Office of the Historian

List of Sources

The principal source of documentation for this volume was the indexed central (decimal) files of the Department of State. Documents from the central files were supplemented by materials from Department of State “lot” files (retired decentralized office files) and post files (records retired by United States missions overseas). The editors made limited use of Presidential papers in the Dwight D. Eisenhower Library at Abilene, Kansas, and the Harry S. Truman Library at Independence, Missouri, which became available only after this volume had been compiled.

A list of files used in the preparation of this volume follows, with information concerning their origin, scope, and size.

  • Department of State
    • Accra Consulate Files, FRC Acc. No. 59 A 543
      • Central files for the years 1950–1952, as maintained by the Consulate in the Gold Coast. The files are located in the Federal Records Center at Suitland, Maryland. (1 foot)
    • AF Files, Lot 56 D 412
      • Consolidated political and economic files on Africa, primarily pertaining to East Africa, South Africa, and Liberia, for the years 1931–1955, as maintained by the Office of African Affairs. Combines Lots 56 D 412, 58 D 562, 56 D 418, and 56 D 271. (1 foot)
    • AF Files, Lot 58 D 459
      • Files created by the Office of West African Affairs for the years 1950–1955. (1 feet)
    • AF Files, Lot 58 D 562
      • Multitopic files on South Africa, British East Africa, the Central African Federation, and Mozambique for the years 1943–1955, as maintained by the Office of South and East African Affairs of the Bureau of Near Eastern, South Asian, and African Affairs. Consolidated with Lots 56 D 412, 56 D 418, and 56 D 271. (1 foot)
    • AF/AFN Files, Lot 58 D 786
      • Contains subject files and country files for Morocco, Tunisia, Tangier, and regional North Africa, for the years 1941–1956, as maintained by the Bureau of African Affairs. (¾ foot)
    • AF/AFN Files, Lot 60 D 577
      • Moroccan Desk files, including Tangier, for the period 1941–1957, as maintained by the Office of Northern African Affairs of the Bureau of Near Eastern, South Asian, and African Affairs.
    • Atomic Energy Files, Lot 57 D 688
      • Consolidated collection of documentation in the Department of State on atomic energy policy for the years 1944–1962, as maintained principally by the Special Assistant to the Secretary of State on Atomic Energy Affairs but also by other offices of the Department of State. (202 feet)
    • Conference Files, Lot 59 D 95
      • Collection of documentation on official visits by European heads of government and foreign ministers to the United States and on major international conferences, including North Atlantic Council sessions, attended by the Secretary of State during the years 1949–1955, as maintained by the Executive Secretariat of the Department of State. (18 feet)
    • Hickerson–Murphy–Key Files, Lot 58 D 33
      • Files of Assistant Secretaries of State for United Nations Affairs John D. Hickerson, Robert D. Murphy, and David McK. Key in the years 1948–1954. (2 feet)
    • INR–NIE Files
      • Files of National Intelligence Estimates and Special Estimates retained by the Bureau of Intelligence and Research of the Department of State.
    • IO Files
      • Master files of the Reference and Documents Section of the Bureau of International Organization Affairs of the Department of State, comprising the official UN documentation and classified Department of State records on United States policy in the UN Security Council, Trusteeship Council, Economic and Social Council, and various special and ad hoc committees for the period from 1946 to date. (More than 100 feet)
    • IO Files, Lot 71 D 440
      • Master files of classified records and correspondence of United States Delegations to sessions of the UN (General Assembly for the years 1945–1965, maintained by the Bureau of International Organization Affairs. (48 feet)
    • Jessup Files, Lot 53 D 65
      • Files of Ambassador at Large Philip C. Jessup relating to the Sixth Session of the UN General Assembly held in Paris 1951–1952 (Palestine question only), and deliberations at the Seventh Session of the UN General Assembly in 1952, as maintained by the Office of the Ambassador at Large. (1 feet)
    • Karachi Embassy Files, FRC Acc No. 59 A 543
      • Contains classified central files for the years 1950–1955, as maintained by the Embassy in Pakistan. These files are located in the Federal Records Center at Suitland, Maryland. (8 feet)
    • Karachi Embassy Files, FRC Ace. No. 68 A 5159
      • Contains top secret correspondence for the years 1947–1955, as maintained by the Embassy in Pakistan. These files are located in the Federal Records Center at Suitland, Maryland. (1 foot)
    • Monrovia Embassy Files, FRC Acc No. 62 A 308
      • Central files for the years 1953–1955, as maintained by the Embassy in Liberia. These files are located in the Federal Records Center at Suitland, Maryland. (6 feet)
    • NAC Files, Lot 60 D 137
      • Master file of documents of the National Advisory Council on International Monetary and Financial Problems for the years 1945–1958, as maintained by the Bureau of Economic Affairs of the Department of State. (15 feet)
    • OCB Files, Lot 61 D 385
      • Master set of the administrative and country files of the Operations Coordinating Board for the years 1953–1960, as maintained in the Operations Staff of the Department of State. (25 feet)
    • OCB Files, Lot 62 D 430
      • Master files of the Operations Coordinating Board for the years 1953–1960, as maintained by the Executive Secretariat of the Department of State. (17 feet)
    • ODA Files, Lot 60 D 512
      • Subject files of the Office of Dependent Areas concerning trusteeship and dependent territory matters for the years 1946–1958. (4 feet)
    • ODA Files, Lot 62 D 225
      • Master subject and country files of the Office of the Dependent Areas for the years 1953–1959. (13 feet)
    • Presidential Correspondence, Lot 66 D 204
      • Exchanges of correspondence between the President and the heads of foreign governments for the years 1953–1964, as maintained by the Executive Secretariat of the Department of State. (9 feet)
    • S/P–NSC Files, Lot 61 D 167
      • Serial file of memoranda relating to National Security Council questions for the years 1950–1961, as maintained by the Policy Planning Staff. (17 feet)
    • S/S–NSC Files, Lot 63 D 351
      • Serial master file of National Security Council documents and correspondence and related Department of State memoranda for the years 1947–1961, as maintained by the Executive Secretariat of the Department of State. (20 feet)
    • S/S–NSC (Miscellaneous) Files, Lot 66 D 95
      • Administrative and miscellaneous National Security Council documentation, including NSC Records of Action, as maintained by the Executive Secretariat of the Department of State for the years 1947–1963. (9 feet)
    • Secretary’s Daily Meetings, Lot 58 D 609
      • Chronological collection of the records of the Secretary of State’s daily meetings with top Department of State officials for the years 1949–1952, as maintained by the Special Assistant to the Secretary of State. (5/12 foot)
    • Secretary’s Letters, Lot 56 D 459
      • Serial master file of correspondence of the Secretary of State for the years 1945–1956, as maintained by the Executive Secretariat. (3⅓ feet)
    • Secretary’s Memoranda, Lot 53 D 444
      • Comprehensive chronological collection of the Secretary of State’s memoranda and memoranda of conversation for the years 1947–1953, as maintained by the Executive Secretariat of the Department of State. (15 feet)
    • Secretary’s Memoranda of Conversation, Lot 64 D 199
      • Chronological collection of the Secretary of State’s and the Under Secretary of State’s memoranda of conversation for the years 1953–1960, as maintained by the Executive Secretariat of the Department of State. (7 feet)
    • SOA Files, Lot 54 D 341
      • Consolidated files of the Office of South Asian Affairs of the Bureau of Near Eastern, South Asian, and African Affairs comprising memoranda, correspondence, and other documentation concerning relations with India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Ceylon, Nepal, and the South Asian region generally for the years 1947–1952. Combines Lots 54 D 341, 54 D 40, 55 D 219, and 57 D 259.
    • State–JCS Meetings, Lot 61 D 417
      • Top secret records of meetings between representatives of the Department of State and the Joint Chiefs of Staff for the period 1951–1959, and selected problem files on the Middle East for the period 1954–1956, as maintained by the Executive Secretariat of the Department of State. (3 feet)
    • UNP Files, Lot 59 D 237
      • Subject files of the Office of United Nations Political and Security Affairs covering the years 1946–1957. (3 feet)
    • UNP Files, Lot 60 D 268
      • Records of the Sixth and Seventh UN General Assemblies as well as various files concerning South Africa, Berlin, Korea, Kashmir, Burma, Cuba, Central America, and China, as maintained for the years 1945–1954 by the Office of United Nations Political Affairs. (1½ feet)
  • United States Mission at the United Nations, New York
    • USUN Files
      • Files of the United States Mission at the United Nations, 1950 to date.
  • Dwight D. Eisenhower Library, Abilene, Kansas
    • Eisenhower Library, Whitman File
      • Papers of Dwight D. Eisenhower as President of the United States, 1953–1961, maintained by his personal secretary, Ann C. Whitman. The Whitman File includes the following elements: the Name Series, the Dulles–Herter Series, Eisenhower Diaries, Ann Whitman (ACW) Diaries, National Security Council Records, Miscellaneous Records, Cabinet Papers, Legislative Meetings, International Meetings, the Administration Series, and the International File.
  • Harry S. Truman Library, Independence, Missouri
    • Truman Library, President’s Secretary’s File
      • Papers as President of the United States, President’s Secretary’s Files, 1945–1953.