Social Files

 

Social Files, 1963-1969

The collection consists of files maintained by Social Office staff in the East Wing of the White House under the direction of Bess Abell, Social Secretary to Lady Bird Johnson, and Elizabeth (Liz) Carpenter, Press Secretary and Staff Director to Mrs. Johnson.

The files include staff correspondence with the general public; personal correspondence of the First Lady, Lady Bird Johnson, and the Johnson daughters, Lynda Bird Johnson Robb and Luci Baines Johnson Nugent; memorandums; telegrams; White House press releases; White House guest lists; drafts of speeches prepared for Mrs. Johnson and the Johnsons' daughters; trip itineraries; minutes of meetings; photographs; publications; and scrapbooks.

The files pertain to plans and arrangements for White House social events, including state dinners and social events at the LBJ Ranch; the activities of the First Lady, including her pubic appearances, travels, and beautification projects; activities and projects undertaken by the First Lady's Committee for a More Beautiful Capital; the activities of the Johnson daughters, including their travels; and gifts given and received by President and Mrs. Johnson.

For complete collection and series descriptions, visit the National Archives Catalog. [NAID: 578754]

Jump to:

1.  Alphabetical Files
2.  Beautification Files
3.  Bess Abell Subject Files
4.  Elizabeth (Liz) Carpenter Alphabetical Files
5.  Elizabeth (Liz) Carpenter Subject Files
6.  Enclosure Files
7.  Entertainment Files
8.  Records of the White House Gift Unit
9.  Scrapbooks
10. Seating Chart Files
11. Social Events Card Files
12. Storage Files


Alphabetical Files, 11/22/1963 - 1/20/1969


- 807 linear feet
- Available upon request
- Less than 1% digitized

The series includes incoming and outgoing correspondence of the First Lady, Lady Bird Johnson; correspondence of her daughters, Lynda Bird Johnson Robb and Luci Baines Johnson Nugent; and some staff memorandums. Mrs. Johnson's correspondence includes her personal letters to and from friends and associates. The bulk of the files consists of letters and telegrams from the general public addressed to Mrs. Johnson and her daughters and the responses composed by White House Social Correspondence section and signed by Bess Abell, the Social Secretary to Mrs. Johnson.

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Beautification Files, 1964 - 1968


- 10 linear feet
- Partially available for research
- Less than 1% digitized
- See all digitized items from this series
- Go to folder title list

The series contains material collected by Lady Bird Johnson; the Committee for a More Beautiful Capital; and the fundraising organization, the Society for a More Beautiful National Capital. This series includes transcripts of the meetings of the Committee for a More Beautiful Capital, minutes of meetings of the President’s Council on Recreation and Natural Beauty, reports on beautification activities, agendas, memorandums, correspondence, lists, press releases, newsletters, publications and research materials, newspaper clippings, magazine articles, and photographs.

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Bess Abell Subject Files, ca. 12/1963 - ca. 1968


- 13 linear feet
- Available upon request
- Less than 1% digitized
- See all digitized items from this series

This series contains the working files of Bess Abell during her time as Lady Bird Johnson's White House Social Secretary. The material in this series includes correspondence, memorandums, handwritten notes, lists, reports, menus, programs, drafts, schedules, telegrams, and pamphlets related to the duties of Bess Abell, including planning for social events at the White House and the LBJ Ranch.

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Elizabeth (Liz) Carpenter Alphabetical Files


- 48 linear feet
- Available upon request
- Less than 1% digitized
- Go to folder title list

The series includes the correspondence of Liz Carpenter, Press Secretary and Staff Director to the First Lady, Lady Bird Johnson, as well as correspondence addressed to Mrs. Johnson and her daughters, Lynda Bird Johnson Robb and Luci Baines Johnson Nugent, but answered by Carpenter. The files also include some staff memorandums. The bulk of the series pertains to Mrs. Johnson's public activities and appearances.

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Elizabeth (Liz) Carpenter Subject Files


- 32 linear feet
- Available upon request
- Less than 1% digitized
- See all digitized items from this series
- Go to folder title list

This series contains the working files of Liz Carpenter during her time as Lady Bird Johnson's Press Secretary and Staff Director. The material in this series includes correspondence, memorandums, newspaper clippings, press releases, photographs, lists, menus, telegrams, schedules, maps, reports, and drafts related to the duties of Liz Carpenter, including managing the activities of the First Lady and her daughters, Luci Baines Johnson and Lynda Johnson Robb. The series also includes drafts and other material related to speeches written by Liz Carpenter.

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Enclosure Files, 11/22/1963 - 1/20/1969


- 194 linear feet
- Available upon request
- Less than 1% digitized

The series contains materials that were enclosed with letters sent to the First Lady, Lady Bird Johnson; her daughters, Lynda Bird Johnson Robb and Luci Baines Johnson Nugent; Bess Abell, Social Secretary to Mrs. Johnson; and Elizabeth (Liz) Carpenter, Press Secretary and Staff Director to Mrs. Johnson.

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Entertainment Files, 11/22/1963 - 1/20/1969


- 41 linear feet
- Available upon request
- Less than 1% digitized
- See all digitized items from this series

The series contains memorandums, lists, seating charts, menus, event programs, invitations, photographs and publicity material pertaining to entertainers invited to entertain at the White House, and other working papers maintained by the staff of the Social Entertainment Office.

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Records of the White House Gift Unit


- 11 linear feet
- Partially available for research
- 0% digitized

This series contains materials maintained by the White House Gift Unit in the White House Social Office during President Lyndon B. Johnson's (LBJ) administration. The files consist of lists, letters, correspondence, memorandums, forms, brochures, reports, press releases, transcripts, logs, and invoices related to gifts received by President Johnson, Lady Bird Johnson, Lynda Robb, and Luci Johnson, as well as gifts given by Lyndon Johnson to various people. There are also registers of visitors to the LBJ Ranch and State Department transmittal lists of foreign gifts.

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Scrapbooks


- Not available for research
- 0% digitized

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Seating Chart Files, ca. 1963 - ca. 1966


- 3 linear feet
- Available for research
- 0% digitized

This series contains lists of guests and seating charts for various dinners and luncheons held at the White House during President Lyndon Johnson's administration.

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Social Events Card Files


- Not available for research
- 0% digitized

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Storage Files, 11/22/1963 - 1/20/1969


- 185 linear feet
- Available upon request
- 0% digitized

This series consists of storage files and includes surplus press materials, correspondence received from the general public and answered by a card response or form letter, correspondence from the end of the Johnson administration but received too late to be filed in the White House Social Files Alphabetical File, and correspondence which the staff did not have time to prepare for filing before the Johnsons left the White House.

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