GPO Digitizes Public Papers of the Presidents

The The U.S. Government Publishing Office (GPO) and the National Archives’ Office of the Federal Register (OFR), have digitized volumes of The Public Papers of the Presidents for Presidents Herbert Hoover (1929) through George H.W. Bush (1991), with the exception of the Franklin D. Roosevelt presidency. The papers of President Franklin Roosevelt were published privately before the commencement of the official Public Papers series.

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Each volume of The Public Papers of the President is comprised of a forward by the President, public writings, addresses, remarks, and photographs. This digitization effort joined the already digital version of Public Papers for Presidents George H. W. Bush (1991−1992), William J. Clinton, George W. Bush, and Barack H. Obama.

The Public Papers of the President is currently published twice a year and covers a six-month period. They may be accessed for free on GPO's govinfo, the one-stop site to authentic, published Government information.

The Public Papers of the Presidents, which are compiled and published by OFR/NARA, began in 1957 in response to a recommendation of the National Historical Publications Commission. Noting the lack of uniform compilations of messages and papers of the Presidents before this time, the Commission recommended the establishment of an official series in which Presidential writings, addresses, and remarks of a public nature could be made available. This recommendation was issued under section 6 of the Federal Register Act (44 U.S.C. 1506).