Public Papers of the President

What are the Public Papers of the President?

The Public Papers of the President is a collection of papers, speeches, and remarks given by the president every six months of his administration. The Office of Federal Register began publishing the Papers in 1957 because the National Historical Publications Commission (NHPC) proposed that presidential commentaries be recorded in a series of publications. The NHPC is part of the National Archives and works to preserve and publicize collections of American documents. The National Archives is known as the "nation's record keeper" and is known for preserving the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. The OFR publishes two volumes of the Papers each year of a president's administration. The U.S. Government Publishing Office digitized older Papers so that the public could access them online.

What is in the Papers?

The Papers contain a short introduction to the book signed by the President, photographs of the President at events, and Presidential Documents. The Papers include documents such as: addresses to the nation, Executive Orders,  Communications to Congress, meetings with international leaders/representatives, appointments and nominations, bill signings and vetoes, the President's daily schedule, etc. Govinfo provides the full list of the Presidential Documents.

Photo identifies the president to whom the book covers

How do I access the Papers?

1. Visit govinfo.gov
2. Click on the advanced tab directly below the header "Discover U.S. Government Information"
3. Check the Compilation of Presidential Documents box under "Refine Collection"
4. If there a specific document you are looking for, you can use the "Date" tab to the left of  "Refine Collection" to narrow down your search.

What else does the Office of Federal Register do?

Since the Papers are published every year, the OFR decided to create daily and weekly presidential compilations to provide information more quickly. These documents consolidate a wide array of content, such as press conferences/releases, speeches, White House announcements, acts passed by the President, etc. The Weekly and Daily Compilation of Presidential Documents was established "to provide a broader range of Presidential materials on a more timely basis."

Other Resources

The Edmon Low Library has a collection of the Papers on the fifth floor. The newer issues can be found under the call number AE 2.114, and the issues before 1993 can be found under the call number FG33 NA11 FE9 P976. They are also listed in the Library's catalog on the Library's web page https://library.okstate.edu/

National Archives

"The National Archives has a mission to provide public access to Federal Government records in their custody and control." The National Archives includes an overview of the Papers and provides links to Online Editions of the Papers. 

Federal Depository Library Program  (FDLP)
The FDLP provides a presentation on the Papers, how they are published, and how to access them. In addition to the video, there are slides posted that summarize the content.

Presidential Libraries and Museums provide information about a president's administration.
For example, the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum "contains the statements, speeches and papers released by the Office of the Press Secretary during the Reagan Presidency (1981-1989)."

The American Presidency Project at the the University of California Santa Barbara
A non-profit organization that offers free resources concerning presidential documents to educate and inform the public.

~Emily Hancz