Close
Not finding the information you're looking for? Please contact the Archives research staff.
Oral history
John F. Kennedy Oral History Collection
JFKOH-MJH-01
In this interview Hillenbrand discusses President John F. Kennedy [JFK] entering office amid the Berlin crisis; working as the Director of the Office of German Affairs with JFK; the Berlin Task Force and the Ambassadorial Group; JFK's attitude towards the German problem and German reactions to the Kennedy Administration; the State Department and Germany; the 1961 Vienna talks with Nikita S. Khrushchev; the erection of the Berlin Wall and the crisis it generated; the Kennedy Administration's reaction and response to the Berlin Wall; talks with Russia over Berlin and the Wall; the press "leaks crisis" on the Germany problem; JFK's working style and approach to problems, according to Hillenbrand; the impact of the Cuban Missile Crisis on the Berlin talks; JFK's German policy and relationship with German leaders; and what JFK accomplished related to Germany, among other issues.
Photograph folder
White House Photographs
JFKWHP-1961-07-25-B
AR09, ST03
Oral history
John F. Kennedy Oral History Collection
JFKOH-JCPW-01
In this interview they discuss their article in Look magazine; personal recollections of President John F. Kennedy's [JFK] assassination; working on JFK’s 1960 presidential campaign; JFK’s campaigning style; JFK’s relationship with the press, White House staff, and his family; and JFK’s trips to Nassau, Europe, and Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson’s ranch, 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.
Sound recording
Papers of John F. Kennedy. Presidential Papers. President's Office Files.
JFKPOF-TPH-27A
Dictation Belt 27A contains six sound recordings. Item 27A.1 is a telephone conversation held on October 10, 1963, between President John F. Kennedy and Secretary of Defense Robert S. McNamara. They discuss a situation involving access at Berlin and related talks with Soviet officials. The recording begins in mid-conversation. Item 27A.2 is a telephone conversation held on October 10, 1963, between President John F. Kennedy and Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy. They talk about the hospitalization of newspaperman Ed Lahey and plan a future discussion. The recording begins in mid-conversation. Machine noise follows the conversation. Item 27A.3 is a telephone conversation held on October 10, 1963, between President John F. Kennedy and Secretary of Defense Robert S. McNamara. They discuss the Soviets permitting convoys to move at Berlin. Machine noise follows the conversation. Item 27A.3A is a brief fragment of a telephone conversation held in October 1963. An unidentified man (possibly Secretary of Defense Robert S. McNamara) says he will report back when he hears more information. The recording begins in mid-sentence. Item 27A.4 is a brief telephone exchange in October 1963 between President John F. Kennedy and Secretary of State Dean Rusk. Secretary Rusk reports on Soviet officials and issues involving the Berlin access situation. The recording begins in mid-conversation. Machine noise follows the conversation. Item 27A.5 is a telephone conversation held in October 1963 between Personal Secretary Evelyn Lincoln and Gerald G. Wagner. Lincoln reports that she has not relayed Wagner’s letter. [White House Operator?] announces the call. Machine noise follows the conversation.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.
Oral history
Robert F. Kennedy Oral History Collection
RFKOH-JEN-05
In this interview Nolan discusses Robert F. Kennedy [RFK] right after John F. Kennedy’s assassination; RFK’s speeches and appearances in early 1964 and his plans to leave the Department of Justice; the trip to Europe in the summer of 1964; planning RFK’s visit to Poland; RFK in Germany and Poland; and RFK’s decision to run for Senate in New York in 1964 and his campaign, among other issues.
Sound recording
White House Audio Collection
JFKWHA-197
Sound recording of the President’s News Conference of June 24, 1963 (News Conference 57) from the Foreign Ministry in Bonn, Germany. Some questions asked by the press are in German and interpreted by a translator. The President begins the press conference by thanking the German people for their generous welcome, and the German press corps for their invitation to host the press conference. During the press conference President Kennedy answers questions from the press on a variety of topics including the relationship between the United States and Germany, the role Germany plays in European development, discussions in Moscow concerning nuclear weapons testing, economic cooperation between Europe and the U.S., Berlin, and U.S. troops in Western Europe.
Sound recording
White House Audio Collection
JFKWHA-093
Sound recording of the President’s News Conference of May 9, 1962 (News Conference (32). The President begins the press conference with a statement defending the pending legislation to withhold taxes on dividends and interests against misleading information distributed by the banks and savings and loan associations. Following this statement the President answers questions from the press on a variety of topics including negotiations with the Soviets over access control to Berlin, cease-fire violations in Laos, whether Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson would be dropped from the democratic ticket in the 1964 Presidential election, and if recent proposals concerning Berlin constituted a recognition of the East German Government by the United States.
Sound recording
White House Audio Collection
JFKWHA-041
Sound recording of the President’s News Conference of June 28, 1961 (News Conference 13). President Kennedy begins the press conference with a statement concerning the death of journalist Ed Koterba, followed by lengthy statements concerning the situation in Berlin and the Soviets’ refusal to negotiate on a nuclear test ban at Geneva. He then responds to Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev’s statement that the Soviet Union would out produce the United States by 1970. Following the announcements the President answers questions from the press on a variety of topics including the situation in Berlin, the rate of economic growth in the United States, and foreign policymaking for Latin America.
Sound recording
White House Audio Collection
JFKWHA-052
Sound recording of the President’s News Conference of October 11, 1961 (News Conference 17). President Kennedy begins the press conference by announcing that General Maxwell D. Taylor will be undertaking a trip to Saigon to meet officials regarding the recent attacks on the people of South Vietnam. He then discusses his appointment of a panel to study the problem of mental retardation and recommend a program of action. Following the announcements the President answers questions from the press on a variety of topics including the situation in Berlin and the construction of the Berlin wall.
Sound recording
White House Audio Collection
JFKWHA-048
Sound recording of the President’s News Conference of August 30, 1961 (News Conference 16). President Kennedy begins the press conference by congratulating officials and residents of Atlanta, Georgia for the orderly manner in which four high schools were desegregated. He announces that the Foreign Ministers of France, the United Kingdom, the United States, and West Germany (Federal Republic) would be meeting on September 14, 1961 to consult about the situation in Berlin and the appointment of General Lucius Clay as his personal representative in Berlin. The President then reads the text of his message to the conference of unaligned states scheduled to convene in Belgrade on September 1, 1961. Following the announcements the President answeres questions from the press on a variety of topics including the situation in Berlin, United States-Soviet relations, and steel prices.
Sound recording
White House Audio Collection
JFKWHA-043
Sound recording of the President’s News Conference of July 19, 1961 (News Conference 14). President Kennedy begins the press conference by reading a statement concerning the situation in Germany following Communist threats to close the border to East Berlin. He then makes several brief announcements concerning the Untied States economy; and announces that he would not be attending the Inter-American Economic and Social Council in Montevideo, Uruguay, but would send a delegation led by Secretary of the Treasury Douglas Dillon in his place. Following these statements the President answers questions from the press on a variety of topics including federal aid to education, defense expenditures and funds, the Freedom Riders movement, and Undersecretary of State Chester Bowles.
Textual folder
Papers of John F. Kennedy. Presidential Papers. National Security Files
JFKNSF-098-001
This folder contains Department of State telegrams regarding the United States, Soviet Union, and Berlin. Topics include Berlin contingency planning with a nuclear demonstration plan, the filming and potential broadcast by NBC Television Network of an escape attempt by East Berlin refugees via a tunnel, policies for future action to assist wounded refugees in East Germany, and an Ambassadorial Working Group meeting on Berlin.
Textual folder
Papers of John F. Kennedy. Presidential Papers. National Security Files
JFKNSF-097-002
This folder contains Department of State telegrams regarding the United States, Soviet Union, and Berlin. Topics include U.S. helicopter flights over East Berlin, observances for the one year anniversary of the construction of the Berlin Wall, potential travel requirements by the Germany (Democratic Republic), and protocols for air corridor use. Of note are telegrams regarding an effort by CBS (Columbia Broadcasting System) to film an attempted escape of East Berlin refugees via a tunnel.
Textual folder
Papers of John F. Kennedy. Presidential Papers. President's Office Files.
JFKPOF-054-017
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 10, 1961 (News Conference 15). Materials primarily consist of memorandums and briefing papers for the President on domestic and foreign affairs and national security. Of note are briefing papers concerning the Berlin situation and a memorandum with attachments regarding Senator J. William Fulbright's concern about the proper conduct for military officers involved in educating the public about the dangers of communism.
Textual folder
Papers of John F. Kennedy. Presidential Papers. President's Office Files.
JFKPOF-054-015
This folder contains material collected by the office of President John F. Kennedy's secretary, Evelyn Lincoln, concerning the President's News Conference of July 19, 1961 (News Conference 14). President Kennedy began the press conference by reading a statement concerning the situation in Germany following Communist threats to close the border to East Berlin. He then made several brief announcements concerning the Untied States economy; and announced that he would not be attending the Inter-American Economic and Social Council in Montevideo, Uruguay, but would send a delegation led by Secretary of the Treasury Douglas Dillon in his place. Following these statements the President answered questions from the press on a variety of topics including federal aid to education, defense expenditures and funds, the Freedom Riders movement, and Undersecretary of State Chester Bowles. Background materials in this folder consist of draft press conference announcements, the President's reading copy of his statement on Germany and Berlin, and a memorandum concerning the Department of State and Undersecretary of State Chester Bowles. 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-054-014
This folder contains material collected by the office of President John F. Kennedy's secretary, Evelyn Lincoln, concerning the President's News Conference of June 28, 1961 (News Conference 13). President Kennedy began the press conference with a statement concerning the death of journalist Ed Koterba, followed by lengthy statements concerning the situation in Berlin and the Soviets' refusal to negotiate on a nuclear test ban at Geneva. He then responded to Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev's statement that the Soviet Union would out produce the United States by 1970. Following the announcements the President answered questions from the press on a variety of topics including the situation in Berlin, the rate of economic growth in the United States, and foreign policymaking for Latin America. Background material in the folder includes a memorandum concerning unemployment rates and a draft press conference announcement. 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-056-006
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 9, 1962 (New Conference 32). The President began the press conference with a statement defending the pending legislation to withhold taxes on dividends and interests against misleading information distributed by the banks and savings and loan associations. Following this statement the President answered questions from the press on a variety of topics including negotiations with the Soviets over access control to Berlin, cease-fire violations in Laos, whether Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson would be dropped from the democratic ticket in the 1964 Presidential election, and if recent proposals concerning Berlin constituted a recognition of the East German Government by the United States. Background materials in this folder include memorandums and department and agency reports on domestic and foreign affairs and national security. Of note is a Commerce Department press release announcing the establishment of the Commerce Committee for the Alliance for Progress (COMAP) and a statement by Peace Corp Director Sargent Shriver concerning the death of two Peace Corp volunteers in Colombia. The official White House transcript of the press conference, a stenotype transcript of the press conference, and a stenotype transcript with handwritten editorial marks are also included.
Textual folder
Papers of John F. Kennedy. Presidential Papers. President's Office Files.
JFKPOF-055-001
This folder contains material collected by the office of President John F. Kennedy's secretary, Evelyn Lincoln, concerning the President's News Conference of October 11, 1961 (News Conference 17). President Kennedy began the press conference by announcing that General Maxwell D. Taylor would be undertaking a trip to Saigon to meet officials regarding the recent attacks on the people of South Vietnam. He then discussed his appointment of a panel to study the problem of mental retardation and recommend a program of action. Following the announcements the President answered questions from the press on a variety of topics including the situation in Berlin and the construction of the Berlin wall. Background materials in this folder consist of draft 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-054-018
This folder contains material collected by the office of President John F. Kennedy's secretary, Evelyn Lincoln, concerning the President's News Conference of August 30, 1961 (News Conference 16). President Kennedy began the press conference by congratulating officials and residents of Atlanta, Georgia for the orderly manner in which four high schools were desegregated. He announced that the Foreign Ministers of France, the United Kingdom, the United States and West Germany (Federal Republic) would be meeting on September 14, 1961 to consult about the situation in Berlin and the appointment of General Lucius Clay as his personal representative in Berlin. The President then read the text of his message to the conference of unaligned states scheduled to convene in Belgrade on September 1, 1961. Following the announcements the President answered questions from the press on a variety of topics including the situation in Berlin, United States-Soviet relations, and steel prices. Background materials in this folder include memorandums and executive department and agency reports for the President on domestic and foreign affairs and national security. Of note is a memorandum from Assistant Special Counsel Richard N. Goodwin to President Kennedy recounting additional details about his encounter with Che Guevara (Ernesto Guevara) in Montevideo, Uruguay. 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-057-009
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 22, 1962 (News Conference 41). Materials primarily consist of draft press conference announcements and briefing papers for the President on domestic and foreign affairs and national security. Topics include the economy, disarmament, the military space program, Latin America and the Alliance for Progress, the Soviet Union and Berlin, and foreign aid. Of note are materials relating to recent activity surrounding Cuba, including an increase in supplies and technicians from the Soviet Union and the possibility of lawyer James B. Donovan traveling to Cuba to negotiate for the release of prisoners.
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-A45-1-61
President John F. Kennedy delivers a radio and television address to the nation on the Berlin Crisis. The President spoke from the Oval Office, White House, Washington, D.C.
Collection
MKPLRLPP
Papers 1961-1979. Co-authors of The Kennedy Crises (1983). Notes, correspondence, interviews, audiotapes, research materials, draft manuscript.
Textual folder
Papers of John F. Kennedy. Pre-Presidential Papers. Presidential Campaign Files, 1960
JFKCAMP1960-1052-004
This folder contains an unofficial transcript of the third presidential debate between candidates Senator John F. Kennedy and Vice President Richard M. Nixon. The candidates answered questions on numerous issues, including the economy, the Federal budget, foreign policy, labor, nuclear disarmament, taxes, Berlin, and the invasion of Quemoy and Matsu. The debate was moderated by Bill Shadel of the American Broadcasting Company (ABC).