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Oral history
John F. Kennedy Oral History Collection
JFKOH-WAH-02
In this interview Harriman discusses his position in the State Department as a roving ambassador, including his flexibility in making decisions in the field, and traveling around the world; John F. Kennedy's [JFK] conception of the Soviet Union; interactions with Souvanna Phouma and changes in general opinion of him; evaluating options for American action or intervention in Laos; the international meeting in Geneva over Laos, including dealing with the Soviet negotiator George M. Pushking and with the Chinese; comparing JFK and Franklin D. Roosevelt in their respective administration of the State Department; and the Joint Chiefs’ attitude towards Laos and the concept of limited commitment, among other issues.
Sound recording
Papers of John F. Kennedy. Presidential Papers. President's Office Files.
JFKPOF-TPH-18A-4
Sound recording of a telephone conversation held on April 10, 1963, between President John F. Kennedy and W. Averell Harriman. They discuss fighting in Laos involving the Pathet Lao and the forces of Kong Le and others. They also discuss whether the United States should discuss the matter with Soviet officials.Transcript included. This sound recording was originally recorded on Dictation Belt 18A, 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-18A, Title: Telephone recordings: Dictation Belt 18A.
Sound recording
Papers of John F. Kennedy. Presidential Papers. President's Office Files.
JFKPOF-TPH-18A
Dictation Belt 18A contains eight sound recordings. Item 18A.1 is a sound recording of a brief fragment of a telephone conversation held on April 4, 1963, between President John F. Kennedy and Walter W. Heller, Chairman of the President’s Council of Economic Advisers. They talk about budgetary matters. The recording starts in mid-conversation. Item 18A.2 is a brief telephone exchange on April 4, 1963, between President John F. Kennedy and Ralph A. Dungan, Special Assistant to the President. They talk about a letter from Lucius Clay. Item 18A.3 is a telephone conversation between President John F. Kennedy and an unidentified man. The topic of discussion is unclear. The recording begins in mid-conversation. Machine noise follows the conversation. Item 18A.3A is a brief telephone exchange between Personal Secretary Evelyn Lincoln and a White House Operator. The operator notifies Lincoln of an incoming call from Robert B. Troutman. The recording ends abruptly. The telephone conversation with Troutman is not recorded. Item 18A.4 is a telephone conversation held on April 10, 1963, between President John F. Kennedy and W. Averell Harriman. They discuss fighting in Laos involving the Pathet Lao and the forces of Kong Le and others. They also discuss whether the United States should discuss the matter with Soviet officials. Item 18A.5 is a brief fragment of a telephone conversation held on April 10, 1963, between President John F. Kennedy and Special Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs McGeorge Bundy. They talk about a Laos statement and a list of raids. The recording begins in mid-conversation. Item 18A.6 is a telephone conversation held on May 6, 1963, between President John F. Kennedy and Secretary of State Dean Rusk. They discuss Secretary Rusk’s trip to Europe, matters involving Yugoslavia, and arrangements for a meeting. Item 18A.7 is part of a telephone conversation held on May 7, 1963, between President John F. Kennedy and Representative Edith S. Green of Oregon. They discuss an education bill and a newspaper article that characterized their political relationship. The recording ends abruptly and continues on Dictation Belt 18B.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-32-1
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.
Textual folder
Theodore C. Sorensen Personal Papers
TCSPP-060-018
Textual folder
Papers of John F. Kennedy. Presidential Papers. National Security Files
JFKNSF-323-007
This folder contains memoranda from Walt Rostow, Deputy Special Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs and later Chairman of the Policy Planning Council in the Department of State, to President John F. Kennedy and McGeorge Bundy, Special Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs. Topics include foreign aid, speech theme suggestions for the President, policy towards the Communist Bloc, and a proposal for domestic and foreign economic policy. Also included in this folder is a transcript of a “Meet the Press” interview with Rostow discussing nuclear weapons, the Soviet Union, Laos, Vietnam, and communism.
Textual folder
Papers of John F. Kennedy. Presidential Papers. President's Office Files.
JFKPOF-121a-018
This folder contains materials collected by the office of President John F. Kennedy's secretary, Evelyn Lincoln, concerning potential foreign military intervention in Laos (then officially known as the Kingdom of Laos) and the possibility of a Pathet Lao Communist rebellion supported by the Soviet Union. Materials in this folder include maps, a telegram, a briefing paper on the Pathet Lao movement and American objectives in Laos, a situation report on recent Pathet Lao activities, and memoranda regarding recommended military and diplomatic courses of action.
Textual folder
Papers of John F. Kennedy. Presidential Papers. President's Office Files.
JFKPOF-115-004
This folder contains material collected by the office of President John F. Kennedy's secretary, Evelyn Lincoln, concerning Cuba. Materials pertain to the missile crisis in Cuba between the United States and the Soviet Union, Cuba’s economic situation, and a meeting between President Kennedy and Soviet Foreign Minister Andrei Gromyko. Also included in this folder are memoranda from the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) regarding a planned uprising of counterrevolutionary groups in Cuba.
Textual folder
Papers of John F. Kennedy. Presidential Papers. President's Office Files.
JFKPOF-126-001
This folder contains materials collected by the office of President John F. Kennedy's secretary, Evelyn Lincoln, concerning the Soviet Union. Materials in this folder include newspaper articles, background papers on nuclear science and possible cooperative space exploration projects, a summary of a telephone conversation between President Kennedy and French President General Charles de Gaulle, an itinerary for President Kennedy's trip to Vienna, Austria, and copies of a joint statement issued by the President and Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev concerning nuclear weapons, disarmament, and Germany following discussions in Vienna. The majority of this folder consists of telegrams and memoranda to President Kennedy from Cabinet members and advisors regarding suggested strategies for discussing subjects such as nuclear weapons, disarmament, Berlin, and Laos with Premier Khrushchev.