Primary Sources Access – Foundation (Plan E): American Politics and Society from Kennedy to Watergate (1960-1975)

Aeronautics and Space Reports to the Congress, 1958-1984

With the passage of the National Aeronautics and Space Act in 1958, the Eisenhower administration created the civilian-dominated National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and established its mission and objectives in the space race with the Soviet Union. The mission of NASA, as stated in the act, was to conduct the U.S. government's nonmilitary activities in aeronautics research and in space research and development, and to cooperate with and to support the Defense Department's activities in these fields. The basic objectives of the U.S. space program were (and still are) the exploration of space to extend knowledge of the solar system and the universe, to use this knowledge for peaceful ends, and to share its benefits with mankind.

Appointment Book of President Kennedy, 1961-1963

The Appointment Book of President Kennedy provides a chronological documentary record and comprehensive insight into the day-to-day workings of the Oval Office. This collection covers all of President Kennedy’s activities from his regular meetings with world leaders to his movements between rooms inside the White House. Regular features in Kennedy’s itinerary include fundraisers, White House conferences and luncheons, speeches and addresses, and meetings with domestic and foreign leaders to discuss matters of national and international security.

Associated Press, Cape Canaveral Bureau Records, 1959-2000

"The United States' first man-made satellite whirled around the Earth today and reports were that everything is working very well." Thus began the Associated Press February 1, 1958 account of the first American space mission. From the modest beginning of Explorer 1, the U.S. space program, together with those of the Soviet Union and other countries, developed into the largest and, by most accounts, most successful scientific and technological program in the history of the world.

Associated Press, Wire Copy on the Assassinations of President John F. Kennedy and Senator Robert F. Kennedy

This collection contains a wide range of content, going beyond the coverage of the assassinations of John and Robert Kennedy to include political analysis; reactions from former presidents, statesmen, and foreign diplomats; man-on-the-street interviews and coverage of a nation in mourning; the Wall Street response; biographical details on Lee Harvey Oswald and Sirhan Bishara Sirhan, their captures, and Oswald's sudden murder; and finally, the Kennedys' majestic funerals and memorial services.

Bureau of the Budget Bill Reports: Public Laws, 87th and 88th Congresses

This collection contains documents from the Bureau of the Budget that were submitted in support of, or in opposition to, the public laws enacted by the 87th and 88th Congresses and signed by President John F. Kennedy. In its advisory capacity, the Bureau assisted the president both in arriving at final positions on measures pending in Congress, and in taking final action on enacted bills. Furthermore, the Bureau helped to ensure that the views of all executive departments potentially affected by a legislative action would be factored into the lawmaking process.

Citizens Advisory Council on the Status of Women, 1963-1977, Part 1: White House Files, Meetings, and Records of Task Forces

This collection brings together a large number of documents on the social and economic status of women. Most of the documents are from the files of the Citizen's Advisory Council on the Status of Women (CACSW) and the Interdepartmental Committee on the Status of Women (ICSW), but some documents on the activities of state Governors' Commissions on the Status of Women (GCSW) are also included. The documents include correspondence, reports and drafts, meeting transcripts, press releases, voting records, press clippings, pamphlets, and magazines. Prominent correspondents include Jacqueline G. Gutwillig, Margaret Hickey, Esther Peterson, Senator Maurine B. Neuberger, Secretary of Labor W. Willard Wirtz, and Civil Service Commission Director John W. Macy Jr. The files are grouped in series, but do not have an overarching chronological organization.

Citizens Advisory Council on the Status of Women, 1963-1977, Part 2: Subject Files

This collection brings together a large number of documents on the social and economic status of women. Most of the documents are from the files of the Citizen's Advisory Council on the Status of Women (CACSW) and the Interdepartmental Committee on the Status of Women (ICSW). The records also cover activities of state Governors' Commissions on the Status of Women (GCSW) and the Women's Bureau. The documents include correspondence, reports and drafts, speeches, press clippings, member information, publications, and newsletters, with a focus on primary source material from women's groups across the country. Prominent correspondents include Jacqueline G. Gutwillig, Margaret Hickey, Esther Peterson, Senator Maurine B. Neuberger, Secretary of Labor W. Willard Wirtz, and Civil Service Commission Director John W. Macy Jr. The files are grouped in series, but do not have an overarching chronological organization. There is a companion collection, Part 1, that contains White House files, including meeting documents and task force reports.

Civil Rights in the 1970s: Publications and Reports of the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, 1973-1976

This collection provides a documentary history of the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, the independent fact-finding agency created out of the Civil Rights Act of 1957. Through research and analysis, the Commission informed the development of civil rights policy in the United States and assisted with the enforcement of federal civil rights laws. It studied trends and instances of voting rights' deprivation, and discrimination in education, employment, and the administration of justice, based on race, color, religion, sex, age, disability or national origin. The findings and results from the Commission's research efforts were instrumental in the enactments of the Civil Rights Act of 1960, the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Voting Rights Act of 1965, and the Fair Housing Act of 1968.

Confidential File of the Johnson White House, 1963-1969, Part 1: Confidential Subject and Name Files

Part 1 of The Confidential File of the Johnson White House, 1963-1969 provides to researchers of Lyndon B. Johnson and his presidency access to the range of documents and files that the president and his staff believed were too sensitive or potentially embarrassing to be included in the White House Central Files (WHCF). These materials provide an inside perspective on the priorities and concerns of the Johnson administration and on the issues that made it one of the most fascinating and controversial presidential tenures in American history.

Confidential File of the Johnson White House, 1963-1969, Part 2: Confidential Reports File

Part 2 of The Confidential File of the Johnson White House, 1963-1969 provides to researchers of Lyndon B. Johnson and his presidency access to the range of documents and files that the president and his staff believed were too sensitive or potentially embarrassing to be included in the White House Central Files (WHCF). These materials provide an inside perspective on the priorities and concerns of the Johnson administration and on the issues that made it one of the most fascinating and controversial presidential tenures in American history.

Council of Economic Advisers under President Johnson

Council of Economic Advisers under President Johnson provides to researchers studying Lyndon B. Johnson and his presidency a large number of documents on the economic policy debates and decisions during the Johnson administration.

Daily Diary of President Johnson, 1963-1969

The Daily Diary of President Johnson is a documentary record of Lyndon B. Johnson's life and career from January 1, 1959 to January 20, 1969. The collection begins during Johnson's time as Senate Majority Leader and covers his terms as vice president and president of the United States. The documents in this collection are primarily displayed in calendar form, listing Johnson's daily activities, including meetings, phone calls, and travels, in addition to social functions and guest lists. The collection is divided into three parts: Pre-Presidential Diaries, January 1, 1959-November 22, 1963; President's Daily Diary, November 22, 1963-January 20, 1969; and Log of the President's Appointments, November 22, 1963-January 19, 1965.

Department of Health, Education, and Welfare, 1963-1969: Official History and Documents, Part I: History

This collection provides a documentary history of the beginnings of what is today known as the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Created during the period of Lyndon B. Johnson's administration, the department has since grown double in size every three years, all while garnering broad popular support for federal spending on social and public welfare programs.

Department of Health, Education, and Welfare, 1963-1969: Official History and Documents, Part II: Documents

This collection provides a documentary history of the beginnings of what is today known as the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Created during the period of Lyndon B. Johnson's administration, the department has since grown double in size every three years, all while garnering broad popular support for federal spending on social and public welfare programs.

Environmental Protection Agency: Records on Automobile Emissions Standards

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) was established on December 2, 1970 as an independent agency of the executive branch of the U.S. government, tasked to define and enforce federal environmental protection laws. With the establishment of amendments to the Clean Air Act of 1963, a federal law passed by Congress, the EPA became directly responsible for setting National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) and for regulating emissions of air pollutants from stationary and mobile sources. One of the goals of the Act was to set and achieve NAAQS in every state through the reduction of automobile emissions.

Environmental Protection Agency: Records on the Health and Ecological Effects of Pollution, 1971-1977

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) was proposed by President Richard Nixon through the executive order, Reorganization Plan No. 3, and approved by the U.S. Congress. Officially established on December 2, 1970 as an independent agency of the executive branch, the EPA was tasked to define and enforce federal environmental protection laws. Included in the collection Environmental Protection Agency: Records on the Health and Ecological Effects of Pollution, 1971-1977 are agency reports, studies, impact statements, letters, and newspaper articles, from 1972-1978, pertaining to the health and ecological effects of pollution, as well as methods and equipment for its control. Not only does this collection provide an internal perspective of the agency, how it collected information, and developed standards and policies, but it also describes the interplay between government agencies and nongovernmental organizations. Additionally, the collection provides public commentary on issues of pollution and pollution control.

FBI Files on the American Indian Movement and Wounded Knee

FBI Files on the American Indian Movement and Wounded Knee brings together a large number of documents that chronicle the rise and fall of the American Indian Movement (AIM) from 1969 to 1979 as an organization of social protest, as well as the efforts of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to gather information on the group and interdict its activities. The collection documents in detail the occupation of the village of Wounded Knee, South Dakota by AIM members from February to May 1973, as well as the response of the FBI and other law enforcement agencies, and the aftermath of the occupation.

FBI Files on the Weather Underground Organization

The Weather Underground Organization (WUO), also known as the Weathermen, was a radical leftist organization in the United States, active from 1969 until the early 1980's. Taking its name from the Bob Dylan lyric, "You don't need a weatherman to know which way the wind blows," the WUO grew out of the New Left Movement of the 1960's. It sought the destruction of U.S. imperialism, capitalism, and inequality and supported the creation of a Communist world, advocating violent direct action and international revolution. The FBI Files on the Weather Underground Organization is a summary describing the ideology, influences, activities, and international travel of the WUO from 1969-1976. The collection covers WUO activity in the United States, primarily in Chicago, and abroad, from Europe, to Vietnam, to Cuba.

FBI Files on White Extremist Organizations

FBI Files on White Extremist Organizations is a comprehensive collection of FBI surveillance reports from regional bureau offices across the United States spanning the 1930s through 1970s. As part of a concerted effort to monitor white extremist organizations in the United States, FBI offices across the country would complete reports documenting extremist activities in their area, which were then circulated to FBI headquarters in Washington, D.C., and offices in other states. This constant exchange of up-to the-minute information was integral to the surveillance effort because many of these organizations operated in multiple states, and key individuals constantly traveled for speaking engagements, rallies, meetings, and conventions.

History of the Department of Justice, 1963-1969

The History of the Department of Justice, 1963-1969 provides a documentary record and organizational history of the Department of Justice, one of the largest departments in the federal government. This collection includes documents from the various divisions, offices, and agencies that fell under the penumbra of the Department of Justice, including the Criminal Division, the Deputy Attorney General's Office, Office of Law Enforcement Assistance, Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs, Bureau of Drug Abuse Control, Bureau of Prisons, Board of Parole, U.S. Pardon Attorney, Federal Corrections, Civil Rights Division, Community Relations Service, Antitrust Division, Immigration and Naturalization Service, and the Internal Security Division.

History of the Federal Trade Commission, November 1963-January 1969

The History of the Federal Trade Commission, November 1963-January 1969 provides valuable insight into the government agency charged with protecting consumers' rights. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) seeks to prevent anti-competitive business practices, ensure truth in advertising and pricing, and regulate economic concentration to prevent monopolies.

John F. Kennedy 1960 Campaign, Part 1: Polls, Issues, and Strategy

This collection contains valuable research materials on John F. Kennedy's 1960 presidential campaign. The documents include public opinion polls, position and briefing papers prepared by members of the Kennedy "brain trust," speech drafts, and discussions of religious issues in the 1960 election, especially Kennedy's Catholic faith.

John F. Kennedy 1960 Campaign, Part 2: Speeches, Press Conferences, and Debates

The documents in this collection are drawn from two major groupings of records within the Pre-Presidential Papers located at the John F. Kennedy Library. The first grouping consists of the complete transcripts of speeches delivered by John F. Kennedy from 1953 to 1960. In addition to the actual transcripts of the addresses as delivered, these files contain the drafts of the speeches. The second major grouping of records is taken from the 1960 Campaign Files. From the Speeches, Statements, and Sections Files, 1958-1960, section of the Campaign Files, the collection draws the Speech Files, 1958-1960, and the Kennedy Press Conferences, 1960, as well as the complete Kennedy-Nixon debate materials. The contents of the collection documents are described further below.

Johnson Administration's Response to Anti-Vietnam War Activities, Part 1: White House Aides' Files

The Johnson Administration's Response to Anti-Vietnam War Activities, Part 1: White House Aides' Files presents documents that detail the concerns of President Lyndon B. Johnson and his administration about the public's response to the escalating war in Vietnam. The collection, covering the period 1963-1969, enumerates policies, responses, and recommendations, from both the president's advisers and cabinet members, on handling the challenge of the antiwar movement. Collection documents include correspondence, reports, newspaper clippings, and academic papers.

Johnson Administration's Response to Anti-Vietnam War Activities, Part 2: White House Central Files

Part 2 of Johnson Administration's Response to Anti-Vietnam War Activities presents a large number of documents from the White House Central Files concerning U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War, the war policies of President Lyndon B. Johnson, demonstrations and protests for and against the war, and public opinion on these issues. The materials include internal memoranda, reports, newspaper clippings, public opinion polls, newsletters, telegrams, and a heavy concentration of correspondence between private citizens and the White House. Part 1 of this series contains documents from White House aides' files.

Minutes and Documents of the Cabinet Meetings of President Johnson

Minutes and Documents of the Cabinet Meetings of President Johnson provides a detailed and comprehensive look at the interaction between the president and the heads of his Cabinet departments. This collection contains multiple series, starting with general Cabinet meetings and continuing to weekly reports from the respective Cabinet department heads. The Cabinet meeting documents contain lists of participants, an overview of topics, additional documents and memoranda, and minutes of the meetings. The departmental reports contain information that Cabinet secretaries deemed important enough to bring to the attention of the president and provide background information on many challenging issues facing the United States during Johnson's time in office.

National Economy Under President Johnson: Administrative Histories

This collection provides a primary source documentary history and organizational record of federal bodies that created or were involved in economic policy and economic issues during the Lyndon Johnson administration. Administrative histories for the following federal entities are covered: Bureau of Budget, Council of Economic Advisers, Federal Reserve System, Securities and Exchange Commission, and Department of Treasury. Topics covered include budgetary policies, procedures, and spending; economic, monetary, and fiscal policy; domestic and international economic situations; government and industry interactions, including stability of prices; balance of payments; and financial regulation, including of securities and markets.

Oral Histories of the Johnson Administration, 1963-1969, Part I: The White House and Executive Departments

This collection of oral histories is indispensable and enlightening to any examination of Lyndon B. Johnson's political career and presidency. The first of a two-part series, this collection is comprised of over three hundred interviews with key officials and aides from almost every sector of the executive branch under Johnson. The interviews were conducted by faculty at the University of Texas at Austin and the Lyndon Baines Johnson Library, between the years 1968 and 1984. These firsthand accounts not only provide inside perspectives on the Johnson administration and the major political issues of the 1960s, but they also reveal personal views on Lyndon Johnson, the man, and on the speakers themselves.

Oral Histories of the Johnson Administration, 1963-1969, Part II: The Congress, the Judiciary, Public Figures, and Private Individuals

This collection of oral histories is extensive and invaluable to any examination of Lyndon B. Johnson's political career, presidency, and personal life. The second of a two-part series, this collection includes over four hundred interviews with Johnson's colleagues in Congress; Supreme Court justices and members of the federal and state judiciary; labor, religious, business, and civil rights leaders; members of the legal community and the media; and longtime personal friends. The interviews were conducted by faculty at the University of Texas at Austin and the Lyndon Baines Johnson Library, between the years 1963 and 1986. These firsthand accounts provide inside perspectives on Johnson's long political career, major political topics from the New Deal to the Vietnam War, as well as personal reflections on Lyndon Johnson, the man, and on the speakers themselves.

Papers from the John F. Kennedy Assassination Records Collection at the National Archives, Part 2: Church Committee Investigation, Section A: General Files

This portion of History Vault's Papers from the John F. Kennedy Assassination Records Collection at the National Archives series represents a large compilation of documents on various matters related to the assassination of John F. Kennedy. The central focus is on the identification of possible connections of the assassination and its perpetrator, Lee Harvey Oswald, with Central Intelligence Agency operations or with U.S. plots to remove Cuban ruler Fidel Castro from power.

Papers from the John F. Kennedy Assassination Records Collection at the National Archives, Part 2: Church Committee Investigation, Section B: Testimony

This portion of History Vault's Papers from the John F. Kennedy Assassination Records Collection at the National Archives series represents a substantial collection of documents that the researcher can use to explore links between President John F. Kennedy's assassination and a series of secret plots against Cuban leader Fidel Castro, whose overthrow of Fulgencio Batista in 1959 seemed to bring communism--and consequently the Soviet Union--to America's doorstep.

Papers of Dean F. Markham and the President's Advisory Commission on Narcotics, 1962-1963

As a member of the White House Special Projects Staff, Dean F. Markham was involved in many unique undertakings of the Kennedy administration. Papers of Dean F. Markham and the President's Advisory Commission on Narcotics, 1962-1963outline his involvement in the White House Conference on Drug Abuse and his work as the executive director of the President's Advisory Commission on Narcotics and Drug Abuse. In these two roles, Markham sculpted a cohesive and sustainable federal drug policy based on medical research and influenced by law enforcement input, the pharmaceutical industry, and mental health professionals.

Papers of the Nixon White House, Part 1: Official Inventories of Papers and Other Historical Materials of the Nixon White House

Papers of the Nixon White House, Part 1: Official Inventories of Papers and Other Historical Materials of the Nixon White House reproduces the finding aids to all of the Richard M. Nixon presidential files that had been opened to the public as of October 1987. These official inventories provided an overview of millions of pages of released documents from the Nixon Presidential Materials Project. The open materials consist of the entire White House Special Files as well as portions of the White House Central Files. The documents include text records, audiovisual records, photographs, videotapes, audiotapes, motion picture film, and gift items. The inventories of the White House Central Files appear first, followed by the inventories for the White House Special Files.

Papers of the Nixon White House, Part 2: The President's Meeting File, 1969-1974

This collection comprises a large series of reports maintained by Alexander P. Butterfield, President Richard M. Nixon's deputy assistant, that described in detail the mood, substance, and discussions of all meetings in which the president participated, with the exception of the president's meetings with his top-level staff members such as H. R. Haldeman and John D. Ehrlichman (these latter meetings are documented in Parts 3 and 5 of History Vault's Papers of The Nixon White House). The reports of the meetings, Butterfield reminded Nixon's staff in a memorandum on April 8, 1969, "should serve the purpose of triggering the president's memory, at a later date, as to the tone, course, and subject matter of the meetings."

Papers of the Nixon White House, Part 3: John Ehrlichman, Notes of Meetings with the President, 1969-1973

John Ehrlichman was President Richard Nixon's close confidant and chief domestic policy adviser. The National Archives has divided Ehrlichman's papers into seven series, of which the two most important and informative have been filmed by ProQuest as Parts 3 and 4 of its series on the Papers of the Nixon White House. This collection, Part 3, consists of Ehrlichman's handwritten notes taken during his meetings with Nixon and other members of the administration from 1969 to May 1973. Part 4 presents the complete set of documents arranged alphabetically by subject that Ehrlichman kept during his White House career. The present collection contains an index guide that lists all the major subjects discussed, in addition to the proper names, and indications whether the individuals were participants or simply objects of discussion. These notes consist of three categories: meetings with the President, miscellaneous notes, and electrostatic copies of notes for meetings with the President.

Papers of the Nixon White House, Part 4: The John Ehrlichman Alphabetical Subject File, 1969-1973

John Ehrlichman was President Richard Nixon's close confidant and chief domestic policy adviser. The National Archives has divided Ehrlichman's papers into seven series, of which the two most important and informative have been filmed by ProQuest as Parts 3 and 4 of its series on the Papers of the Nixon White House. This collection, Part 4, presents the complete set of documents arranged alphabetically by subject that Ehrlichman kept during his White House career, while Part 3 consists of Ehrlichman's handwritten notes taken during his meetings with Nixon and other members of the administration from 1969 to May 1973. The documents in this collection consist of memoranda, correspondence, investigative reports, transcripts of telephone conversations, notes, speech drafts, and transcripts of dictabelts.

Papers of the Nixon White House, Part 5: H. R. Haldeman, Notes of White House Meetings, 1969-1973

This collection contains the handwritten notes that H. R. Haldeman, President Richard Nixon's chief of staff, took at meetings and during telephone conversations with the president as well as with other White House staffers, members of the executive branch, congressmen, senators, and others. Haldeman began taking the notes on January 12, 1969 and continued until his forced resignation in April 1973, when the Federal Bureau of Investigation seized the materials. He used his notes to record the president's directives in blunt language and, in addition, would record entire presidential monologues. Haldeman's notes, which are quite frank for the very reason that they were not supposed to be part of the official record, give researchers a rare opportunity to sit in on the most private of presidential discussions.

Papers of the Nixon White House, Part 6: The President's Office Files, Series A: Documents Annotated by the President, 1969-1974

This collection contains an extensive file of official documents on which President Richard M. Nixon wrote handwritten comments. The documents consist primarily of memoranda, reports, and correspondence, all with annotations by the president. The majority of the documentation in this series comes from White House staff members, though a substantial number also comes from federal departments and agencies and Congress. The documents are arranged in chronological order. Subjects vary widely in this series from major social, economic, or foreign policies to matters of protocol and social events.

Papers of the Nixon White House, Part 6: The President's Office Files, Series B: Daily News Summaries Annotated by the President, 1969-1973

This collection contains a chronological file of news summaries prepared for President Richard M. Nixon, on which the president wrote handwritten comments. Although the news summaries covered a broad spectrum of newspapers, periodicals, radio, and television, they concentrated on large daily newspapers such as the New York Times and Washington Post, and the three network evening news programs. News items summarized were chosen due to their coverage of the president and the administration, as well as their treatment of issues of interest to the White House. From January 1969 through October 1971, only those pages of the news summary on which the president wrote were forwarded to this file. Beginning in November 1971 and continuing until President Nixon left office, the entire news summary was filed if it had been annotated.

Papers of the Nixon White House, Part 7: President's Personal Files, 1969-1974

This collection is a compilation of documents maintained by Rose Mary Woods, personal secretary to President Nixon, for two main purposes. The first was preserving papers with a particularly close connection to the president, whether because he dictated or annotated them, or because of the importance of the correspondent or the event concerned. The second purpose was corresponding--through letters of gratitude, invitations to White House social events, and the like--with members of Congress and important friends and supporters of the Nixon administration. The collection consists of three sections: Memoranda from the President; Name/Subject File; and the President's Speech File. These series are summarized below.

Papers of the Nixon White House, Part 8: The Nixon White House Tapes, The Complete Transcripts Prepared by the Watergate Special Prosecution Force

This collection consists of the transcripts of approximately eighty-eight separate conversations contained on approximately sixty hours of tape recordings, which the Watergate Special Prosecution Force (WSPF) acquired from the White House by subpoena or other legal processes. This collection reproduces all the WSPF-produced transcripts under the control of the Nixon Presidential Materials Project, arranged in chronological order. The National Archives' Office of Presidential Libraries has archivally processed the materials to preserve the original tapes, organize and describe the content, and review the tapes and transcripts for public access. The transcripts provide scholars with an invaluable resource for tracing the political fall of Richard Nixon.

Political Activities of the Johnson White House, 1963-1969, Part 1: White House Central and Confidential Files

This collection provides to researchers studying Lyndon B. Johnson and his presidency access to the range of documents and files that the president and his staff believed were too sensitive or potentially embarrassing to be included in the White House Central Files (WHCF). These materials provide an inside perspective on the priorities and concerns of the Johnson administration and on the issues that made it one of the most controversial presidential tenures in American history.

Political Activities of the Johnson White House, 1963-1969, Part 2: White House Aides, Series A. Office Files of Marvin Watson

This collection provides to researchers a substantial body of material that documents the political activities of W. Marvin Watson, a special assistant to President Lyndon B. Johnson and later the de facto chief of staff in the Johnson administration. Because of his penchant for operating outside the glare of the media and his subsequent lack of national recognition (in contrast to White House aides such as Bill Moyers and Joseph Califano), commentators both inside and outside government commonly referred to Watson as a "mystery man" in the White House. Watson's main roles were as liaison to the Democratic National Committee, as well as a key planner in the congressional elections of 1966 and 1968 and the 1968 presidential election. After becoming chief of staff, Watson took on additional responsibilities for daily scheduling, presidential appointments, and administrative management of the White House.

President John F. Kennedy's Office Files, 1961-1963, Part 1: Special Correspondence, Speech, Legislative, and Press Conference Files

Part 1 of President John F. Kennedy's Office Files contains substantial sets of documentation on person-to-person interactions during the Kennedy administration. The material consists of correspondence, transcripts of speeches, tracking of administration bills as they made their way through--or became stalled in--Congress, and transcripts of presidential press conferences.

President John F. Kennedy's Office Files, 1961-1963, Part 2: Staff Memoranda File

Part 2 of President John F. Kennedy's Office Files contains correspondence and memoranda from White House staff members to President John F. Kennedy on a wide variety of domestic and foreign policy topics.

President John F. Kennedy's Office Files, 1961-1963, Part 3: Departments and Agencies File

Part 3 of President John F. Kennedy's Office Files contains correspondence, reports, position papers, and various types of congressional materials that were exchanged between the White House and major federal departments and independent agencies, as well as a number of federal committees, boards, and commissions. The collection also includes documentation produced as a result of cabinet meetings between January 1961 and October 1963.

President John F. Kennedy's Office Files, 1961-1963, Part 4: Subjects File

Part 4 of President John F. Kennedy's Office Files contains subject files and was created by the staff of the Kennedy Library out of several smaller series or document sets that did not belong in any of the other well-defined series in the Office Files.

President John F. Kennedy's Office Files, 1961-1963, Part 5: Countries File

Part 5 of President John F. Kennedy's Office Files covers U.S. relations with foreign nations. The documents in the Countries File, whether pertaining to Europe, Latin America, Southeast Asia, or other regions, are imbued with the continuing tensions of the Cold War.

President Kennedy and the Press, 1961-1963

President Kennedy and the Press provides a comprehensive look at the relationship between the Oval Office and the news media. During his three short years as president, Kennedy led the country through a tumultuous era of both national and international policymaking. The documents in this collection cover a range of national events as they happened and as the Kennedy administration reacted to them, including the burgeoning civil rights movement, the beginning of American space exploration, and the establishment of social programs such as the Peace Corps. On a worldwide scale, the collection also covers America's involvement in foreign affairs and international relations, including the Bay of Pigs invasion, the building of the Berlin Wall, and the Cuban Missile Crisis.

President's Commission on Campus Unrest, Part 1: Executive Files

The collection President's Commission on Campus Unrest, Part 1: Executive Files contains a substantial number of documents on the concerns underlying the student antiwar movement and its demonstrations and disruptive activities, as well as the reactions to these events by armed law enforcement and military personnel, academic and government experts, and the general public.

President's Commission on the Status of Women

President's Commission on the Status of Women brings together a large number of documents on women's issues in the areas of private sector and federal employment, political and civil rights, education, families and households, labor laws, and social security and taxes. The records span the life of the commission, from December 1961 to October 1963.

Records of President Johnson's Commission on Law Enforcement, Part 1: Commission Correspondence and Memoranda

In a special message to Congress in March 1965, President Lyndon B. Johnson stated that "crime has become a malignant enemy in America's midst.... We must arrest and reverse the trend toward lawlessness." In the address, Johnson announced the creation of a commission to study the crime problem, to be chaired by Attorney General Nicholas Katzenbach, with Harvard University law professor James Vorenberg as the executive secretary and administrator.

Records of the Department of Justice: The Cabinet Committee on Drug Law Enforcement, 1976-1977

This collection contains materials produced or collected by the Cabinet Committee on Drug Law Enforcement (CCDLE). In 1975, amidst a rising tide of drug problems in the United States, President Gerald Ford directed the Domestic Council to review and assess the federal drug program. The resulting findings and recommendations, presented in the White Paper on Drug Abuse, led Ford to create the CCDLE, which served as a domestic counterpart to the already-established Cabinet Committee on International Narcotics Control. As stated in the CCDLE initial progress report, the committee was responsible for "coordination of all policies and activities of the Federal government relating to a major part of the overall supply reduction strategy: domestic drug law enforcement" (252246-005-0001, pg. 42).

Records of the National Commission on Marijuana and Drug Abuse, 1970-1973

The Records of the National Commission on Marijuana and Drug Abuse, 1970-1973 collection provides a documentary history of a government agency created under the Nixon administration specifically to study the problem of drug abuse in the United States. Through extensive interviewing and surveying of public officials, community leaders, professional experts, law enforcement officials, health and legal professionals, and students, the Commission compiled research on "the nature and scope of use, the effects of the drug, and the relationship of marihuana use to other behavior and the efficacy of existing law." The Commission primarily focused on social welfare and public health programs to spread awareness about and prevent marijuana use. Though the collection includes statistics and reports on drug abusing criminals and prisoners, the majority of the reports recommends decriminalization of simple possession, often comparing marijuana drug use to the socially accepted activity of alcohol consumption, and instead emphasizes the importance of discouraging light use and preventing heavy use. All of the Commission's findings were presented in a report to Congress and the public entitled, "Marihuana, A Signal of Misunderstanding," multiple copies and drafts of which are included in this collection.

Records of the National Commission on the Causes and Prevention of Violence, Part 1: Executive Files

During the turbulent spring of 1968, two political assassinations shocked the United States. On April 4, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was murdered in Memphis, Tennessee. On June 6, Senator Robert F. Kennedy was gunned down in Los Angeles after he won the California Democratic primary. After Kennedy's death, President Lyndon B. Johnson created the National Commission on the Causes and Prevention of Violence.

Records of the National Commission on the Causes and Prevention of Violence, Part 2: Special Investigations

During the turbulent spring of 1968, two political assassinations shocked the United States. On April 4, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was murdered in Memphis, Tennessee. On June 6, Senator Robert F. Kennedy was gunned down in Los Angeles after he won the California Democratic primary. After Kennedy's death, President Lyndon B. Johnson created the National Commission on the Causes and Prevention of Violence. The commission was charged to identify the causes of the significant increase in violent crime, the proliferation of student disruptions of college campuses, and the spreading urban disorder and racial violence across the United States. The commission also sought to formulate strategies to reduce crime and violence.

Records of the National Council on Indian Opportunity, 1968-1974, Part 1: A-C

On March 6, 1968, President Lyndon B. Johnson signed Executive Order 11399, establishing the National Council on Indian Opportunity (NCIO). In a message to Congress, Johnson announced that "the time has come to focus our efforts on the plight of the American Indian," and that the NCIO's formation would "launch an undivided, Government-wide effort in this area." The president argued that the country was now in a position "to deal with the persistent problems of the American Indian" because of the enactment of laws such as the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, the Economic Opportunity Act, and the Manpower Development and Training Act. The major aim of the council, according to Johnson, was to allow Indians to gain "full participation in the life of modern America."

Records of the National Council on Indian Opportunity, 1968-1974, Part 2: D-K

On March 6, 1968, President Lyndon B. Johnson signed Executive Order 11399, establishing the National Council on Indian Opportunity (NCIO). In a message to Congress, Johnson announced that "the time has come to focus our efforts on the plight of the American Indian," and that the NCIO's formation would "launch an undivided, Government-wide effort in this area." The president argued that the country was now in a position "to deal with the persistent problems of the American Indian" because of the enactment of laws such as the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, the Economic Opportunity Act, and the Manpower Development and Training Act. The major aim of the council, according to Johnson, was to allow Indians to gain "full participation in the life of modern America."

Records of the National Council on Indian Opportunity, 1968-1974, Part 3: L-R

On March 6, 1968, President Lyndon B. Johnson signed Executive Order 11399, establishing the National Council on Indian Opportunity (NCIO). In a message to Congress, Johnson announced that "the time has come to focus our efforts on the plight of the American Indian," and that the NCIO's formation would "launch an undivided, Government-wide effort in this area." The president argued that the country was now in a position "to deal with the persistent problems of the American Indian" because of the enactment of laws such as the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, the Economic Opportunity Act, and the Manpower Development and Training Act. The major aim of the council, according to Johnson, was to allow Indians to gain "full participation in the life of modern America."

Records of the National Council on Indian Opportunity, 1968-1974, Part 4: S-Z

On March 6, 1968, President Lyndon B. Johnson signed Executive Order 11399, establishing the National Council on Indian Opportunity (NCIO). In a message to Congress, Johnson announced that "the time has come to focus our efforts on the plight of the American Indian," and that the NCIO's formation would "launch an undivided, Government-wide effort in this area." The president argued that the country was now in a position "to deal with the persistent problems of the American Indian" because of the enactment of laws such as the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, the Economic Opportunity Act, and the Manpower Development and Training Act. The major aim of the council, according to Johnson, was to allow Indians to gain "full participation in the life of modern America."

Records of the National Council on Indian Opportunity, 1968-1974, Part 5: Miscellaneous Files and Publications

On March 6, 1968, President Lyndon B. Johnson signed Executive Order 11399, establishing the National Council on Indian Opportunity (NCIO). In a message to Congress, Johnson announced that "the time has come to focus our efforts on the plight of the American Indian," and that the NCIO's formation would "launch an undivided, Government-wide effort in this area." The president argued that the country was now in a position "to deal with the persistent problems of the American Indian" because of the enactment of laws such as the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, the Economic Opportunity Act, and the Manpower Development and Training Act. The major aim of the council, according to Johnson, was to allow Indians to gain "full participation in the life of modern America."

Task Force Reports of the Johnson White House, 1963-1969

In a speech at the University of Michigan on May 22, 1964, President Lyndon B. Johnson set the stage for his domestic policy agenda: "The Great Society rests on abundance and liberty for all. It demands an end to poverty and racial injustice, to which we are totally committed in our time." To accomplish that ambitious agenda, President Johnson created a series of task forces to study and report on the major issues of the day, including equal opportunity in education, employment, and housing; public welfare programs; health care for all citizens; urban renewal; conservation of natural resources; environmental protection; law enforcement and crime; consumer protection; veterans' affairs; and labor and collective bargaining.

U.S. Army Surveillance of Dissidents, 1965-1972: Records of the U.S. Army's ACSI Task Force

U.S. Army Surveillance of Dissidents,1965-1972: Records of the U.S. Army's Assistant Chief of Staff for Intelligence (ACSI) Task Force brings together a large number of documents on the U.S. Army's surveillance of dissidents during the 1965-1972 Vietnam War protest era, as well as the public reaction and the army's response to public criticism. The collection includes a wide variety of documents, including internal army documents, internal army "AUTOVON" messages, historical reports, technical reports, newspaper articles, working papers, and records of congressional proceedings, as well as some letters and photographs.

U.S. Council of Economic Advisers during the Ford Administration, Part 1: Alan Greenspan Files, Correspondence, 1974-1977

This collection presents a comprehensive record of the debates underlying the economic policy decisions of the Ford administration during the period November 1973-December 1976. When Gerald R. Ford assumed the office of president of the United States, following the resignation of Richard M. Nixon in August 1974, he faced a domestic situation characterized by great economic as well as political uncertainty. The country was beginning its slide into a steep recession, caused in part by the embargo on petroleum shipments to the United States implemented by the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), as well as by the resulting dramatic increase in oil prices. The result was a marked slowing of economic growth along with dramatic increases in the rates of inflation and unemployment.

U.S. Council of Economic Advisers during the Ford Administration, Part 2: Alan Greenspan Files, Subject File: Economic Policy Board Meetings, Speeches and Statements, and Engagements and Meetings, 1974-1976

This collection presents a comprehensive record of the debates underlying the economic policy decisions of the Ford administration during the period August 1974-December 1976. When Gerald R. Ford assumed the office of president following the resignation of Richard M. Nixon in August 1974, he faced a domestic situation characterized by great economic as well as political uncertainty. The country was beginning its slide into a steep recession, caused in part by the embargo on petroleum shipments to the United States implemented by the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), as well as by the resulting dramatic increase in oil prices. The result was a marked slowing of economic growth along with dramatic increases in the rates of inflation and unemployment.

U.S. Council of Economic Advisers during the Ford Administration, Part 3: Gary L. Seevers Files, 1973-1975

This collection brings together a large body of primary source material on the economic policy decisions of the Ford administration during the period August 1974-April 1975, as well as those of the Nixon administration during its later years, primarily 1973 through the resignation of President Richard M. Nixon in August 1974. The collection includes a variety of document types, including confidential White House and Executive Branch memoranda, transcripts of meetings, testimony before Congress, and the texts of speeches by Council of Economic Advisers (CEA) member Gary L. Seevers and others. An interesting feature of the collection is the large number of handwritten notes and comments by Seevers and other CEA officials.

U.S. Council of Economic Advisers during the Ford Administration, Part 5: Burton G. Malkiel Files, 1975-1977

This collection brings together a large body of primary source material on the economic policy decisions and debates of the Ford administration during January 1975-December 1977. The documents are from the files of Council of Economic Advisers (CEA) member Burton G. Malkiel, an economics professor and chairman of the Princeton University economics department.

U.S. Council of Economic Advisers during the Ford Administration, Part 6: Staff Economists Files, 1973-1977

Part 6 of History Vault's U.S. Council of Economic Advisers during the Ford Administration series contains documents from the files of twenty-eight staff economists who compiled research and wrote papers for the Council of Economic Advisers (CEA) during the Ford administration. The files contain a broad range of information on economic and energy policies, food and agricultural policy, transportation deregulation, unemployment, and monetary and financial issues, among others.

U.S. Council of Economic Advisors during the Ford Administration, Part 4: William J. Fellner and Paul W. MacAvoy Files, 1973-1976

This collection brings together a large body of primary source material on the economic policy decisions and debates of the Ford administration during the period August 1974-December 1976, as well as those of the Nixon administration during its later years, primarily 1973 through the resignation of President Richard M. Nixon in August 1974. The documents are from the files of Council of Economic Advisers (CEA) members Paul W. MacAvoy and William J. Fellner. Most of the authored documents are by MacAvoy.

U.S. National Economy: Unpublished Documentary Collections from the U.S. Department of the Treasury, Part 4: Kennedy Administration-Johnson Administration, 1961-1969

This collection provides researchers with detailed insight into the inner workings of the Treasury Department during the Kennedy and Johnson administrations. The collection is divided into thirteen series based on type of material, administration, and Treasury secretary. Press releases comprise the largest part of this collection and are organized by the serving Treasury Secretary, C. Douglas Dillon, Henry H. Fowler, or Joseph W. Barr. Dillon served both presidents, while Fowler and Barr assumed the post during the Johnson administration. A smaller portion of the collection contains press conference transcripts, and speeches and statements from Dillon, Fowler, and Barr.

U.S. National Economy: Unpublished Documentary Collections from the U.S. Department of the Treasury, Part 5: Nixon Administration-Ford Administration, 1969-1977

This collection provides researchers with detailed insight into the inner workings of the Treasury Department during the Nixon and Ford administrations. The collection is divided into multiple series based on type of material, administration, and Treasury secretary. Press releases comprise the largest part of this collection and are organized by the serving Treasury Secretary. Under Nixon, the Treasury had numerous secretaries: David M. Kennedy, John Connally, George P. Schultz, and finally William E. Simon, who would also serve under Ford.

War on Poverty, 1964-1968, Part 1: The White House Central Files

This collection provides a large number of documents on four major initiatives in the 1960s War on Poverty: the Office of Economic Opportunity, the Model Cities program, the Food Stamps program, and various income maintenance programs.

War on Poverty, 1964-1968, Part 2: Records of the President's National Advisory Commission on Rural Poverty, 1966-1967

In his State of the Union address on January 8, 1964, President Lyndon B. Johnson declared: "This administration today, here and now, declares unconditional war on poverty in America. I urge this Congress and all Americans to join me in that effort." Johnson proposed a legislative package and Congress, in response, passed the Economic Opportunity Act of 1964, which authorized the establishment of the Office of Economic Opportunity (OEO). Leading the attack in the War on Poverty, the OEO administered many domestic initiatives, including Volunteers in Service to America (VISTA), Head Start, Job Corps, Community Action Program, Neighborhood Youth Corps, and Summer Youth Programs. The centerpiece of Johnson's "Great Society," the war established the most comprehensive spectrum of progressive social programs since the New Deal.

War on Poverty, 1964-1968, Part 3: White House Aides Files (Bellinger through Humphrey)

In his State of the Union address on January 8, 1964, President Lyndon B. Johnson declared: "This administration today, here and now, declares unconditional war on poverty in America. I urge this Congress and all Americans to join me in that effort." Johnson proposed a legislative package and Congress, in response, passed the Economic Opportunity Act of 1964, which authorized the establishment of the Office of Economic Opportunity (OEO). Leading the attack in the War on Poverty, the OEO administered many domestic initiatives, including Volunteers in Service to America (VISTA), Head Start, Job Corps, Community Action Program, Neighborhood Youth Corps, and Summer Youth Programs. The centerpiece of Johnson's "Great Society," the war established the most comprehensive spectrum of progressive social programs since the New Deal.

War on Poverty, 1964-1968, Part 4: White House Aides Files (McPherson through Wilson)

In his State of the Union address on January 8, 1964, President Lyndon B. Johnson declared: "This administration today, here and now, declares unconditional war on poverty in America. I urge this Congress and all Americans to join me in that effort." Johnson proposed a legislative package and Congress, in response, passed the Economic Opportunity Act of 1964, which authorized the establishment of the Office of Economic Opportunity (OEO). Leading the attack in the War on Poverty, the OEO administered many domestic initiatives, including Volunteers in Service to America (VISTA), Head Start, Job Corps, Community Action Program, Neighborhood Youth Corps, and Summer Youth Programs. The centerpiece of Johnson's "Great Society," the war established the most comprehensive spectrum of progressive social programs since the New Deal.

War on Poverty, 1964-1968, Part 5: White House Central Files, Welfare and the Poverty Program Subject Files

This collection provides a substantial body of information on the broad antipoverty initiative that the administration of Lyndon B. Johnson implemented, with a special emphasis on the cooperation of the federal government with a wide array of state and local welfare and social services organizations, both public and private.

Watergate in Court: United States v. George Gordon Liddy, Everett Howard Hunt, James W. McCord, Bernard L. Barker, Eugenio R. Martinez, et al.

The political lesson of Watergate is this: Never again must America allow an arrogant, elite guard of political adolescents to by-pass the regular party organization and dictate the terms of a national election.

Watergate in Court: United States v. John B. Connally

The political lesson of Watergate is this: Never again must America allow an arrogant, elite guard of political adolescents to by-pass the regular party organization and dictate the terms of a national election.

Watergate in Court: United States v. John D. Ehrlichman, Charles W. Colson, G. Gordon Liddy, Bernard L. Barker, Felipe De Diego, Eugenio R. Martinez

The political lesson of Watergate is this: Never again must America allow an arrogant, elite guard of political adolescents to by-pass the regular party organization and dictate the terms of a national election.

Watergate in Court: United States v. John N. Mitchell, Harry R. Haldeman, John D. Ehrlichman, Robert C. Mardian, Kenneth W. Parkinson

The political lesson of Watergate is this: Never again must America allow an arrogant, elite guard of political adolescents to by-pass the regular party organization and dictate the terms of a national election.