This series consists of a collection of background materials for President Clausen's speeches and other public appearances, such as television, radio, and magazine interviews. The records include correspondence and memoranda, talking points, drafts, reference materials and data, schedules, meeting summary notes, guest lists, thank you notes, and transcripts of press conferences and interviews with TV networks and magazines. The files contain some handwritten notes by Clausen. The series also includes one file from the period before he became President.

The files are arranged according to the name of the organization to whom the speech was given or the name of the organization interviewing the President. It seems likely that this background file originally contained only the invitations, correspondence, and arrangements for appearances, with the actual speeches in the chronological speech file. Over time, however, two things happened: first, the background files grew to contain data and supporting material for the content of the speech and, second, the background files came to contain external relations material not related to a specific speech. The four files on the U. S. Commission on Security and Economic Assistance, for example, principally document the Bank developing a position on the Commission and its recommendations (its report is included in the files), not a speech. Neither the chronological speech files nor the background files appears to include all the Clausen speeches; they need be used together in order to obtain a full picture of his public appearances.