Presidential Readings for Fellowship Project
Government Documents
Vanderbilt has the second-oldest government documents depository in the state of Tennessee. Central Library has been a selective depository for federal government publications since 1884, a United Nations depository since 1946, and a Food and Agriculture Depository since 1948. Central Library selects about 48% of the almost 6000 categories offered by the US Government Printing Office. The depository has approximately 700,000 paper, microfiche and CD-ROM holdings.
Books on the Presidency
The American President by ISBN: 0190907029Publication Date: 2018-10-01The American President is an enthralling account of American presidential actions from the assassination of William McKinley in 1901 to Bill Clinton's last night in office in January 2001.
King Richard: Nixon and Watergate by ISBN: 9780385350099Publication Date: 2021-05-25From the author of the acclaimed One Minute to Midnight, a sharply focused, riveting account —told from inside the White House — of the crucial days, hours, and moments when the Watergate conspiracy consumed, and ultimately toppled, a president.
Peril by ISBN: 9781982182915Publication Date: 2021-09-21The transition from President Donald J. Trump to President Joseph R. Biden Jr. stands as one of the most dangerous periods in American history. But as internationally bestselling author Bob Woodward and acclaimed reporter Robert Costa reveal for the first time, it was far more than just a domestic political crisis.
Aggregated Resources on American Presidents
- Compilation of Presidential Documents (1992-2021)Official published record of presidential speeches, remarks, press conferences, appearances, and orders
Sample Content:
- Interview with Tabitha Soren of MTV [Clinton, 27 September 1993]
- Remarks at a Question-and-Answer Session with LinkedIn Participants in Mountain View, California [Obama, 26 September 2011]
- Remarks in an Exchange With Reporters in Morristown, New Jersey [Trump, 24 September 2017]
- Compilation of the Messages and Papers of the Presidents (New Series) 1789-1929Official publications of materials released by the White House Press Secretary for the specified time period.
- Public Papers of the President 1929-2014Papers and speeches of U.S. presidents that were issued by the Office of the Press Secretary during the specified time period.
- Presidential Impeachment LibraryDocuments on the impeachments of Andrew Johnson, Bill Clinton, and Donald Trump.
Sample Content:
- Farewell Address [Eisenhower, 17 January 1961]
- Speech on Vietnam [Johnson, 29 September 1967]
- Address to the United Nations [Reagan, 26 September 1988]
- Speech on the Drawdown of US Forces in Afghanistan [Biden, 8 July 2021]
First presidency with available audio is Warren Harding. First presidency with available video is John F. Kennedy.
Sample Content:
- Presidential Debate Transcripts (1960-2020)
- Second Fireside Chat [Roosevelt, 7 May 1933]
- Donald Trump's Tweets [15 June 2015-8 January 2021]
- Press Release: A Couple Stopped To Help Donald Trump When His Limo Broke Down — How He Repaid Them [Trump, 19 January 2016]
- Presidents of the United States: Resource GuidesExcellent resource for primary source material from presidencies through 1992 (George HW Bush).
- Presidential Recordings Digital Edition This link opens in a new windowRecordings and annotated transcripts of telephone conversations of Presidents Kennedy, Johnson, and Nixon. Transcripts are searchable and browseable by administration, series, speaker, date, place, and duration.
Major Presidential Libraries
- Nixon LibraryTwo locations: Yorba Linda, CA has majority of records and papers; White House tapes and White House Communications Agency videotapes are at College Park, MD.
- Ford LibraryFord Library is in Ann Arbor, MI; Ford Museum is in Grand Rapids, MI.
Current Presidential Resources
Foreign Relations and International Affairs
- Resources for US Foreign Relations ResearchAn excellent start point for research on presidential foreign relations actions from the Office of the State Department Historian.
