The Reagan Administration Office of Speechwriting consisted of two major filing systems: Speechwriting Research and Speech Drafts. The Library treats each filing system as a separate collection.
Speech Drafts consists of multiple drafts from the first version to the final product for each speech, message, taping, and radio address. Speeches were “staffed” at the White House to all major staff offices with an interest in each particular speech. Staff returned comments, editing and annotations. Filing of this material was inconsistent throughout the administration. The staff comments can be within the WHORM Subject File “SP" subject category for any particular speech or within the draft for the speech. Sometimes they are duplicated in both places.
Because of these multiple filing systems, the Library recommends researchers look at the entire speech “evolution” from the Speech Research folder, the Speech Draft to the final SP category for a full idea of the creation of each speech. Not every speech has each: a speech research, draft and SP category, but the majority do have all three units.
The Speechwriting Office: Speech Drafts consists of three series. They are Series I: Speech Drafts, 1981-1989, Series II: Edited and Unused Speeches (2 subseries), and Series III: NonPresidential Speeches (2 subseries).
