JFK Library releases McGeorge Bundy "Diary."

[Joseph Backes]

Please note it only covers a period from December of 1962 through late July of 1963.

News Release

"Diary" by JFK's National Security Advisory McGeorge Bundy Reveals New Details on Trip to Germany

For Immediate Release: November 21, 2006

Further information: Brent R. Carney (617) 514-1662, Brent.Carney@JFKLFoundation.org

Maura Porter (617) 514-1609, mfporter@nara.gov

Boston, MA – The John F. Kennedy Presidential Library today announced that it has declassified and made available for research a typewritten “diary” by President Kennedy’s National Security Advisor, McGeorge Bundy . The “diary” consists of individual documents often typed on a daily basis with the working title of “Memoranda for the Record”. Bundy’s “diary” descriptions offer an unprecedented behind-the-scenes look at the Kennedy White House and glimpses of the President from one of his closest advisors. The speech writing process, the political decisions of the day, the DC social scene, the President’s attention to detail and the President’s humor are all depicted through Bundy’s eyes.

One entry is particularly insightful: a 28-page overview of President Kennedy’s trip to Europe in the summer of 1963, a trip that included the now famous “Ich bin ein Berliner” address. Bundy’s account reads like a day journal with information on travel, social events and speech preparations.

From Bundy’s narrative, the speech preparations were complicated with draft upon draft being worked on simultaneously between Bundy, Theodore Sorensen and the President. Despite the work by many hands, it was the President himself who conceived the idea of using German phrases in his address. As Bundy wrote:

On the way up to Berlin in the airplane in the morning the President kept right on working both at his arrival statement and still more at the Rathaus speech. It was on this trip that he conceived the idea of talking about civis Romanus sum and Ich bin ein Berliner … Indeed, now that I think about it, I think those two or three German lessons were what gave him both the idea of Ich bin ein Berliner and the courage, in the end, to use the phrase himself.

President Kennedy’s speech in Berlin is now considered a benchmark in Presidential history and certainly one of the best remembered addresses of President Kennedy. But what this “diary” offers is a perspective of the event from the inside, from the members of the President’s own staff, which seemed, according to Bundy, to be as responsive as the crowd in Berlin. Bundy writes:

There have been so many accounts of the day in Berlin that one more is not necessary for the visible events. Nevertheless it is important to remember that everything that happened in that day occurred within the framework of the most intense atmosphere of joy that I at least have ever seen. And joy is the right word. I was struck throughout the day by the fact that the crowds were more happy than intense … the millions in Berlin, led by a few dozen of their own leaders and a few dozen visitors, held a colossal celebration in honor of the homecoming of the man who is most important to the lives of all Berliners.

The “diary” was donated to the Kennedy Library by the estate of McGeorge Bundy, and covers a period from December of 1962 through late July of 1963. Today’s opening is part of the White House Subject Files of the Personal Papers of McGeorge Bundy. The White House Subject Files series contain personal correspondence, memoranda, photographs, printed materials, and textual as well as audiovisual material relating to McGeorge Bundy’s service under the Kennedy and Johnson administrations. Several “diary” entries are still pending declassification review and will be made available as soon as the review is completed.

Materials housed at the John F. Kennedy Library have come to the Library through two routes. First, as Federal records which come from executive departments, commissions and committees of the Federal government. Access to these materials is controlled by the originating agency. In addition, many of these materials contain national security classified information, which under laws and executive orders must be reviewed by the appropriate agency for possible declassification. Some of the materials, such as civil rights cases or litigation, also have privacy restrictions.

Second, as personal papers, which come from individuals under deeds of gift and deposit agreements negotiated between the National Archives and the donor or his/her heirs. These materials, called “donated historical materials”, comprise the bulk of the Library’s holdings. Deeds of gift and deposit agreements cover the administration of the collections as well as the title, literary rights, and any restrictions requested by the donor or necessitated by the nature of the materials. Many donors retain literary rights and/or restrict personal financial or medical information. A review of personal papers for national security classified information also sometimes occurs depending upon the nature of the papers themselves. The Library’s holdings currently include 246 personal papers collections, of which 175 are open fully or in part for research use.

The John F. Kennedy Presidential Library’s Archives include 48 million pages of documents from the collections of 340 individuals, organizations, or government agencies; oral history interviews with 1,300 people; and more than 30,000 books. The Audiovisual Archives administers collections of more than 400,000 still photographs, 7,550,000 feet of motion picture film, 1,200 hours of video recordings, over 9,000 hours of audio recordings and 500 original editorial cartoons. The Research Room is open 8:30 am – 4:30 pm each weekday, and is closed on weekends and Federal Holidays. Appointments may be made by calling (617) 514-1629.

The John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum is administered by the National Archives and Records Administration and supported, in part, by the John F. Kennedy Library Foundation, a non-profit organization. The John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum and the Kennedy Library Foundation seek to promote, through scholarship, educational and community programs, a greater appreciation and understanding of American politics, history, and culture, the process of governing and the importance of public service.

The Museum at the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum is open daily from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., with the exceptions of Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day, and New Year’s Day. The Library is located in the Dorchester section of Boston, off Morrissey Boulevard, next to the campus of the University of Massachusetts/Boston. Parking is free. There is free shuttle-service from the JFK/UMass T Stop on the Red Line. The Museum is fully handicapped accessible. For more information, call (866) JFK-1960.

[Robert Howard]

Please note it only covers a period from December of 1962 through late July of 1963.

News Release

"Diary" by JFK's National Security Advisory McGeorge Bundy Reveals New Details on Trip to Germany

For Immediate Release: November 21, 2006

Further information: Brent R. Carney (617) 514-1662, Brent.Carney@JFKLFoundation.org

Maura Porter (617) 514-1609, mfporter@nara.gov

Boston, MA – The John F. Kennedy Presidential Library today announced that it has declassified and made available for research a typewritten “diary” by President Kennedy’s National Security Advisor, McGeorge Bundy . The “diary” consists of individual documents often typed on a daily basis with the working title of “Memoranda for the Record”. Bundy’s “diary” descriptions offer an unprecedented behind-the-scenes look at the Kennedy White House and glimpses of the President from one of his closest advisors. The speech writing process, the political decisions of the day, the DC social scene, the President’s attention to detail and the President’s humor are all depicted through Bundy’s eyes.

One entry is particularly insightful: a 28-page overview of President Kennedy’s trip to Europe in the summer of 1963, a trip that included the now famous “Ich bin ein Berliner” address. Bundy’s account reads like a day journal with information on travel, social events and speech preparations.

From Bundy’s narrative, the speech preparations were complicated with draft upon draft being worked on simultaneously between Bundy, Theodore Sorensen and the President. Despite the work by many hands, it was the President himself who conceived the idea of using German phrases in his address. As Bundy wrote:

On the way up to Berlin in the airplane in the morning the President kept right on working both at his arrival statement and still more at the Rathaus speech. It was on this trip that he conceived the idea of talking about civis Romanus sum and Ich bin ein Berliner … Indeed, now that I think about it, I think those two or three German lessons were what gave him both the idea of Ich bin ein Berliner and the courage, in the end, to use the phrase himself.

President Kennedy’s speech in Berlin is now considered a benchmark in Presidential history and certainly one of the best remembered addresses of President Kennedy. But what this “diary” offers is a perspective of the event from the inside, from the members of the President’s own staff, which seemed, according to Bundy, to be as responsive as the crowd in Berlin. Bundy writes:

There have been so many accounts of the day in Berlin that one more is not necessary for the visible events. Nevertheless it is important to remember that everything that happened in that day occurred within the framework of the most intense atmosphere of joy that I at least have ever seen. And joy is the right word. I was struck throughout the day by the fact that the crowds were more happy than intense … the millions in Berlin, led by a few dozen of their own leaders and a few dozen visitors, held a colossal celebration in honor of the homecoming of the man who is most important to the lives of all Berliners.

The “diary” was donated to the Kennedy Library by the estate of McGeorge Bundy, and covers a period from December of 1962 through late July of 1963. Today’s opening is part of the White House Subject Files of the Personal Papers of McGeorge Bundy. The White House Subject Files series contain personal correspondence, memoranda, photographs, printed materials, and textual as well as audiovisual material relating to McGeorge Bundy’s service under the Kennedy and Johnson administrations. Several “diary” entries are still pending declassification review and will be made available as soon as the review is completed.

Materials housed at the John F. Kennedy Library have come to the Library through two routes. First, as Federal records which come from executive departments, commissions and committees of the Federal government. Access to these materials is controlled by the originating agency. In addition, many of these materials contain national security classified information, which under laws and executive orders must be reviewed by the appropriate agency for possible declassification. Some of the materials, such as civil rights cases or litigation, also have privacy restrictions.

Second, as personal papers, which come from individuals under deeds of gift and deposit agreements negotiated between the National Archives and the donor or his/her heirs. These materials, called “donated historical materials”, comprise the bulk of the Library’s holdings. Deeds of gift and deposit agreements cover the administration of the collections as well as the title, literary rights, and any restrictions requested by the donor or necessitated by the nature of the materials. Many donors retain literary rights and/or restrict personal financial or medical information. A review of personal papers for national security classified information also sometimes occurs depending upon the nature of the papers themselves. The Library’s holdings currently include 246 personal papers collections, of which 175 are open fully or in part for research use.

The John F. Kennedy Presidential Library’s Archives include 48 million pages of documents from the collections of 340 individuals, organizations, or government agencies; oral history interviews with 1,300 people; and more than 30,000 books. The Audiovisual Archives administers collections of more than 400,000 still photographs, 7,550,000 feet of motion picture film, 1,200 hours of video recordings, over 9,000 hours of audio recordings and 500 original editorial cartoons. The Research Room is open 8:30 am – 4:30 pm each weekday, and is closed on weekends and Federal Holidays. Appointments may be made by calling (617) 514-1629.

The John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum is administered by the National Archives and Records Administration and supported, in part, by the John F. Kennedy Library Foundation, a non-profit organization. The John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum and the Kennedy Library Foundation seek to promote, through scholarship, educational and community programs, a greater appreciation and understanding of American politics, history, and culture, the process of governing and the importance of public service.

The Museum at the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum is open daily from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., with the exceptions of Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day, and New Year’s Day. The Library is located in the Dorchester section of Boston, off Morrissey Boulevard, next to the campus of the University of Massachusetts/Boston. Parking is free. There is free shuttle-service from the JFK/UMass T Stop on the Red Line. The Museum is fully handicapped accessible. For more information, call (866) JFK-1960.

Thank's Joe this is a very important part of the historical record, but most of all - Welcome to the Forum, are you still doing some form of summations on de-classified documents ala the 1st thru 13th Batch documents? I feel your work in that area has been extremely relevant [with a special emphasis on the Mexico aspect -Lee Oswald, WH Station et cetera.] Again welcome!

[Robert Howard]

Please note it only covers a period from December of 1962 through late July of 1963.

News Release

"Diary" by JFK's National Security Advisory McGeorge Bundy Reveals New Details on Trip to Germany

For Immediate Release: November 21, 2006

Further information: Brent R. Carney (617) 514-1662, Brent.Carney@JFKLFoundation.org

Maura Porter (617) 514-1609, mfporter@nara.gov

Boston, MA – The John F. Kennedy Presidential Library today announced that it has declassified and made available for research a typewritten “diary” by President Kennedy’s National Security Advisor, McGeorge Bundy . The “diary” consists of individual documents often typed on a daily basis with the working title of “Memoranda for the Record”. Bundy’s “diary” descriptions offer an unprecedented behind-the-scenes look at the Kennedy White House and glimpses of the President from one of his closest advisors. The speech writing process, the political decisions of the day, the DC social scene, the President’s attention to detail and the President’s humor are all depicted through Bundy’s eyes.

One entry is particularly insightful: a 28-page overview of President Kennedy’s trip to Europe in the summer of 1963, a trip that included the now famous “Ich bin ein Berliner” address. Bundy’s account reads like a day journal with information on travel, social events and speech preparations.

From Bundy’s narrative, the speech preparations were complicated with draft upon draft being worked on simultaneously between Bundy, Theodore Sorensen and the President. Despite the work by many hands, it was the President himself who conceived the idea of using German phrases in his address. As Bundy wrote:

On the way up to Berlin in the airplane in the morning the President kept right on working both at his arrival statement and still more at the Rathaus speech. It was on this trip that he conceived the idea of talking about civis Romanus sum and Ich bin ein Berliner … Indeed, now that I think about it, I think those two or three German lessons were what gave him both the idea of Ich bin ein Berliner and the courage, in the end, to use the phrase himself.

President Kennedy’s speech in Berlin is now considered a benchmark in Presidential history and certainly one of the best remembered addresses of President Kennedy. But what this “diary” offers is a perspective of the event from the inside, from the members of the President’s own staff, which seemed, according to Bundy, to be as responsive as the crowd in Berlin. Bundy writes:

There have been so many accounts of the day in Berlin that one more is not necessary for the visible events. Nevertheless it is important to remember that everything that happened in that day occurred within the framework of the most intense atmosphere of joy that I at least have ever seen. And joy is the right word. I was struck throughout the day by the fact that the crowds were more happy than intense … the millions in Berlin, led by a few dozen of their own leaders and a few dozen visitors, held a colossal celebration in honor of the homecoming of the man who is most important to the lives of all Berliners.

The “diary” was donated to the Kennedy Library by the estate of McGeorge Bundy, and covers a period from December of 1962 through late July of 1963. Today’s opening is part of the White House Subject Files of the Personal Papers of McGeorge Bundy. The White House Subject Files series contain personal correspondence, memoranda, photographs, printed materials, and textual as well as audiovisual material relating to McGeorge Bundy’s service under the Kennedy and Johnson administrations. Several “diary” entries are still pending declassification review and will be made available as soon as the review is completed.

Materials housed at the John F. Kennedy Library have come to the Library through two routes. First, as Federal records which come from executive departments, commissions and committees of the Federal government. Access to these materials is controlled by the originating agency. In addition, many of these materials contain national security classified information, which under laws and executive orders must be reviewed by the appropriate agency for possible declassification. Some of the materials, such as civil rights cases or litigation, also have privacy restrictions.

Second, as personal papers, which come from individuals under deeds of gift and deposit agreements negotiated between the National Archives and the donor or his/her heirs. These materials, called “donated historical materials”, comprise the bulk of the Library’s holdings. Deeds of gift and deposit agreements cover the administration of the collections as well as the title, literary rights, and any restrictions requested by the donor or necessitated by the nature of the materials. Many donors retain literary rights and/or restrict personal financial or medical information. A review of personal papers for national security classified information also sometimes occurs depending upon the nature of the papers themselves. The Library’s holdings currently include 246 personal papers collections, of which 175 are open fully or in part for research use.

The John F. Kennedy Presidential Library’s Archives include 48 million pages of documents from the collections of 340 individuals, organizations, or government agencies; oral history interviews with 1,300 people; and more than 30,000 books. The Audiovisual Archives administers collections of more than 400,000 still photographs, 7,550,000 feet of motion picture film, 1,200 hours of video recordings, over 9,000 hours of audio recordings and 500 original editorial cartoons. The Research Room is open 8:30 am – 4:30 pm each weekday, and is closed on weekends and Federal Holidays. Appointments may be made by calling (617) 514-1629.

The John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum is administered by the National Archives and Records Administration and supported, in part, by the John F. Kennedy Library Foundation, a non-profit organization. The John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum and the Kennedy Library Foundation seek to promote, through scholarship, educational and community programs, a greater appreciation and understanding of American politics, history, and culture, the process of governing and the importance of public service.

The Museum at the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum is open daily from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., with the exceptions of Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day, and New Year’s Day. The Library is located in the Dorchester section of Boston, off Morrissey Boulevard, next to the campus of the University of Massachusetts/Boston. Parking is free. There is free shuttle-service from the JFK/UMass T Stop on the Red Line. The Museum is fully handicapped accessible. For more information, call (866) JFK-1960.

Thank's Joe this is a very important part of the historical record, but most of all - Welcome to the Forum, are you still doing some form of summations on de-classified documents ala the 1st thru 13th Batch documents? I feel your work in that area has been extremely relevant [with a special emphasis on the Mexico aspect -Lee Oswald, WH Station et cetera.] Again welcome!

[William Kelly]

Hey Joe,

Has anybody checked out the McBundy diary yet?

I too think this important.

BK