Think of this page as a table of contents to 57 interview transcripts featuring Everett Dirksen from 1940 through 1969, largely the period of his service in the U.S. Senate. We have reproduced all the interviews contained in his Remarks and Releases files housed at The Dirksen Congressional Center in Pekin, IL. Although Dirksen served in the House of Representatives from 1933 until 1949, only a single interview survives from that period.
These records do not include press conference transcripts. It is likely that Dirksen participated in many other interviews for which The Center lacks documentation. In 1964, for example, despite Dirksen’s prominence in such legislative battles as the civil rights bill, only a single interview transcript exists in The Center’s holdings.
March 3, 1940
American Forum of the Air, “Seven Years of New Deal”
Government spending, unemployment, monetary policy
June 1951
Chicago Defender
Senate office procedures, work load, District of Columbia home rule, cloture, future of Republican Party, the economy, foreign policy, minority rights
September 11, 1951
NBC, “Meet the Press”
Candidacies of Robert Taft and Dwight Eisenhower for president, Dirksen’s availability for place on the national ticket, the Republican program, the nature of “isolationism” and foreign policy, Universal Military training; campaign issues
January 27, 1952
CBS Radio, “People’s Platform”
National budget, government spending, congressional oversight of spending
March 2, 1952
American Forum of the Air, “The Issues of 1952”
Peace, internal security, preparedness, human freedom, economic freedom
May 2, 1952
CBS Radio, “Capital Cloak Room”
Impeachment of truman, truman’s seizure of steel mills, price and wage controls, Dirksen’s candidacy for president, Robert Taft, foreign aid
May 8, 1952
Mutual Broadcasting System’s “Reporters’ Roundup”
Republican Senatorial Campaign Committee activities, 1952 convention, government spending
June 21, 1953
Bill Henry’s “Window on Washington”
Dirksen’s trip to the Pacific, Korea, the war in French Indochina, Formosa
November 7, 1954
NBC, “Meet the Press”
Republican Senatorial Campaign Committee’s performance, McCarthy issue and censure
January 9, 1955
CBS Radio, ” Face the Nation”
Eisenhower’s State of the Union message, Republican Party unity, foreign and domestic policies, McCarthy
March 21, 1955
Mutual Broadcasting System, “Reporters’ Roundup”
Republican political situation in 1956, Formosa, Illinois politics, McCarthy, Bricker Amendment
January 20, 1957
Westinghouse Broadcasting System, “Youth Wants to Know”
Suez incident, relations with Great Britain, duties of Republican Party Whip, Rule 22, Republican Party fortunes, McClellan labor racketeering committee, Red China
May 19, 1957
NBC, “Meet the Press”
Federal budget battle, Republican Party unity, civil rights bill, foreign aid and foreign policy, Dirksen describes his brand of Republicanism, his possible candidacy in 1960
September 16, 1957
Mutual Broadcasting System, “Reporters’ Roundup”
Unemployment, federal pay raises, Eisenhower’s program, aid to education, congressional junkets, Little Rock racial situation, Taft-Hartley Act
February 2, 1958
Westinghouse Broadcasting System, “Youth Wants to Know”
U.S. space launch, space program and link to federal aid to education, the economy, presidential disability, Middle East, labor legislation, national defense, Dirksen’s political plans
June 21 , 1959
CBS, “Face the Nation”
Republican Party’s future in 1960, campaign issues, inflation, Senate rejection of Lewis Strauss for Secretary of Commerce, summit meetings
June 23 , 1959
Westinghouse Broadcasting System, “Youth Wants to Know”
Lewis Strauss nomination, 1960 election prospects and issues, the economy, Berlin crisis, summit conferences, NATO, Eisenhower’s program
July 26 , 1959
“Ruth Hagy’s College News Conference”
Eisenhower’s legislative program, 1960 election, Republican Party, Nixon’s visit to Soviet Union, congressional influence in regulatory agencies, labor-management legislation, Eisenhower’s veto of housing bill, civil rights bill
January 17, 1960
American Forum of the Air, “The State of the Union Message”
Democratic and Republican responses to Eisenhower’s message
January 18, 1960
NBC Program for Radio, “Senator Dirksen’s Radio and TV Message”
Third party possibility, method of selecting candidates, nature of politics and politicians, voting behavior, partonage, chaleenges of the next 50 years
June 19, 1960
CBS, “Face the Nation”
Dirksen as a vice presidential candidate, Japanese treaty, possible Republican nominees, U-2 incident and the summit conference, campaign issues, pending legislation
August 14, 1960
ABC, “Open Hearing”
Minimum wage legislation, legislative accomplishments, pending matters, Eisenhower’s message to Congress, civil rights proposals, Forand bill, Nixon’s campaign, Dirksen’s relationship with Lyndon Johnson
January 8, 1961
NBC, “Meet the Press”
Rule 22, John Kennedy’s appointments, the question of a coalition between Republicans and southern Democrats, congressional action on Kennedy’s legislative program, leadership of Republicans
January 13, 1961
AFL-CIO, “Washington Reports to the People”
Republican strategy, legislative agenda
January 22, 1961
Interview with Congressman Jack Westland
Legislative agenda, Republican-Democratic coalition, Republican strategy
January 29, 1961
ABC, “Issues and Answers”
Relations with the Soviet Union, question of secrecy in the Kennedy administration, Republican leadership, evaluation of Nixon’s campaign, Republican congressional strategy, legislative agenda
March 5, 1961
CBS, “Washington Conversation”
Why Dirksen left the House of Representatives, his oratorical style, biographical information, how he received his middle name, pre-congressional years, Dirksen’s flexibility, government’s role in society, Dirksen’s leadership methods, evaluation of Kennedy, Republican Party leadership
March 11, 1962
WTTG, “Youth Wants to Know”
Republican Party, Soviet Union, politics, the Kennedy administration
February 3, 1963
NBC, “Meet the Press”
“Ev and Charlie Show,” challenges to Halleck’s leadership, Cuba, aid to education, role of the opposition party, legislative priorities, government spending
April 1, 1963
WGBR, Interview with James MacGregor Burns
Political party cohesion and alignments, Republican Party fortunes in 1964, Kennedy’s quality of leadership
September 29, 1963
ABC, “Issues and Answers”
Republican candidates and election chances in 1964, evaluation of Kennedy’s program, Republican-southern Democratic coalition; tax bill; unemployment, civil rights, other issues
November 25, 1963
NBC, “LBJ Report No. 1”
Impact of the Kennedy assassination on legislation, Lyndon Johnson as president
February 2, 1964
NBC, “Meet the Press”
1964 election, Bobby Baker cawse, Halleck as possible chairman of the Republican convention; Vietnam, civil rights bill
January 24, 1965
NBC, “Meet the Press”
Role of the Republican Party in Congress, federal aid to education, Republican Policy Coordinating Committee, chemical warfare, presidential disability, Vietnam, Republican Party unity, United Nations
February 7, 1965
WMAL, “Close Up”
Dirksen’s eye problem, comparison of House and Senate careers, “consistency” on issues, marigolds, theatrical career, Dirksen’s style of leadership, hazards of public life, evaluations of the presidents he served with, what would Dirksen do differently if he had to do it again?
September 19, 1965
CBS, “Face the Nation”
Implication of India-Pakistan war, bipartisan foreign policy, Southeast Asia, possible campaign issues, Johnson’s domestic program, repeal of 14(b), reapportionment, Dirksen’s relationships with Democrats; Republican Party spokesmen, lessons of 1964
January 9, 1966
ABC, “Issues and Answers”
Dirksen on Johnson’s Vietnam policy, relations with European allies, domestic programs, federal budget, civil rights
January 17, 1966
U.S. News and World Report
Republican Party prospects, Great Society programs, government intrusion, Vietnam, arms shortages, “guns and butter,” 14(b) and reapportionment, pending issues
July 3, 1966
ABC, “Issues and Answers”
Bombing in Vietnam, Douglas-Percy Senate race in Illinois, Dirksen Republicanism, reflection on career, reapportionment, 14(b), prayer in schools, Dirksen’s future goals, evaluation of Johnson
August 7, 1966
NBC, “Meet the Press”
Machinists’ strike, public prayer amendment, pending civil rights legislation, gun control bill, Great Society programs, Johnson’s conduct of the Vietnam war, Dirksen’s influence in the Johnson administration, election finances
September 15, 1966
NBC, “Today Show”
Why did the 1966 civil rights bill fail, demonstrations by blacks, political demise of Joe Martin
October 9, 1966
WTTG, “Opinion in the Capitol,” Part 1
Personal and political philosophy, reflections on career, views of current events and future, plans for future
October 16, 1966
WTTG, “Opinion in the Capitol,” Part 2
Personal and political philosophy, reflections on career, views of current events and future, plans for future
January 15, 1967
ABC, “Issues and Answers”
Budget and taxes, national defense, Vietnam war, East-West trade bill, consular treaty, Rule 22, civil rights legislation, Bobby Baker investigation, Senate ethics
August 6, 1967
CBS, “Face the Nation”
Riots and urban problems, Vietnam, gun control bill, Democratic Party’s liabilities, issues, government spending
January 22, 1968
ABC News with Howard K. Smith, “Everett Dirksen’s Washington”
Dirksen in recording studio, tour of the Capitol, reflections of career, survey of Pekin, discussion with Ben and Tom Dirksen
March 27, 1968
CBS radio, “Capitol Cloakroom”
Congress’s role in relation to the White House, workload in Congress, pending issues, Vietnam
August 4, 1968
ABC, “Issues and Answers”
Work of the Republican platform committee, Republican candidates, nomination of Abe Fortas
June 15, 1969
ABC, “Issues and Answers”
Nixon’s Vietnam policy, ABM Safeguard Missile System, ethics in government, charges about Dirksen and his law firm, tax legislation, Senator Ted Kennedy’s criticism of Vietnam policy
