(2006-0326-F) Oklahoma City Bombing

189 folders, approximately 8,234 pages

This collection consists of correspondence between President Clinton and family members of the bomb victims, proclamations, a FEMA briefing book, memoranda, speeches, and schedules. Records of note include background material pertaining to militias and extremists, an outline of Presidential actions against crime and terrorism, and a survey attempting to define the perception Americans have of government security measures.

The materials in FOIA 2006-0326-F are a selective body of documents responsive to the topic of the FOIA. Researchers should consult the archivist about related materials. FOIA request 2006-0326-F contains material pertaining to the Oklahoma City bombing. On the morning of April 19, 1995, Timothy McVeigh parked a truck filled with explosives in front of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City, Ok. At 9:02am, a massive explosion occurred ripping off nearly a third of the building and creating a crater thirty feet wide and eight feet deep. The explosion killed 149 adults and 19 children inside the building and injured more than 680 others. The bomb damaged or destroyed 324 other buildings and caused over $650 million in damage in downtown Oklahoma City. Up until the events of September 11, 2001, this April 19, 1995 bombing was the most significant act of terrorism to ever occur in the United States. The White House Office of Records Management (WHORM) Alpha Project Files contain correspondence between President Clinton and family members of victims of the bombing. In addition, there is a copy of a message, along with drafts of the message, sent by the President to the Oklahoma City Memorial Foundation in February 1997. The WHORM Subject Files contain letters, memos, proclamations and a FEMA briefing book. Most of the correspondence consist of letters of condolence from President Clinton to family members of the victims of the bombing and condolence letters to President Clinton from foreign heads of state. The memoranda cover a range of topics related to the bombing including the level of emergency preparedness among Federal agencies and memos regarding the victims. Presidential proclamations concern the half-staffing of the flag, declaring a “National Day of Mourning” and declaring a “National Day of Remembrance.” The FEMA briefing book contains a brief summary of events just four days after the bombing with a focus on both Federal and non-governmental response and support. The White House Staff and Office Files contain correspondence, memoranda, speeches, and schedules maintained by individual staff members. The Chief of Staff files of Harold Ickes contains correspondence from the mayor of Oklahoma City and the governor of Oklahoma with estimates of the damages and costs incurred as a result of the bombing and their requests for Federal assistance. In addition, these files contain background material pertaining to militias and extremists, an outline of Presidential actions against crime and terrorism, and a survey attempting to define the perception Americans have of government security measures. The Correspondence files of Trudy Roddick contain press releases, draft letters, and a transcript of a radio address relating to the bombing. Files from the Executive Office of the President contain briefing papers pertaining to President Clinton’s trip to Oklahoma City, April 23, 1995. In these files, a copy of the eulogy and remarks delivered by the President and a schedule of events for the President’s trip to Oklahoma City, Minneapolis, Des Moines and Ames. The briefing papers also contain a schedule of events, background information and remarks made by the President during his trip to Oklahoma City as the one year anniversary of the bombing approached. Files of the First Lady’s Office include copies of news articles concerning the Oklahoma City bombing and remarks made by the First Lady to the families of the victims of the bombing on April 5, 1996. The Intergovernmental Affairs files of Marcia Hale contain correspondence from state and local officials in Oklahoma outlining the cost of damages and the need for Federal assistance; also included are plans for an Oklahoma City memorial. The Legislative Affairs file, as well as the files of the Scheduling Office, deal primarily with the schedule of the President’s trip, of April 22, 1995 and again a year later, to Oklahoma City. The Speechwriting files contain remarks and statements related to the bombing. The Automated Records Management System (ARMS) [Email] and Tape Restoration Project database [Email] contains correspondence from various White House staff email accounts and email accounts from outside of the White House concerning the Oklahoma City Bombing. Email includes but is not limited to White House reports, memorandum on terrorism, correspondence and emotional reaction to the bombing, and personnel memorandum concerning the affected Federal Offices (specifically the Department of Transportation). Further, the email contains correspondence, memorandum, reports, etc. concerning the search, capture, and trial of Timothy McVeigh and Terry Lynn Nichols. The NSC Cable, Email, and Records Management Systems contain additional information about the Oklahoma City bombing. The NSC Cable System and NSC Records Management System (RMS) consist mostly of letters of condolence from foreign leaders addressed to President Clinton and the President’s responses to those letters. In addition, the RMS contains information regarding the federal government’s response to the bombing and the subpoena of White House records by the attorneys of Timothy McVeigh. The NSC Email System contains the initial April 19, 1995 alert of the bombing and emails regarding the search of White House records in preparation for the trial of Timothy McVeigh.

Textual

Records that were responsive to this FOIA request were found in these collection areas – Clinton Presidential Records: WHORM Alpha Project, Clinton Presidential Records: WHORM Subject Files, Clinton Presidential Records: WHORM Subject Files CF, Clinton Presidential Records: WHORM (OP), Clinton Presidential Records: White House Staff and Office Files, Clinton Presidential Records: ARMS Emails, Clinton Presidential Records: TRP Emails, Clinton Presidential Records: Electronic Daily Diary, and Clinton Presidential Records: NSC Cable, Email, and Records Management Systems. The White House Office of Records Management (WHORM) contains a variety of series created to organize and track documents and correspondence. The WHORM Alpha file was compiled by the White House Office of Records Management from 1993 – 1996 and is a series of documents arranged by name of persons, organizations, or events. The WHORM Subject file was compiled by the White House Office of Records Management and is a series of categories designated by a letter/number combination. In addition, there are WHORM, WHORM Counsel, WHORM (CL), WHORM (OP), WHORM (Too Late); WHORM (Various Offices); and WHORM (Alpha Project) series. Staff and Office files were maintained at the folder level by staff members within their individual offices and document all levels of administration activity. WHORM files are processed at the document level; whereas, Staff and Office files are processed at the folder level, that is, individual documents are not selected and removed from a folder for processing. While this method maintains folder integrity, it frequently results in the incidental processing of documents that are not wholly responsive to the subject area. The Automated Records Management System (ARMS) is a database that contains email records of the Executive Office of the President. This system maintained unclassified Presidential email. The ARMS dataset is comprised of 6 sub-series of email records called “Buckets.” The buckets include NPR, OPD, POTUS, WHO, CEA, and Default. ARMS emails are arranged chronologically by creation date. The Tape Restoration Project (TRP) is a database consisting of restored emails from the Automated Records Management System from July 1994 through June of 2000. The TRP is a database that contains email records of the Executive office of the President. This system maintained unclassified Presidential record email. The TRP dataset is comprised of 6 sub-series of email records called “Buckets.” The buckets include NPR, OPD, POTUS, WHO, CEA, and Default. Arms emails are arranged chronologically by creation date. The Electronic Daily diary is a log of the President’s daily activities and is arranged chronologically by date.

Collection is open to all researchers. Access to Clinton Presidential Records is governed by the Presidential Records Act (PRA) (44 USC 22) and the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) (5 USC 552 as amended) and therefore records may be restricted in whole or in part in accordance with legal exemptions.

Official records of William Jefferson Clinton’s presidency are housed at the Clinton Presidential Library and administered by the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) under the provisions of the Presidential Records Act (PRA).

Terrorism

Staff Archivist, 2009. Previously restricted materials are added as they are released.

The following is a list of documents and folders processed in response to FOIA 2006-0326-F:
Box 1
Clinton Presidential Records: WHORM: Alpha Project
[160462]
 [Oklahoma City Bombing]
Clinton Presidential Records: WHORM Subject Files-General
Category Case Number
DI Case Number 108574CU
Case Number 109711SS
 Case Number 110451SS
Case Number 111018
Case Number 112633
Case Number 112809
Case Number 113921
Case Number 116762
Case Number 117098
Case Number 117163
Case Number 122389
Case Number 124021
Case Number 124385SS
Case Number 129748SS
Case Number 161199SS
Case Number 162972
Case Number 163688SS
Case Number 176331
Case Number 176353
Case Number 180537
Case Number 210577
Case Number 212926SS
FG0015 Case Number 253802
FG114 Case Number 119644
HO Case Number 106908SS
Case Number 182157SS
JL003 Case Number 115166SS
MA Case Number 116301
Box 2
ME001-03 Case Number 113569 [1]
Case Number 113569 [2]
Case Number 151247
ME002 Case Number 116394
ND007-01 Case Number 232301
NR003 Case Number 121541
PP010-02 Case Number 108835
Case Number 116355
Case Number 131400 [1]
Case Number 131400 [2]
Case Number 131400 [3]
PR010 Case Number 159323SS
PU001-07 Case Number 218372SS
SP839-01 Case Number 112124SS
SP995 Case Number 181282
Clinton Presidential Records: WHORM Subject Files-General (continued)
Box 3
TR183 Case Number 170317
Clinton Presidential Records: WHORM Subject File CF
Category Case Number
JL003 114664
Clinton Presidential Records: WHORM: (OP)
178204 [Oklahoma City Bombing]
178852 [Oklahoma City Bombing]
182245 [Oklahoma City Bombing]
184222 [Oklahoma City Bombing]
211283 [Oklahoma City Bombing]
Clinton Presidential Records: White House Staff and Office Files
Cabinet Affairs
 McGuire, Anne
 FEMA’s OK (Oklahoma) City Bombing Information 960703 [OA/ID 11542]
Chief of Staff
 Ickes, Harold
 Oklahoma City Bombing – Apr 19 ’95 [1] [OA/ID 9158]
 Oklahoma City Bombing – Apr 19 ’95 [2] [OA/ID 9158]
 Oklahoma City Bombing – Apr 19 ’95 [3] [OA/ID 9158]
 Oklahoma City Bombing – Apr 19 ’95 [4] [OA/ID 9158]
 Oklahoma City Bombing – Apr 19 ’95 [5] [OA/ID 9158]
 Oklahoma City Bombing – General [OA/ID 9176]
Box 4
 Terrorism – Oklahoma [OA/ID 9158]
Communications
 Oklahoma City [Memorial] [OA/ID 11831]
Correspondence
 National Day of Remembrance of the Oklahoma City Bombing [OA/ID 6861]
 [Proclamation 6786 – Victims of the Oklahoma City Bombing] [OA/ID 8533]
 Victims of the Oklahoma City Bombing (April 20, 1995) [OA/ID 10120]
 Buchardt, Daniel
 Oklahoma City Bombing Letters (Background, Copies, etc.) [OA/ID 14145]
 Roddick, Trudy
 [P-2013 – Oklahoma City Bombing (April 19, 1995)] [OA/ID 19962]
 [P-2013a – Support for President re: Oklahoma City Bombing] [OA/ID 19962]
 [P-2013b – Heartfelt Gestures re: Victims of Bombing Alfred J. Murrah Building,
 Oklahoma City] [OA/ID 19962]
Counsel’s Office
 Fein, David
 Oklahoma City Bombing Case [OA/ID 12740]
 Lindsey, Bruce
 Oklahoma City Bombing, April 1995 [OA/ID 24787]
Clinton Presidential Records: White House Staff and Office Files (continued)

Counsel’s Office
 Mills, Cheryl
 Oklahoma Bombing Case [OA/ID 20294]
 Oklahoma City Trial [OA/ID 13152]
Executive Office of the President
 [POTUS Briefing Papers – April 23, 1995] [1] [OA/ID CF 245]
 [POTUS Briefing Papers – April 23, 1995] [2] [OA/ID CF 245]
Box 5
 [POTUS Briefing Papers – April 5, 1996] [1] [OA/ID CF 350]
 [POTUS Briefing Papers – April 5, 1996] [2] [OA/ID CF 350]
 [POTUS Briefing Papers – January 6, 1996] [OA/ID CF 346]
 [POTUS Briefing Papers – March 21, 1996] [OA/ID CF 349]
First Lady’s Office
 First Lady’s Press Office
 Misc. Subject Files
 Oklahoma Bombing [OA/ID 9465]
 Speechwriting
 Laura Schiller: HRC Speeches 9/95 – 11/96, Clinton / Gore Speeches 1996
 HRC Speeches 1/96 – 4/96: 4/5 Oklahoma City – Families of the Victims
 [OA/ID 24622]
 Melanne Verveer
 Books
 One April Morning : Children Remember the Oklahoma City Bombing
 [OA/ID 14724]
Intergovernmental Affairs
 Hale, Marcia
 Oklahoma City Bombing [1] [OA/ID 9712]
 Oklahoma City Bombing [2] [OA/ID 9712]
Box 6
 Oklahoma City Bombing [3] [OA/ID 9712]
Legislative Affairs
 Oklahoma City, OK (Remarks to the Families of the Victims in the Oklahoma City Bombing,
 960405) [OA/ID 14136]
National Security Council
 Records Management
 [Subpoena regarding Timothy McVeigh and Terry Nichols] [OA/ID 4167]
Staff Director
Soderburg, Nancy
Terrorism – Oklahoma City, April 1995 [OA/ID 1408]
Transnational Threats
Clarke, Richard
Oklahoma [OA/ID 3545]
Scheduling Office
 [193585] [Oklahoma City Bombing] [OA/ID 7657]
 Oklahoma City, OK 4/23/95 [Memorial Service] [OA/ID 9041]
 Oklahoma City, Oklahoma – Trip of April 22, 1995 [OA/ID 23449]
Clinton Presidential Records: White House Staff and Office Files (continued)
Speechwriting
 Capps, Laura
 McVeigh Verdict 6/2/97 [OA/ID 12621]
 Edmonds, Terry
4-5-96 Good Friday Memorial Svc Oklahoma City Victims Oklahoma City, OK [1]
 [OA/ID 10982]
4-5-96 Good Friday Memorial Svc Oklahoma City Victims Oklahoma City, OK [2]
 [OA/ID 10982]
4-5-96 Good Friday Memorial Svc Oklahoma City Victims Oklahoma City, OK [3]
 [OA/ID 10982]
4-5-96 Good Friday Memorial Svc Oklahoma City Victims Oklahoma City, OK [4]
 [OA/ID 10982]
9-27-95 Oklahoma City Memor Svc Washington, D.C. [OA/ID 10984]
 Prince, Jonathan
 April 1995 – Oklahoma City Related Speeches and Material [1] [OA/ID 10442]
 April 1995 – Oklahoma City Related Speeches and Material [2] [OA/ID 10442]
Box 7
Clinton Presidential Records: Automated Records Management System [Email]
OPD [OA/ID 250,000]
[Oklahoma Bombing]
[04/19/1995 – 04/27/1995]
[05/12/1995 – 11/14/2000]
WHO [OA/ID 500,000]
[Oklahoma Bombing]
[04/19/1995 – 04/21/1995]
[04/21/1995 – 04/25/1995]
[04/25/1995 – 04/26/1995]
[04/26/1995 – 04/27/1995]
[04/27/1995]
Box 8
[04/27/1995 – 04/28/1995]
[04/28/1995 – 05/02/1995]
[05/02/1995 – 05/04/1995]
[05/04/1995 – 05/14/1995]
[05/14/1995 – 07/11/1995]
[07/21/1995 – 08/23/1995]
[09/15/1995 – 01/23/1996]
[01/30/1996 – 07/10/1996]
[07/15/1996 – 03/20/1997]
Box 9
[03/26/1997 – 02/25/1998]
[03/17/1998 – 08/26/1999]
[09/23/1999 – 10/30/2000]
[12/22/2000 – 01/18/2001]
Clinton Presidential Records: Automated Records Management System [Email] (continued)
Default [OA/ID 1,100,000]
[Oklahoma Bombing]
[04/19/1995 – 04/28/1995]
[04/28/1995]
[04/28/1995 – 05/02/1995]
[05/02/1995 – 05/03/1995]
Box 10
[05/03/1995] [1]
[05/03/1995] [2]
[05/11/1995 – 05/18/1995]
[05/24/1995 – 06/23/1995]
[06/29/1995 – 07/27/1995]
[07/28/1995 – 09/22/1995]
[09/27/1995 – 10/05/1995]
Box 11
[10/12/1995]
[10/19/1995 – 10/20/1995]
[10/25/1995 – 01/25/1996]
[02/01/1996 – 03/11/1996]
[03/13/1996 – 04/11/1996]
[04/18/1996 – 08/15/1996]
[08/19/1996 – 06/23/1998]
[08/12/1998 – 12/08/2000]
Box 12
OPD [OA/ID 250,000]
[McVeigh Bombing]
[05/03/1995]
WHO [OA/ID 500,000]
[McVeigh Bombing]
[06/16/1995 – 06/19/1997]
Default [OA/ID 1,100,000]
[McVeigh Bombing]
[10/27/1997]
WHO [500,000]
[Murrah Bombing]
[12/10/1996 – 09/07/1999]
Default [1,100,000]
[Murrah Bombing]
[04/11/1996 – 06/17/1997]
WHO [500,000]
[OKC Bombing]
[04/20/1995 – 11/06/2000]
Default [1,100,000]
[OKC Bombing]
[02/14/1996 – 06/17/1997]
Clinton Presidential Records: Automated Records Management System [Email] (continued)
WHO [500,000]
[Tim McVeigh/Timothy McVeigh]
[04/25/1995 – 03/11/1999]
NSC 1994/08-1999/12 [1,200,000]
 [Oklahoma and Murrah]
 [04/18/1997]
NSC 2000/01-2001/01 [1,250,000]
 [Oklahoma and Bomb]
 [02/22/2000]
Box 13
Clinton Presidential Records: Tape Resoration Project (TRP) [Email]
NPR [200,000]
[Oklahoma Bombing]
[05/21/1996]
WHO [OA/ID 500,000]
[Oklahoma Bombing]
[04/20/1995 – 04/02/1997]
[04/09/1997 – 10/14/1998]
[10/21/1998 – 11/10/1999]
Default [OA/ID 1,100,000]
[Oklahoma Bombing]
[11/08/1995 – 12/18/1997]
[04/06/1998 – 01/27/1999]
WHO [OA/ID 500,000]
[Murrah Bombing]
[01/09/1997]
WHO [OA/ID 500,000]
[OKC Bombing]
[01/30/1997]
Default [OA/ID 1,100,000]
[OKC Bombing]
[11/30/1997 – 05/20/1998]
Box 14
Clinton Presidential Records: Electronic Daily Diary
[Oklahoma City Bombing]
 [4/19/95 – 5/17/95] [OA/ID 150,000]
 [4/19/2000] [OA/ID 155,000]
Clinton Presidential Records: NSC Cable, Email, and Records Management System
NSC Cables
Jan 1995-Dec 1996
[Oklahoma City and Bombing]
[04/24/1995 – 05/04/1995] [OA/ID 510000]
[05/04/1995 – 05/10/1995] [OA/ID 510000]
[05/12/1995 – 05/27/1995] [OA/ID 510000]
Clinton Presidential Records: NSC Cable, Email, and Records Management System (continued)
[05/31/1995 – 12/01/1995] [OA/ID 510000]
[04/08/1996 – 11/27/1996] [OA/ID 510000]
Jan 1997-Dec 1998
[Oklahoma City and Bombing]
[01/16/1997 – 03/03/1998] [OA/ID 520000]
[03/03/1998 – 05/05/1998] [OA/ID 520000]
Jan 1999-Dec 2000
[Oklahoma City and Bombing]
[02/25/1999 – 04/17/2000] [OA/ID 530000]
Box 15
NSC Emails
MSMail-Record (Sept 94-Sept 97)
[Oklahoma and McVeigh]
[07/26/1996 – 04/15/1997] [OA/ID 590000]
[Oklahoma and Murrah]
[04/19/1995 – 01/23/1996] [OA/ID 590000]
[Oklahoma City and Bombing]
[04/19/1995 – 05/30/1995] [OA/ID 590000]
[06/02/1995 – 04/23/1996] [OA/ID 590000]
[06/25/1996 – 05/06/1997] [OA/ID 590000]
MSMail-Non-Record (Sept 94-Sept 97)
[Oklahoma City and Bombing]
[04/20/1995 – 05/06/1997] [OA/ID 605000]
Exchange-Record (Sept 97-Jan 01)
[Oklahoma City and Bombing]
[10/27/1997 – 08/04/2000] [OA/ID 620000]
Exchange-Non-Record (Mar 97-Jan 01)
[Oklahoma City and Bombing]
[09/03/1998 – 04/12/2000] [OA/ID 630000]
Box 16
NSC Records Management System
[Oklahoma and Bomb]
9503000 [OA/ID 577]
9503048 [OA/ID 577]
9503075 [OA/ID 578]
9503108 [OA/ID 578]
9503122 [OA/ID 578]
9503153 [OA/ID 578]
9505051 [OA/ID 592]
9505554 [OA/ID 595]
9505689 [OA/ID 596]
9602295 [OA/ID 1094]
[Oklahoma City and Bombing]
9503009 [OA/ID 577]
9503043 [OA/ID 577]
9503232 [OA/ID 579]
Clinton Presidential Records: NSC Cable, Email, and Records Management System (continued)
9606804 [OA/ID 1125]
9607651 [OA/ID 1130]
9620766 [OA/ID 2181]