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Eben A. Ayers Oral History Interviews

   

Oral History Interviews with
Eben A. Ayers

Seventeen year veteran with the Associated Press. Later news editor and acting managing editor of the Providence (Rhode Island) Journal-Bulletin, after which he served in the White House as liaison for the press-radio division of the Office of Inter-American Affairs. In January, 1945, he became part of the White House staff as a press officer until he retired at the end of the Truman administration.

See also Eben A. Ayers Papers and Files finding aids.

 

Interview Transcripts
January 12, 1967 | January 20, 1967 | February 1, 1967 | April 19, 1967 | May 16, 1967 | June 12, 1967 | June 20, 1967 | March 26, 1968 | August 6, 1968 | August 15, 1969 | June 30, 1970

by Jerry N. Hess

[Notices and Restrictions | List of Subjects Discussed]

 


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. .

The finding aid for the Eben A. Ayers Papers is also available for viewing through the Library web site.

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 They may not be published in full except by permission of the Harry S. Truman Library.

 


 

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

A
Acheson, Dean, 252, 255-256, 259-260, 298-299, 301, 303-306
Adams, Sherman, 366-367
Agnew, Spiro, 385
Allen, George, 77, 105-106, 108, 232-234, 346, 353-357
Anderson, Howard S., 53, 298-299
Andrews, Russell, 344
Arvey, Jake, 124, 127, 146
Atlee, Clement, 84, 183, 266-267
Atomic bomb, 42-54, 58-59, 218-220, 395
Augusta, U.S.S. 42, 52
Austin, Warren, 269
Ayers, Eben, 1-9, 176-178, 209, 292, 295, 312, 349-351, 372-376, 390-394

accreditation of reporters, 62-66
Truman research activities, 87-88, 209-218, 255
White House correspondence, 60-62, 180-182

B
Barkley, Alben W., 122-123, 161-162, 171, 207, 223, 290, 382
Barnes, James M., 315, 320
Bell, David, 120, 228, 343-344
Bevin, Ernest, 56, 260
Bidault, Georges, 261
Biffle, Leslie, 122, 161-162
Blair House, 285, 303-304, 307, 363, 380
Blake, Tom, 60-61
Boettiger, Anna Roosevelt, 28
Boyle, William, 147-149
Bradley, Omar, 303
Bray, Bill, 159-160, 170, 344
Brewster, R. Owen, 266
Byrd, Robert, 384
Byrnes, James F., 9, 43, 48, 51-52, 55, 74, 98, 182, 188-190, 192-199, 201-202, 212, 218

    C
    Canfil, Fred, 33
    Carter, J. Franklin, 145, 226, 243, 318
    Carr, Albert, 143-145, 237-239, 242
    Churchill, Winston, 56, 263-264
    Clark, Bennett, 201
    Clark, Charles Patrick, 33
    Clark, Tom, 53, 200
    Clifford, Clark, 40, 106-108, 126, 129, 165, 175, 226, 228, 239, 253, 267-270, 317-320, 324-327, 329-332,

    346-348

    Collett, Caskie, 234-235
    Collins, J. Lawton, 303
    Connelly, Matthew, 13-14, 30-31, 40, 53, 57, 75-76, 113-114, 126, 129, 134, 146-147, 149, 171, 182, 206-208,

    239, 253, 275, 313, 317, 334-335, 346, 348, 351, 376

    Conway, Rose, 59, 83, 295, 302, 351
    Coolidge, Calvin, 125
    Cornell, Douglas 152
    Cox, James, 9, 15-16
    Crane, John M. C. , 111
    Crim, Howard G., 212, 369
    Crowley, Leo, 53
    Currie, Laughlin, 320
    Cushing, Archbishop Richard J., 146-150

    D
    D'Alesandro, Thomas, 296
    Daly, John, 371
    Daniels, Jonathan, 7, 13-15, 18, 24, 26-28, 34, 130, 135-137, 159, 160-161, 180, 293-294, 312, 315-316, 337,

    347-348, 356

    Davis, Elmer, 371
    Davis, Henry Gassaway, 122
    Dawson, Donald, 40, 108, 113, 115, 138-139, 159, 206, 235, 237, 275, 341, 348
    DeGaulle, Charles, 263-264
    Democratic National Convention – 1944, 190-191, 199-202
    Democratic National Convention - 1948, 121-127
    Democratic National Convention - 1952, 220-224
    Dennison, Robert 40, 113-115, 161, 166, 168, 170, 172-173, 175, 244-245, 295, 297
    Dewey, Thomas, 124, 130, 140, 227
    Donnelly, Phil M., 112
    Douglas, William O. 122-123
    Drescher, George C. 31-32
    Dulles, John Foster, 140

    E
    Early, Stephen, 6-8, 15, 18-28, 60-61, 84, 98, 180, 199-200, 203-206, 216, 284-286, 292, 312, 336-338,

    347-348, 397

    Economic Cooperation Administration, 260
    Eisenhower, Dwight D.: 6, 106, 114-115, 124, 221, 351, 356-357, 363, 366-370, 379-380, 389

    election of 1952, 221, 351-352, 380-381

    Elkins, Stephen, 122
    Elsey, George, 107, 146, 228, 236, 279, 283, 317, 326-329, 342, 356
    Enarson, Harold, 170, 345
    Ernst, Morris 204
    Ewing, Oscar, 356

    F
    Farley, Jim, 200
    Flynn, Edward J., 124, 200
    Flythe, William, 153-154
    Feinberg, Abraham, 272
    Finletter, Tom, 284, 303
    Foreign Policy – Truman Administration, 250-265

    Israel, 265-272
    Marshall Plan , 252, 255, 260, 262
    Point 4 program, 236, 254-263
    Truman Doctrine, (Greek-Turkish aid program), 251, 258-260, 374, 394
    Twenty-one points message, 251, 322-323

    Forrestal, Adm., 53, 280
    Forster, Rudolph, 310
    Foskett, James H., 200, 206, 244-249, 250-255, 345
    Fox, Joseph, 47, 154
    Franklin, 237
    Franklin D. Roosevelt, Navy carrier, 17, 256
    Fritchey, Clayton, 344
    Fuchs, Klaus, 58
    Fulton, Hugh, 33-34

    G
    Gannett, Frank, 205
    Gillette, Senator, 266-267
    Graham, Philip, 181-182
    Graham, Wallace, 113-115, 170, 175, 179, 191, 206, 295, 346

      H
      Hachmeister, Louise L., 367
      Hagerty, James C., 367, 388-389
      Hague, Frank, 115, 124, 127
      Halverstadt, Dallas C., 345
      Hannegan, Robert, 190, 200-201, 273, 359-360
      Hardy, Ben, 236-237
      Harriman, Averell, 221, 327, 382
      Hassett, William , 42-45, 53, 60, 165, 167, 170-171, 178-180, 312, 336-339, 346-348, 376
      Helm, Mrs. [James M.], 245
      Henry, Bill, 371
      Hickerson, John, 303
      Hill, Lister, 125
      Hillenkoetter, Roscoe H., 305
      Hillman, William, 189, 371
      Hopkins, William, 309-310
      Howe, John, 195
      Hume, Paul, 181-184
      Humphrey, Hubert, 382

        I
        Independence, The, 113, 295
        Israel, State of, 265-270, 319-320

          J
          Jackson, Charles W., 170, 345
          Jacobson, Eddie, 88, 271, 320
          Jamieson, Frank, 6
          Jessup, Philip, 303
          Johnson, Louis, 72-73, 188, 232, 278-286, 303-305
          Jones, Joseph M., 256

            K
            Kaltenborn, H.V., 371-372
            Kayle, Milton, 345
            Keech, Richmond, 206, 234, 341
            Kefauver, Estes, 224, 382
            Kelly, Ed, 200
            Kerr, Robert, 382
            Key West: 157-177
            Kilgore, Harley 201
            Korea, 281-282, 295-307
            Krock, Arthur, 91-96, 387-388
            Krug, Julius, 130-131

              L
              Landry, Robert B., 40, 113, 115, 170, 175, 244, 246, 295, 297, 301
              Lane, William Preston, 296
              Latta, Maurice, 74-75, 200, 309-310, 312, 348
              Lawton, Fred, 341-342
              Leahy, William, 43, 48, 52, 57, 70, 113-115, 163, 172, 206, 220, 267, 312, 345, 346
              Lewis, John L., 56
              Lindley, Ernest K., 371
              Lloyd, David, 120, 228, 343-344, 361
              Locke, Edwin, 206, 235
              Long, Dewey, 31, 104
              Lovett, Robert , 129-130, 132-133, 138-140, 142, 269
              Luckman, Charles, 144-145, 237

                M
                MacArthur, Douglas, 286-287, 328, 380
                MacDonald, Commander, 171
                Magnuson, Senator, 266
                Maragon, John, 14, 31
                Marshall, George C., 96, 138, 141, 143, 170, 188, 198, 243, 255, 256, 260, 269-270, 281-282, 285- 286

                Harvard Speech, led to Marshall Plan, 96, 252-263

                Matthews, Francis, 283, 303
                McCarthy, Joseph, 360-362
                McCormack, John W., 282, 290
                McGrath, J. Howard, 101, 122, 356
                McIntire, Ross T., 25-27, 292
                McIntyre, Marvin, 337
                McKim, Edward, 11, 29-30, 109, 313-315
                McReynolds, William, 314-315
                Molotov, Vyacheslav, 55-56, 211
                Morgenthau, Henry, 376
                Morison, Sam Elliot, 327
                Morse, Wayne, 384
                Murphy, Charles S., 40, 107, 119, 151, 170, 226-228, 317-319,, 326, 329, 330-332, 343-344

                N
                Nash, Phileo, 41, 107, 152, 170, 230-231, 321-322, 361
                Niles, David, 40-41, 206, 231, 270-271, 320-322
                Nixon, Richard – “crook”, 384
                Noyes, David, 143-145, 237-239, 242

                  O
                  O'Dwyer, Mayor, 124
                  Oliver, Harry, 153

                   

                    P
                    Pace, Frank, 303
                    Patterson, Richard, Jr., 138-139
                    Pawley, William D., 170
                    Pearson, Drew, 184-186, 241
                    Pendergast, Tom, 391-393
                    Perlmeter, Irving, 85-86
                    Poker, 30, 164, 173-176
                    Porter, Paul, 195
                    Potomac Fever, 280, 327, 375-376
                    Potsdam Conference, 33, 42, 47-48, 52-58, 211

                    Report to White House staff, 53-58
                    Presidential appointments list, 68
                    Presidential campaign – 1948, 101-118, 128-155, 221, 224-226, 317, 356
                    Speechwriting - 107, 116-120, 151, 226-239
                    “Whistlestop” crowds, 153
                    Presidential campaign – 1952, 350, 352, 380, 384
                    Press conferences, 11-15, 36-39, 63-64, 67-68, 78-82, 158, 167, 169, 187
                    Press matters, 12-15, 36-41, 67-82, 86-91, 93-99, 152, 155, 242-243, 385-389
                    Press office in White House, 36, 59-65, 77, 82, 90-98, 124-135

                    Preston, William, 296

                    Q
                    Quick, Spencer, 345

                    R
                    Rayburn, Sam, 290
                    Redding, Jack, 136, 247, 356
                    Reilly, Michael F., 31-33, 264
                    Reinsch, J. Leonard, 9-17, 313
                    Reynolds, Ed, 234, 354
                    Richey, William, 109
                    Rigdon, William, 159, 164-165, 167, 171, 175, 221, 246
                    Rockefeller, Nelson, 6
                    Roosevelt, Eleanor, 8, 26, 292
                    Roosevelt, Franklin D.: 6-7, 9-11, 15, 18, 23, 60-61, 78, 93, 190, 200, 263-264, 292-294, 304, 312, 337, 353,

                    385 illness and death of, 9-10, 24-28, 292-294
                    press, 20-23, 27, 78, 93
                    speechwriting, 118-119, 230
                    and VP Truman, 18, 287-294

                    Roosevelt, Jimmy, 125
                    Roosevelt, Theodore, 125
                    Rosenberg, Anna, 24
                    Rosenman, Samuel, 108, 118, 126, 229, 252-253, 312, 322-325, 346-347, 355, 376
                    Ross, Charles, 17, 19-23, 30, 34-38, 43, 59-62, 67, 76, 83-84, 89-91, 93, 103-104, 106, 120, 122, 126,

                    128-129, 135-136, 140-142, 146, 148-150, 158-159, 166-170, 180, 183, 185, 188, 193-197, 200, 207, 224-225, 227, 230, 242, 247, 253, 263, 266-279, 283-286, 292, 295, 305, 346, 348, 350, 355-356,
                    364-365, 376, 388

                    Rowley, James J., 33, 166
                    Rusk, Dean, 303
                    Russell, Senator, 382

                    S
                    Sacred Cow, The, 140
                    Saltonstall, Leverett, 384
                    Schoeneman, George, 206, 234-235, 340
                    Schwellenback, 53
                    Secret Service White House detail, 31-33, 63, 66
                    Security controversy at Key West, 166-169
                    Sevareid, Eric, 371
                    Shaw, Robert, 371
                    Sherman, Forrest, 303
                    Sherwood, Robert, 118, 230, 323
                    Shoop, Duke, 81
                    Short, Joseph, 83-84, 85-87
                    Smathers, George 170, 378
                    Smith, Carlton, 194
                    Smith, Merriman, 297
                    Smith, Walter Bedell, 131-135
                    Snyder, John, 11, 51, 253, 346
                    Soviet Union, 261
                    Sparkman, John, 125, 223
                    Special session of 80th congress, 123-125
                    Speechwriting, 107, 116-120, 151, 227-230, 318, 325-326, 330-331, 343-344
                    Springarn, Stephen J., 110, 342-343
                    Stalin, Joseph, 54-58, 70, 141, 211
                    Steffan, Roger, 367-368
                    Steelman, John, 38-40, 140, 165, 170, 172, 175, 235, 239, 253, 332-334, 342, 344-345, 348
                    Stevenson, Adlai, 221, 223-224, 234, 352, 382
                    Stettinius, Edward R., Jr., 25, 26, 61
                    Stimson, Henry, 48-50, 52
                    Stowe, David, 40, 342, 348
                    Sullivan, Gael, 101
                    Surles, Alexander, 43-45
                    Symington, Stuart, 346

                      T
                      Taft, Robert, 207, 221, 351, 381
                      Taylor, Myron, 338-339
                      Television broadcast from White House, 69
                      Thomas, Lowell, 371
                      Trohan, Walter, 143-144
                      Truman Committee, 31, 33, 49-50
                      Truman, Harry S., 7-8, 11-12, 19

                      Books and reading interests, 364-365
                      Civil rights, 358-359
                      Congress vs. Presidential powers, 376
                      Decision to not run in 1952, 222-223. 274-276, 350, 380
                      Definitions of "democracy" and "republic", 372
                      Domestic policy, 251, 254
                      Foreign policy development, 250-251, 255, 257-269, 373-375
                      Letter to Paul Hume, music critic, 181-184
                      Potsdam conference reports to White House staff, 53-58
                      Presiding Judge, 390-393
                      Press conferences, 11-12, 80-82
                      (and) Roosevelt, Franklin D., 17, 287-294, 295
                      Vice-Presidential nomination, 200-202

                      Truman, Mrs. Harry S., (Bess), 54, 112, 126, 150, 161-162, 171-172, 185, 245, 275, 291, 302, 346, 367,

                      380-381

                      Truman, Margaret, 112, 126, 150, 161, 163-164, 171-172, 183, 185, 213, 284, 301-302, 380-381
                      Truman, Vivian, 299
                      Tubby, Roger, 85-86
                      Tully, Grace, 10-11, 83
                      “Turnip—Day” session of Congress in 1948, 121-125
                      Tyler, John, 125

                      U
                      United Nations Conference, San Francisco, 34, 56, 211

                      V
                      Vaccaro, Tony, 72-73, 81, 92, 114, 282, 386-387
                      Vandenberg, Hoyt, 303
                      Vardaman, James, 244-246, 325, 345-346
                      Vaughn, Harry, 14, 31, 40, 113, 125, 161, 174-175, 200, 239-242, 246, 295, 301, 313, 345-346, 387

                      W
                      Vinson, Chief Justice Fred, 53, 130-133, 140-144, 170, 223, 242, 253, 376-379

                      Moscow mission, 130, 140-144, 242

                      Wake Island trip, 286-287, 328-329
                      Wallace, Henry A., 101, 198, 202-207, 290, 376

                      Campaign of 1948, 127-128, 205-207
                      “Mystic letters” controversy, 203-205
                      Resignation as Secretary of Commerce, 202-206

                      Watson, Edwin M., 7, 312, 337
                      Webb, James E., 303
                      White House correspondence, 60-62, 180-181
                      White House press office procedures, 82-83, 98-99
                      White House reporters, accreditation of, 62-67
                      White House staff, 16, 308, 310-313, 376
                      Williamsburg, The, 161, 171, 177, 192, 206, 235, 364
                      Winegar, Alice, 178
                      Woodward, Stanley, 126, 170

                      X-Y-Z
                      Zimmerman, Raymond R., 340-341

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