OFFICE of the HISTORIAN: Records, 1981-1989
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DEPARTMENT OF STATE: OFFICE OF THE HISTORIAN: Records, 1981-1989 OFFICE DESCRIPTION The Department of State is the senior executive department of the United States Government. It was established by (1 Stat. 28) act on July 27, 1789 as the Department of Foreign Affairs and was renamed the Department of State by (1 Stat. 68) on September 15, 1789. The duties of the Department of State in the field of foreign affairs have not changed significantly in scope since the early years of the United States but have become far more detailed as the country has grown and its international commitments have multiplied. The Department of State advises the President in the formulation and execution of foreign policy. As Chief Executive, the President has overall responsibility for the foreign policy of the United States. The primary objective of the Department of State in the conduct of foreign relations is to promote the long-range security and well-being of the United States. The Department determines and analyzes the facts relating to American overseas interests, makes recommendations on policy and future action, and takes the necessary steps to carry out established policy. In carrying out these functions, the Department engages in continuous consultations with the American public, the Congress, other United States departments and agencies, and foreign governments. The Department of State negotiates treaties and agreements with foreign nations, speaks for the United States in the United Nations, and in the major international organizations in which the United States participates. The Department of State represents the United States at international conferences annually. The Office of the Historian is an office of the United States Department of State, within the Bureau of Public Affairs. The office is responsible for the preparation and publication of the official historical documentary record of U.S. foreign policy in the Foreign Relations of the United States or (FRUS) series. It also researches and writes historical studies on aspects of U.S. diplomacy for use by policymakers in the Department and in other agencies, as well for the public. You may contact the Department of State Historians Office at http://history.state.gov/ SCOPE AND CONTENT This collection consists of published documents from the United States Department of State. The State Department publishes multiple serials, reports, and documents concerning foreign affairs, foreign policy, and information about other nations. The material in this collection was in excess of 110 linear feet when received at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library. Much of the material is straightforward publication runs of serials, reports, etc., for the years of the Reagan Administration, 1981-1989. The remainder of the material appears to be working records for the office of the Historian. Some material was arranged and organized prior to receipt for purposes of creating a microfiche record. The collection consists of 16 Series with various subseries SERIES I: Senior Level Officers Reports SUBSERIES A: Office of the Historian 12/12/2016 DOS, Office of the Historian-2 SERIES II: Current Policy SUBSERIES A: Current Policy Digest SERIES III: Department of State Bulletin and State SERIES IV: Press Releases SERIES V: Press Releases and Statements Vice-Presidents Office SERIES VI: Briefings SUBSERIES A: Daily Press Briefings SUBSERIES B: Background Briefings SUBSERIES C: White House and Department of State Briefings and Statements SERIES VII: Treaties and Other International Acts SERIES VIII: Selected Statements from Newly Appointed Foreign Ambassadors SERIES IX: ACDA SERIES X: AID SERIES XI: USUN Press Release SERIES XII: Reports SUBSERIES A: Special Reports SUBSERIES B: Selected Documents SERIES XIII: Media Transcripts SUBSERIES A: Highlights of TV Morning Shows SERIES XIV: Reference Material SUBSERIES A: Department of State Speeches and Transcripts, 1985 SUBSERIES B: Press Statements and Handouts SUBSERIES C: Reference and Remarks Binders, 1986-1989 SERIES XV: Publications SUBSERIES A: Background Notes SUBSERIES B: Congressional Record SUBSERIES C: Daily Legislative Reports SUBSERIES D: Foreign Affairs Notes SUBSERIES E: GIST SUBSERIES F: Joint Publications SUBSERIES G: Post Reports SUBSERIES H: Problems of Communism SERIES XVI: Bureau and Agency Publications SERIES DESCRIPTION SERIES I: Senior Level Officers Reports, 1985-1987 (1 l. ft.; Boxes 1-3) This series consists of documents showing the public affairs activities of senior officials in the State Department. Included are documents describing the daily location of officials and specific briefing times and for daily appearances and briefings. This series is arranged alphabetically. SUBSERIES A: Office of the Historian, (.6 l. ft.; Boxes 3-4) This subseries consists of correspondence from the Department of State Historian, David Patterson. Manuscript clearance’s for the American Foreign Policy: Current Documents, 1986 are included as well. In addition, Departments of State press package projections for Fiscal Year 12/12/2016 DOS, Office of the Historian-3 1987, post-presidential documents relating to the preparation of microfiche scans and the transfer of material from the State Department to the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library. This series is arranged in chronological order. SERIES II: Current Policy, 1981-1989, (4.6 l. ft.; Boxes 5-16) This series consists primarily of single releases of major statements before congressional committees, speeches, and news conferences concerning U.S. foreign affairs by the President, Vice President, Secretary of State, and other senior officials. The focus of this series is the contemporary public expression of United States Foreign Policy. The publications of the Current Policy series include a wide diversity of subject matters beginning January 9, 1981, with the final issue published on January 17, 1989. Each entry gives the current policy number, the title, the author, the author’s title, the audience, the date, and the location if it took place other than Washington D.C. The records are in numerical order beginning with Current Policy Number 257 and finishing with Current Policy Number 1145. This series is arranged in chronological order. SUBSERIES A: Current Policy Digest, 1985-1987, (4 folders, Box 16) This small subseries consists of a monthly publication offering excerpts of key statements from selected Current Policy released each month. Excerpts were intended to illustrate basic policy issues and were not a comprehensive summary of each Current Policy statement. This series is arranged in chronological order. SERIES III: Department of State Bulletin and State, 1980-1989, (2.5 l. ft.; Boxes16-22) This series consists of the Department of State Bulletin and the Department of State Newsletter. The Department of State Bulletin is the official monthly record of United States Foreign Policy. Department of State Bulletin was established to provide the Congress, other agencies, and the public information about U.S. foreign policy and the work of the Department of State and the Foreign Service. Formerly called the Department of State Newsletter, State magazine acquaints officers and employees, at home and abroad, with developments of interests that may affect operations or personnel. This series is arranged in chronological order. SERIES IV: Press Releases, 1982-1988 (3.7 l. ft.; Boxes 23-31) This series consist of daily press releases from the Department of State. This series begins in January of 1982 and ends in December of 1988. This series is arranged in chronological order. SERIES V: Press Releases and Statement Vice-Presidents Office, 1985-1987 (.6 l. ft.) (Boxes 31-32) This series consists of press releases and remarks by Vice-President George Bush. This series is arranged in chronological order. A more complete listing of the Vice-Presidents papers can be found at the George H. W. Bush Presidential Library website, http://bushlibrary.tamu.edu/research/finding_aids/ 12/12/2016 DOS, Office of the Historian-4 SERIES VI: Briefings This series consists of three different types of briefings from the Department of State. There are three subseries; Subseries A consists of transcripts of the daily press briefings given by the Department of State. Subseries B is background briefings and subseries C consists of various White House and State Department Briefings. SUBSERIES A: Daily Press Briefings 1982-1988, (6.3 l. ft.; Boxes 33-49) This subseries consists of daily press briefings from the Department of State. Daily press briefings were issued from the press office and included statements, addresses, and information regarding United States foreign policy. This material is arranged in chronological order. SUBSERIES B: Background Briefings, 1982-1988, (2.8 l. ft.; Boxes 49-56) This subseries consists of press briefings where an official of the Department of State contributed to a White House briefing and their identity and position were not attributed by the press. Generally, this material has the name of the State Department official redacted however; in a few instances, the name of the briefing official is available. This material is arranged in chronological order. SUBSERIES C: White House and Department of State Briefings, 1982-1989, (1.7 l. ft.) (Boxes 56-59) This subseries consists of White House and Departments of State briefings where an official from the Departments of State contributed to the briefing. These briefings are separate and distinct from background briefings as the Departments of State