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Oral history
John F. Kennedy Oral History Collection
JFKOH-AEH-01
In this interview Henry discusses meeting John F. Kennedy [JFK] and Robert F. Kennedy; discussing Mississippi and civil rights issues with President JFK; voting rights and poll taxes; the freedom rides; the murder of three young activists in Mississippi during the Freedom Summer of 1964; Mississippi politics beginning in the late fifties; white people in Mississippi; school segregation; the 1960 presidential election; and early contact with the federal government and the Justice Department in 1961, among other issues.
Oral history
John F. Kennedy Oral History Collection
JFKOH-RFK-07
In this interview Robert F. Kennedy [RFK] and Marshall discuss the very limited proposal for voting rights legislation before the demonstrations in Birmingham, Alabama; how civil rights groups did not always understand politics or how to get things through Congress; John F. Kennedy [JFK] trying to explain political difficulties to civil rights leaders; meetings on civil rights legislation and the strategy for getting the votes for a civil rights bill in both houses of Congress; RFK’s disagreements with Lyndon B. Johnson on civil rights legislation; RFK, the Justice Department, and the reapportionment cases; RFK’s meeting with James Baldwin and the subsequent attack on RFK in the press; JFK’s role in the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, 1963; speeches at the March on Washington; George Wallace, Alabama state troopers, and the investigation into the 16th Street Baptist Church bombing in Birmingham, September, 1963; and JFK, James J. Delaney, and the issue of aid to church schools, among other issues.
Oral history
John F. Kennedy Oral History Collection
JFKOH-RFK-06
In this interview Robert F. Kennedy [RFK] and Marshall discuss civil rights legislation, and how it was innovative and yet inevitable; meetings between RFK and businessmen on civil rights legislation; RFK’s unintentional intimidation of the businessmen based on his history with Senate hearings on labor; attempting to put leadership in the community (North and South) to deal with the problem of segregation and other racial discrimination; hostile treatment of RFK in Alabama; working with the NAACP on school desegregation; the desegregation of the University of Alabama, and the question of if and how to bring in troops to help; and using the incident at the University of Alabama as a political stepping stone, 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-JOFD-02
Dolan discusses the federal judgeship appointment process, his involvement with the 1960 Citizens’ for Kennedy-Johnson, and the civil rights issues of the 1960s, among other issues.
Oral history
John F. Kennedy Oral History Collection
JFKOH-JLF-01
Farmer discusses the 1960 presidential campaign; the relationship between Congress of Racial Equality (CORE) and the John F. Kennedy (JFK) administration, interactions with Robert F. Kennedy and the Justice Department, the Freedom Rides and other civil rights actions; and JFK’s impact on civil rights, 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-PBE-04
Edelman discusses Robert F. Kennedy’s (RFK) 1964 senatorial campaign, RFK’s 1965 narcotics legislation, and his thesis on what RFK tried to accomplish during the 1965 senate, 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
Robert F. Kennedy Oral History Collection
RFKOH-EC-01
Celler discusses his interactions with John F. Kennedy and his feelings on the issues pursued by the Justice Department during the Kennedy administration, among other issues.
Oral history
John F. Kennedy Oral History Collection
JFKOH-NAS-01
Schlei discusses the Civil Rights Act of 1963, passing immigration legislation, and the atmosphere of the Justice Department, among other issues.
Sound recording
Papers of John F. Kennedy. Presidential Papers. President's Office Files.
JFKPOF-TPH-18B
Dictation Belt 18B contains three sound recordings. The recording of the conversation in item 18B.1 begins on Dictation Belt 18A.7. This is a sound recording of part of a telephone conversation held on May 7, 1963, between President John F. Kennedy and Representative Edith S. Green of Oregon. They complete their discussion about legislative strategy on an education bill and dealing with the National Education Association of the United States. Item 18B.2 is a telephone conversation held on May 8, 1963, between President John F. Kennedy and Secretary of State Dean Rusk. They discuss a strategy for the State Department to deal with an unidentified issue at the United Nations (U.N.). The recording begins in mid-conversation. Machine noise follows the conversation. Item 18B.3 is a telephone conversation between President John F. Kennedy and Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy. They discuss administering the State Department and making staff changes at the Department of Justice and the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). They also discuss conferring with Carl Kaysen on a plan to assist Eduardo Mondlane in Mozambique’s effort to gain independence. The beginning of the recording is garbled. 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-HFR-02
Reis discusses disagreements between J. Edgar Hoover and RFK and controversies over wire-taps, among other issues.
Oral history
Robert F. Kennedy Oral History Collection
RFKOH-HFR-01
Reis discusses RFK as an administrative leader and the quality of Department of Justice employees, among other issues.
Oral history
Robert F. Kennedy Oral History Collection
RFKOH-HEJM-02
Miller discusses working with United States attorneys and the passage of influential legislation in prosecuting organized crime cases, among other issues.
Oral history
Robert F. Kennedy Oral History Collection
RFKOH-JKJ-01
In this interview Javits discusses initial encounters with and impressions of Robert F. Kennedy [RFK]; RFK as Attorney General and judicial appointments; RFK’s 1964 Senate campaign; working with Senator RFK and issues between RFK and Javits in the Senate; the “many capacities” of RFK; RFK’s public speaking ability; and Bedford-Stuyvesant, among other issues.
Oral history
Robert F. Kennedy Oral History Collection
RFKOH-DLH-02
In this interview Hackett discusses working in the Justice Department under Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy [RFK], specifically on the issues of juvenile delinquency and poverty; getting the Juvenile Delinquency and Youth Offenses Control Act passed and processing the related grant applications; traveling with RFK to impoverished areas; experiencing friction with R. Sargent Shriver, Jr., as head of President Lyndon B. Johnson’s war on poverty; and RFK’s approach to poverty programs, among other issues.
Sound recording
Edward M. Kennedy Senate Files
EMKSEN-AU0009-020-015
Sound recording of the radio program "Face Off." Senator Edward M. "Ted" Kennedy of Massachusetts and Senator Alan K. "Al" Simpson of Wyoming discuss legislation passed to relieve public health clinics from the high cost of malpractice insurance. Under the reform measure, the Department of Justice will begin defending the clinics, which serve low-income Americans, against malpractice claims. The episode aired on Tuesday, November 24, 1992, on the Mutual Broadcasting System.
Textual folder
Burke Marshall Personal Papers
BMPP-028-013
Textual folder
Papers of John F. Kennedy. Presidential Papers. White House Staff Files of Walter W. Heller
JFKWHSFWWH-MF42-019
This folder contains material related to the legislative plans of various agencies for the 87th Congress, 2nd Session, which began in January 1962. In addition to information from the Council of Economic Advisers, there are also proposed legislative programs submitted by the Post Office Department, Civil Service Commission, United States Information Agency, General Services Administration, Panama Canal Zone Government, Department of Justice, Federal Communications Commission, Department of Labor, and Department of Health, Education and Welfare.