McGeorge Bundy (#8.2)

A Register of His Department of State
Memoranda File, 1961-1963
In the John F. Kennedy Library
National Archives and Records Administration

Administrative Information
Biographical Note
Collection Overview
Series Description


Administrative Information

Abstract
White House Staff Files 1961-1963
The Presidential Papers of John F. Kennedy.
Government official. Special Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs (1961-1966). Correspondence with the Department of State concerning visas and immigration cases.

Access
Open. 

Usage Restrictions
According to the letter of transfer 1965, copyright of these materials has been assigned to the United States.  Documents in this collection that were prepared by officials of the United States as part of their official duties are in the public domain. Users of these materials are advised to determine the copyright status of any document from which they wish to publish.

Copyright
The copyright law of the United States (Title 17, United States Code) governs the making of photocopies or other reproductions of copyrighted material. Under certain conditions specified in the law, libraries and archives are authorized to furnish a photocopy or other reproduction. One of these specified conditions is that the photocopy or reproduction is not to be “used for any purpose other than private study, scholarship, or research.” If a user makes a request for, or later uses, a photocopy or reproduction for purposes in excesses of “fair use,” that user may be liable for copyright infringement. This institution reserves the right to refuse to accept a copying order if, in its judgment, fulfillment of the order would involve violation of copyright law. The copyright law extends its protection to unpublished works from the moment of creation in a tangible form. Direct your questions concerning copyright to the reference staff.

Provenance
These files of McGeorge Bundy, Special Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs (1961-1966), were donated to the Kennedy Library in 1965 as part of the papers of John F. Kennedy.

Extent
4,480 pages (3 linear feet, 1 linear inches ; 3.5 cubic feet)

Withdrawn Items
Three hundred sixty-two (362) documents have been removed.
Selected folders contain withdrawal sheets where documents containing national security classified information were removed from this collection.  Selected folders contain withdrawal sheets where documents, in accordance with the donor’s deed of gift, were removed from the collection. These include documents that may be used to injure or harass any living person.  All withdrawn documents have been placed under seal and upon request the Kennedy Library will review any material which has been closed for a period of not less than 2 years for the purpose of opening items which no longer require restrictions. Researchers should consult the reference staff to obtain the appropriate form(s).

Date Opened
1981

Processed by
Megan Floyd Desnoyers

Encoded by
Ronald E. Whealan

Revisions
Electronic version of the finding aid prepared December 2001, by Ronald E. Whealan
Electronic version of the finding aid updated November 2005, by James M. Roth

Related Collections
McGeorge Bundy Oral History Interview, John F. Kennedy Presidential Library
McGeorge Bundy Papers, John F. Kennedy Presidential Library
McGeorge Bundy Papers, Lyndon B. Johnson Presidential Library
National Security Files, John F. Kennedy Presidential Library
  

White House Staff Files of McGeorge Bundy (1919-1996)

Biographical Note  

Collection Overview
The Presidential papers of John F. Kennedy consist of several major bodies of research material. The White House Central Subject File is the principal White House file. The White House Name File contains copies of most incoming correspondence arranged alphabetically by name of correspondent and is cross-referenced to the Subject File. The Chronological File contains copies of documents prepared for the President's signature and is also cross-referenced to the Subject File. The Social File contains the records of the White House Social Office and includes the correspondence of the First Lady. The President's Office File contains the papers maintained by the President's personal secretary for his use. The National Security File contains the records of the staff of the special assistant to the President for national security affairs.

In addition, in what were called in the White House "storage" or "overflow" files are found various miscellaneous materials and the records of the offices of most members of the President's staff. The files described in this finding aid constitute one of the series of White House staff files included in the Presidential papers of John F. Kennedy.

The White House Staff File of  McGeorge Bundy document his role as Special Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs.  White House staff members and the President received numerous requests from the general public, from foreign citizens, from groups and associations, or from Congress for information, Presidential messages, appointments with the President, or Presidential action. Those requests that fell within the purview of the Department of State would be forwarded to the Department with a request for a recommendation of appropriate action. The Department would reply in a memo or letter to the White House staff member giving the Departmental recommendation and any additional information needed (draft letters, speeches and messages; background reports). The Department's reply was sent to the White House staff member requesting it, along with the initial telegram, letter or notation of telephone conversation. At the same time, an extra carbon (or beginning in 1963, a parallel memo) of the Department's response and of any Department created drafts or reports were sent to McGeorge Bundy. The Department of State Memoranda File consists of these informational copies of Department of State memoranda to White House staff members. The Department of State Memoranda File of  covers the period of March 1961 through November 1963.

Researchers may find this collection useful for looking at the relationship between the White House and an executive department; for further information on some of the functions of the Department of State; for examining Congressional concerns in the foreign policy field; for sampling public opinion on foreign policy issues or following foreign policy crises; for studying a portion of the activities of ethnic groups, foreign policy and foreign relations groups, and foreign student groups; for considering public interest in immigration matters (much of this material is closed under the deed of gift); or for seeing the official response to cases of Americans in trouble or missing abroad (again, much of this is closed under the deed).

Note that the National Security Files: The Working Files of McGeorge Bundy also document Bundy's role in the White House. 

Collection   Description

Series 1. Department of State Memoranda Files, 1961-1963.
About 4,480 pages.
Arrangement:  chronological.

The White House Staff File of McGeorge Bundy consists of memoranda and letters with attached reports or suggested replies from the Department of State to members of the White House Staff on matters of foreign policy, welfare of Americans abroad, and prospective immigrants which were raised by queries from the general public, foreign citizens, groups and members of Congress.  The files cover the period of March 1961 through November 1963.  Note that the Department of State Memoranda are a file fragment, a series of documents which became separated from related materials.