The National Security Decision Memoranda and National Security Study Memoranda is one of many subcollections that comprise the National Security Adviser Files. The provenance and nature of the National Security Adviser Files as a whole are described in Appendix A.
The Kissinger Reports on USSR, China, and Middle East Discussions is one of many sub-collections that comprise the National Security Adviser Files. The provenance of the Ford National Security Adviser Files and an explanation of the designations “Presidential” and “Institutional” are provided in Appendix A.
The White House Situation Room: Evening Reports from the NSC Staff is one of many sub-collections that comprise the National Security Adviser Files. The provenance of the Ford National Security Adviser Files and an explanation of the designations “Presidential” and “Institutional” are provided in Appendix A.
This collection mostly comprises White House letterhead memoranda submitted by National Security Advisers Henry Kissinger and Brent Scowcroft to President Ford on virtually a daily basis. These highly-classified memoranda are labeled “Information Items” and are usually two to three pages in length. They contain information and analysis on developments in various countries, international negotiations, important events, and high-level conversations and correspondence. Individual item-reports vary from a single paragraph to three-quarters of a page in length.
The White House Situation Room: Former President Nixon's Intelligence Briefings is one of many sub-collections that comprise the National Security Adviser Files. The provenance of the Ford National Security Adviser Files and an explanation of the designations “Presidential” and “Institutional” are provided in Appendix A.
The Kissinger-Scowcroft West Wing Office Files is one of many sub-collections that comprise the National Security Adviser Files. These files were maintained in the National Security Adviser's West Wing Office or in offices by the Situation Room in the White House basement. They were kept available for ready access because they contained sensitive, high level material involving ongoing negotiations.
The Legislative Interdepartmental Group Files is one of many sub-collections that comprise the National Security Adviser Files. The provenance of the Ford National Security Adviser Files and an explanation of the designations “Presidential” and “Institutional” are provided in Appendix A.
The Memoranda of Conversations (memcons) is one of many sub-collections that comprise the National Security Adviser Files. The provenance and nature of the Ford National Security Adviser Files as a whole are described in Appendix A.
The NSC Meetings File is one of many subcollections that comprise the National Security Adviser Files. The provenance and nature of the National Security Adviser Files as a whole are described in Appendix A. The National Security Council was created in 1947 in response to the increased complexity of national security issues in the post-World War II period and the necessity for coordination of political, military and economic factors in developing and implementing a national security policy.
Presidential Briefing Material for VIP Visits is one of many sub-collections that comprise the National Security Adviser Files. The provenance of the Ford National Security Adviser Files and an explanation of the designations “Presidential” and “Institutional” are provided in Appendix A.
Presidential Correspondence with Foreign Leaders is one of many subcollections that comprise the National Security Adviser Files. The provenance and nature of the National Security Adviser Files as a whole are described in Appendix A. The subcollection described here concerns letters and telegrams exchanged between President Ford and leaders from sixty-four countries. The materials address regional issues as well as issues specific to individual countries and are arranged alphabetically by country and then by name of foreign leader.
The Presidential Subject File is one of many sub-collections that comprise the National Security Adviser Files. The provenance of the Ford National Security Adviser Files and an explanation of the designations “Presidential” and “Institutional” are provided in Appendix A.
The White House Situation Room: Noon and Evening Notes is one of many sub-collections that comprise the National Security Adviser Files.
The White House Situation Room: Noon and Evening Notes is one of many sub-collections that comprise the National Security Adviser Files.This collection especially includes briefing books prepared for President Ford in anticipation of his meetings with foreign leaders during his trips overseas. It also includes briefing books for President Ford’s trips to the United Nations, a summit in Puerto Rico, and a stay at Vail, Colorado. In addition to the briefing books, there is much other trip-related material.
The "Trip Cables of Brent Scowcroft" is one of many sub-collections that comprise the National Security Adviser Files. The provenance of the Ford National Security Adviser Files and an explanation of the designations “Presidential” and “Institutional” are provided in Appendix A.
The "NSC East Asian and Pacific Affairs Staff Files" is a subcollection of the National Security Adviser Files. The provenance of the Ford Library's National Security Adviser Files is described in Appendix A.
The White House Situation Room: Noon and Evening Notes is one of many sub-collections that comprise the National Security Adviser Files.
MOST OF THIS COLLECTION IS UNPROCESSED AND CLOSED TO RESEARCH. THE CONTAINER LIST SHOWS WHAT IS CURRENTLY OPEN.
The White House Situation Room: Brent Scowcroft’s Morning Newspaper Summaries is one of many subcollections that comprise the National Security Adviser Files. The provenance and nature of the National Security Adviser Files as a whole are described in Appendix A.
The NSC International Economic Affairs Staff Files is one of many sub-collections that comprise the National Security Adviser Files and is a valuable source of materials on a wide range of international economic issues.
The NSC Latin America Staff Files is one of many subcollections that comprise the National Security Adviser Files. In general, materials in Staff Files tend to be more routine in nature than those found in Presidential Files. They are non-record working and reference files maintained by staff members in their offices.
The “NSC Europe, Canada, and Ocean Affairs Staff Files” is a sub-collection of the National Security Adviser Files. The provenance of the Ford Library’s National Security Adviser Files is described in Appendix A.
The Office of Middle East and South Asian Affairs provided the primary staff support to the Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs on foreign policy and defense issues for thirty countries ranging geographically from Morocco to Saudi Arabia to India. As with the National Security Council's other geographic offices, the Office of Middle East and South Asian Affairs had a wide variety of responsibilities.
NSC Press and Congressional Liaison Staff Files is one of many subcollections that comprise the National Security Adviser Files.
Jeanne Davis served as National Security Council (NSC) Staff Secretary throughout the Ford administration, a role which she had also filled during the bulk of the Nixon years. She and her staff handled NSC document control, intra-staff coordination, review of staff work, management of State visits, approval of foreign travel by administration officials, and administrative services. Frequently Davis or one of her assistants took notes at meetings, although on other occasions the NSC staff member with primary substantive responsibility for the issue being discussed took on this duty.
The NSC Vietnam Information Group: Intelligence and Other Reports is one of many subcollections that comprise the National Security Adviser Files.
The Outside the System Chronological File is one of many sub-collections that comprise the National Security Adviser Files.When National Archives staff received this collection at the end of the Ford administration, the boxes were labeled “Outside the System.” The exact office of origin is uncertain.
The NSC Planning and Coordination Staff Files is one of many sub-collections that comprise the National Security Adviser Files.
The Presidential Agency File is one of many sub-collections that comprise the National Security Adviser Files. The provenance of the Ford National Security Adviser Files and an explanation of the designations “Presidential” and “Institutional” are provided in Appendix A.
The Presidential Country Files for Africa is one of many subcollections that comprise the National Security Adviser Files.
The Presidential Country Files for East Asia and the Pacific is one of many subcollections that comprise the National Security Adviser Files.
The Presidential Country Files for Europe and Canada is one of many subcollections that comprise the National Security Adviser Files.
The Presidential Country Files for Latin America is one of many subcollections that comprise the National Security Adviser Files.During the Ford administration, the National Security Council (NSC) advised the President about domestic, foreign and military policies in relation to United States national security. It considered policies on matters of common interest to the departments and agencies of the Government concerned with the national security; and made recommendations to the President after discussing the alternatives on major issues requiring executive decision.
The Presidential Country Files for the Middle East and South Asia is one of many subcollections that comprise the National Security Adviser Files.
The Presidential Name File is one of many subcollections that comprise the National Security Adviser Files.
The Presidential Transition File is one of many subcollections that comprise the National Security Adviser Files.
The Saigon Embassy Files Kept by Ambassador Graham Martin is one of many subcollections that comprise the National Security Adviser Files.
United States Air Force Captain John K. Matheny was detailed to the National Security Council staff in July 1975 and served until the end of the Ford administration. Although his official job title was Staff Assistant to the Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs, the position was sometimes called “junior military assistant.” He worked closely with Robert C. “Bud” McFarlane, Military Assistant to the Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs.
The Staff Assistant Peter W. Rodman Files is one of many subcollections that comprise the National Security Adviser Files.Peter Rodman served as a staff assistant to National Security Advisers Henry Kissinger and Brent Scowcroft from 1969 to 1977. His duties ranged from the routine (drafting farewell and thank you letters for Kissinger and Scowcroft) to the important (creating memoranda of conversations for high-level foreign affairs discussions).
After a long career as a Marine Corps officer and a year as a White House Fellow, Robert C. (“Bud”) McFarlane joined the National Security Council staff as military aide to the National Security Adviser in June 1973. He remained in that position for the rest of the Nixon administration and much of the Ford administration, then was promoted to Special Assistant to the President in 1976.
This file temporarily accumulates items that archivists have removed from larger file groups for early processing. These materials include miscellaneous items declassified or sanitized under mandatory review.Types of documents include: memoranda, telegrams, correspondence, biographies, reports, briefing papers, memoranda of conversations, and memoranda of telephone conversations.
The NPC filmed many of President Ford’s activities, especially ceremonial and public events. These included, for example, bill signings, speeches, announcements, photo-opportunity events, state dinners and entertainment, and some domestic and foreign trips. In a few instances, the NPC filmed public events featuring the First Lady or the Ford children.
Pamela Needham came to the White House as a summer intern while attending Mount Holyoke College. Later, she returned as a member of the speech writers' research staff. Needham was promoted to Director of Research before joining the Domestic Council.
Ron Nessen was appointed White House Press Secretary on September 20, 1974, replacing Jerald F. terHorst who had resigned in protest of President Ford's grant of an unconditional pardon to Richard Nixon eleven days earlier. Nessen remained as Press Secretary and head of the press office through the end of the Ford administration. Discussed below under separate headings are: organization and function of the office of the Press Secretary and the scope and content of the Nessen Files.
The Ron Nessen Papers consist of materials which Nessen took home from the White House at the end of the Ford administration presumably to assist in writing his memoir It Sure Looks Different From the Inside (Chicago: Playboy Press, 1978). Mr. Nessen donated the bulk of his papers to the Ford Library on January 22, 1979. In October 1992 he donated an accretion of papers (boxes 294-300).