Joseph H. Short White House Files (Truman Administration). 1950 - 1952. Subject Files

  1. Resources
  2. View Resource

ArchivalResource

Joseph H. Short White House Files (Truman Administration). 1950 - 1952. Subject Files

1950-1952

https://catalog.archives.gov/id/559698

This series mostly consists of the transcripts of "press and radio conferences" (more accurately described as press briefings) held by Joseph Short and others from December 1950 to December 1952. At these very informal conferences, which were held frequently if not daily at the White House or at President Truman's vacation residence in Key West, Florida, the Press Secretary provided reporters with information about the President's schedule and other matters of interest, and also responded to their various questions. Of particular interest are the transcripts of the several press conferences held by Short on April 11, 1951, following the President's firing of General Douglas MacArthur. Short conducted almost all of the press conferences that are transcribed in this series. Stephen Early, who had served as Press Secretary under President Franklin D. Roosevelt, was called back to preside over a couple of press conferences in December 1950. This was after the death of Press Secretary Charles G. Ross, but before Short succeeded Ross in that position. Short himself became ill in September 1952, and died suddenly on September 18. During his illness and after his death, the press conferences were held by Assistant Press Secretaries Roger Tubby and Irving Perlmeter. The files also contain memoranda, correspondence, reports, newspaper clippings, drafts of executive orders and public statements, and other documents pertaining to national security issues that affected the press during this period. Two executive orders issued by President Truman in 1951 were responsible for much of the controversy that is documented in Short's files. Executive Order 10290, issued on September 24, 1951, required all Executive Branch departments and agencies to classify sensitive documents and restrict public access to certain information on the grounds of national security. Journalists and other critics alleged that this order would encourage unnecessary government censorship of information that might be politically embarrassing to the administration. Executive Order 10312, issued on December 10, 1951, laid the basis for CONELRAD (Control of Electromagnetic Radiations), a government plan imposing restrictions on broadcasters in the event of a national emergency. This plan created controversy inside and outside the administration, and resulted in high-level meetings between government officials and representatives of the broadcasting industry.

6 linear inches

eng, Latn

Harry S. Truman Library

Information

SNAC Resource ID: 6474606

Harry S. Truman Library

Related Entities

There are 6 Entities related to this resource.

MacArthur, Douglas, 1880-1964

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6qd0tr8 (person)

General of the Army Douglas MacArthur (26 January 1880 – 5 April 1964) was an American five-star general and Field Marshal of the Philippine Army. He was Chief of Staff of the United States Army during the 1930s and played a prominent role in the Pacific theater during World War II. He received the Medal of Honor for his service in the Philippines campaign, which made him and his father Arthur MacArthur Jr. the first father and son to be awarded the medal. He was one of only five to rise to the ...

Early, Stephen T. (Stephen Tyree), 1889-1951

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6j3932c (person)

Stephen Tyree Early (1889-1951) met Franklin D. Roosevelt while covering the 1912 Democratic Convention as a reporter for the United Press. From 1913 to 1917, Early was the Associated Press correspondent covering the Navy Department, during which time his acquaintance with Roosevelt and Louis Howe grew. After serving in World War I with an Infantry Regiment and the Stars and Stripes newspaper, he returned to the United States and was asked by Roosevelt to be the advance man for the 1920 Vice Pre...

Ross, Charles G. (Charles Griffith), 1885-1950

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w65h7j4m (person)

Charles G. Ross was born on November 9, 1885 in Independence, Missouri. He graduated in 1901 from Independence High School with classmates Harry S. Truman and Bess Wallace, and he received an A.B. in 1905 from the University of Missouri. From 1908 to 1918 he was a member of the faculty of the School of Journalism at the University of Missouri. On August 20, 1913, Ross married Florence Griffin. From 1918 to 1943, Ross served as Chief Washington correspondent for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. He al...

Short, Joseph H. (Joseph Hudson), 1904-1952

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6j83jqq (person)

Joseph Hudson Short (1904-1952) was a correspondent for the Baltimore Sun from 1943 to 1950, and Press Secretary to President Truman from 1950 to 1952. From the description of Short, Joseph H. (Joseph Hudson), 1904-1952 (U.S. National Archives and Records Administration). naId: 10627512 ...

Perlmeter, Irving, 1909-1980

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w68b77nt (person)

Irving Perlmeter (1909-1980) was born in Omaha, Nebraska. He was Assistant Press Secretary in the White House Office, December 1950 - January 1953. Beginning in January 1953, he worked for the Internal Revenue Service. From the description of Perlmeter, Irving, 1909-1980 (U.S. National Archives and Records Administration). naId: 10628329 ...

Tubby, Roger Wellington, 1910-1991

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6c40z5f (person)