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Oral history
John F. Kennedy Oral History Collection
JFKOH-WAH-02
In this interview Harriman discusses his position in the State Department as a roving ambassador, including his flexibility in making decisions in the field, and traveling around the world; John F. Kennedy's [JFK] conception of the Soviet Union; interactions with Souvanna Phouma and changes in general opinion of him; evaluating options for American action or intervention in Laos; the international meeting in Geneva over Laos, including dealing with the Soviet negotiator George M. Pushking and with the Chinese; comparing JFK and Franklin D. Roosevelt in their respective administration of the State Department; and the Joint Chiefs’ attitude towards Laos and the concept of limited commitment, among other issues.
Oral history
John F. Kennedy Oral History Collection
JFKOH-MGB-01
Bundy discusses John F. Kennedy’s (JFK) thinking and decision making style; his relationship with other members of his administration, including his close working relationship with Theodore C. Sorensen; the aftermath of the Bay of Pigs invasion; the Cuban Missile Crisis; Laos and the Vietnam War; the threat of military conflict with the Soviet Union over Berlin; and JFK’s relationship with other heads of state, among other issues.
Oral history
John F. Kennedy Oral History Collection
JFKOH-MVF-02
Forrestal discusses the Cuban Missile Crisis, the Maphilindo problem and Malaysian/Indonesian tension, and the significance of Nam Tha, among other issues.
Sound recording
Papers of John F. Kennedy. Presidential Papers. President's Office Files.
JFKPOF-TPH-18A-4
Sound recording of a telephone conversation held on April 10, 1963, between President John F. Kennedy and W. Averell Harriman. They discuss fighting in Laos involving the Pathet Lao and the forces of Kong Le and others. They also discuss whether the United States should discuss the matter with Soviet officials.Transcript included. This sound recording was originally recorded on Dictation Belt 18A, which contains additional sound recording(s) preceding and following this one. To hear all of the recordings on the Dictation Belt, see Digital Identifier: JFKPOF-TPH-18A, Title: Telephone recordings: Dictation Belt 18A.
Sound recording
Papers of John F. Kennedy. Presidential Papers. President's Office Files.
JFKPOF-TPH-18A
Dictation Belt 18A contains eight sound recordings. Item 18A.1 is a sound recording of a brief fragment of a telephone conversation held on April 4, 1963, between President John F. Kennedy and Walter W. Heller, Chairman of the President’s Council of Economic Advisers. They talk about budgetary matters. The recording starts in mid-conversation. Item 18A.2 is a brief telephone exchange on April 4, 1963, between President John F. Kennedy and Ralph A. Dungan, Special Assistant to the President. They talk about a letter from Lucius Clay. Item 18A.3 is a telephone conversation between President John F. Kennedy and an unidentified man. The topic of discussion is unclear. The recording begins in mid-conversation. Machine noise follows the conversation. Item 18A.3A is a brief telephone exchange between Personal Secretary Evelyn Lincoln and a White House Operator. The operator notifies Lincoln of an incoming call from Robert B. Troutman. The recording ends abruptly. The telephone conversation with Troutman is not recorded. Item 18A.4 is a telephone conversation held on April 10, 1963, between President John F. Kennedy and W. Averell Harriman. They discuss fighting in Laos involving the Pathet Lao and the forces of Kong Le and others. They also discuss whether the United States should discuss the matter with Soviet officials. Item 18A.5 is a brief fragment of a telephone conversation held on April 10, 1963, between President John F. Kennedy and Special Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs McGeorge Bundy. They talk about a Laos statement and a list of raids. The recording begins in mid-conversation. Item 18A.6 is a telephone conversation held on May 6, 1963, between President John F. Kennedy and Secretary of State Dean Rusk. They discuss Secretary Rusk’s trip to Europe, matters involving Yugoslavia, and arrangements for a meeting. Item 18A.7 is part of a telephone conversation held on May 7, 1963, between President John F. Kennedy and Representative Edith S. Green of Oregon. They discuss an education bill and a newspaper article that characterized their political relationship. The recording ends abruptly and continues on Dictation Belt 18B.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.
Sound recording
White House Audio Collection
JFKWHA-037
Sound recording of President John F. Kennedy’s speech addressed to the American people from his office in the White House. In his speech the President summarizes his trip to Paris, France; Vienna, Austria; and London, England. The President affirms the strong alliance between European nations and the United States as an assurance of mutual security. He then reports on his meeting with Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev regarding nuclear weapons proliferation, the current situation in Laos, and relations between the United States and the Soviet Union.
Sound recording
White House Audio Collection
JFKWHA-178
Sound recording of the President’s News Conference of April 24, 1963 (News Conference 54). The President begins the press conference by announcing that he would meet with Canadian Prime Minister Lester B. Pearson in Hyannis Port, Massachusetts on May 10 and 11. He goes on to say that Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs W. Averell Harriman will travel to Moscow to meet with Foreign Minister Andrei Gromyko to discuss the situation in Laos. Following the announcements the President answers questions from the press on a variety of topics including the tax cut, Laos, the nuclear test ban treaty, the number of Soviet personnel and troops in Cuba, Scientist John Rock’s recommendation of Government-funded population growth programs, civil rights, and the space program.
Textual folder
Papers of John F. Kennedy. Presidential Papers. National Security Files
JFKNSF-184-005
This file contains copies, drafts, and memoranda regarding correspondence between Soviet Union Premier Nikita Khrushchev and President John F. Kennedy on Laos, Cuba, nuclear weapons, and a nuclear test ban treaty.
Textual folder
Papers of John F. Kennedy. Presidential Papers. National Security Files
JFKNSF-183-001
This folder contains correspondence between President John F. Kennedy and Soviet Union Premier Nikita Khrushchev. Topics include relations between the United States and Soviet Union, Berlin and German unification, disarmament, nuclear testing, Laos, space flights, and the Bay of Pigs invasion. Also included in this folder are letters from Premier Khrushchev to President Dwight D. Eisenhower and John J. McCloy, Advisor to President Kennedy on Disarmament. This folder contains some Russian-language material.
Textual folder
Papers of John F. Kennedy. Presidential Papers. President's Office Files.
JFKPOF-035-012
This folder contains materials collected by the office of President John F. Kennedy's secretary, Evelyn Lincoln, concerning President Kennedy's speech addressed to the American people from his office in The White House. In his speech the President summarizes his trip to Paris, France; Vienna, Austria; and London, England. The President reiterates the strong alliance between Europe and the United States as an assurance of mutual security. He goes on to report on his meeting with Premier Nikita Khrushchev regarding U.S. relations with the Soviet Union, the nuclear arms race, and the current situation in Laos. Materials in this folder include a draft, a reading copy, and a press copy of the speech.
Textual folder
Papers of John F. Kennedy. Presidential Papers. National Security Files
JFKNSF-323-007
This folder contains memoranda from Walt Rostow, Deputy Special Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs and later Chairman of the Policy Planning Council in the Department of State, to President John F. Kennedy and McGeorge Bundy, Special Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs. Topics include foreign aid, speech theme suggestions for the President, policy towards the Communist Bloc, and a proposal for domestic and foreign economic policy. Also included in this folder is a transcript of a “Meet the Press” interview with Rostow discussing nuclear weapons, the Soviet Union, Laos, Vietnam, and communism.
Textual folder
Papers of John F. Kennedy. Presidential Papers. National Security Files
JFKNSF-315-005
This folder contains an agenda, background memoranda, a summary, and a Record of Actions for a meeting of the National Security Council (NSC) Standing Group regarding United States policy towards Cuba. Also included in this folder are memoranda of conversations on Laos between Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs W. Averell Harriman, Soviet Union Minister of Foreign Affairs Andrei Gromyko, and Soviet Union Premier Nikita Khrushchev.
Textual folder
Papers of John F. Kennedy. Presidential Papers. National Security Files
JFKNSF-314-010
This folder contains an agenda, a summary, a list of attendees, and a Record of Actions for meeting number 516 of the National Security Council (NSC) discussing a Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) memorandum titled, “Possibilities of Greater Militancy by the Chinese Communists.” The memorandum focuses on China’s relations with the Soviet Union, India, Laos, and other countries in Asia.
Textual folder
Papers of John F. Kennedy. Presidential Papers. National Security Files
JFKNSF-318-002
This folder contains memoranda and indexes of materials compiled for President John F. Kennedy’s weekend reading. Topics include United States relations with the United Arab Republic (UAR) and Egyptian President Gamal Abdel Nasser, Soviet Union, Berlin, trade between Yugoslavia and various countries, Laos, Congo, and a meeting between President Kennedy and British Prime Minister Harold Macmillan.
Textual folder
Papers of John F. Kennedy. Presidential Papers. National Security Files
JFKNSF-317-017
This folder contains summaries of meetings with President John F. Kennedy discussing relations with Pakistan and a trip by Under Secretary of State for Economic Affairs George Ball, Portuguese territories in Africa, and an upcoming trip by Secretary of Defense Robert S. McNamara and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Maxwell Taylor to South Vietnam. Also included in this folder is a detailed agenda for a meeting regarding Secretary of State Dean Rusk's upcoming trip to Moscow and points for discussion including disarmament, Laos, trade, and Germany and Berlin.
Textual folder
Papers of John F. Kennedy. Presidential Papers. National Security Files
JFKNSF-317-010
This folder contains summaries of meetings with President John F. Kennedy. Topics include a potential violation of an agreement granting neutrality to Laos, and relations between the United States and Soviet Union regarding Berlin. Also included in this folder is a memorandum of a meeting between President Kennedy, Prince Bernhard of the Netherlands, and Ambassador of the Netherlands Dr. Jan Herman van Roijen discussing Dutch relations with the United States and Indonesia.
Textual folder
Papers of John F. Kennedy. Presidential Papers. National Security Files
JFKNSF-317-007
This folder contains summaries of meetings with President John F. Kennedy. Topics include the Berlin crisis and peace treaty negotiations with the Soviet Union, the threat of communism in Laos, and an upcoming trip by Secretary of State Dean Rusk to attend a conference of Foreign Ministers in Paris, France.
Textual folder
Papers of John F. Kennedy. Presidential Papers. National Security Files
JFKNSF-317-006
This folder contains summaries of meetings with President John F. Kennedy. Topics include Laos and a failed SEATO (Southeast Asia Treaty Organization) initiative, development of a civil defense policy, and United States policy towards the Dominican Republic following the assassination of Generalissimo Rafael Leónidas Trujillo Molina. Also included in this folder is a summary of President Kennedy’s trip to Europe and his conversations with President of France Charles de Gaulle and Soviet Union Premier Nikita Khrushchev.
Textual folder
Papers of John F. Kennedy. Presidential Papers. President's Office Files.
JFKPOF-121a-022
This folder contains materials collected by the office of President John F. Kennedy's secretary, Evelyn Lincoln, concerning potential foreign military intervention in Laos (then officially known as the Kingdom of Laos) and the possibility of a Pathet Lao Communist rebellion supported by the Soviet Union. Materials in this folder include a report prepared by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) entitled "Communist Reactions to US Actions Taken with Regard to Laos," a summary of military and diplomatic recommendations for American interventions in Laos, and memoranda regarding military activities in North Vietnam and the presence of communism in Southeast Asia.
Textual folder
Papers of John F. Kennedy. Presidential Papers. President's Office Files.
JFKPOF-121a-021
This folder contains materials collected by the office of President John F. Kennedy's secretary, Evelyn Lincoln, concerning potential foreign military intervention in Laos (then officially known as the Kingdom of Laos) and the possibility of a Pathet Lao Communist rebellion supported by the Soviet Union. Materials in this folder include telegrams regarding recent military activities in Laos.
Textual folder
Papers of John F. Kennedy. Presidential Papers. President's Office Files.
JFKPOF-121a-020
This folder contains materials collected by the office of President John F. Kennedy's secretary, Evelyn Lincoln, concerning potential foreign military intervention in Laos (then officially known as the Kingdom of Laos) and the possibility of a Pathet Lao Communist rebellion supported by the Soviet Union. Materials in this folder include maps, memoranda, a telegram to Laotian Prime Minister Prince Souvanna Phouma, a draft of a resolution for the United Nations, a report of the Southeast Asia Treaty Organization (SEATO) Counsel Representatives' meeting, a report on discussions between Prince Sihanouk of Cambodia and W. Averell Harriman, Governor of New York and Secretary of State for Far Eastern Affairs, and summaries of public statements made by Laotian King Savang Vatthana and Kong Le, former paratrooper captain in the Royal Lao Army.
Textual folder
Papers of John F. Kennedy. Presidential Papers. President's Office Files.
JFKPOF-121a-019
This folder contains materials collected by the office of President John F. Kennedy's secretary, Evelyn Lincoln, concerning potential foreign military intervention in Laos (then officially known as the Kingdom of Laos) and the possibility of a Pathet Lao Communist rebellion supported by the Soviet Union. Materials in this folder include memoranda, a meeting agenda, and situation reports on recent Pathet Lao activities.
Textual folder
Papers of John F. Kennedy. Presidential Papers. President's Office Files.
JFKPOF-121a-018
This folder contains materials collected by the office of President John F. Kennedy's secretary, Evelyn Lincoln, concerning potential foreign military intervention in Laos (then officially known as the Kingdom of Laos) and the possibility of a Pathet Lao Communist rebellion supported by the Soviet Union. Materials in this folder include maps, a telegram, a briefing paper on the Pathet Lao movement and American objectives in Laos, a situation report on recent Pathet Lao activities, and memoranda regarding recommended military and diplomatic courses of action.
Textual folder
Papers of John F. Kennedy. Presidential Papers. President's Office Files.
JFKPOF-121a-012
This folder contains materials collected by the office of President John F. Kennedy's secretary, Evelyn Lincoln, concerning potential foreign military intervention in Laos and the possibility of a Pathet Lao Communist rebellion supported by the Soviet Union. Materials in this folder include a map, a report on American military presence in Laos and Vietnam, and memoranda regarding a contingency plan for military withdrawal from Laos and the impact of Laos' geography on military strategies.
Textual folder
Papers of John F. Kennedy. Presidential Papers. President's Office Files.
JFKPOF-121a-008
This folder contains materials collected by the office of President John F. Kennedy's secretary, Evelyn Lincoln, concerning potential foreign military intervention in Laos and the possibility of a Pathet Lao communist rebellion supported by the Soviet Union. Materials in this folder include a map, telegrams, newspaper articles, a briefing paper for the President's meeting with Laotian Ambassador to the United States Prince Khampan, a report prepared in the White House Situation Room, and memoranda regarding the United States' policy toward Laos, Laotian diplomatic representation to the United States, the capabilities of the Laotian army, North Vietnamese support of Pathet Lao operations in Laos, and a plan for strengthening non-communist forces in Laos.