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NOTICE
These are transcripts of tape-recorded interviews conducted for the Harry S. Truman Library. A draft of each transcript was edited by the interviewee but only minor emendations were made; therefore, the reader should remember that these are essentially transcripts of the spoken, rather than the written word.
Numbers appearing in square brackets (ex. [45]) within the transcript indicate the pagination in the original, hardcopy version of the oral history interview
RESTRICTIONS
These oral history transcripts may be read, quoted from, cited, and reproduced for purposes of research. They may not be published in full except by permission of the Harry S. Truman Library.
See also George M. Elsey Files and George M Elsey Papers
Appendicies
Appendix A Jack Hopkins Questionnaire for July 10, 1969 Interview.
Appendix B Letter from George M. Elsey to Charles Murphy dated July 6th, 1950 concerning Point IV.
List of Subjects Discussed
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
- Acheson, Dean, 153, 269, 274, 277, 278, 298, 325, 353, 365, 374
Active Service in Peace and War, 345
Adams, Sherman, 52, 455
Ak-sar-ben, 407
Alamogordo, New Mexico, 268, 343
Alexander the Great, 36
American National Red Cross, 122, 381, 382
Atlantic Charter, a discussion of George Elsey’s copy of, 382-390
Ayers, Eben, 248, 249
Barkley, Alben W., 71, 131
Barrett, Edward W., 305-306, 397
Baruch, Bernard M., 73
Batt, William L., Jr., 193-194, 200, 202, 416, 417
Battle of the Bulge, 389
Bell, David E., 11, 128, 151-152, 156, 160, 163, 185, 216, 270, 291, 303, 419, 420
Berlin, Germany, 350-351, 352
Berlin airlift, 326, 390-391
Berlin conference, 260
Bipartisanship during the Truman administration, 98-100
Bogue, Robert W., 339
Bohlen, Charles E., 320, 321
Boyd, Julian, 299
Boyle, William M., Jr., 55
Bradley, General Omar N., 279
Brown, Vice—Admiral Wilson, 2, 4, 123, 256, 333, 334, 335, 341
- and Admiral William D. Leahy, 336-338
Browniow Commission, 213-214
Bruenn, Howard, 259
Bundy, McGeorge, 182, 324
Bunker, Ellsworth, 122
Bureau of the Budget, 17, 18, 82-83, 363, 421, 454, 461
Byrnes, James F., 136, 221, 340, 342
Cabinet:
- as advisors to the President, 48-49
attempts to have a secretariat of, 29-31
Cantril, Hadley, 162-164
Carey, Idaho, 408
Carter, Jay Franklin, a discussion of an article written by, 107-110
Central Intelligence Group, 23, 24
Chapman, Oscar L., 409, 410
Chicago Sun Times, 443
China, 379-380
Churchill, Winston, 3, 252, 267, 290, 321
- signs George Elsey’s copy of the Atlantic Charter, 383-390
Civil rights and Harry S. Truman, 449-450
Civil Service Commission, 461, 462
Clayton, William C., 364
Cleveland, Mississippi, 365
Clifford, Clark, 6-7, 11-12, 13, 14, 16-17, 19, 25, 30, 48, 53, 57, 64, 100, 122, 123-124, 127, 132, 138, 139,
- 140, 141, 146, 147, 148, 150, 151, 154, 155, 166, 182, 192, 193, 202, 210-211, 216, 217, 218, 291,
-
- and the Russian Report of 1946, 261-267
as a member of the White House staff, 80-84
Coblenz, Constance G., 356
Coffelt, Leslie, 429
Commodity Credit Corporation, 69, 70
Congress, the Truman administration’s relations with, 52-55
Connelly, Matthew J., 50, 54, 71, 132, 152, 180, 395, 410, 419
Containment, 375-376
Conway, Rose, 254
Coolidge, Calvin, 82a
Corneluis, Albert, 339
Council of Economic Advisors, 9, 17
Credit Union National Association, 424, 425-426
Cutler, Bobby, 182
Daniels, Jonathan, 244
Dawson, Donald S., 51, 54, 71, 409
Defense Department, the creation of, 19-24
DeGaulle, Charles, 252, 253, 351
Democratic National Committee, 71, 132, 240, 410
Dennison, Rear Admiral Robert L, 25, 28, 29, 112, 312-313
Dewey, Thomas, 70, 85, 114, 115, 200, 370
Dodds, Harold W., 300
Douglas, Helen Gahagan, 420
Downey, Senator Sheridan, 420
Duffield, Eugene, 74, 314
Dulles, John Foster, 370
Duluth, Minnesota, 66
Early, Stephen, 244, 272
Eberstadt, Ferdinand, 21
Eberstadt Report, 21
Economic Cooperation Administration, 365-366
Eightieth Congress:
Eisenhower, Dwight D., 12, 52, 56, 122, 182, 213, 290, 306, 307, 349, 352, 407, 413, 451, 452, 455
Ellis, Elmer, 42
Elsey, George M.,
- as Administration Assistant to the President, 125-126
atomic bomb, discusses, 343, 347
background of, 117-125
career of, 5-9
educational background of, 4
and the historical materials of the Truman administration, 37-38
MacArthur, Douglas, discussed by, 286-288
and the National Historical Publications Committee, 301, 302-304
and the Potsdam Conference, 340-344
Presidential election campaign of 1948, discussed by, 61-62, 192-203
the speechwriting of, 118-119, 120, 126-128, 177-180
State of the Union message, preparation of, discussed by, 133-143, 148-149
Wake Island Conference, information that was leaked to the New York Times, discussed by, 280-285
as a member of the White House staff, 13-18, 80-84, 120-121
White House Map Room, discussed by, 1-4
Eugene, Oregon, 109, 110
European Advisory Commission, 348
European Recovery Program, 366, 367
Ewing, Oscar, 414
Fair Deal, 102-103
Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), a discussion of, the power of, 459-462
Federal Reserve Board, 124
Feeney, Joseph, 394
Filene, Edward, 425
Fireside chats, 92, 93, 94
Fleeson, Doris, 272
Foreign Affairs, 375
Formosa, 270, 272
Forrestal, James V., 20, 21, 22, 214, 328
- Cabinet, attempts to have a secretariat of, 29-31
a discussion of, 312-319
the personal papers of, 24-29
Forrestal, Mrs. James V., 26, 313
The Forrestal Diaries, 20, 28, 29, 313, 315
Forty-page memo on election strategy, 413-415
Foskett, James K., 124
Friendly Sons of St. Patrick, 209
Fritchey, Clayton, 28
Germany, post World War II planning, 347-352
Goldman, Eric, 100
Government reorganization, 453-455
Grand Coulee Dam, 419
Grandview, Missouri, 42-43
Great Britain, 88-89, 354
Greece, aid to, 88-89, 352-359, 362-364, 387
Greek—Turkish aid bill, 88-89
Grover, Wayne, 38, 301, 302-303
Gruenther, Alfred M., 122
Hardy, Benjamin, 100, 144-145, 146-148, 184, 373, 424, 425, 426
Harriman, E. Roland, 381
Harriman, W. Averell, 124, 215-216, 249, 278, 280, 284, 307, 308, 366, 392, 452-453
- Mutual Security Agency, as director of, 7-9, 440-447
Presidential election campaign of 1952, and, 447
Harvard University, 118, 390
Hassett, William D., 150-151, 152, 389
and Harry S. Truman, 242-243
Havana, Cuba, 433
Hawaii, 275
Hechier, Kenneth, 60, 69, 303, 406, 421
Hiroshima, Japan, 343
Historical materials of the Truman administration, 37-38
Hoffman, Paul, 367
Hoover, J. Edgar, 82a, 459-461, 462
Hoover Commission, 454
Hopkins, Harry L., 2, 121, 126, 231, 257, 263, 266, 341, 385
Hopkins, John E. “Jack”, 117, 127, 128, 153, 156, 159, 178, 181, 203, 206, 208, 373
Hopkins, William J. “Bill”, 206-208, 431
Hull, Cordell, 320
Humelsine, Carlisle, 358-359
Hyde Park, N. Y., 38
Ibn—Saud, 250
Inaugural address of January 20, 1949, 100, 143-148, 298-299
Independence, Missouri, 37, 38, 43, 44, 427, 438
Iran, 357
Irelin, John Jay, 295-296
Israel, 370-371
as a political issue, 84-86
recognition of, 327-333
Italy, 363
Jacobson, Edward, 332-333
Jefferson speech given at the Library of Congress, 299-304
Johnson, Andrew, 36
Johnson, Louis A., 269, 273-274, 304, 312-313, 314, 320
Johnson, Lyndon B., 13, 82a, 179, 213, 324, 456
Johnston, Victor A., 422-423
Joint Chiefs of Staff, 265, 278
Jones, Joseph IL, 88-89, 295
Kai—shek, Chiang, 3, 379
Kansas City, Missouri, 43
Kaplan, Morton A., 356
Kennan, George F. and containment, 375-376
Kennedy, John F., 12, 56, 92, 167, 179, 213, 324, 456, 457
Key West, Florida, 33, 37
Kiel Auditorium, St. Louis, Missouri, 426
Kissinger, Henry A., 324
Korean War, 113, 215, 221, 268-270, 284, 289, 359-361, 427, 440
Krock, Arthur, 181, 261, 265
Leahy, Admiral William D., 2, 109, 121, 252, 253, 254, 257, 263, 265, 266, 320, 333, 334, 341, 342
- and Wilson Brown, 336-338
and the Union of Soviet Socialists Republics, 333-336
Lend lease, 347
Leva, Marx, 28,, 362
Leviere, Anthony, and the leak of White House information to, 279-285
Library of Congress, Jefferson speech given at the, 299-304
Life magazine, Jay Franklin Carter, article discusses, 107-110
Lilienthal, David, 407
Lippmann, Walter, 181
Lloyd David D., 11, 128, 151, 156, 163, 216, 291, 303, 421, 451
The Loneliest Campaign, 199, 418
Lovett, Robert A., 147
Lowenthal, Max, and his book on the Federal Bureau of Investigation, 459-461
MacArthur, General Douglas, 270, 272-273, 282, 291, 304, 306
McCarthy, Joseph, 450-451
McCrea, John L., 2
McFall, Jack K., 392, 396, 397
Mclntire, Ross T., 259-260
MacPhail, Donald B., 421
Madison, Wisconsin, 424
Madison Square Garden, 265
Map Room in the White House, 120-121, 267, 459
- a discussion of the function of, 1-4
Marshall, George C., 30, 109, 273, 274-275, 278, 314, 365, 381
Marshall Plan, 99, 125, 145, 326, 364, 376, 381, 441, 442, 444
Matthews, Francis P., 304
- makes a statement on preventive war, 270-272
Maylon, Charles, 394
Millis, Walter, 26, 27-28, 313, 314
Molotov, V. M., 111
Morgenthal, Henry, Jr., 253-254
Morris, Newbold, 462
Murphy, Charles S., 7, 11, 48, 53, 57, 81, 92, 128, 137, 138, 148, 150, 154, 155, 156, 160, 182, 202, 216, 217,
-
- 218, 229, 276, 277, 280, 292, 305, 392, 410, 419, 420, 424
Mutual Security Agency, 8, 216, 284, 307
- a discussion of the function of, 440-448
Nash, Philleo, 392, 451
National Archives, 40
National Historical Publications Commission, 301, 302-304
National Military Establishment, 23, 24
National Security Act of 1947, 18, 225, 315, 325
National Security Council, 9, 20, 21, 23, 24, 317, 325, 391, 445
National Security Resources Board, 9, 20, 23, 222, 317, 454
Navy Department, 18
Neild, Edward, 43, 44
Neustadt, Richard E., 128, 152, 156, 216
New Deal, 103
New York Times, 27, 197, 279, 282
Niles, David K., 215, 330-331
Nixon, Richard M., 179, 213, 406, 456
Norstad, General Lauris, 18
North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), 99, 364
O’Connor, Basil, 381
Omaha, Nebraska, 407-408
On Active Service in Peace and War, 345
Pace, Frank, 269, 278
Palestine, 250-251
Patterson, Robert P., 316
Pearl Harbor, 2
Pearson, Drew, 34, 234
Pendergast, Thomas J., 34
Perimeter, Irving, 249
Peron, Juan, 377
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 72, 73
Phillips, Cabell, 413
Pim, Richard, 384-385
Pinney, Frank, Jr., 253
Point IV, 184, 373, 374, 377, 392, 393, 394, 396, 424, 426, 441
Post World War II planning, 347-352
Potsdam Conference, 13, 110, 123, 232, 252
Potsdam Ultimatum, 343
Pre—.press conferences of Harry S. Truman, 77
Present at the Creation, 374
Presidential election campaign of 1948, 61-62
- newspaperman’s views of the outcome of, 67-68
Research Division of the Democratic National Committee, the role of, 60-62, 63
storage bins for grain as an issue in, 68-70
Truman, Harry S.:
- fund raising discussed, 74-76
June trip of, 406-412
nomination of the Democratic party, 73-74
a discussion of the Whistle stops of, 70-71, 192-203
Presidential election campaign of 1952, 447
Presidential papers, a discussion of, 243, 309-312
Press conferences of Harry S. Truman, 77
Princeton University, 117
Public opinion, the importance of discussed, 87-92
Pulitzer Prize, 280
Pullman, Inc., 122
Putnam, Henry W., 339
Quebec conference, 255
Radford, Arthur, W., 275, 279, 280
Rayburn, Sam, 131
Reinsch, J. Leonard, and Harry S. Truman, 243-245
Reitzel, William, 356
Research Division of the Democratic National Committee, 69, 70, 194, 417
Ridgway, General Matthew B., 293
Rigdon, Commander William M., 107, 333, 382, 430, 431, 434
Rogers, Bruce, 383
Romagna, Jack, 105, 106, 187, 201
Roosevelt, Franklin D., 1, 2, 3, 5, 11, 25, 38, 40-41, 52, 56, 80, 82, 82a, 121, 127, 132, 167, 175, 214-215, 217,
-
- 224-225, 230, 262, 267, 309-310, 320, 321, 340, 349, 350, 458
- Atlantic Charter, George Elsey’s copy of, was signed by, 383-390
a discussion of some of the documents of, 250-256
fireside chats of, 92, 93, 94
health of, 258-260
Presidential Papers of, 309-312
and Roseman, Samuel I., 6, 11, 16, 73, 126, 132, 133, 134, 150, 151, 175, 216, 217, 411-412, 417
and Harry S. Truman, 224-232, 238
Ross, Charles, 57, 106, 151, 188
Ross, Irwin, 199, 272, 299, 300-301, 418
Rostow, Walter, 182, 324, 326
Rowe, James, 415
Ruhr, 255
Rusk, Dean, 278
Russell, Francis, 144
Russian Report of 1946, 261-267
Saar, 255
Saint Louis, Missouri, 6
Salant, Walter S., 420
Saturday Evening Post, 292
Schlesinger, Arthur M., Sr., 304
Shangri-La, 436
Sherman, Admiral Forest, 18
Short, Joseph, 78-79, 188, 248, 249, 287
Shulman, Marshall D., 153
Smith, Beverly, 292-293
Snyder, John, 30, 221
South American, United States policy toward, 376-379
Spingarn, Stephen J., 304-306
Stainback, Ingram M., 303
Stalin, Joseph, 109, 110-111, 174, 175, 321, 343
Stassen, Harold E., 307, 308, 452-453
State, War, and Navy Coordinating Committee (SWNCC), 317
State Department, 83, 84, 319-320
State of the Union Messages of Harry S. Truman, a discussion of, 133-143, 148-149
Steelman, John R., 50, 182, 183, 184, 282-283, 410, 429
Stevenson, Adlai, 447
Stimson, Henry L., 342, 345
Storage bins, as an issue in the 1948 Presidential election campaign, 68-70
Sundquist, James L., 135, 421
Taft, Senator Robert A., 104, 174
Taft—Hartley Act, 161, 203, 371
Truman, Harry S., 1, 3, 4, 8, 14, 19, 20, 25, 28, 29, 31, 38, 102, 121, 122, 127, 179, 306, 314, 380, 451, 457
- assassination attempt on, 427-430
and the atomic bomb, 343-346
and bipartisanship, 98-100
the Cabinet:
- as advisors to, 48-49
attempts to have a secretariat, 29-31
campaigning, local arrangements for, 175-176
Carter, Jay Franklin, a discussion of an article written about, 107-110
and civil rights, 449-450
and Clifford, Clark M., 226-227, 228-229, 233-239
and Congress, relations with, 52-55, 391, 415-418
and Connelly, Matthew J., 239-242
decision not to run for a second term, 434-436
eye sight of, 170-172
foreign affairs, view of, 97-98
foreign policy, during the administration of, 324-327
forty-page memo on election strategy sent to, 413-415
fund raising discussed, 74-76
history, knowledge of, 33, 35-37, 39
inaugural address of, 374-375
Israel, recognition of, 327-333
Jefferson speech given at the Library of Congress, 299-304
Key West, vacations to, 430-434, 435
and Korea, 268-270, 359-361
and MacArthur, Douglas, 286-288
and Murphy, Charles, 235-239
personal qualities of, 31-37
personality of, 437-439
policy making of, 181-185
and the political campaign of 1950, 418-420, 427
and the Potsdam Conference, 340-344
pre-press conferences of, 77
as President, lack of preparation for the job, 5-6
Presidency, his respect for the title of, 33-35
Presidential election campaign of 1948:
Presidential papers, his concern for, 40-44
and public opinion, 87-92
public statements of, 203-205
and Reinsch, J. Leonard, 243-245
and Rosenman, Samuel, 224-232, 238
and Ross, Charles G., 77-79, 245-246
and the Russian Report of 1946, 261-267
the Special Council for, 224-230, 233-239
speeches of:
- advisors on, 131-132
humor of, 164-165
off-the-cuff remarks, 110-113, 170, 172
outlines for, 175
personally reviewed each speech before delivery, 189-191
preparation for, 114, 151-156, 160
records of, 186
speaking ability displayed, 93-94
speaking style of, 166-168, 169-170
special considerations of Presidential speeches, 157-159
spiritual and moral qualities of, 94-96
transcripts of discussed, 105-107
types of, 129-130, 132-133
State of the Union messages of, 133-143, 148-149
and Steelman, John R., 218-223
and Stevenson, Adlai, 448
and Vandenberg, Arthur, 372
and the Vinson mission, 86-87
and the Wake Island Conference, 275-280, 282-283, 285
and the Whistlestops, 70-71, 114, 192-203
and the White House staff, 45-48, 49
Williamsburg, his trips aboard, 436
Truman, Mrs. Harry S. (Bess), 32, 189, 245, 430
Truman, Margaret, 189, 430, 436
Truman, Vivian, 44-45
Truman Doctrine, 295, 297-298, 326, 352-359, 362, 368, 373
Truman Library, creation and location of, 40-45
The Truman Presidency, 412-413
Tubby, Roger, 249, 303
Tully, Grace, 385, 388
Turkey, aid to, 88-89, 353-359, 362-364
Unification of the Armed Forces, a discussion of, 316-319
Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, 86-87, 353, 354, 359, 363-364
United Kingdom, 387-388
United Nations, 88, 348, 356-357
United States foreign policy toward South America, 376-379
United States Foreign Policy 1945-55, 356
Universal Military Training, 14, 127
Vandenberg, Senator Arthur H., 97, 368, 372-373
Vardaman, Commodore James K., Jr., 15, 123, 124, 228, 233, 341
V-J (Victory over Japan) Day, 4
Vinson, Fred, 109, 221, 233
Vinson Mission, 86-87
Vishinsky, Andrei Y., 111
Voice of America, 396
Wake Island Conference, 288-289
- a discussion of the conference and leaks to the press concerning it, 275-285
Wallace, Henry A., 109, 136, 264, 265, 370
War Department, 18
Warm Springs, Georgia, 5
Watson, Edwin M., 338
Webb, James E., 135, 269, 454
Whistle stop political campaign of 1948, 70-71, 174
- a general discussion of, 192-203
origins of the term, 104
preparation for, 114
and the Research Division of the Democratic National Committee, 60-62, 63
White House:
- Map Room in the, 120-121, 267, 459
Staff of:
- Congressional relations with, 52-55
growth of the staff discussed, 9-13
meetings of, 49-52
members of, 212-249
roll of, 45-48, 49, 82-84, 181-185
Special Councils discussed, 224-230, 233-239
White House Sailor, 333, 382, 434
Williamsburg, USS, 32, 33, 37, 105, 276, 436
Willkie, Philip, 422-423, 424
Willkie, Wendell L., 422
Winant, John G., 350
Yalta Conference, 338-339
Yalu River, 290
Yugoslavia, 363
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