JFK meets with the British Admiral of the Fleet, the Earl Mountbatten, in the Oval Office to discuss plans for a NATO multilateral force and supplying the British with Polaris submarines.
History of the National Security Council during the Kennedy and Johnson Administrations
This history of the National Security Council under presidents Kennedy and Johnson was written by the Executive Director of the NSC under both presidents, Bromley Smith. It traces not just the mechanics of the NSC during the period but also how it was used to tackle specific topics.
Playing Telephone with the Historical Record
When UN Secretary-General U Thant requested U.S. military equipment for UN operations in the Congo, his request included an item that didn’t make much sense.
JFK Discusses his Plans for his Presidential Library
JFK never got to visit his presidential library. But that doesn’t mean he hadn’t already given it some thought. Here’s what he said about it in 1962.
JFK in West Germany
A short narrated film of JFK’s visit to West Germany and West Berlin on June 25 and 26, 1963.
NSC ExComm Meetings, 1962-1963
A complete list of the meetings of the Executive Committee of the National Security Council, a special group created by President John F. Kennedy during the Cuban Missile Crisis.
NSC Meetings in the Kennedy Administration
A list of the dates and topics of National Security Council meetings in the Kennedy administration from 1961 through 1963.
JFK in West Berlin / Arrival at Tegal Airfield
JFK arrives on Air Force One at Tegel Airfield, one of three major airfields in West Berlin.
JFK in West Berlin / Checkpoint Charlie
JFK tours Checkpoint Charlie in West Berlin and climbs a viewing platform to look over the Berlin Wall into East Berlin.
General Maxwell Taylor is Sworn in as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
General Maxwell Taylor is sworn in as the new Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff in ceremony in the White House Rose Garden.
JFK at Homestead Air Force Base / Air Force One Arrives & F-100 Flyby
JFK visits Homestead Air Force Base, headquarters of the Tactical Air Command, on November 26, 1962, not long after the Cuban Missile Crisis. This reel is taken with a camera on the runway. It captures JFK arriving by Air Force One and a flyby of F-100 Jets.
JFK in West Berlin / Checkpoint Charlie, Friedrichstrasse, and Speeches
Silent, color archival footage of parts of JFK’s visit to West Berlin on June 26, 1963, including his tour of Checkpoint Charlie and crowds at some of his speeches in the city.
JFK is Presented with the U.S. Army Flag in the Oval Office
In a brief Oval Office ceremony, Chief of Staff of the Army General Earle Wheeler and Secretary of the Army Cyrus Vance present JFK with the U.S. Army Flag with battle streamers. The flag is then placed behind the President’s desk.
Nehru Appeals for JFK’s Help in Fighting China
As the Indian defenses crumbled in the face of the Chinese assault, Prime Minister Nehru sent two highly sensitive and remarkable letters to President Kennedy asking for help in fighting China.
Dedication of Dulles International Airport
President Kennedy, former President Dwight Eisenhower, Allen Dulles, and Chief Justice Earl Warren attend the dedication ceremony at Dulles International Airport in the Northern Virginia suburbs just outside Washington DC.
JFK in West Berlin / Speech & Crowds
Footage of JFK speaking in West Berlin during his visit to the city on the Cold War’s front lines on June 26, 1963.
Indian Prime Minister Nehru’s Letter to JFK on the Sino-Indian War – 11/19/1962 – 1/2
This was the first of two letters Indian Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru sent to President Kennedy on November 19, 1962, on the situation in the Sino-Indian War.
JFK in West Berlin / Brandenburg Gate & Checkpoint Charlie
During JFK’s visit to West Berlin, he visited the Brandenburg Gate and Checkpoint Charlie, the American-manned crossing point between East Berlin and West Berlin.
JFK Visits Fort Stewart after the Cuban Missile Crisis
Footage of JFK’s visit to Fort Stewart, Georgia, where the 1st Armored Division was based. It was one of several bases in the southeastern United States that President Kennedy visited in the aftermath of the Cuban Missile Crisis.
JFK Visits El Paso, Texas
JFK visits El Paso, Texas, with Vice President Lyndon Johnson.
JFK Visits Strategic Air Command Headquarters after the Cuban Missile Crisis
Film footage of President John F. Kennedy visiting the headquarters of the Strategic Headquarters in at Offutt Air Force Base, near Omaha, Nebraska, on December 7, 1962. Includes his arrival on Air Force One and delivering brief remarks.
JFK in West Berlin / Leaving on Air Force One
JFK leaves West Berlin on Air Force One after his triumphant visit to the embattled city on the front lines of the Cold War.
JFK Addresses the Graduating Class of the FBI National Academy
President Kennedy addressed the graduating class of the FBI National Academy held at the Departmental Auditorium (now known as the Andrew W.. Mellon Auditorium) on October 31, 1962 from 11:20 – 11:35 AM.
JFK’s 60th Press Conference
President Kennedy held his 60th news conference on August 20, 1963.
JFK’s Presidential Approval Ratings
President John F. Kennedy enjoyed very high public approval ratings compared with most modern presidents.
JFK in West Berlin / Konrad Adenauer & Willy Brandt
Silent film footage of JFK touring West Berlin with West German Chancellor Konrad Adenauer and West Berlin Mayor Willy Brandt.
JFK in West Berlin / Brandenburg Gate & Checkpoint Charlie
Silent film footage of JFK visiting the Brandenburg Gate and Checkpoint Charlie in Berlin, Germany, as well as other parts of his tour of the city.
JFK in West Berlin / Checkpoint Charlie & the Berlin Wall
Footage from JFK’s widely-lauded visit to West Berlin in June 1963, including JFK at Checkpoint Charlie at Berlin Wall and crowd scenes along the motorcade route.
JFK Presents Medal to Bob Hope at the White House 1963
President Kennedy awarded a special medal to comedian Bob Hope in recognition of his services to the nation and the cause of world peace in a White House ceremony on September 11, 1963.
JFK Meets with the King of Laos at the White House 1963
JFK met with the King of Laos, His Majesty Sri Savang Vatthana, at the White House on 25 and 27 February 1963.
JFK’s Dictaphone Machine / White House Tapes
This is President John F. Kennedy’s Dictaphone machine that he used to dictate speeches, memoranda, and notes as well as to record some of his telephone calls in his collection of secret White House tapes. It’s one of the artifacts in the holdings of the JFK Library & Museum.
JFK’s American University Commencement Address 1963
On June 10, 1963, President Kennedy delivered the commencement address at American University on the John M. Reeves Athletic Field.
JFK’s 51st Press Conference 1963
President Kennedy held his 51st presidential press conference at 11am on March 6, 1963, in the State Department Auditorium.
Thanksgiving at the White House 1963
Thanksgiving 1963 came early at the White House, with President Kennedy ceremonially pardoning a Turkey at a ceremony in the Rose Garden on November 19, 1963.
JFK Hosts West German Chancellor Konrad Adenauer at the White House 1962
West German Chancellor Konrad Adenauer arrived at the White House for a two-day state visit on November 14, 1962.
JFK Meets with the Brazilian War College 1962
President Kennedy met with approximately 80 students and faculty members of the Brazilian War College at the White House on October 30, 1962.
How Many People are Employed by the U.S. Federal Government? The Numbers, Since 1962
The trends of the number of U.S. Federal Government employees over the past half-century are surprising.
President Eisenhower and President-Elect Kennedy Meet at the White House
JFK meets with President Eisenhower at the White House for the first time since the 1960 election as part of the presidential transition.
Kennedy Selects Robert McNamara as Secretary of Defense
President-elect John F. Kennedy’s fifth appointment to his new Cabinet filled the Secretary of Defense spot. He chose 44-year-old Robert S. McNamara, who had recently been appointed President of the Ford Motor Company.
First Glimpse of John F. Kennedy Jr.
In this Universal Newsreel footage from December 12, 1960, the Kennedy family leave their Georgetown home for Palm Beach, Florida. Onlookers are on hand to try to catch a glimpse of John F. Kennedy Jr., then less than a month old.
Playing Golf with JFK
Ben Bradlee wrote of the “harrowing experience” of playing golf with JFK in 1963.