The Public Papers of the Presidents, which is compiled and published by the Office of the Federal Register, National Archives and Records Administration (NARA), began in 1957 in response to a recommendation of the National Historical Publications Commission. Note: The Public Papers of the Presidents were discontinued with the end of the Obama Administration. Official writings, addresses, and remarks for future presidents may be found in the Compilation of Presidential Documents collection.
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.
Volumes of the Public Papers of the Presidents from 1929 (Herbert Hoover) to 1991 (George H.W. Bush) published by NARA are made available as digital formats through GPO digitization efforts. Publications covering the John F. Kennedy, Lyndon B. Johnson, Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan, and George H.W. Bush presidencies are available in multi-book volumes. The Public Papers of the President were not published by the National Archives for the Franklin D. Roosevelt presidency; these volumes were published by a private printer before the commencement of the official Public Papers series and are not currently available in GovInfo. Read More