[Executive Orders]

 10816    Amendment of Executive Order No. 10501 of November 5, 1953,
          Relating to Safeguarding Official Information in the Interests
          of the Defense of the United States
          Signed: May 7, 1959
          Federal Register page and date: 24 FR 3777, May 12, 1959
          Amends: EO 10501, November 5, 1953
          See: EO 10290, September 24, 1951; EO 10865, February 20, 1960;
          EO 11652, March 8, 1972

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Executive Order No. 10816 

AMENDMENT OF EXECUTIVE ORDER NO. 10501 [FN1] OF NOVEMBER 5, 1953, 
RELATING TO SAFEGUARDING OFFICIAL INFORMATION IN THE INTERESTS OF THE DEFENSE 
OF THE UNITED STATES 

 
By virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and statutes of the
United States, and as President of the United States, and deeming such action
necessary in the best interests of the national security, it is hereby ordered
as follows: 

Executive Order No. 10501 of November 5, 1953, relating to safeguarding
official information in the interests of the defense of the United States,
is hereby amended as follows: 

1. Section 4 is amended by adding a new subparagraph at the end thereof, as
follows: 

'(i) Departments and agencies which do not have authority for original
classification. The provisions of this section relating to the 
declassification of defense material shall apply to departments or agencies
which do not, under the terms of this order, have authority for original
classification of material, but which have formerly classified material
pursuant to Executive Order No. 10290 [FN2] of September 24, 1951.' 

2. Section 15 is amended by adding a new subparagraph at the end thereof, as
follows: 

'Historical Research. As an exception to the standard for access prescribed in
the first sentence of section 7, but subject to all other provisions of this
order, the head of an agency may permit persons outside the executive branch
performing functions in connection with historical research projects to have
access to classified defense information originated within his agency if he
determines that: (a) access to the information will be clearly consistent
with the interests of national defense, and (b) the person to be granted
access is trustworthy: Provided, that the head of the agency shall take
appropriate steps to assure that classified information is not published
or otherwise compromised.' 

3. The first sentence of subparagraph (d) of section 8 is amended to read as
follows: 

'Confidential defense material shall be transmitted within the continental
United States by one of the means established for higher classifications, by
registered, certified or first-class mail, or by express or freight under
such conditions as may be prescribed by the head of the department or agency
concerned.' 

DWIGHT D. EISENHOWER 
THE WHITE HOUSE, 
May 7, 1959. 

FN1 18 F.R. 7049; 3 CFR, 1949-1953 Comp., p. 979. 
FN2 3 CFR, 1949-1953 Comp., p. 789. 
Exec. Order No. 10816, 24 FR 3777, 1959 WL 7209 (Pres.) 

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