These sources provide a wide range of information on past presidents, including press releases, social media posts, radio addresses, debates, speeches, and more.
A Compilation of the Messages and Papers of the Presidents, 1789-1929
This 20-volume set contains selected messages and documents issued by the Presidents from George Washington to Herbert Hoover.
Presidential Libraries (National Archives)
This website, sponsored by the National Archives, contains information about researching at Presidential Libraries as well as links to all presidential libraries since the Hoover Administration.
Presidential Papers (Library of Congress)
The Library of Congress holds the papers of 23 presidents from George Washington to Calvin Coolidge, a total of more than 3.3 million images, all of which have been digitized and are available online in a searchable format.
The Papers of the Presidents (The Avalon Project at Yale Law School)
This website provides selected Presidential documents since George Washington.
The American Presidency Project (University of California, Santa Barbara)
This website provides a vast array of Presidential documents from George Washington's administration to the present day. Materials on the website include:
HeinOnline: U.S. Presidential Library (available on campus or remotely with ASURITE)
The HeinOnline U.S. Presidential Library has many publications by and about U.S. Presidents in addition to those listed above.
Presidential proclamations and executive orders are two types of presidential directives, each carrying the force of law. They are officially numbered and are required to be published in the Federal Register.
There are no concrete distinctions between proclamations and executive orders. However, proclamations typically relate to general matters of widespread interest (e.g., proclaiming a day of celebration), while executive orders concern the conduct of government (e.g., organization of executive departments or direction to departments for implementation of policy) and are only binding on the executive branch.
The Sources tab above details the print and online sources available for accessing presidential proclamations and executive orders.
The Finding Aids tab above provides information on print and online tools for locating presidential proclamations and executive orders by subject, date, and number.
Federal Register
Starting with Proclamation 2287 and Executive Order 7906 (1938), the Federal Register has printed most proclamations and executive orders. It also includes reorganization plans and administrative decisions such as presidential determinations, memoranda, notices and letters. The Federal Register Index (cumulated monthly, followed by an annual index) provides access under the heading "Presidential Documents."
Compilation of Presidential Documents
Published by the Office of the Federal Register from 1965 through January 2009, the Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents was one of the most comprehensive sources for Presidential documents. It contained the text of proclamations, executive orders, addresses and remarks, interviews with the media, communications to federal agencies and Congress, and meetings with foreign leaders released by the White House during the preceding week. A cumulative annual index appeared at the end of each volume.
With the change of administration in January 2009, the Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents was replaced by the Daily Compilation of Presidential Documents. It is published electronically by the Office of the Federal Register (OFR), National Archives and Records Administration (NARA). The annual edition of the Public Papers of the President is based on the text of the Daily Compilation of Presidential Documents.
Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States
Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States publishes presidential documents from 1929 to the present, including the Presidents' messages to Congress, public speeches and letters, and news conferences. From 1977 to 1988, this publication contained the text of executive orders and proclamations; since 1989, a table provides citations to executive orders and proclamations in the Federal Register. Prior to the Carter administration, only selected presidential papers were published.
Codification of Presidential Proclamations and Executive Orders (1945-1989)
The Codification of Presidential Proclamations and Executive Orders provides a subject approach to locating the full-text of executive orders from 1945-1989. It is divided into 50 chapters that are similar to the broad subject areas found in the CFR and United States Code. This title is out of print and only covers proclamations and executive orders issued between April 13, 1945 and January 20, 1989.
Executive Orders Disposition Tables (1937-2017)
The National Archives and Records Administration's Executive Orders Disposition Tables Historical Index page provides superseding and updating information on particular executive orders. Disposition Tables contain information about executive orders beginning with President Franklin Roosevelt. They are arranged by Administration and year of signature. (For executive orders after the Obama administration, visit the Federal Register.)
CIS Index to Presidential Orders and Proclamations (1798-1987)
This set provides the most complete indexing and access to Executive Orders and Proclamations from 1789 to 1987.
Presidential Executive Orders, Numbered 1-8030, 1862-1938 (Clifford L. Lord, ed.)
This 2-volume set provides a list of executive orders from 1862 to 1938. Volume 1 lists the orders by order number with a brief description of the order, the date it went into effect, and a citation to its source if known. Volume 2 is a subject arrangement of orders.
List and Index of Presidential Executive Orders, Unnumbered Series (1789-1941) (Clifford L. Lord, ed.)
In the past, many orders were issued without receiving a number which makes them difficult to locate. This one-volume set contains entries for over 1,500 unnumbered Orders. Arranged by date, each entry contains a brief description of the order and provides a citation to where the order can be located. It also contains a subject index.
Presidential Directives are orders issued by the President under the advisement of the National Security Council. Directives cover aspects of national security, military and foreign policy. Due to the sensitivity of information provided in the directives, many of these documents are classified. After a period of time, directives are reviewed to determine whether the information contained is still a security issue. After the review, the directives are released and made public, released in part, or remain classified.
All Presidents since Truman have issued directives, but under different names:
The Sources tab above details the print and online sources available for accessing presidential directives.
ProQuest Presidential Directives on National Security (available on campus or remotely with ASURITE)
This database pertains to all aspects of U.S. national security policy — foreign, defense, intelligence, and international economic policy — and structure:
Presidential Directives and Executive Orders (Federation of American Scientists)
This website contains review and decision directives since the Truman Administration.
National Security Directives of the Reagan and Bush Administrations: The Declassified History of U.S. Political and Military Policy, 1981-1991 (Christopher Simpson)
Collection of the National Security Study Memoranda and National Security Decision Directives from the Reagan administration and the National Security Reviews and National Security Directives of the George Bush administration.
Administrative Orders consist of findings, presidential determinations, memoranda, notices and letters. They differ from proclamations and executive orders in that they are not numbered. However, they receive treatment similar to proclamations and executive orders.
The Sources tab above details the print and online sources available for accessing administrative orders.
Federal Register
The Federal Register includes reorganization plans and administrative decisions such as presidential determinations, memoranda, notices and letters. The Federal Register Index (cumulated monthly, followed by an annual index) provides access under the heading "Presidential Documents."
Code of Federal Regulations
Beginning in 1938, Title 3 of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) compiles the text of proclamations, executive orders, reorganization plans, and administrative orders on an annual schedule.
The President is authorized under 5 U.S.C. §§ 901 through 912 to evaluate the structure and duties of executive agencies and to make revisions as appropriate for the more efficient operation of the executive government. This can include the addition, elimination, or transfer of duties from an agency. For a reorganization plan to take effect, a joint resolution must be passed by the House and Senate approving the plan. Plans are numbered by year and plan number within that year.
The Sources tab above details the print and online sources available for accessing presidential reorganization plans.
Federal Register
The Federal Register includes reorganization plans and administrative decisions such as presidential determinations, memoranda, notices and letters. The Federal Register Index (cumulated monthly, followed by an annual index) provides access under the heading "Presidential Documents."
Code of Federal Regulations
Beginning in 1938, Title 3 of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) compiles the text of proclamations, executive orders, reorganization plans, and administrative orders on an annual schedule.
Statutes at Large
In addition to publishing all Laws passed during a Congressional session, Statutes at Large has published the text of proclamations since 1846 and reorganization plans since 1939.
Congressional Record (for plans not approved by Congress)
In addition to the floor debates in the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives, the Congressional Record also contains the text of reorganization plans not approved by Congress.