Historic Opening of Previously Classified Documents
The Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum has opened to the public recently declassified National Security Council (NSC) records. For the first time, researchers who have a continued interest in the National Security Council files during the Nixon Administration will be able to access NSC Country Files, Far East for Laos, the Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand. This release includes 45 boxes of newly declassified materials estimated at 450 files, along with over 50 folders of Henry A. Kissinger (HAK) Evening and Noon Notes, and Situation Room Logs.
National Security Council, Country Files, Far East for Laos, the Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand
This is the first release of any materials in the Nixon Library’s collection from the National Security Council, Country Files, Far East for Laos, the Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand. This opening also contains four boxes of material from the National Security Council Series, Vietnam Country Files, along with over 50 folders of HAK Evening and Noon Notes, and Situation Room Logs. Additionally, there is also a small amount of new material from the Indo-Pak War series which were expanded from a previous opening.
This opening follows the Library's other recent systematic review opening on September 12, 2023, which included National Security Council’s Country Files from Latin America, Cambodia, and China.
- A finding aid for these materials is available as a PDF file.
- A chronology of past releases is available here.
About the Files
The National Security Act of 1947 (PL 235-61 Stat. 496; 50 U.S.C. 402) established the National Security Council (NSC). The National Security Act formalized the coordination of foreign and defense policy among federal agencies. This legislation also provided for the creation of the Central Intelligence Agency, the National Security Resources Board, a National Military Establishment and a Secretary of Defense.
President Nixon relied heavily on both his National Security Advisor, Henry Kissinger, and the NSC for guidance on foreign policy decisions.
During the Nixon administration, the members of the NSC included:
President
Richard M. Nixon (1969 - 1974)
Vice President
Spiro T. Agnew (1969 - October 1973)
Gerald R. Ford (October 1973 - 1974)
Secretary of State
William P. Rogers (1969 - September 1974)
Henry A. Kissinger (September 1973 - 1974)
Secretary of Defense
Melvin R. Laird (1969 - 1973)
James R. Schlesinger (1973 - 1974)
Director of the Office of Emergency Preparedness (Office was abolished by Reorganization Plan I of 1973.)
George A. Lincoln (1969 - 1973)
NSC Officials
During the Nixon Administration, the officials of the NSC were:
Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs
Henry A. Kissinger (1969 - 1974)
Deputy Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs
Alexander M. Haig, Jr. (1969 - January 1973)
Brent Scowcroft (April 1973 - 1974)
Staff Secretary
Richard M. Moose (1969 - 1970)
William Watts (1971 - 1972)
Jeanne W. Davis (1972 - 1974)
Accessing the Series
Original documents in the collection are available to researchers at the Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum in Yorba Linda. Reference assistance is available at the Research Room by appointment from 9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Monday through Friday, except federally observed holidays. For more information on how to research this collection, contact nixonreference@nara.gov.
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