PRESIDENT, OFFICE OF THE: TAPES OF DICTATION: Records, 1981-1982

This collection has been reviewed by the Reagan Library staff and it is available for research. You may access this collection in our research room. There is no need to file a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request for any of the contents of this collection

PRESIDENT, OFFICE OF THE: TAPES OF DICTATION: Records, 1981-1982

Scope and Content

President Ronald Reagan dictated a series of correspondence into a mini-cassette recorder (most likely a Norelco model) during the period of February 17, 1981 through February 23, 1982. The Library has been unable to determine why this practice ceased in February 1982, but we have found no other recordings such as these in our collection.

The correspondence includes personal “thank you” notes for gifts, “get -well” notes and messages of support and prayer after the assassination, a few letters of greetings and comments to Heads of State, correspondence with past Dixon, Illinois acquaintances, and responses to the general public on support for his policies or disagreement with them. All of the correspondence within this collection is also part of specific case files within various White House Records Management Subject File categories.

The White House Office of Records Management converted the original 25 mini-cassettes to six (6) Scotch 177 Audio Recording Tapes (reel to reel) done by the White House Communication Agency, Audio Division. The Library received the 25 mini-cassettes only, but we have retained the reel numbers to group the paper correspondence. The textual correspondence folders are arranged by reel number and then by mini-cassette number. The dates on the folders represent the dates on the outgoing correspondence.

The Library had an actual transcript for material recorded on Reel #5 only. All other reels have copies of the outgoing correspondence resulting from the dictation. We have provided a folder-by-folder list of each letter within the folders.

Researchers can request the paper correspondence as a textual collection. For access to the 25 mini-cassettes, please see the research room attendant who will contact our audio-visual archivist.

Box 1

Reel #1 – Documents 1A-1G, 02/17/1981

1A - Omar N. Bradley

1B - Keith Maxwell Perry

1C - William F. Buckley

1D - Glenn Campbell

1E - Ray Stark

1F - Barbara M. Beyer

1G – Transcripts not found for Mr. Cely, Peter Pitchess, E.F. Shaw, E. Salkow

Reel #1 – Documents 2A-2E, 03/06/1981

2A - John P. Allen

2B - Moe Moravec

2C - Brian J. Dick

2D - Martin Powers

2E - H. M. McIntosh

Reel #1 – Documents 3A-3F, 03/19/1981

3A - Monica Meade

3B - Buddy Ebsen

3C - Eldon Haskell

3D - J. N. (Jack) Swanson

3E - Peg Freeborn

3F - Anna Christine Lucas

Reel #1 – Documents 4A-4D, 04/24/1981 & 04/27/1981

4A - Michael Nidorf

4B - Earle M. Jorgensen

4C - Regis N. Barwig

4D – Mr. and Mrs. Jaquelin H. Hume

Reel #1 – Documents 5A-5N, 06/08/1981 & 06/09/1981

5A - Mattie Jordan

5B - Kay Shouse

5C Patricia Meade White

5D - Edward F. Logan

5E - John L. Blair

5F - Mark Hoekenga

5G - Armand S. Deutsch

5H - Sanford C. Bernstein

5I - Justin Dart

5J – Charles J. Broska

5K - Thomas M. O’Brien

5L – Laurence W. Beilenson

5M - Douglas Fairbanks, Jr.

5N – Mrs. Howard (Joy) Baker

Reel #1 – Documents 6A-6M, 06/16/1981 & 06/17/1981

6A - John B. Connally IV

6B – Governor and Mrs. Robert Orr

6C - Frank Capra

6D - Evelyn Peck

6E – Kristine M. Smith

6F - Tina Boggs

6G - J. J. McFadden

6H - Sister Mary Sarah

6I - Gertraude B. Crabb

6J - Lowell Salzman

6K - Yaffa Eliach

6L - W. O. Pettiner

6M – Vance D. Bishop

Reel #2 – Documents 7A-7J, 07/09/1981 & 07/14/1981

7A - Jason Head

7B - Kimberly Wick

7C - Robert Tyson

7D – Robert Fryer

7E - Steve Peters

7F - Joseph R. Wilder

7G - Jay Stiener

7H - John O. Koehler

7I - John F. McIntyre, Jr.

7J - Robert A. Boehme

Reel #2 – Documents 8A-8U, 07/15/1981

8A - William F. Buckley, Jr.

8B - Jacob S. Richman

8C – Jon A. Kaufman

8D – Rita Healy

8E – William L. Bradley

8F – Austin Trimmer

8G - John R. Gelsinger, Sr.

8H - R. L. Prior

8I – Not used

8J - Matthew T. Beirl

8K - Leon J. Hart

8L - Patricia Mullany and Debra R. Gantt

8M - Neal Roetzler

8N - Paul and Marion Miller

8O - Victor H. Krulak

8P – Gordon C. Luce

8Q - Thomas S. Kelland

8R - Sam K. Farmer

8S - Pat O’Brien

8T – Thomas M. O’Brien

8U - Allen Drury

Reel #2 – Documents 9A-9P, 08/03/1981

9A - Mrs. Glen Hancock

9B - J. Neil Reagan

9C - Phil Regan

9D - Barney Oldfield

9E - Helen Hayes MacArthur

9F - Thomas A. Corcoran

9G - Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.

9H - Gary P. Harrell & Family

9I - Thomas Shea

9J - Courtney Sprague

9K - Alf Graham Taylor

9L - Pierre Elliott Trudeau

9M - Bud Flesher

9N - Hal Carlson

9O - Mrs. J. Graves

9P - Hal C. Pattison

Reel # 3 – Documents 10A, 09/30/1981

10A - Helen P. Miller

Reel #3 – Documents 11A-11K

11A – Penny Pullen

11B - Edward Mills

11C - Barney Oldfield

11D - Joey Adams

11E – Mr. & Mrs. John Otis Carney

11F - Freeman Gosden

11G - Joseph S. Kimmel, Jr.

11H - William F. Buckley

11I - Tony Lama

11J - Thomas M. O’Brien (no copy in files)

11K - Andrew DeLamater

Reel #3 – Documents 12A-12O, 09/29/1981 & 10/02/1981

12A – Leslie W. Teller

12B - Thomas J. Van Etten

12C – Mr. & Mrs. Don Gutleben

12D - Alfred H. Kingon

12E - George P. Wylly

12F - Howard Richardson

12G - James R. McGhee

12H - Stephen I. Bloom

12I – George R. Adam

12J – David McCrystle

12K - Sam and Bertha Sisco

12L – Rabbi Edgar F. Magnin

12M – Francis D. Hooks

12N - Bill and Jean Thompson

12O - Jerry C. McMillan

Reel #3 – Documents 13A-13E, 09/28/1981 & 09/29/1981

13A – Antonio L. Reed

13B - Kenneth House

13C – Jack Borden

13D - William D. Joyce

13E - Dorothy Neuse

Reel #3 – Documents 14A-14G, 11/06/1981 & 11/10/1981

14A – Thomas M. O’Brien

14B - Lee Galles

14C - Dick Freeling

14D – Ron Foster

14E - W. H. Hoyerman

14F - Sandy Loftis

14G - Richard Keene

Reel #3 – Documents 15A-15D, 11/12/1981

15A – King Hussein

15B – James D’Agostino

15C - Patricia Geadelmann

15 D - Roy M. Brewer

Reel #3 – Documents 16A-16D, 11/23/1981

16A – Bill and Jean Thompson

16B – Caroline Redebaugh

16C - Paul Browne

16D - Michele Karns (no copy in files)

Reel #4 – Documents 17A-17G, 12/01/1981

17A – Mr. & Mrs. Edward Dean

17B - Iona W. Lott

17C - Robert C. Brother, Jr.

17D - Gerald Austin

17E - Selena J. Williams

17F - Fred J. Penfold, Jr.

17G - Lola Falana

Reel #4 – Documents 18A-18AA, 12/01/1981

18A – John V. Russell

18B - John Ference

18C - Thomas Erdevig

18D - Dorothy L. Lindner

18E - H. D. Harpold

18F - John C. West

18G - Robert G. Little, Jr.

18H - George C. Werner, III

18I - Stephen A. Kaufman

18J - David L. Wood

18K - Janusz Maziarski

18L - John A. Masters

18M – Mrs. Greydon B. Held

18N - Gifford C. Ewing

18O - John J. Bunce, Jr.

18P - H. Gardner Anderson

18Q - William H. Costine

18R - Joyce Perry

18S - Robert Weyres

18T - Robert C. Vatcher

18U - David Hart

18V - Homer R. Ayers

18W - Stephen D. Fromang

18X - Gregg Calkins

18Y - Ruben Betancourt

18Z - Maurice W. Phillips

18AA - Mrs. Bill Casey

Reel #4 – Documents 19A-19D, 12/03/1981

19A – Larry Speakes, re: Author writing about Barbara Stanwyck

19B - Daniel Patrick Moynihan (no copy in files)

19C - Austra Puzinas

19D - Paul Dante

Reel #4 – Documents 20A-20P, 02/02/1982

20A - George Champion

20B - Bill Buckley

20C - George P. Shultz

20D - Bill and Jean Thompson

20E - Mrs. Marjorie Turner

20F - Barney Oldfield

20G - Victor Krulak

20H – Mr. & Mrs. Pete Hannaford

20I – Mrs. Joshua Logan

20J - Mrs. Sid Brodie (Francie)

20K – Mr. & Mrs. Leon Ames

20L - Henry Morgenthau III

20M - Light Thompson

20N - Earle Doud

20O - Lewis Rosenstiel

20P - Mrs. James L. Dixon (Jeane)

Reel #5 – Documents 21A-21P, 02/04/1982, 02/05/1982, 02/10/1982 & 02/11/1982 (1)

21A - Sam and Bertha Sisco

21B - Mrs. George Randolph Hearst, Sr. (Rosalie)

21C – Sam Harrod, III

21D - Freddie L. Freeman

21E - Kenneth V. Kettlewell

21F - David E. Richardson

21G - Petre Teodorescu

21H - Thomas R. Macchia

21I – Alan S. Quarterman

21J – Thatcher Family

21K – Howard R. Hindman

Reel #5 – Documents 21A-21P, 02/04/1982, 02/05/1982, 02/10/1982 & 02/11/1982 (2)

21L – Mr. & Mrs. Richard Stetson

21M - Alfred H. Kingon

21N – Lorena Nidorf

21O – Kevin Weyl

21P – Mrs. Maureen Cesarz

Reel #5 – Documents 22A-22S, 02/10/1982 & 02/18/1982 (1)

22A – Mr. & Mrs. Jack Wrather

22B – Earle & Marion Jorgensen

22C – Mr. & Mrs. A. C. Lyles

22D – Mr. & Mrs. Robert Adams

22E - Norman Sprague

22F – Mr. & Mrs. Armand Deutsch

22G – Mr. & Mrs. Prentis Cobb Hale

22H – Mr. & Mrs. Ray Stark

22I – Mr. and Mrs. Drew Lewis

22J - John Musante

22K - Elsa Sandstrom

22L - Lynn Knights

22M – Mr. & Mrs. Tom Jones

Reel #5 – Documents 22A-22S, 02/10/1982 & 02/18/1982 (2)

22N - Mary Roebling

22O - Mrs. Clayton Fritchey (Polly)

22P - George Murphy

22Q – Mr. & Mrs. Mike Cowles

22R – Mr. & Mrs. Sonny Werblin

22S – Mr. & Mrs. Walter Annenberg

Reel #5 – Documents 23A-23J, 02/22/1982 & 02/23/1982

23A - Mrs. Charles R. Ray

23B - Danny Moore

23C – Mr. & Mrs. Otis Carney

23D - W. F. Egner

23E - Lewis E. Lehrman

23F - Kenneth V. Kettlewell

23G - Paul Trousdale

23H - Hope Hinds

23I - Thomas M. O’Brien

23J - Earle M. Jorgensen

Reel #6 – Documents 24A-24D, 08/03/1981

24A – Mr & Mrs. J. Neil Reagan

24B – Mrs. Marie Craven

24C - Betty Ryals

24 D - Harold O. J. Brown

Reel #6 – Documents 25A-25R, 10/16/1981 & 10/20/1981

25A - Fred A Lennon

25B - William Buckley, Jr.

25C - George C. Gentry

25D - Mike Dickerson

25E - Meredith House

25F - Walter Davis III

25G - David C. Boston

25H - Eugene O. Perkins

25I - Mary O’Connell

25J - Bryan M. Sennett

25K – Samuel B. Chelmer, Jr.

25L - R. M. Schnarr

25M - Thomas L. Miner

25N - Betty Loy

25O – Mr & Mrs. Israel Kirshenbaum

25P - Bill Rynecki

25Q - Quenton R. Dawkins

25R – Robin Dalmas