Historians and researchers spoke on the topic “Vietnam and Presidential Tapes.” They talked about the use of presidential libraries and primary source material on the Vietnam War found in audio taped material from various administrations. They also played portions of the audio tapes to illuminate various stages of the war and presidential decision making. Ms. Fawcett moderated the panel and posed questions submitted from the audience.

“Vietnam and the Presidency” was the first national conference sponsored by all the presidential libraries, from Hoover to Clinton, and the National Archives. Leading historians, key policymakers of the era, and journalists who covered the war examined the antecedents of the war, presidential decision-making, public opinion, lessons learned, and the influence of the Vietnam experience on subsequent U.S. foreign policy.