Presidential Documents

Guides | Public Speeches, Messages, Statements, Debates
Executive Orders & Proclamations | National Security Directives
Memoranda, Determinations & Findings | Presidential Papers
Presidential Libraries | Other Resources

Guides

Records of the Presidency: Presidential Papers and Libraries from Washington to Reagan. Frank L. Schick. Phoenix, AZ: Oryx, 1989.
Location: CD3029.82 .S5 1989 Ref: Provides a short biographical sketch of the president and a history of the individual's presidential papers. The location of the papers and brief summary are provided.

A Guide to Manuscripts in the Presidential Libraries. Dennis A. Burton, James B. Rhoads, Raymond W. Smock, eds. College Park, MD: Research Materials Corporation, 1985.
Location: CD3029.82 .B87 1985 Ref: Provides detailed indexing collections in the Herbert Hoover, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Harry S. Truman, Dwight D. Eisenhower, John F. Kennedy, Lyndon B. Johnson and Gerald R. Ford libraries.

Presidential Materials. National Archives & Records Administration.: This page provides a description of the types of materials available from the National Archives & Records Administration.

Public Speeches, Messages, Statements, Debates

Comprehensive | Inaugural, State of the Union & Farewell Speeches | Debates

Comprehensive

Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents. 1993-ongoing.
Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents. 1965-Oct. 2000.
Location: AE 2.109: Gov Pubs/US: Provides the full text of speeches, press conferences, etc. Compiled and reissued as the Public Papers of the Presidents (AE 2.114: Ref/US).

Public Papers of the Presidents. 1993-ongoing. U.S. Government Print Office. President George Bush. 1989-1993. George Bush Presidential Library. President Ronald Reagan. Some volumes beginning 1981. Ronald Reagan Presidential Library. Public Papers of the Presidents. 1929-ongoing. Location: AE 2.114: Ref/US: Prior to 1977, the Public Papers were edited volumes with complete coverage provided by the Weekly Compilation (see above). Beginning with Jimmy Carter, all public papers are included. The text of executive orders and proclamations are include for 1977-1988. Later years provide only references to location in the Federal Register.

Cumulated Indexes to the Public Papers of the Presidents [Hoover-Bush].
Location: AE 2.114: Ref/US: The collected indexes provide access to the multiple volumes that comprise each president's public papers.

A Compilation of Messages and Papers of the Presidents, 1789-1897. 10 vols.
Location: Y 4.P 93/1:3/ Gov Pubs/US: Presidential messages and papers from Washington through McKinley.

Inaugural, State of the Union & Farewell Speeches

Presidential Inaugurations. American Memory. Library of Congress.

"[A] collection of approximately 400 items or 2,000 digital files from each of the 54 inaugurations from George Washington's in 1789 to George W. Bush's inauguration of 2001. This presentation includes diaries and letters of presidents and of those who witnessed inaugurations, handwritten drafts of inaugural addresses, broadsides, inaugural tickets and programs, prints, photographs, and sheet music."--from the Web site

Inaugural Addresses of the Presidents of the United States from George Washington 1789 to George Bush 1989.
Location: Y 1.1/3:101-10 Gov Pubs/US: Includes the full text of the inaugural speech.

Presidents. University of Groningen (Netherlands).: This project of the American Studies department provides links to inaugural, state of the union and farewell speeches.

Additional books with presidential speeches can be located in the Library's online catalog by doing a subject search using the president's name and by using the following subject headings:: Presidents -- United States -- Messages
Presidents -- United States -- Inaugural Addresses
Speeches, Addresses, etc., American

Debates

While debates result from the political process, and not the Office of the President, a link has been provided to aid researchers.

Debate History. Commission on Presidential Debates.: Includes transcript and video (when available) for the 1858, 1956, 1960, 1976, 1980, 1984, 1988, 1992, 1996 and 2000 presidential and vice-presidential debates.

Executive Orders & Proclamations

Executive orders (EO) are official documents, numbered consecutively, through which the President of the United States manages the operations of the Federal Government (EO 12898 Federal Actions to Address Environmental Justice in Minority Populations and Low Income Populations). Proclamations (Proc.) are issued for ceremonial purposes (Proc. 7211 Parent's Day) or as broad policy statements (Proc. 4865 High Seas Interdiction of Illegal Aliens).

To determine if an executive order is still in effect, use the Codification of Presidential Proclamations and Executive Orders.

Year	Where to Look
1789-1941	Indexes: List and Index of Presidential Executive Orders (Unnumbered Series) 1789-1942. Location: FW 4.14:P 92 Ref/US
1789-present	Text: (proclamations only) United States Statutes at Large. Location: AE 2.111: Ref/US
1862-1938	Index: Presidential Executive Orders: Numbered 1-8030, 1862-1938. 2 vols. Location: GS 4.108/2: Gov Pubs Micro/US
1929-1933	Text: Proclamations and Executive Orders: Herbert Hoover. 2 vols. Location: AE 2.114/2:H 76 Ref/US
1936-present	Text: Code of Federal Regulations, Title 3, The President. 1997-ongoing. Code of Federal Regulations, Title 3, The President. 1936-ongoing. Location: AE 2.106/3: Ref/US 1936-1943; 1959-1975; 1977 (fiche); 1978-1981; 1982 (fiche); 1983-1987; 1988 (fiche); 1989-present.
1937-present	Index & text: Executive Orders Disposition Tables Table includes, executive order number; date of signing; Federal Register volume, page number; issue date; title; amendments (if any); and current status (where applicable). Beginning with Clinton (1993) a link to the full text of the Executive Order is provided.
1945-ongoing	Index & text (some): Codification of Presidential Proclamations and Executive Orders. Codification of Presidential Proclamations and Executive Orders, April 13, 1945-January 20, 1989. Location: AE 2.113:945-89 Ref/US Selected executive orders and proclamations.
1943-ongoing	Text: United States Code Congressional and Administrative News. 1962-ongoing. Locations: KF48 .W4 Ref
1945-present	Text: Federal Register. 1995-ongoing. Federal Register. 1945-ongoing Location: AE 2.106: Gov Pubs/US SDSU holdings & location
1965-present	Text: Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents. 1993-ongoing. Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents. 1965-Oct. 2000. Location: AE 2.109: Gov Pubs/US
current administration	Text: Executive Orders Issued by President Bush (Whitehouse Web Site). 2001-ongoing.

National Security Directives

Signed by the President and issued through the National Security Council, directives are national security policy documents and are often classified. Different presidential administrations have used various names for these documents. (See Table of Security Directive Names and Abbreviations.)

Presidential Directives and Executive Orders. The Federation of American Scientists.: Comprehensive listing with links to electronic copy (if available).

NARA Archival Information Locator (NAIL). US National Archives & Records Administration.: Search by acronym. There will be a link in the record if a digital copy of the directive is available.

Presidential Libraries. US National Archives & Record Administration.: List with Web link, address, phone, fax and e-mail.

National Security Directives of the Reagan & Bush Administrations. Christopher Simpson. San Francisco: Westview Press, 1995.
Location: E876 .S5 Ref: Includes the full-text of declassified NSDDs and NSDs.

Documents of the National Security Council, 1947-1977.
Location: PrEx 3.2:D 63 E 19/Guide Ref/US
Location: PrEx 3.2:D 63 E 19/Film Gov Pubs Micro/US: All formerly classified papers that have ever been released are included in this collection: formal policy papers, progress reports, background documents, National Security Council actions, National Security Action Memoranda, and National Security Study Memoranda. The basic collection is supplemented as new documents are declassified.

Declassified Documents Retrospective Collection. 1976.
Location: Z1223 .Z9 D39 Ref
Location: DECLASS Gov Pubs Micro/US
Declassified Documents Quarterly Catalog. 1975-1992.
Location: Z 1223 .Z9D4 Ref
Location: DECLASS Gov Pubs Micro/US: Indexes post-World War II documents from the CIA, State Department, Defense Department, National Security Council and other US government agencies. The Library has the index through 1992 and the companion microfiche set through 1990.

Foreign Relations of the United States. 1900-18.
Foreign Relations of the United States. 1945-ongoing.
Foreign Relations of the United States. US State Dept.
Location: S 1.1: Ref/US: Some older directives are included.

Table of Security Directive Names and Abbreviations

NCSCID	National Security Council Intelligence Directives	1947-1977	Truman through Ford
NSAM	National Security Action Memorandums	1961-1969	Kennedy and Johnson
NSSM	National Security Study Memorandums	1969-1977	Nixon and Ford
NSDM	National Security Decision Memorandums	1969-1977	Nixon and Ford
PRM	Presidential Review Memorandums	1977-1981	Carter
PD	Presidential Directives	1977-1981	Carter
NSSD	National Security Study Directives	1981-1989	Reagan
NSDD	National Security Decision Directives	1981-1989	Reagan
NSR	National Security Reviews	1989-1993	Bush
NSD	National Security Directives	1989-1993	Bush
PRD	Presidential Review Directive	1993-2000	Clinton
PDD	Presidential Decision Directives	1993-2000	Clinton
NSPD	National Security Presidential Directives	2000-	GW Bush

Memoranda, Determinations & Findings

Issued by the president and directed to the executive branch, presidential memoranda do not have an established process for issuance or publication. P.J. Cooper* has identified three types of memorandum: presidential determination or finding, memorandum of disapproval, and hortatory memorandum. Determinations and findings are required by statute and must be issued by the President before certain actions are taken. For example, the President must issue a finding regarding the status of a country before releasing some types of aid or imposing sanctions. A memorandumof disapproval is a public veto statement. A hortatory memorandum is similar to a proclamation, but is directed to executive agenices instead of the public.

Most, but not all, memoranda can be located using the Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents and The Public Papers of the President. The President may also authorize publication of the memorandum in the Federal Register. Memoranda are usually unnumbered, except for determinations. Prior to Reagan, this type of document was issued as a "presidential letter."

Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents. 1993-ongoing.
Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents. 1965-Oct. 2000.
Location: AE 2.109: Gov Pubs/US: Provides the full text of speeches, press conferences, etc. Compiled and reissued as the Public Papers of the President (AE 2.114: Ref/US).
To locate memoranda search for the phrase "memorandum on" OR "memorandum for" including the double quotes and capital letters for the or connector.

*Cooper, P.J. (2002). By order of the President: The use and abuse of executive direct action. Lawrence: University Press of Kansas.
Location: KF 5053 .C578 2002 4th floor books