Sound recording
Papers of John F. Kennedy. Presidential Papers. President's Office Files.
JFKPOF-TPH-17B
Dictation Belt 17B contains four sound recordings. The recording of the conversation in item 17B.1 begins on Dictation Belt 17A.4. Item 17B.1 is part of a telephone conversation held on April 2, 1963, between President John F. Kennedy and Sargent Shriver, Director of the Peace Corps. They discuss speaking to Richard M. Helms about the suspicion that the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) is trying to place people in the Peace Corps. They also discuss facilitating the movement of members of the Peace Corps into the Foreign Service. Machine noise follows the conversation. Item 17B.2 is a telephone conversation held on April 3, 1963, between President John F. Kennedy and Secretary of Defense Robert S. McNamara. They discuss possible requests by the Air Force Inspector General to use polygraph tests to investigate a Defense Department leak. They also discuss seeking input on the matter from Press Secretary Pierre Salinger and Assistant Secretary of Defense Arthur Sylvester. Machine noise follows the conversation. Item 17B.3 is a telephone conversation between President John F. Kennedy and Louis Harris. They discuss polling on upcoming elections in Canada and Kentucky. They also discuss Harris’s professional plans. Item 17B.4 is a telephone conversation between President John F. Kennedy and an unidentified man. First they discuss a topic that is unclear. Then they discuss providing a recommendation for a student applying to Harvard. There is a brief delay before the conversation, and 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.