Close
Not finding the information you're looking for? Please contact the Archives research staff.
Oral history
John F. Kennedy Oral History Collection
JFKOH-MGB-01
Bundy discusses John F. Kennedy’s (JFK) thinking and decision making style; his relationship with other members of his administration, including his close working relationship with Theodore C. Sorensen; the aftermath of the Bay of Pigs invasion; the Cuban Missile Crisis; Laos and the Vietnam War; the threat of military conflict with the Soviet Union over Berlin; and JFK’s relationship with other heads of state, among other issues.
Oral history
John F. Kennedy Oral History Collection
JFKOH-HWB-01
Brawley discusses the 1960 presidential campaign, the postal rate increase during the Kennedy administration, and the process of raising wages for government employees, among other issues.
Oral history
John F. Kennedy Oral History Collection
JFKOH-CBB-01
Bowles discusses his role as foreign policy advisor during the presidential campaign; staffing the State Department; relationship with Dean Rusk and John F. Kennedy; foreign policy towards developing nations; and leaving his position as Under Secretary of State, among other issues.
Oral history
John F. Kennedy Oral History Collection
JFKOH-BLB-02
In this interview Boutin discusses New Hampshire politics; presidential elections and Democratic National Conventions from 1956 through 1968; various staff members of John F. Kennedy’s [JFK] presidential campaign from 1956 to 1960; JFK’s presidential campaign in several different states; the 1960 presidential primary in New Hampshire; working as the Administrator of the General Services Administration [GSA], including public works projects, federal buildings and sites, reorganization of GSA structure and personnel, and working with Congress and other federal agencies on GSA matters; the National Archives and Records Administration and presidential libraries; the Democratic National Committee during JFK’s Administration; Boutin’s memories of immediately following JFK’s assassination in 1963; tensions between Robert F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson; and “Johnson people” versus “Kennedy people,” among other issues.
Oral history
John F. Kennedy Oral History Collection
JFKOH-NEH-01
In this interview Halaby discusses how he got his position as the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration; John F. Kennedy’s [JFK] interest in aviation; competition and cooperation among various U.S. agencies in regards to aviation, including the debate over who should be in charge of international aviation affairs; meeting with JFK prior to his inauguration; the proposed air agreement with the Soviet Union; and the study and development of supersonic transport in the United States, among other issues.
Oral history
John F. Kennedy Oral History Collection
JFKOH-WIAG-01
Geoghegan discusses the 1960 campaign in Ohio and the operation of the Department of Justice under Robert F. Kennedy, among other issues.
Oral history
John F. Kennedy Oral History Collection
JFKOH-ROWK-05
In this interview Komer discusses working with McGeorge Bundy; the “inner circle” of the Bundy State Department; Komer’s major contacts; the intelligence system; the power and responsibilities of the State Department; how Bundy screened what President John F. Kennedy [JFK] would see; relations with other key officials; Robert F. Kennedy and foreign policy issues; the Bundy State Department and White House staff; the “little State Department” in the White House; the bureaucratic role of the State Department; U.S. foreign policy in Asia; relations with key U.S. Ambassadors; handling Arab-Israeli issues; domestic pressures of American-Jewish community on JFK; Arabists in the Kennedy Administration; working with Myer Feldman on Israeli issues; the United States, Saudi Arabia, and oil; filling the power vacuum left by the British; dealing with Congress on foreign aid matters; counterinsurgency; and looking back at programs during the Kennedy Administration, among other issues.
Oral history
John F. Kennedy Oral History Collection
JFKOH-WEK-01
This interview focuses on Knight’s role on the Italian Desk and the Opening to the Left issue, among other topics.
Oral history
John F. Kennedy Oral History Collection
JFKOH-HWK-01
Herbert W. Klotz (1917-1986) was a member of the Businessman’s Committee for Kennedy-Johnson during the 1960 presidential campaign and served as Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Administration from 1962-1965. This interview focuses on the inner workings of the Department of Commerce during the Kennedy administration and organizing an exhibit on past presidents for the New York World’s Fair in 1964, among other topics.
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-05
In this interview Robert F. Kennedy [RFK] and Marshall discuss how John F. Kennedy [JFK] and RFK grew increasingly more involved with and concerned about civil rights; getting Martin Luther King out of jail during JFK’s 1960 campaign; civil rights advisers during JFK’s 1960 campaign; RFK becoming Attorney General amidst the civil rights battle and the transitional period in the Department of Justice [DOJ]; how Marshall got his position in the DOJ; the struggle over school desegregation; the New Orleans school crisis of February 1961; the Freedom Riders and violence against them; sending federal marshals to Alabama; trying to find a bus driver to get the Freedom Riders out of Birmingham, Alabama; criticism of RFK’s response to the Freedom Riders; how Freedom Riders were arrested and threatened in Mississippi; African-American voting rights in the South and DOJ authority; difficulties with judges; Supreme Court appointments; the FBI and organized crime; reorganization of the DOJ; RFK’s interactions with the FBI and J. Edgar Hoover after JFK’s death; Hoover’s allegations about JFK and the Kennedy family; the alleged FBI wiretapping of officials; JFK’s opinion of Hoover; FBI press releases; connecting the civil rights movement with communism to discredit it; FBI involvement in civil rights matters; issues with the FBI as having civilian control of a police force; JFK’s communication with King and other civil rights leaders; civil rights legislation; the issue of equal employment; the Civil Rights Commission; and violence against African Americans in Birmingham in the spring of 1963, among other issues.
Oral history
John F. Kennedy Oral History Collection
JFKOH-RFK-04
In this interview Robert F. Kennedy [RFK] discusses American aid to Argentina; American, British, and French involvement in Africa; the 1962 executive order about segregation in federally-funded housing; appointing African-American judges; changes John F. Kennedy [JFK] was contemplating in the Alliance for Progress; the Dominican crisis; the wheat sale to the Soviet Union; the Bobby Baker case; preparing for JFK’s 1964 campaign; RFK’s return to work after JFK’s assassination and disagreements among the Cabinet members and under President Lyndon B. Johnson; changes in White House staff and the Democratic Party; RFK’s political plans for after 1964; and JFK’s opinions of his staff and appointees, 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-RWJ-01
This interview focuses on the Civil Service Commission’s transition period to the Kennedy Administration, Jones’ move and responsibilities to the State Department, and Jones’ return to the Bureau of the Budget, among other things.
Oral history
John F. Kennedy Oral History Collection
JFKOH-JED-01
Day discusses his appointment as Postmaster General, John F. Kennedy’s relationship with his cabinet members, and his 1963 resignation as Postmaster General, among other issues.
Oral history
John F. Kennedy Oral History Collection
JFKOH-MF-08
Feldman discusses the atmosphere in the White House after Inauguration, preparing the State of the Union Address and subsequent messages, and Kennedy’s televised press conferences, among other issues.
Oral history
John F. Kennedy Oral History Collection
JFKOH-LEM-03
In this interview Martin discusses helping fill government positions after John F. Kennedy [JFK] is elected President, 1960; the appointment of African American judges, including Thurgood Marshall to the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit; providing African American candidates for different agency positions; civil rights crises during JFK’s Administration; Lee White as the White House advisor on civil rights; the civil rights bill introduced in 1963; religious groups in the civil rights movement; the issue of “white backlash”; and working for President JFK versus working for President Lyndon B. Johnson, among other issues.
Oral history
Robert F. Kennedy Oral History Collection
RFKOH-FGD-01
In this interview Dutton discusses his personal and working relationships with Robert F. Kennedy [RFK]; his role in Lyndon B. Johnson’s 1964 presidential campaign; RFK’s staff from 1964 to 1968; and RFK’s 1968 presidential campaign, among other issues.
Oral history
Robert F. Kennedy Oral History Collection
RFKOH-JTC-03
In this interview Conway discusses getting Martin Luther King out of jail in Birmingham, Alabama, in 1963; Robert F. Kennedy’s [RFK] view of King and his actions; the March on Washington; working with RFK and the Justice Department on civil rights legislation; Walter Reuther; Conway’s decision to leave John F. Kennedy’s Administration and working on legislation from the outside; the Community Action Program; working with Senator RFK during the Johnson Administration; Senator RFK’s involvement in the labor movement; Jesse M. Unruh, RFK, and the 1968 California presidential primary; Department of Urban Affairs legislation; getting accelerated public works legislation through Congress; Housing and Home Finance Agency staff members; and the attempt to pick up congressional seats in 1962 and 1964, among other issues.
Oral history
Robert F. Kennedy Oral History Collection
RFKOH-JTC-02
In this interview Conway discusses working with John F. Kennedy’s [JFK] 1960 presidential campaign; the negative reaction to the choice of Lyndon B. Johnson for JFK’s running mate; labor leadership and JFK’s campaign; unions and the religious issue during the 1960 election; discussing presidential appointments with JFK after the election; Conway’s role in JFK’s Administration; the Housing and Home Finance Agency, legislation, and working with Congress; accelerated public works, the Department of Commerce, and problems with the extent of presidential powers; Walter Reuther and his relationship with JFK; confrontations between Johnson and Robert F. Kennedy [RFK]; working with RFK on civil rights marches and their legislative demands; and interactions with RFK from 1964 through 1968, among other issues.
Oral history
John F. Kennedy Oral History Collection
JFKOH-RAW-02
Wallace discusses John F. Kennedy’s [JFK] campaigns from 1956 to 1961, as well as the Kennedy Administration through JFK’s assassination. He discusses his role as an assistant secretary and his work regarding the Bureau of the Mint and the United States Secret Service, among other issues.
Oral history
John F. Kennedy Oral History Collection
JFKOH-SLU-02
This interview focuses on John F. Kennedy’s campaign visit to Arizona, Udall’s appointment and role as Secretary of the Interior, Indian Affairs, and Appointments of Department of Interior staff, among other issues.
Oral history
John F. Kennedy Oral History Collection
JFKOH-JCT-01
In this interview, he discusses Chester Bowles’ political style, the unconventional selections of ambassadorial positions, and the nation’s role in the world, among other issues.