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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-PRP-01
This interview focuses on John F. Kennedy’s [JFK] relationship with the press prior to and during his presidency, among other topics.
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.
Sound recording
White House Audio Collection
JFKWHA-178
Sound recording of the President’s News Conference of April 24, 1963 (News Conference 54). The President begins the press conference by announcing that he would meet with Canadian Prime Minister Lester B. Pearson in Hyannis Port, Massachusetts on May 10 and 11. He goes on to say that Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs W. Averell Harriman will travel to Moscow to meet with Foreign Minister Andrei Gromyko to discuss the situation in Laos. Following the announcements the President answers questions from the press on a variety of topics including the tax cut, Laos, the nuclear test ban treaty, the number of Soviet personnel and troops in Cuba, Scientist John Rock’s recommendation of Government-funded population growth programs, civil rights, and the space program.
Photograph folder
White House Photographs
JFKWHP-1961-03-23-D
AR05, ST01
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-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. President's Office Files.
JFKPOF-059-007
This folder contains material collected by the office of President John F. Kennedy's secretary, Evelyn Lincoln, concerning the President's News Conference of April 24, 1963 (News Conference 54). The President began the press conference by announcing that he would meet with Canadian Prime Minister Lester B. Pearson in Hyannis Port, Massachusetts on May 10 and 11. He went on to say that Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs W. Averell Harriman would travel to Moscow to meet with Foreign Minister Andrei Gromyko to discuss the situation in Laos. Following the announcements the President answered questions from the press on a variety of topics including the tax cut, Laos, the nuclear test ban treaty, the number of Soviet personnel and troops in Cuba, Scientist John Rock's recommendation of Government-funded population growth programs, civil rights, and the space program. Background materials in this folder include briefing papers for the President on domestic and foreign affairs and national security. 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-057-011
This folder contains background material collected by the office of President John F. Kennedy's secretary, Evelyn Lincoln, for the President's News Conference of August 29, 1962 (News Conference 42). Materials primarily consist of department and agency reports and briefing papers for the President on domestic and foreign affairs and national security. Topics include the economy, nuclear disarmament, situations in the Congo and Laos, and the Robert Soblen espionage case. Also included are draft press conference announcements and newspaper clippings. Of note are materials relating to Cuba, including the seizure of counterfeit U.S. currency originating in Cuba, and recent Soviet military shipments to Cuba.
Textual folder
Papers of John F. Kennedy. Presidential Papers. President's Office Files.
JFKPOF-056a-007
This folder contains background material collected by the office of President John F. Kennedy's secretary, Evelyn Lincoln, for the President's News Conference of June 27, 1962 (News Conference 37). Materials primarily consist of memorandums and briefing papers for the President on domestic and foreign affairs and national security. Topics include the recent action by Chinese Communist military forces in the Taiwan Strait area, the situation in Laos, the President's forthcoming trip to Mexico, Berlin negotiations, and United States policy towards India. Also included are draft press conference announcements and a Department of Defense publication titled "The Changing Pattern of Defense Procurement." Of note are handwritten notes and doodles by President Kennedy.
Photograph
White House Photographs
JFKWHP-ST-C100-1-61
President John F. Kennedy speaks from lectern during a press conference; maps of Laos at left identifies "Communist Rebel Areas" as of 22 March 1961. State Department Auditorium, Washington, D.C.
Photograph
Papers of John F. Kennedy. Presidential Papers. National Security Files
JFKNSF-130-010-p0010
Map of Laos, used by President John F. Kennedy in a press conference on March 23, 1961; the map identifies "Communist Rebel Areas" as of 22 March 1961. [Notes: Tear in upper right corner of image is original to the photographic print.]
Photograph
Papers of John F. Kennedy. Presidential Papers. National Security Files
JFKNSF-130-010-p0012
Map of Laos, used by President John F. Kennedy in a press conference on March 23, 1961; the map identifies "Communist Rebel Areas" as of 7 August 1960. [Notes: Tear in upper right corner of image is original to the photographic print.]
Photograph
Papers of John F. Kennedy. Presidential Papers. National Security Files
JFKNSF-130-010-p0011
Map of Laos, used by President John F. Kennedy in a press conference on March 23, 1961; the map identifies "Communist Rebel Areas" as of 20 December 1960. [Notes: Tear in upper right corner of image is original to the photographic print.]
Collection
MKPLRLPP
Papers 1961-1979. Co-authors of The Kennedy Crises (1983). Notes, correspondence, interviews, audiotapes, research materials, draft manuscript.
Photograph
White House Photographs
JFKWHP-ST-69-2-61
President John F. Kennedy stands at lectern during a press conference; maps of Laos at left identifies "Communist Rebel Areas" as of 22 March 1961. State Department Auditorium, Washington, D.C.
Photograph
White House Photographs
JFKWHP-ST-69-1-61
President John F. Kennedy stands at lectern during a press conference; maps of Laos at left identifies "Communist Rebel Areas" as of 22 March 1961. State Department Auditorium, Washington, D.C.
Photograph
White House Photographs
JFKWHP-ST-60-4-61
President John F. Kennedy stands at lectern during a press conference; maps of Laos at left identifies "Communist Rebel Areas" as of 22 March 1961. State Department Auditorium, Washington, D.C.
Photograph
White House Photographs
JFKWHP-ST-60-3-61
President John F. Kennedy speaks from the lectern during a Press Conference. State Department Spokesman, Lincoln White, stands next to a map of Laos (at left); Press Secretary Pierre Salinger sits at right. State Department Auditorium, Washington, D.C.
Photograph
White House Photographs
JFKWHP-ST-60-2-61
President John F. Kennedy stands at lectern, looking down at his notes; Press Secretary Pierre Salinger stands to the right of President Kennedy; maps of Laos at left. State Department Auditorium, Washington, D.C.