Texas Tech University

Russell H. Betts Collection (3094) Finding Aid

Collection Item Number: 30940000000
Title
Russell H. Betts Collection (3094) Finding Aid
Finding Aid Author
Kase Wills
Finding Aid Date
2026-02-11
Linear Feet
12.5
Language(s)
English
Dates
Creation: Majority of material found within 1962 - 1969
Scope and Contents
Approximately 12.5 linear feet of materials consisting primarily of transcripts of interviews conducted by Russell Betts and his team at the Rand Corporation with former Viet Cong who rallied to the Government of South Vietnam during the war. The materials also include guidelines for interviewers (including coding sheets); notes; guides to the interviews; questionnaires; memos and correspondence; postcards; reports; articles/clippings; booklets; and personnel records. Topics include Viet Cong motivations, the use of Agent Orange in Vietnam, and Betts' deposition during the 1983 Agent Orange product liability litigation. The materials are dated predominately 1962-1969.

Interviews in collection have been organized by the content of the interview series title and code.

AG/G: Active Influence Within the Viet Cong and North Vietnam Armed Forces.
616 interviews of VC and NVA ralliers, prisoner, VC suspects, and refugees. It explores the respondent's motives in joining or not joining the VC, cohesive and centrifugal forces within the VC, and everyday village life in North Vietnam.

AGR: Attitudes of Refugees Toward Various Apsects of War
84 interviews of refugees from VC-controlled and contested areas throughout South Vietnam in 1965. They explore the attitudes of these people toward the Viet Cong, the GVN, the Americans, and the war in general.

DT: Activities of Viet Cong Within Dinh Tuong Province
A case study of Viet Cong activities within one province. Between 1965 and January 1968 (just before the Tet Offensive), 165 ralliers, prisoners, refugees, and villagers were interviewed to gain information on the operational procedures of the Viet Cong in Dinh Toung Province.

H: Villagers' Impression of Herbicide Operations
42 interviews with South Vietnamese villagers, in 1966, on their impressions of herbicide operations and on the economic and psychological effects of the operations on village food supplies.

K: Elements of Viet Cong and North Vietnam Cohesion
12 interviews with prisoners and ralliers from Viet Cong and north Vietnamese main and local force units in 1967 and 1968. They explore in-depth the interviewees' experiences and attitudes, in an attempt to discover what binds the individual to the NLF cause.

L: Saigon Residents' Attitudes on the War
19 interviews of civilians on the outskirts of Saigon, in 1965, on their attitudes about and reactions to the war.

SF: Reasons for Defection
Interviews of 142 Viet Cong and north Vietnamsese ralliers in 1966-1967 on their reasons for defecting. A shortened version of the AG questionare was used to elicit information on recent military experiences, unit effectiveness, and village conditions.

V: Viet Cong organizational Activities at Hamlet/Village Level
Interviews, conducted in 1967-1968, of 2 Viet Cong prisoners and ralliers, refugees, and ordinary villagers to determine Viet Cong organizational activities at the hamlet and village levels.
1
Photographs
Interview subject AG-283; b&w; 3.5 x 5.5 inches
Click to view all Photographs
  • Box 1: [Barcode: 1] [TTU - Southwest Collections Building, 2nd Floor, Stacks, D160.1 [D160.1]]
  • Box 2: [Barcode: 2] [TTU - Southwest Collections Building, 2nd Floor, Stacks, D160.1 [D160.1]]
  • Box 3: [Barcode: 3] [TTU - Southwest Collections Building, 2nd Floor, Stacks, D160.1 [D160.1]]
  • Box 4: [Barcode: 4] [TTU - Southwest Collections Building, 2nd Floor, Stacks, D161.0 [D161.0]]
  • Box 5: [Barcode: 5] [TTU - Southwest Collections Building, 2nd Floor, Stacks, D161.0 [D161.0]]
  • Box 6: [Barcode: 6] [TTU - Southwest Collections Building, 2nd Floor, Stacks, D161.0 [D161.0]]
  • Box 7: [Barcode: 7] [TTU - Southwest Collections Building, 2nd Floor, Stacks, D030.6 [D030.6]]
  • Box 8: [Barcode: 8] [TTU - Southwest Collections Building, 2nd Floor, Stacks, D030.6 [D030.6]]
  • Box 9: [Barcode: 9] [TTU - Southwest Collections Building, 2nd Floor, Stacks, D030.6 [D030.6]]
  • Box 10: [Barcode: 10] [TTU - Southwest Collections Building, Stacks [D030.7]]
  • Box 11: [Barcode: 11] [TTU - Southwest Collections Building, Stacks [D030.7]]
  • Box 12: [Barcode: 12] [TTU - Southwest Collections Building, Stacks [D012.7]]
  • Box 13: [Barcode: 13] [TTU - Southwest Collections Building, Stacks [D161.5]]
  • G - Interview Transcripts 1-6 [1965-1966]
  • G - Interview Transcripts 7-13 [1965]
  • G - Interview Transcripts 14-21 [1965]
  • G - Interview Transcripts 22-29 [1965]
  • G - Interview Transcripts 30-39 [1965]
  • G - Interview Transcripts 40-45 [1965]
  • AG - Interview Transcripts 46-53 [1965]
  • AG - Interview Transcripts 54-59 [1965]
  • AG - Interview Transcripts 60-64 [1965]
  • AG - Interview Transcripts 65-69 [1965]
  • AG - Interview Transcripts 70-73 [1965]
  • AG - Interview Transcripts 74-79 [1965]
  • AG - Interview Transcripts 80-89 [1965]
  • AG - Interview Transcripts 90-99 [1965]
  • AG - Interview Transcripts 100-109 [1965]
  • AG - Interview Transcripts 110-114 supplemental [1965]
  • AG - Interview Transcripts 114-119 [1965]
  • AG - Interview Transcripts 120-125 [1965]
  • AG - Interview Transcripts 126-129 [1965]
  • AG - Interview Transcripts 130-132 [1965]
  • AG - Interview Transcripts 133-139 [1965]
  • AG - Interview Transcripts 140-149 [1965]
  • AG - Interview Transcripts 150-153 [1965]
  • AG - Interview Transcripts 154-159 [1965]
  • AG - Interview Transcripts 160-169 [1965]
  • AG - Interview Transcripts 170-174 [1965]
  • AG - Interview Transcripts 175-179 [1965]
  • AG - Interview Transcripts 180-184 [1965]
  • AG - Interview Transcripts 185-189 [1965]
  • AG - Interview Transcripts 190-193 [1965]
  • AG - Interview Transcripts 194-196 [1965]
  • AG - Interview Transcripts 197-199 [1965]
  • AG - Interview Transcripts 200-204 [1965]
  • AG - Interview Transcripts 205-209 [1965]
  • AG - Interview Transcripts 210-212 [1965]
  • AG - Interview Transcripts 213-215 [1965]
  • AG - Interview Transcripts 216-219 [1965]
  • AG - Interview Transcripts 220-223 [1965]
  • AG - Interview Transcripts 224-229 [1965]
  • AG - Interview Transcript 230 [1965]
  • AG - Interview Transcript 231 [1965]
  • AG - Interview Transcripts 231 supplemental [No Date]
  • AG - Interview Transcripts 232-236 [1965]
  • AG - Interview Transcripts 237-239 [1965]
  • AG - Interview Transcripts 240-246 [1965]
  • AG - Interview Transcripts 247-249 [1965]
  • AG - Interview Transcripts 250-252 [1965]
  • AG - Interview Transcripts 253-256 [1965]
  • AG - Interview Transcripts 257-259 [1965]
  • AG - Interview Transcripts 260-264 [1965]
  • AG - Interview Transcripts 265-267 [1965]
  • AG - Interview Transcripts 268-271 [1965]
  • AG - Interview Transcripts 272-274 [1965]
  • AG - Interview Transcripts 275-279 [1965]
  • AG - Interview Transcripts 280-284 [1965]
  • AG - Interview Transcripts 285-289 [1965]
  • AG - Interview Transcripts 290-295 [1965]
  • AG - Interview Transcripts 296-299 [1965]
  • AG - Interview Transcripts 300-302 [1965-1966]
  • AG - Interview Transcripts 303-306 [1965]
  • AG - Interview Transcripts 307-309 [1965]
  • AG - Interview Transcripts 310-314 [1965]
  • AG - Interview Transcripts 315-319 [1965-1966]
  • AG - Interview Transcripts 321-326 [1965-1966]
  • AG - Interview Transcripts 327-329 [1965]
  • AG - Interview Transcripts 330-334 [1965]
  • AG - Interview Transcripts 335-339 [1965]
  • AG - Interview Transcripts 340-343 [1965-1966]
  • AG - Interview Transcripts 344-345 [1965-1966]
  • AG - Interview Transcripts 346 supplemental, 346-349 [1965-1966]
  • AG - Interview Transcripts 350-52 [1965-1966]
  • AG - Interview Transcripts 353-356 [1966]
  • AG - Interview Transcripts 357-359 [1966]
  • AG - Interview Transcripts 360-364 [1966]
  • AG - Interview Transcripts 365-369 [1966]
  • AG - Interview Transcripts 370-374 [1966]
  • AG - Interview Transcripts 375-376 [1966]
  • AG - Interview Transcripts 377-379 [1966]
  • AG - Interview Transcripts 380-384 [1966]
  • AG - Interview Transcripts 385-389 [1966]
  • AG - Interview Transcripts 390-394 [1966]
  • AG - Interview Transcripts 395-397, 399 [1966]
  • AG - Interview Transcripts 400-401 [1966]
  • AG - Interview Transcript 402 [1966]
  • AG - Interview Transcript 403 [1966]
  • AG - Interview Transcripts 402 supplemental, 404 [1966]
  • AG - Interview Transcripts 405-407 [1966]
  • AG - Interview Transcripts 408-409 [1966]
  • AG - Interview Transcripts 410-413 [1966]
  • AG - Interview Transcripts 414-419 [1966]
  • AG - Interview Transcripts 420-425 [1966]
  • AG - Interview Transcripts 426-429 [1966]
  • AG - Interview Transcripts 430-434 [1966]
  • AG - Interview Transcripts 435-439 [1966]
  • AG - Interview Transcripts 440-445 [1966]
  • AG - Interview Transcripts 446-449 [1966]
  • AG - Interview Transcripts 450-454, 454 supplemental [1966]
  • AG - Interview Transcripts 455-459 [1966]
  • AG - Interview Transcripts 460-462 [1966]
  • AG - Interview Transcripts 463-466
  • AG - Interview Transcripts 467-469 [1966]
  • AG - Interview Transcripts 470-473 [1966]
  • AG - Interview Transcripts 474-475 [1966]
  • AG - Interview Transcripts 476-479 [1966]
  • AG - Interview Transcripts 480-481 [1966]
  • AG - Interview Transcripts 482-483 [1966]
  • AG - Interview Transcripts 484-488 [1966]
  • AG - Interview Transcript 489 [1966]
  • AG - Interview Transcripts 490-492 [1966]
  • AG - Interview Transcript 493 [1966]
  • AG - Interview Transcripts 494-499 [1966]
  • AG - Interview Transcripts 501-504 [1966]
  • AG - Interview Transcripts 505-506 [1966]
  • AG - Interview Transcripts 507-509 [1966]
  • AG - Interview Transcripts 510-513 [1966]
  • AG - Interview Transcripts 514-517 [1966]
  • AG - Interview Transcripts 518-519 [1966]
  • AG - Interview Transcripts 520-522 [1966]
  • AG - Interview Transcripts 523-525 [1966]
  • AG - Interview Transcripts 527-529 [1966]
  • AG - Interview Transcripts 530-532 [1966]
  • AG - Interview Transcripts 533-535 [1966]
  • AG - Interview Transcripts 536-538 [1966]
  • AG - Interview Transcripts 540-542 [1966]
  • AG - Interview Transcripts 543-545 [1966-1967]
  • AG - Interview Transcripts 546-549 [1967]
  • AG - Interview Transcripts 550-551 [1967]
  • AG - Interview Transcripts 552-555 [1967]
  • AG - Interview Transcripts 556-559 [1967]
  • AG - Interview Transcripts 560-562 [1967]
  • AG - Interview Transcripts 563-566 [1967]
  • AG - Interview Transcripts 567-569 [1967]
  • AG - Interview Transcripts 572-574, 577 [1967]
  • AG - Interview Transcripts 582-584 [1967]
  • AG - Interview Transcripts 585-588 [1967]
  • AG - Interview Transcripts 591-593, 597-599 [1967]
  • AG - Interview Transcripts 614-616 [1967]
  • AG - Interview Transcript 631 [1967]
  • AG2 - Interview Transcript [No Date]
  • AGR - Interview Transcripts 1-4 [1965]
  • AGR - Interview Transcripts 5-9 [1965]
  • AGR - Interview Transcripts 10-14 [1965]
  • AGR - Interview Transcripts 15-19 [1965]
  • AGR - Interview Transcripts 20-22 [1965]
  • AGR - Interview Transcript 23 [1965]
  • AGR - Interview Transcripts 24-29 [1965]
  • AGR - Interview Transcripts 30-33 [1965]
  • AGR - Interview Transcripts 34-36, 39 [1965]
  • AGR - Interview Transcripts 40-45 [1965]
  • AGR - Interview Transcripts 46-49 [1965]
  • AGR - Interview Transcripts 50-54 [1965]
  • AGR - Interview Transcripts 55-58 [1966]
  • AGR - Interview Transcripts 63-65 [1966]
  • AGR - Interview Transcripts 66-68 [1966]
  • AGR - Interview Transcripts 72, 74, 77 [1966]
  • AGR - Interview Transcripts 85, 89-90 [1967]
  • DT - Interview Transcripts 1-8 [1965]
  • DT - Interview Transcripts 9-17 [1965]
  • DT - Interview Transcripts 20 [1965]
  • DT - Interview Transcripts 21-30 [1965]
  • DT - Interview Transcripts 31-37 [1965]
  • DT - Interview Transcripts 38-48 [1965]
  • DT - Interview Transcripts 49, 49 supplemental [1966]
  • DT - Interview Transcripts 50-59 [1965-1966]
  • DT - Interview Transcripts 60-68 [1965-1966]
  • DT - Interview Transcripts 69, 69 supplemental [1965]
  • DT - Interview Transcripts 70-72 [1965]
  • DT - Interview Transcripts 73-80 [1965]
  • DT - Interview Transcripts 81-90 [1965]
  • DT - Interview Transcripts 91-99 [1965-1966]
  • DT - Interview Transcripts 100-106 [1965-1966]
  • DT - Interview Transcripts 107-109 [1966]
  • DT - Interview Transcripts 110-114 [1966]
  • DT - Interview Transcripts 115-118 [1966]
  • DT - Interview Transcripts 1020-123 [1966]
  • DT - Interview Transcripts 124-129 [1966]
  • DT - Interview Transcripts 130-134 [1966]
  • DT - Interview Transcripts 135 part 1 [1966]
  • DT - Interview Transcripts 136-137 [1966]
  • DT - Interview Transcripts 138-139 [1966]
  • DT - Interview Transcripts 140-141 [1966]
  • DT - Interview Transcripts 142-144 [1966]
  • DT - Interview Transcripts 146-147 [1966]
  • DT - Interview Transcripts 148 parts 1-2 [1966]
  • DT - Interview Transcripts 149 parts 1-2 [1966]
  • DT - Interview Transcripts 150-152, 154-155 [1966]
  • DT - Interview Transcripts 160-162, 166, 169 [1966-1967]
  • DT - Interview Transcripts 172-175, 177 [1967]
  • 184, 186, 188 [1967]
  • DT - Interview Transcripts 194 [1967]
  • H - Interview Transcripts 1-9 [1966]
  • H - Interview Transcripts 10-19 [1966]
  • H - Interview Transcripts 20-29 [1966]
  • H - Interview Transcripts 30-34 [1966]
  • H - Interview Transcripts 35-43 [1966]
  • K - Interview Transcripts 1-4 [1966]
  • K - Interview Transcripts 5-7 [1966-1967]
  • K - Interview Transcripts 11-12, 17 [1967]
  • K - Interview Transcripts 29, 35 [1967]
  • L - Interview Transcripts 1-7 [1966]
  • L - Interview Transcripts 8-13 [1966]
  • SF - Interview Transcripts 1-11 [1966]
  • SF - Interview Transcripts 12-15, 17-19 [1966]
  • SF - Interview Transcripts 20-29 [1966]
  • SF - Interview Transcripts 30-39 [1966]
  • SF - Interview Transcripts 40-44, 47-49, 53, 55-56, 59 [1966-1967]
  • SF - Interview Transcripts 60-69 [1967]
  • SF - Interview Transcripts 70-79 [1967]
  • SF - Interview Transcripts 80-84, 85 cover page, 86-89 [1967]
  • SF - Interview Transcripts 90-98 [1967]
  • SF - Interview Transcripts 100-102, 104, 107, 110-111, 113-119 [1967]
  • SF - Interview Transcripts 120, 122-129, 131 [1967]
  • SF - Interview Transcripts 133-134, 137, 139, 142 [1967]
  • V - Interview Transcripts 3, 10 [1967]
  • CH - Interview Transcripts 5, 19 [1966]
  • CH - Interview Transcript 22 [1966]
  • CH - Interview Transcripts 23-24, 31-32 [1966]
  • CH - Interview Transcripts 35-37, 40, 47 [1966]
  • (1/3) Interviews by LOC [1965-1966]
  • Defoliation and crop destruction operations
  • Political Operations
  • Notes: Boat trip- Phan Thiet
  • The American Presence
  • (2/3) Interviews by LOC [1965-1966]
  • Summary Study
  • Refugees from Rubber Plantations
  • Interviews of Young People
  • Hope of Peace?
  • Statement of a refugee in Ban Me Thout
  • Public Servant in Da Nang City Hall
  • (3/3) Interviews by LOC [1966]
  • Untitled Interviews
  • Report over Quang Nam Province: General Situation, Fishing, Interviews
  • DTS - Interview Transcripts 1-3 [No Date]
  • Unaffixed Interview Pages [No Date]
  • Unidentified Transcript Page [No Date]
  • Appendix A - The Rand Vietnam Interview Series [1972]
  • Rand Interview Materials [1967,1969] - Basic characteristics of AG interviews
  • Final Questionnaires for AGR, SF, and V series [1965]
  • Questionnaires for Interviews AG and K series [1966]
  • Maps of South Vietnam [1966]
  • Coding and final draft of AG and DT Questionares
  • Main and Local Force Military Questionare [1967]
  • Field Trip Materials and Herbicide Questionare [1966-1967]
  • Interview Designations and Indexes of Topics in Interviews [1967]
  • Interview Coding and Cross References [1965,1967]
  • Plan for Coding the VC Interview Material [1965]
  • Master Code Sheet [No Date]
  • Instructions to Interviewers [No Date]
  • User's Guide to the Rand Interviews in Vietnam [1972]
  • Two analytical aids for use with the Rand Interviews [1967]
  • Samples, Quota Samples, and the VC Study [1966]
  • Some findings of the Viet Cong Motivation and Moral Study [1965]
  • Various Newspaper clippings and excerpts about the Rand Company and VC morale [1965, 1966, 1967]
  • Some Thoughts and suggestions on the problem of accessing the morale and cohesion of VC and NVA forces [1966]
  • Ralph E. Strauch - Some views on Interviews [1966-1967]
  • Various Memos over public opinion on Rand VC interviews [1965, 1967]
  • Comments on the Development and Implementation of a Chieu Hoi Appeal Designed to Attract VC Cadre [1966]
  • Various Memorandums - Effects of Herbicide in Vietnam [1965, 1967]
  • Meeting Minutes discussing the toxicity of 2, 4-D and 2, 4, 5-T compounds [1963]
  • An evaluation of chemical crop destruction in Vietnam [1967]
  • Agent Orange Liability Litigation letters, Russell Betts' deposition, and newspaper clippings relating to the case [1983]
  • Copies of interviews that mention Herbicide/Agent Orange [No Date]
  • Mentions of Korean Troop Activities in Rand Interviews, Statement of Anthony J. Russo Jr., and Ecological effects of the war in Vietnam [1966, 1971, No Date]
  • Viet Cong Village Control [1969]
  • Miscellaneous Personal Documents - Salary Increases, Travel Orders to Vietnam, per diem sheets, security forms, conflict of interest sheet, and travel itineraries [1965-1968
  • Miscellaneous newspaper clippings, postcards, and letters from friends in Vietnam [1966-1968]
  • Personal letters to Russell Betts [1967, 1968]

Perma Link
https://www.vietnam.ttu.edu/virtualarchive/items.php?item=30940000000

Citation
Russell H. Betts Collection (3094) Finding Aid, Russell H. Betts Collection, Vietnam Center and Sam Johnson Vietnam Archive, Texas Tech University, https://www.vietnam.ttu.edu/virtualarchive/items.php?item=30940000000, Accessed 02 Aug 2026.

Pub Credit Line
30940000000, Russell H. Betts Collection, Vietnam Center and Sam Johnson Vietnam Archive, Texas Tech University

Added: 11 Feb 2026 [Updated: 19 Feb 2026]