Vietnam, and a subversive insurgency training program for United States government officials. Also included in this folder are materials regarding the political situation in Laos and intelligence activities in Cuba.
Textual folder
Papers of John F. Kennedy. Presidential Papers. National Security Files
JFKNSF-317-008
This folder contains summaries of meetings with President John F. Kennedy. Topics include the threat of communism in Laos, India and Pakistan relations, and Berlin. Also included in this folder is a memorandum of a meeting with General Lauris Norstad, Supreme Allied Commander Europe and Commander-in-Chief Europe, discussing nuclear weapons, United States military forces in Europe, and NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization).
Textual folder
Papers of John F. Kennedy. Presidential Papers. National Security Files
JFKNSF-320-006
This folder contains memoranda and telegrams to and from Michael V. Forrestal, senior staff member of the National Security Council (NSC). Topics include diplomatic activities and appointments, Forrestal’s trip to the Far East, discussion for the formation of a counter-insurgency (CI) group, a proposal for a joint aid program for Indonesia from the United States and Netherlands, South Vietnam, and Laos.
Textual folder
Papers of John F. Kennedy. Presidential Papers. National Security Files
JFKNSF-320-005
This folder contains memoranda to and from Michael V. Forrestal, senior staff member of the National Security Council (NSC), regarding the food shortage in Communist China; military action plans against Communist China; and issues in Asian countries including South Korea, Vietnam, Laos, and Thailand. Also included in this folder are memoranda discussing the situation in Cuban between the U.S. and Soviet Union (later known as the Cuban Missile Crisis).
Textual folder
Papers of John F. Kennedy. Presidential Papers. National Security Files
JFKNSF-320-004
This folder contains memoranda to and from Michael V. Forrestal, senior staff member of the National Security Council (NSC). Topics include the appointment of Forrestal to the NSC, casualty information for United States and foreign troops in Laos and South Vietnam, the estimated number of North Vietnamese troops in Laos, and potential military sanctions in order to preserve neutrality for Laos. Also included in this folder is a memorandum for the Joint Chiefs of Staff regarding military activity and operations in Laos and South Vietnam, including Operation Sunshine.
Textual folder
Papers of John F. Kennedy. Presidential Papers. National Security Files
JFKNSF-320-002
This folder contains memoranda to and from General Chester V. Clifton (C.V. Clifton), Military Aide to President John F. Kennedy, on various issues of national security, foreign affairs, and information requested by the President. Topics include Vietnam, Laos, a proposal to increase the size of the United States Army and conventional military forces, and the swiftness of U.S. responses to messages from the Soviet Union. Also included in this folder are background memoranda on the Geneva Protocol of 1925 and actions of the U.S. in relation to the Protocol.
Textual folder
Papers of John F. Kennedy. Presidential Papers. President's Office Files.
JFKPOF-077-009
This folder contains material collected by the office of President John F. Kennedy's secretary, Evelyn Lincoln, concerning the Department of Defense. Topics include troop withdrawals from Europe, the status of the civil defense program, Burns Waterway Harbor, and the defense of the Offshore Islands in Asia. Of note is a National Intelligence estimate titled, "Consequences of Certain U.S. Courses in Laos." Also included in this folder is a copy of a commencement speech by Secretary of Defense Robert S. McNamara for the University of Michigan.
Textual folder
Papers of John F. Kennedy. Presidential Papers. President's Office Files.
JFKPOF-054-010
This folder contains material collected by the office of President John F. Kennedy's secretary, Evelyn Lincoln, concerning the President's News Conference of March 23, 1961 (News Conference 8). President Kennedy began the press conference with a statement concerning the advances of Communist forces in Laos, emphasizing his administration's support for the goal of a peaceful, neutral, and independent Laos. Following this statement the President answered questions from the press on a variety of topics including the situation in Laos, foreign aid, and segregation. Of note is an unofficial transcript of President Dwight D. Eisenhower's News Conference of January 18, 1961, in which he was asked by the press to reflect upon his own administration and to answer questions about the transition to the incoming Kennedy administration, the 1960 Presidential election, the election process, and his plans for the future. Background materials in the folder include drafts of press conference announcements. The official White House transcript of the press conference and the stenotype transcript of the press conference are also included.
Textual folder
Papers of John F. Kennedy. Presidential Papers. President's Office Files.
JFKPOF-054-008
This folder contains material collected by the office of President John F. Kennedy's secretary, Evelyn Lincoln, concerning the President's News Conference of March 8, 1961 (News Conference 6). President Kennedy began the press conference by urging the public to support Radio Free Europe. He then announced that he would be making a statement concerning his views of problems in the Americas following an upcoming reception at the White House; that he had directed Federal departments and agencies to speed up government spending; and the upcoming visit of Swedish Prime Minister Tage Erlander to the United States. He then made several statements concerning the building of schools for Native American and Inuit children, the distribution of surplus food, and the polio outbreak in Cuba. Following the announcements the President answered questions from the press on a variety of topics including the President's economic program, the situation in Laos, and federal aid to education. Background material in the folder consists of briefing papers for the President on domestic and foreign affairs and national security. Topics of the briefing papers include nuclear weapons and disarmament, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), United States-Soviet relations, the situation in the Republic of the Congo, the increase in Communist military forces in Laos, and United States-Cuban relations. The official White House transcript of the press conference and the stenotype transcript of the press conference are also included.
Textual folder
Papers of John F. Kennedy. Presidential Papers. President's Office Files.
JFKPOF-056-007
This folder contains material collected by the office of President John F. Kennedy's secretary, Evelyn Lincoln, concerning the President's News Conference of May 17, 1962 (News Conference 33). During this press conference President Kennedy answered questions from the press on a variety of topics including the investigation of Billie Sol Estes' involvement in federal farm programs; United States-French political differences concerning the Berlin negotiations and French President Charles De Gaulle's proposal for an independent European nuclear deterrent; the dispatch of United States forces to Thailand; and the situation in Laos. Background materials in this folder consist of briefing papers on domestic and foreign affairs including the economy and the Billie Sol Estes case. Of note are Department of State telegrams concerning West New Guinea dispute between the Dutch and Indonesian governments. The official White House transcript of the press conference and the stenotype transcript of the press conference are also included.
Textual folder
Papers of John F. Kennedy. Presidential Papers. National Security Files
JFKNSF-338-017
This file contains copies of National Security Action Memoranda number 189 (NSAM 189) titled, "Presidential Meeting on Laos, September 28, 1962," to Secretary of State Dean Rusk, Secretary of Defense Robert S. McNamara, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Lyman L. Lemnitzer, and Director of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) John McCone from Carl Kaysen, Deputy Special Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs.
Textual folder
Papers of John F. Kennedy. Presidential Papers. National Security Files
JFKNSF-336-013
This file contains copies of National Security Action Memoranda number 157 (NSAM 157) titled, "Presidential Meeting on Laos, May 24, 1962," to Secretary of State Dean Rusk, Secretary of Defense Robert S. McNamara, Director of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) John McCone, and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Lyman L. Lemnitzer from McGeorge Bundy, Special Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs.