by Kelly Francis, Assistant Digital Archivist for Textual Collections

The White House Staff Files of Sanford L. Fox is one of the more interesting collections at the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library, and it’s also the most recent addition to our digital collections.

Sanford Fox came to work in the White House in 1952, ultimately rising to the position of Chief of the Social Entertainments Office in January of 1961, a post he held until 1975. As Chief, Mr. Fox was responsible for the planning, organization, and execution of events at the White House including state dinners, luncheons, teas, receptions, concerts, and informal dinners. He oversaw general protocol, as well as the engraving, printing, and calligraphy for menus, invitations, and seating arrangements.

The collection consists of two series: Guest Index, 1961-1964, containing an index card for each person who attended an event at the White House; and Social Events, 1961-1964, containing a folder for each event comprised of press releases, guest lists, printed menus, invitations, RSVPs, and entertainment programs. Also included in the Social Events series are folders related to President Kennedy’s funeral and three boxes of oversize, hand-printed seating plans.

Guest index card showing individual, occupation, spouse, & events attended, with dates.
[View rest of folder here: http://www.jfklibrary.org/Asset-Viewer/Archives/JFKWHSFSLF-002-004.aspx]

Letter of regret from Ludwig Bemelmans to Letitia Baldridge, Nobel Prize winners dinner.
[View entire folder here: http://www.jfklibrary.org/Asset-Viewer/Archives/JFKWHSFSLF-013-006.aspx]

Page one of guest list for White House dinner-dance for friends, March 1963.
[View entire folder here: http://www.jfklibrary.org/Asset-Viewer/Archives/JFKWHSFSLF-020-009.aspx]

Luncheon menu for Norwegian Prime Minister Gerhardsen and his wife, Mrs. Gerhardsen.
[View entire folder here: http://www.jfklibrary.org/Asset-Viewer/Archives/JFKWHSFSLF-013-012.aspx]

Seating plan for White House luncheon, Prince and Princess of Monaco, May 1961.
[View folder here: http://www.jfklibrary.org/Asset-Viewer/Archives/JFKWHSFSLF-029-021.aspx]

One of the most exciting aspects of the Sanford L. Fox White House Staff Files is that its records are connected to so many other collections at the Library. A folder for any given event may have accompanying photographs from the White House Photographs collection, audio of a toast from the White House Audio Collection, drafts of the toast from the President’s Office Files, or even a film covering a state visit from the United States Government Agencies Collection. For example, the folder maintained by Fox regarding the state dinner at the White House for the King and Queen of Afghanistan in September 1963 is also linked to two folders from the President’s Office Files related to the King and Queen’s visit and toasts given by President Kennedy and King Zahir, an audio recording of President Kennedy’s toast, photographs taken during the event, and a silent motion picture of Air Force Bagpipers and the Marine Band on the South Lawn of the White House [http://www.jfklibrary.org/Asset-Viewer/Archives/JFKWHSFSLF-024-012.aspx].

by Tricia Patterson, Graduate Student Intern (Simmons College GSLIS)

We are happy to report that the White House Staff Files of Lee C. White is now fully digitized and available on our website.

Lee Calvin White was born in Omaha, Nebraska on September 1, 1923. He remained in Nebraska to earn both his bachelor’s and law degrees before becoming an attorney. White began his career as an assistant to Joseph P. Kennedy, Sr. at the Hoover Commission and as a legislative assistant to then-Senator John F. Kennedy in 1954. By 1961, he became the Assistant Special Counsel to the President, working under the Special Counsel to the President – his former law school classmate, Theodore C. Sorensen.

In 1962, Harris Wofford, Special Assistant to the President for Civil Rights, was appointed the Special Representative for the Peace Corps in Africa. In his wake, White assumed many of Wofford’s previous civil rights responsibilities, working toward equitable opportunities in employment, education, and voting rights.

White was involved in several key civil rights issues and events during this time. He advised on specific federal civil rights issues: programs such as Plans for Progress; meetings with civil rights leaders including Martin Luther King, Jr.; the use of federal troops in civil disturbances; the 1961 Freedom Rides; the 1963 March on Washington; and the Civil Rights Act of 1964. He kept the federal government accountable for its adherence to equal opportunity employment, soliciting labor statistics from specific departments and agencies in the effort. White also corresponded with civil rights constituents on behalf of President Kennedy, relayed current events directly to the President, or collected information that would inform the President’s strategies.

Memorandum to President Kennedy from Lee C. White regarding the formation of a bi-racial Human Relations Council in Anniston, Alabama, the former site of a Freedom Riders’ riot two years prior.

[View entire folder here: http://www.jfklibrary.org/Asset-Viewer/Archives/JFKWHSFLCW-019-001.aspx]

A memorandum from White House legal adviser Norbert A. Schlei to Lee C. White in response to White’s request for legal counsel concerning President Kennedy’s upcoming visit to Alabama.

[View entire folder here: http://www.jfklibrary.org/Asset-Viewer/Archives/JFKWHSFLCW-019-001.aspx]

A letter to Lee C. White from National Science Foundation (NSF) Director, Alan T. Waterman, regarding the NSF’s adherence to President Kennedy’s directive not to fund discriminatory teacher training programs.

[View entire folder here: http://www.jfklibrary.org/Asset-Viewer/Archives/JFKWHSFLCW-019-010.aspx]

Lee White stayed on within President Lyndon B. Johnson’s administration as Associate Special Counsel and then Special Counsel to the President before becoming chairman of the Federal Power Commission in 1966. In 1969, White returned to practicing law as a partner in a private firm. After a career spent contributing to the progress of society through the law and legislation, White passed away on October 31, 2013 at the age of 90.

The White House Staff Files of Lee C. White consists of 24 boxes organized into two series: the General File (1954-1964) and the Civil Rights File (1961-1963). The collection reflects the range of presidential programs that White advised on in his capacity as Assistant Special Counsel and focuses primarily on legislation related to small businesses, natural resources, economics, and of course, civil rights.

Memorandum from Lee C. White to President Kennedy advising the President on an upcoming bill for saline water conversion.

 [View entire folder here: http://www.jfklibrary.org/Asset-Viewer/Archives/JFKWHSFLCW-008-005.aspx]

General letter from selected members of the House of Representatives soliciting support for an upcoming project to use waste steam from a plutonium production reactor to generate energy.

[View entire folder here: http://www.jfklibrary.org/Asset-Viewer/Archives/JFKWHSFLCW-002-004.aspx]

by Suzanna Calev and Sara Hawran, Graduate Student Interns (Simmons College)

Greetings from Reference interns Suzanna Calev and Sara Hawran! We have recently completed an exhibit board in the main research room of the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library, entitled “Jacqueline Kennedy’s White House Restoration Project.” Through our research we have come across many interesting documents on this topic, too many in fact to fit in our exhibit board. While there is much scholarship written about the restoration, the documents have given us a new understanding of the work that went into restoring the White House and of the dedication of many individuals who made the project possible. We would like to highlight some of those documents in this blog post.

According to a September 1, 1961 interview with Life magazine’s Hugh Sidey, Jacqueline Kennedy visited the White House with her mother and sister in 1941. She noticed the lack of historical furnishings on display and of information on the history of the house. When she became First Lady in 1961, Mrs. Kennedy sought to restore the White House to reflect the styles of past presidents. Our search first led us to the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Personal Papers, in which we came across a memorandum released on April 24, 1961 explaining the mission of the White House Restoration Project. Here is an excerpt from that memo:

The White House as a Symbol [Excerpt; see digitized folder of material, here: http://www.jfklibrary.org/Asset-Viewer/Archives/JBKOPP-SF01-004.aspx]:

In preparation for the restoration project, Jacqueline Kennedy created a Fine Arts Committee that would help her find antiques from different presidencies. We came across a brief history of changes made to the White House during each presidential era, the narrative of which was written by Clinton P. Anderson, Senator of New Mexico from 1949 to 1973 (reproduced below). This document was unique because it pulled together the history of White House renovations made during each administration.

[See digitized folder of material, here: http://www.jfklibrary.org/Asset-Viewer/Archives/JBKOPP-SF01-004.aspx]:

For her restoration project, Mrs. Kennedy sought the help of three individuals: interior decorator Dorothy Mae “Sister” Parish; American antiques collector Henry Du Pont; and Parisian designer Stéphane Boudin. With the assistance of Parish, Du Pont, and Boudin, she planned the alterations for each room. It was decided that the Blue Room would be restored to the period of President Monroe. Mrs. Kennedy fashioned the room after the French Empire style, as President Monroe had himself had acquired French Empire furniture for the room after the 1814 White House fire. Two images from the White House Photographs collection show the room’s transformation between November 1961 and January 1963.

[Before photo: White House Blue Room, 2 November 1961, JFKWHP-KN-C19304.]

[After photo: White House Blue Room, 24 January 1963, JFKWHP-KN-C26240B.]

Although the curtains and upholstery remained the traditional blue, the room’s walls were changed to the cream color of President Madison’s administration. In the course of researching the Blue Room we found the following memo to Pierre Salinger, which discussed the possibility of changing the room to white. Included in the memo is Mrs. Kennedy’s statement that “the Blue Room will always be the Blue Room.”

[Blue Room excerpt from the Salinger memo; see digitized folder of material, here: http://www.jfklibrary.org/Asset-Viewer/Archives/JFKWHCSF-0166-007.aspx]:

Mrs. Kennedy’s restoration met with overwhelming approval. She received thousands of letters from the public praising her restoration efforts, especially after her televised tour on CBS. Although some people were not pleased with her efforts, most of the messages sent to Mrs. Kennedy were very positive. The White House Social Files contain many of these letters, and the letters shown here exhibit two very different reactions to Mrs. Kennedy’s work on the White House.

[Left: view digitized folder here, http://www.jfklibrary.org/Asset-Viewer/Archives/JFKWHSF-0942-009.aspx]

[Right: view digitized folder here, http://www.jfklibrary.org/Asset-Viewer/Archives/JFKWHSF-0247-009.aspx]

Following the Kennedy restoration effort, an executive order was passed on March 7, 1964 requiring the Committee for the Preservation of the White House to approve any modifications to the State Rooms.  The Committee, which included the White House Curator and Chief Usher, would work with each First Family to maintain the historical integrity of the White House. As a result of Jacqueline Kennedy’s work on the restoration project, all administrations are now held accountable for the preservation of the White House.

These are just some of the documents that we came across in preparation for our exhibit board; the Kennedy Library holds many more materials on Jacqueline Kennedy’s White House Restoration Project. If you’re interested in researching this topic, we welcome researchers to visit the library.

by Lindsay Closterman and Nicola Mantzaris, Metadata Catalogers, White House Photographs

As National Women’s History Month comes to a close, we want to pay tribute to the women represented in the collections of the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library who were instrumental in shaping the landscape of American politics and human rights.

In the research we do as metadata catalogers for the White House Photographs collection, we are constantly discovering inspiring women throughout the Library’s collections. In their professional capacities, these contemporaries of John F. Kennedy met and worked with the President throughout his years in the White House. They held key roles in the President’s Commission on the Status of Women, served in high-ranking positions in the administration, were respected members of Congress, and held key roles as ambassadors, journalists, interpreters, doctors, scientists, military officials, and everyday leaders in the struggle for women’s rights.

The materials listed below highlight some of the women and organizations that contribute to making our collections so valuable and our jobs so rewarding. These documents, photographs, and oral histories reflect the diligent efforts on the part of women from all spheres of government and civilian life to enact legislation to improve the lives of American women in real and lasting ways.

FEDERAL LEGISLATION AND RECOGNITION

JFKWHP-AR7035-A. Meeting with President’s Commission on the Status of Women, 12 February 1962
[View entire folder here:
http://www.jfklibrary.org/Asset-Viewer/Archives/JFKWHP-1962-02-12-A.aspx]

From its establishment on December 14, 1961, the President’s Commission on the Status of Women examined discrimination against women in the United States and proposed ways to eliminate it. Chaired by Eleanor Roosevelt, this bipartisan commission worked with the Civil Service Commission as well as the Departments of Labor, Agriculture, Commerce, and Health, Education, and Welfare, to gather its findings and submit a final report to President Kennedy.

View more materials here:

Records of the President’s Commission on the Status of Women: http://www.jfklibrary.org/Asset-Viewer/Archives/USPCSW.aspx?f=1

Audio interview with Eleanor Roosevelt on the Status of Women: http://www.jfklibrary.org/Asset-Viewer/Archives/JFKWHA-085-005.aspx

Papers relating to the Commission from the President’s Office Files: http://www.jfklibrary.org/Asset-Viewer/Archives/JFKPOF-093-004.aspx

JFKWHP-ST-C139-1-63. Recipients of 3rd annual Federal Woman’s Awards, 2 May 1963
[View entire folder here: http://www.jfklibrary.org/Asset-Viewer/Archives/JFKWHP-1963-05-02-D.aspx]

JFKWHP-AR7069-A. Recipients of 2nd annual Federal Woman’s Awards,
27 February 1962
[View entire folder here: http://www.jfklibrary.org
/Asset-Viewer/Archives/JFKWHP-1962-02-27-A.aspx]

The Federal Woman’s Awards recognized government employees for outstanding contributions to their fields. The recipients from 1962 and 1963 represented agencies such as the Department of Justice, National Cancer Institute, Department of Labor, Civil Service Commission, Department of the Army, Federal Aviation Agency, and NASA.

JFKWHP-AR7965-B. Signing of the Equal Pay Act of 1963,
10 June 1963
[View entire folder here:
http://www.jfklibrary.org/Asset-Viewer/Archives/JFKWHP-1963-06-10-B.aspx]

The Equal Pay Act of 1963 promoted economic equality for women in the workplace. The leaders of women’s, civil rights, labor, business, and religious organizations who were present at the signing acted as the organizing forces behind the Equal Pay Act. Women in attendance included: Assistant Secretary of Labor for Labor Standards, Esther Peterson; President of the National Council of Negro Women, Dorothy Height; Senator Maurine Neuberger (D-OR); Representative Edith Green (D-OR); Director of the United Automobile Workers Women’s Department, Caroline Davis; President of the National Federation of Business and Professional Women’s Clubs, Dr. Minnie Miles; Executive Director of the National Council of Catholic Women, Margaret Mealey; and President of the National Council of Jewish Women, Pearl Larner Willen.

THE WOMEN

JFKWHP-ST-M6-1-61. Esther Peterson with President John F. Kennedy, 14 December 1961
[View photograph record here:
http://www.jfklibrary.org/Asset-Viewer/Archives/JFKWHP-ST-M6-1-61.aspx]

Esther Peterson was Assistant Secretary of Labor for Labor Standards from 1961 to 1969, as well as Executive Vice Chairman of the Commission on the Status of Women.

View her Oral History and Personal Papers here:

http://www.jfklibrary.org/Asset-Viewer/Archives/JFKOH-EEP-04.aspx

http://www.jfklibrary.org/Asset-Viewer/Archives/EEPPP.aspx

JFKWHP-AR6303-A. Swearing-in of Elizabeth Rudel Smith as Treasurer of the United States,
30 January 1961
[View entire folder here: http://www.jfklibrary.org/Asset-Viewer/Archives/JFKWHP-1961-01-30-B.aspx]

Elizabeth (Rudel Smith) Gatov was Treasurer of the United States from 1961 to 1962; she also served as a representative from California to the Democratic National Committee.

View her Oral History and Personal Papers here:

http://www.jfklibrary.org/Asset-Viewer/Archives/JFKOH-ERG-01.aspx

http://www.jfklibrary.org/Asset-Viewer/Archives/ERGPP.aspx

JFKWHP-KN-17561. Representative Edith Green attends a Congressional Coffee Hour, 14 April 1961
[View entire folder here: http://www.jfklibrary.org/Asset-Viewer/Archives/JFKWHP-1961-04-14-F.aspx]

Representative Edith Green of Oregon served on the President’s Commission on the Status of Women. An advocate of women’s rights and higher education, Green was instrumental in the passage of Title IX, the 1972 legislation that prohibited discrimination against women in federally-funded educational programs. She served 10 terms in the House of Representatives from 1955 to 1974.

View her Oral History here:

http://www.jfklibrary.org/Asset-Viewer/Archives/JFKOH-ESG-01.aspx

JFKWHP-AR7039-B. May Craig with Presidents John F. Kennedy and Harry S. Truman, 13 February 1962
View entire folder here: http://www.jfklibrary.org/Asset-Viewer/Archives/JFKWHP-1962-02-13-A.aspx

Veteran reporter May Craig, whose career spanned nearly four decades, served as the Washington correspondent for the Guy Gannett Publishing Company of Maine. Craig also had the distinction of being one of the few American female war correspondents during World War II.

View her Oral History here:

http://www.jfklibrary.org/Asset-Viewer/Archives/JFKOH-EMC-01.aspx

JFKWHP-AR6661-E. Dr. Janet G. Travell briefs the press,
22 June 1961
[View entire folder here:
http://www.jfklibrary.org/Asset-Viewer/Archives/JFKWHP-1961-06-22-A.aspx]

Dr. Janet G. Travell was Physician to the President from 1961 to 1965. A specialist in the relief of musculoskeletal pain, Dr. Travell began treating then-Senator John F. Kennedy for back pain in 1955.

View her Staff Files here:

http://www.jfklibrary.org/Asset-Viewer/Archives/JFKWHSFJGT.aspx

JFKWHP-KN-C17522. Nora Lejins with President John F. Kennedy and Chancellor Konrad Adenauer of West Germany, 12 April 1961
[View entire folder here:
http://www.jfklibrary.org/Asset-Viewer/Archives/JFKWHP-1961-04-12-A.aspx]

Interpreter Nora Lejins was Assistant Chief of Language Services at the Department of State during the Kennedy Administration. She later became Chief of Language Services and retired in 1984 after 36 years of service in the State Department.

View more photographs here:

http://www.jfklibrary.org/Asset-Viewer/Archives/JFKWHP-1962-01-08-B.aspx

http://www.jfklibrary.org/Asset-Viewer/Archives/JFKWHP-1962-05-03-C.aspx

http://www.jfklibrary.org/Asset-Viewer/Archives/JFKWHP-1962-09-14-C.aspx

JFKWHP-AR7272-A. Eugenie M. Anderson with President John F. Kennedy, 28 May 1962
[View photograph record here:
http://www.jfklibrary.org/Asset-Viewer/Archives/JFKWHP-AR7272-A.aspx]

Eugenie M. Anderson became the first female United States ambassador in 1949 and served during the Kennedy Administration as U.S. Minister to Bulgaria. A former delegate to the Democratic National Convention, Anderson later acted as United States Representative on the United Nations Trusteeship Council and the United Nations Committee for Decolonization.

View her Oral History here:

http://www.jfklibrary.org/Asset-Viewer/Archives/JFKOH-EMA-01.aspx

NOTABLE ORGANIZATIONS

JFKWHP-ST-336-2-62. Members of the National Association of Colored Women’s Clubs, 2 August 1962
[View entire folder here:
http://www.jfklibrary.org/Asset-Viewer/Archives/JFKWHP-1962-08-02-C.aspx]

Founded in 1896, the National Association of Colored Women’s Clubs merged multiple organizations, large and small, into one association whose common goals were to support racial and gender equality. The NACWC grew primarily out of the union of the Colored Women’s League of Washington, D.C. and the National Federation of Afro-American Women.

JFKWHP-KN-C21765. Representatives of the Women’s Army Corps regarding 20th Anniversary,
15 May 1962
[View entire folder here:
http://www.jfklibrary.org/Asset-Viewer/Archives/JFKWHP-1962-05-15-C.aspx]

The Women’s Army Corps was the all-women branch of the United States Army, created first as an auxiliary unit in 1942 and then established as a formal branch of the U.S. Army in 1945. It was disbanded in 1978 when women were integrated into the other branches of the Army, serving alongside men in all but combat roles.

JFKWHP-KN-C17738. Members of the Association of Women Helicopter Pilots, 4 May 1961
[View entire folder here: http://www.jfklibrary.org/Asset-Viewer/Archives/JFKWHP-1961-05-04-B.aspx]

The Association of Women Helicopter Pilots (also known as “Whirly-Girls“) was founded in 1955 by aviator Jean Ross Howard, with members from the United States, France, and Germany.

Postcard with commemorative Amelia Earhart stamp, c. 1963
[View entire folder here:
http://www.jfklibrary.org/Asset-Viewer/Archives/JFKPOF-104-002.aspx]

The Ninety-Nines, Inc. (International Organization of Women Pilots) was established in 1929 by 99 female pilots. Amelia Earhart served as the organization’s first president.

by Stacey Chandler, Reference Archivist

Here in the research room at the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library we often get emails from students and scholars asking about books that might be helpful for their research topics. Until very recently, our solution was to email lists of books to our researchers, which they could print and use to find useful books at their local library or bookstore.

In honor of 2014 National Library Week, we started thinking about a way to make this process easier and more fun for our researchers (and our archivists!) and GoodReads, the social networking site for bookworms, is a perfect fit. You can visit our brand-new page here: https://www.goodreads.com/JFK_Library

GoodReads allows readers – even those who aren’t GoodReads members – to read book summaries and reviews written by both casual readers and scholars, and to see bookstores and libraries nearby that carry the book. Readers may also browse “Lists,” which can be edited by anyone in the GoodReads community, and other members’ “Bookshelves,” which can only be edited by the member who created the shelf.

Quite a few public libraries are already on GoodReads as “groups,” but we’re using our account a little differently because we want readers to see lists of books that we use to answer the thousands of questions we get each year. That’s why we joined as a member, rather than a group, and we’re using subject-based bookshelves (like JFK and the Media: https://www.goodreads.com/review/list/30412750?shelf=jfk-and-media) to keep track of books that we’ve found helpful for our work at the library. The shelves, which you can see fully listed on our main page, complement our archival collections and show the wide range of topics we can answer questions about.

New books about John F. Kennedy are released all the time, and we’ll be adding them to our shelves as we read and use them. In creating these lists, we realized that some topics (JFK and Civil Rights: https://www.goodreads.com/review/list/30412750-john-f-kennedy-presidential-library?order=a&shelf=jfk-and-civil-rights) have been so popular that we couldn’t even try to read them all, while other topics (JFK and Sports: https://www.goodreads.com/review/list/30412750-john-f-kennedy-presidential-library?order=a&shelf=jfk-and-sports) were more sparse.

This project has helped us to realize that we’d love to see more work on President Kennedy’s economic policies and involvement in the arts, as well as more comprehensive biographies of the President’s cabinet members and advisors like Stewart Udall and Ted Sorensen. We’re hoping our lists will also help researchers to take note of topics that have been thoroughly covered or relatively neglected by historians – and maybe contribute a book or two to our shelves in the future!

We’re also updating existing records in GoodReads to make them more helpful for all readers. For example, we’re adding links to online versions of useful publications (like the essential Foreign Relations of the United States volumes: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6188868-foreign-relations-of-the-united-states-1961-1963-volume-iv) and adding verified citations for popular John F. Kennedy quotations (see our handiwork here: https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/97961-conformity-is-the-jailer-of-freedom-and-the-enemy-of).

Because we’re also home to the world’s largest collection of Ernest Hemingway’s papers, we’re planning to expand our Hemingway-related shelves and to update bibliographic records and Hemingway quotations to be as accurate as possible.

Find us on GoodReads and our other social media sites, including Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/JFKLibrary), Twitter (https://twitter.com/jfklibrary), Instagram (http://instagram.com/jfklibrary), Pinterest (http://www.pinterest.com/jfklibrary/), Tumblr (http://jfklibrary.tumblr.com/), and YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/user/JFKLF).

Happy reading!

by Maryrose Grossman, Audiovisual Reference Archivist

Now that spring is blooming, the White House Rose Garden–the most prominent horticultural display on the grounds of the Presidential mansion–comes to mind. Bordering the Oval Office and the West Wing of the White House since 1913, the White House Rose Garden has long been the setting for official presidential business: hosting special visitors, conducting official ceremonies, making public statements, and more. It has also served as an elegant yet informal space for the private use of presidents and their families.

JFKWHP-ST-C115-1-63. View of the Rose Garden from the Oval Office at the White House, April 29, 1963. (Thumbprint at upper left appears on original negative.)

During the Kennedy Presidency, Mrs. Kennedy, as part of her sweeping White House restoration efforts, set about transforming the Rose Garden from a “nondescript patch of hedge-rowed lawn”[1] into a space with a defined central lawn bordered by flower beds planted in a French style; it would feature American botanical specimens including crab apple trees, tulips, primrose, and grape hyacinth. The physical transformation was led by Mrs. Kennedy’s friend Rachel Lambert (“Bunny”) Mellon, wife of philanthropist Paul Mellon. Despite not having any formal landscape training, Bunny Mellon had a vision for the Rose Garden that was compatible with the First Family’s desire for a stately and inviting outdoor stage for both public and private activities.

JFKWHP-KN-C28009. Tulips blooming in the Rose Garden of the White House, April 1963.

JFKWHP-ST-A1-1-63. Princess Beatrix of the Netherlands (right) visits the White House Rose Garden, April 18, 1963.

Bunny Mellon died on March 17, 2014 at the age of 103, an event prompting considerable activity in the Kennedy Library’s audiovisual reference unit, particularly with regard to requests for images of Mrs. Mellon and the Rose Garden restoration project. The audiovisual reference team was unaware of any such images, until recent interest prompted a closer look at one image in particular, KN-20842. Though we have yet to verify it, we believe the woman featured in the picture is Mrs. Rachel Lambert “Bunny” Mellon.

JFKWHP-KN-20842 (edited). Rose Garden construction progress photo, with superimposed close up of woman (Bunny Mellon?) featured in background, April 4, 1962.

The restored Rose Garden offered President and Mrs. Kennedy a beautiful venue for holding events; it also brought joy to family members including young John F. Kennedy, Jr. It still brings joy to many. Mrs. Mellon’s garden continues to invite its visitors to stop, and smell the roses… and all of the other flowers, too.

JFKWHP-ST-C112-1-63. John F. Kennedy, Jr. in the Rose Garden, April 26, 1963.

References

[1] Abbott, James A. and Elaine M. Rice, Designing Camelot: The Kennedy White House Restoration (New York: Van Nostrand Reinhold, 1998), p. 9.

by Laurie Austin, Audiovisual Reference Archivist

In conjunction with Public Service Recognition Week, the Archivist of the United States (or “AOTUS,” as he’s known throughout the National Archives) presented awards to employees and volunteers across the National Archives for exceptional work they achieved over the past year. [Check out AOTUS's blog here: http://blogs.archives.gov/aotus/?p=5473.] We were thrilled that our very own volunteer, Meghan Testerman, was awarded the Weidman Outstanding Volunteer Service Award for her work on the Ernest Hemingway Photograph Collection.

Archivist of the United States David Ferriero presents Kennedy Library volunteer Meghan Testerman with the Weidman Outstanding Volunteer Service Award at Archives II in College Park, MD, 7 May 2014.

Megh contacted us out of the blue in the fall of 2012 to ask if we had any short-term archival projects that she could do while her husband finished up his master’s degree at a local university. She agreed to take over work on the Ernest Hemingway Photograph Collection in the effort to finish describing the remaining 25% of photographs—approximately 2,500 images. The work involved researching every photo to identify the people, places, occasions, dates, and copyright holders whenever possible, and then writing descriptions of each image in the database. It also included updating box and folder numbers to make the collection more user-friendly.

There was a good reason why this portion of the collection was left for the end—it was by far the most daunting. Megh’s predecessors had all done their share of detective work, but this portion of the collection required a master sleuth. The photos were primarily of Hemingway’s travels in Spain in the 1950s, as well as the photos he amassed for writing his bull fighting novels. Imagine folder after folder full of unidentified bull fights, bull rings, and bull fighters that all seemed to look the same. Megh threw herself into the project, reading Hemingway’s books The Dangerous Summer and Death in the Afternoon and many biographies and scholarly works about the topic, all on her own time. She sifted through the archival correspondence to get a better sense of his companions and his travels. In a matter of months, she became impressively knowledgeable on Hemingway’s Spain in the 1950s and on bull fighting in general. She reconstructed Hemingway’s movements, learned who accompanied him and where, and became adept at identifying the bull fighters, the bulls and their brands, and even the maneuvers that were being depicted in the images. It was simply remarkable.

EH2388S, 1959
Ernest Hemingway visits with Spanish matador Antonio Ordonez at Valcargado, Ordonez’ ranch near Cádiz, Spain.
Copyright status: Public Domain. Please credit, Ernest Hemingway Photo Collection. John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum, Boston.

EH8864P, n.d.
Ava Gardner, Luis Miguel Dominguín, Ernest Hemingway, Mary Rupert Bellville and others at a luncheon at Costa dol Sol, Andalusia, Spain.
Copyright status: Unknown. Please credit, Ernest Hemingway Photo Collection. John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum, Boston.

EH10478P, 1959
Ernest Hemingway dines at Valcargado, Antonio Ordonez’ ranch near Cádiz, Spain.
Copyright status: Unknown. Please credit, Ernest Hemingway Photo Collection. John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum, Boston.

EH-C724T, 30 July 1959
Spanish matador Antonio Ordonez performing a pass in Sevilla, Spain.
Copyright status: Unknown. Please credit, Ernest Hemingway Photo Collection. John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum, Boston.

By the time she left us in May 2013, Megh had spent approximately 350 hours at the Kennedy Library and considerably more of her own time doing independent research.

But the story does not end there. After Megh left the Kennedy Library, she happened to meet a reporter from PRI’s The World. She told him about her project at the Kennedy Library; he was fascinated and decided to do a story about it for national radio. That story aired in August 2013: http://pri.org/stories/2013-08-13/new-information-revealed-photos-ernest-hemingways-dangerous-summer

Megh wasn’t with us for very long, but during her short time at the Kennedy Library she produced extraordinary work, captivated staff with her boundless enthusiasm, and, unwittingly, helped to give the Ernest Hemingway Photograph Collection international exposure.

by Lindsay Closterman and Nicola Mantzaris, Metadata Catalogers, White House Photographs

The John F. Kennedy Presidential Library is now on Flickr! We’re pleased to announce the launch of a new National Archives Flickr page, a crowdsourcing pilot project featuring images from the White House Photographs collection at the Kennedy Library. As metadata catalogers, we are eager to explore ways in which community participation can be a useful resource for professionally cataloged collections and archival institutions.

The White House Photographs collection is comprised of approximately 30,000 photos taken by three principal photographers: Mark Knudsen, Abbie Rowe, and Cecil Stoughton. The collection documents the President’s activities at the White House and his official trips; the President and his family at the White House, at other residences, on vacations, and at other non-official times; Administration officials and members of  Congress; White House staff and visitors to the White House; and White House rooms and grounds. To date, the Kennedy Library has digitized and cataloged approximately 11,000 images from this collection.

We have selected 36 images of unidentified administration staff members and associates for our first Flickr set, “Who am I? Can you identify these staff from the JFK Administration?” Despite thorough research, we have been unable to identify certain people pictured in these photographs and hope to tap into the knowledge of historians, former Kennedy administration officials, and anyone else who may be willing to contribute information. We have shared this Flickr set with the White House Historical Association and the Office of the Historian and hope to reach additional experts at other relevant organizations.

Here is a sampling of the images you can find on our Flickr page:

JFKWHP-AR6403-A. President John F. Kennedy with Photographers, 6 March 1961
[View photograph record here:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/usnationalarchives/14190071931/in/set-72157644729385113]

We were able to identify one of the four photographers pictured in this image of President John F. Kennedy attending the 20th Annual Westinghouse Science Talent Search. United Press International photographer James K. W. Atherton stands fourth from left. Do you know any of the other photographers?

JFKWHP-KN-C21483. White House Chefs and Kitchen Staff, 3 May 1962
[View photograph record here:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/usnationalarchives/14190792372/in/set-72157644729385113]

Can you identify the White House kitchen staff standing with White House Executive Chef René Verdon (third from left), Assistant Chef Julius Spessot (second from left), and Pastry Chef Ferdinand Louvat (second from right)?

JFKWHP-AR6530-A. First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy attends White House Reception, 19 April 1961
[View photograph record here:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/usnationalarchives/14190807852/in/set-72157644729385113]

The social aide pictured at left in this photograph with First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy appears in many of our photos, but we do not know his name. In this photo, he stands with the First Lady during a reception for wives of members of the American Society of Newspaper Editors.

JFKWHP-KN-21436. President John F. Kennedy with Unidentified White House Staff Member, 7 May 1962
[View photograph record here:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/usnationalarchives/14193299064/in/set-72157644729385113]

In this photograph, President John F. Kennedy stands with an unidentified man. Our sources indicate that the man might be a White House staff member, but we cannot confirm this, nor do we have a name for him.

Citizen archivists, unite!

To submit information regarding a photograph, simply sign in to your Flickr account (or create one) and post a comment or add a tag, making sure to include any relevant sources. Our catalogers will review the comments submitted by users and incorporate that information into our metadata when applicable. Creating a Flickr account is easy and free. We look forward to hearing from you!

See the entire Flickr set here: https://www.flickr.com/photos/usnationalarchives/sets/72157644729385113/

by J.T. Buzanga (Former Graduate Student Intern, Northeastern University)

Sven Walnum was born in Oslo, Norway and immigrated to the United States in September 1947. Walnum’s life in Norway was difficult; having survived debilitating childhood illness, a chaotic family life, and World War II, Walnum went on to study cinematography at the University of Southern California. In 1960 he and fellow filmmaker Wayne Mitchell documented and photographed a short though important segment of Senator John F. Kennedy’s presidential campaign. Walnum’s interest in politics and in the Kennedys did not end with John F. Kennedy. He also photographed JFK’s two brothers, Robert F. Kennedy and Edward M. Kennedy, during their political campaigns. Although Walnum may be best known as the camera operator for films such as “The Sugarland Express” and “Deliverance,” his beautiful and distinctive photographs of the Kennedy brothers on the campaign trail deserve special attention.

Walnum followed John F. Kennedy’s presidential campaign from September 15 to October 17, 1960. During that time he photographed JFK’s public speeches and the crowds that came to hear them. He successfully captured JFK’s charismatic nature, and perhaps more notably, the energy and mood of his audiences. During the fall of 1960 JFK campaigned in many swing states and Walnum ably depicted the mixed attitudes toward JFK. For example, in Indiana—a state that went to Richard Nixon in the 1960 election—support for Nixon was captured thoughtfully and effectively. In other places, the show of support for JFK was unmistakable.

SWPC-JFK-088-034. A Crowd Watches a Speech by Senator John F. Kennedy in Indiana, 5 October 1960. A young man shows support for Richard Nixon by wearing a campaign button on his belt.

SWPC-JFK-C003-006. Senator John F. Kennedy Overlooks an Ohio Crowd, 17 October 1960.

SWPC-JFK-C003-007. Supporters of Senator John F. Kennedy Applaud his Arrival, 17 October 1960.

The John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum holds a limited number of audiovisual materials on Robert F. Kennedy, making the  Walnum additions quite valuable. As Robert F. Kennedy campaigned for the presidential nomination in Los Angeles, Walnum followed with his camera in tow. His photographs—which include RFK on the campaign trail, Ethel Kennedy and some of their children, and photos from the Ambassador Hotel shortly before RFK’s assassination—add rich and poignant variety to the existing holdings. Through his photos Walnum captured RFK’s fiery personality and the free-spirited, passionate crowds that attended his rallies.

SWPC-RFK-C011-003. Senator Robert F. Kennedy Delivers a Speech at the TRW Plant in Redondo Beach, CA, 16 May 1968.

SWPC-RFK-C015-012. Ethel, David, and Mary Kerry Kennedy at Bolsa Grande High School, Garden Grove, CA, 2 June 1968.

SWPC-RFK-C018-005. Senator Robert F. Kennedy and Ethel Kennedy Answer Questions at the Ambassador Hotel, Los Angeles, CA, 4 June 1968.

SWPC-RFK-C021-005. Roadside Supporters of Senator Robert F. Kennedy from his Campaign in the Los Angeles Area, c. 2 June 1968

SWPC-RFK-C001-006. Supporters of Senator Robert F. Kennedy Gather in Griffith Park, California, 24 March 1968.

Fourteen years later, Sven Walnum worked on the campaign of yet another Kennedy. This time, he followed Edward M. “Ted” Kennedy on his 1982 senatorial campaign. As with the other Kennedy brothers, Walnum successfully captured Ted Kennedy’s personality. As importantly, Walnum documented the strong relationship between Ted Kennedy and the people of Massachusetts, a bond further reflected in his long tenure in the U.S. Senate (November 7, 1962 – August 25, 2009).

SWPC-EMK-001-017A. Senator Edward M. Kennedy gives a Thumbs-up to the Students at the College of the Holy Cross, Worcester, MA, 28 October 1982.

SWPC-EMK-C002-030. Senator Edward M. Kennedy Delivers a Speech to the Greater Lowell Senior Forum at Northern Essex Community College, Haverhill, MA, 29 October 1982.

SWPC-EMK-011-001A. Senator Edward M. Kennedy Campaigning in Fall River, MA, 27 October 1982.

These images represent a small fraction of the photographs available in the Sven Walnum Photograph Collection, which comprises approximately 1400 original negatives. This new collection offers researchers access to historically rich images that have rarely been seen by the public.

by Elyse Edwards, Graduate Student Intern (Simmons College GSLIS)

By 1963 most states in this country had integrated businesses, schools, and public spaces, but integration proved much more difficult in southern states where policies and attitudes were still highly discriminatory. On June 11, 1963, the day two African American students were admitted to the University of Alabama despite being physically blocked by Alabama Governor, George Wallace, President John F. Kennedy addressed the nation on civil rights. In his speech he implored all Americans to help promote the ideals of equality on which our nation was founded and announced his plans to submit to Congress civil rights legislation to institutionalize equality for all.

Listen to the June 11, 1963 address: http://www.jfklibrary.org/Asset-Viewer/Archives/JFKWHA-194-001.aspx

In his address to Congress on February 28, 1963 President Kennedy asserted that we must fight for the liberty of all Americans, “…above all, because it is right.” On June 19, 1963 President Kennedy submitted to Congress the Civil Rights Act of 1963, intended to resolve weaknesses of previous civil rights legislation that lacked enforcement provisions. The bill would allow the Attorney General to file lawsuits against those who sought to deprive individuals of rights guaranteed by the United States Constitution or by law. The legislation also addressed inequalities and grievances on issues of voting rights, public accommodations, and desegregation of public schools; it established the Community Relations Service, authorized the continuation of the Civil Rights Commission, prohibited discrimination in federally-assisted programs, and established the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

Pages one, ten, and eleven of President Kennedy’s message to Congress of February 28, 1963. View the rest of the address here: http://www.jfklibrary.org/Asset-Viewer/Archives/JFKPOF-052-016.aspx

Unfortunately, President Kennedy was not able to pass the legislation during his time in office. However, President Lyndon B. Johnson continued the fight and the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (H.R. 7152) was officially signed into law on July 2, 1964. The passage of this act was the culmination of years of hard work by President John F. Kennedy, Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy, Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights Burke Marshall, and countless others. While this period in our nation’s history saw many acts of violence and oppression perpetrated against civil rights activists and civilians alike, the Civil Rights Movement ultimately saw success in the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

Published results of the vote on the Civil Rights Bill (H.R. 7152) as it was posed to the House of Representatives in February 1964.  By this time, support for the bill was overwhelmingly in favor across the nation. See how other states voted here: http://www.jfklibrary.org/Asset-Viewer/Archives/BMPP-029-001.aspx

Assistant Attorney General Burke Marshall played an instrumental role in advancing the goals of the Civil Rights Movement within the federal government and beyond. Never one to shy away from fighting the hard fight, his work in negotiating with parties on both sides of the movement helped stabilize the country as it moved toward integration. Documents throughout the Burke Marshall Personal Papers illustrate in vivid detail the necessity for the passage of a civil rights bill.

This letter to Assistant Attorney General of the Tax Division, Louis F. Oberdorfer, illustrates the business community’s concerns about facing desegregation.  In some cases, businesses were resistant to integration efforts due to the potential for violent protest, to which they were often subjected. View the rest of the folder here: http://www.jfklibrary.org/Asset-Viewer/Archives/BMPP-030-002.aspx

The Civil Rights Act of 1964 series within the Burke Marshall Personal Papers documents major components of the bill and summarizes the necessity for each of its titles, as well as its provisions and precedence. In addition, the series addresses criticisms and arguments from those opposed to the bill. These documents showcase the evolution of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 during the months of debate in the House of Representatives and the Senate. Highlights of the bill are as follows:

Title I: A mandate for the equal application of voter registration requirements. Literacy tests and oral or written interpretations of state and federal constitutions were consistently used to prevent eligible African Americans from voting. While these literacy tests were not completely eliminated with the 1964 Act, the bill mandated that they be consistently applied from thereon in. Under Title VIII, the Civil Rights Commission was charged with determining whether patterns or practices of discrimination existed in voting and voter registration.

Title II: Outlawed discrimination based on race, color, or religion in public accommodations such as movie theaters, restaurants, and motels involved in interstate commerce. Private businesses, such as social clubs, were excluded from this provision.

Title III: The most controversial section of the bill, it prohibits state and local governments from discriminating in public facilities. Furthermore, it allows for the Attorney General to file suit in a federal court on behalf of those whose access to public facilities was denied or restricted on the basis of their race, color, or religion. This provision was viewed by many on the state and local level as a blatant overreach of the federal government. It was stricken from the Civil Rights Acts of 1957 and 1960, but its inclusion in 1964 protected the rights of protestors against suppression of their First Amendment rights.

Title IV: Called for the desegregation of all public schools and the ability of the Attorney General to file lawsuits to enforce integration efforts.

Title V: Continued the Civil Rights Commission established in the Civil Rights Act of 1957, the responsibilities of which included investigating, reporting on, and making recommendations on civil rights issues affecting the nation.

Title VI: Prevents discrimination by government agencies receiving federal funding to the extent that funding could be terminated if compliance were not met.

Title VII: Equal Employment Opportunity Commission established to enforce the provision prohibiting discrimination by employers on the basis of race, color, religion, and sex. Those aligned with the Communist Party were not covered under this provision.

Title VIII: Under the Civil Rights Commission, voting and voter registration statistics would be compiled in designated areas in order to ensure that discriminatory practices, such as arbitrary application of voter registration tests, did not continue.

Title IX: Ensures a fair trial for all by making it easier to move civil rights cases from state to federal courts, when evidence of judge or jury prejudice exists. This provision was essential in guaranteeing that civil rights activists especially were not discriminated against during trial.

Title X: Established the Community Relations Service to mediate racial issues at the state and local level.

Title XI: For those accused of aforementioned civil rights abuses, Title XI grants them the right to a jury trial and for penalties not to exceed $1,000 or six months in jail.

The passage of this historic bill, initiated by President John F. Kennedy and fought for by so many others, laid the groundwork for subsequent civil rights legislation, setting precedence for anti-discrimination laws based on sex, age, and disability. As President Lyndon B. Johnson stated after signing into law the Civil Rights Act of 1964, “…those who began America knew that freedom would be secure only if each generation fought to renew and enlarge its meaning.” As we celebrate the 50th anniversary of this landmark bill, let us remember all those who fought against oppression and injustice to secure the rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness for all Americans.

La Biblioteca Presidencial John F. Kennedy se ha unido a la Oficina de Comunicaciones de los Archivos Nacionales para extender su alcance de medios de comunicación social para el público de habla hispana. Tal parece que de casualidad, nuestra interna de la Biblioteca Kennedy, estaba en medio de la catalogación del viaje de 1962 del presidente y la señora Kennedy a México, cuando los Archivos Nacionales anunciaron a su nueva interna de Diversidad e Inclusion contratada para promover un proyecto piloto destinado a ampliar el alcance de los medios de comunicación social.

Tras haber catalogado más de 150 fotos del viaje a México, la interna de catalogación de las fotografías de la Casa Blanca de la Biblioteca Kennedy, Lillianne “Lilli” Germain, crea la siguiente “blog post” que ofrece materiales de los archivos relacionados con la visita. La Biblioteca Kennedy contó con la ayuda de la interna de Diversidad e Inclusión de los Archivos Nacionales, Idaliz “Ida” Marie Ortiz Morales, para traducir el blog de Lilli en español. Estamos muy contentos de compartir los resultados del trabajo duro de Lilli y de Ida!

Por Lillianne Germain, Interna en la Biblioteca Presidencial John F. Kennedy
Traducción por Idaliz Marie Ortiz Morales, Interna en la Oficina de Estrategias de Planificacion y Comunicaciones en los Archivos Nacionales

JFKWHP-ST-300-27-62

JFKWHP-ST-300-24-62

Como interna de la catalogacón de las fotografías de la Casa Blanca en la Biblioteca Presidencial John F. Kennedy, he tenido la suerte de trabajar con una impresionante colección de fotos diariamente. Mis mayores responsabilidades en el internado son investigar a las personas, lugares y eventos mencionados anteriormente y escribir descripciones de las fotos. Una de las grandes ventajas de trabajar con una colección tan histórica es la gran cantidad de material que tenemos a nuestra disposición para esta investigación. Los numerosos recursos disponibles en la biblioteca le traen, verdaderamente, vida a las fotos. Este es el caso con mi proyecto de este verano – puedo pasar mis días en México con el presidente John F. Kennedy y la primera dama Jacqueline Kennedy en su visita de Estado en 1962.

La cantidad de material relacionado con esta visita (que duró solo 48 horas!) abarca varias colecciones de materiales de texto, grabaciones de audio e imágenes en movimiento. Aunque mi trabajo consiste en catalogar las fotografías de este viaje, en el punto medio de este proyecto, me llama la atención la cantidad de tiempo que he pasado con otros materiales en nuestras colecciones, recopilando información de la Oficina de Archivos del Presidente, Archivos de Seguridad Nacional, and Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy Onassis Documentos Personales.

El presidente y la señora Kennedy viajaron a la Ciudad de México en el verano de 1962, pero el fundamento para el viaje comenzó mucho antes. Como el presidente Kennedy destacó en una ceremonia a su llegada a México, la visita fue una tradición que había sido practicado por los presidentes de Estados Unidos desde Franklin D. Roosevelt. “Venimos como buenos vecinos y seguimos los pasos de uno de mis predecesores más ilustres, Franklin Roosevelt, quien profetizó que llegaría el día, finalmente, cuando los presidentes de México y Estados Unidos se podrían reunir libremente y positivamente comunicarse sobre sus responsabilidades comunes y frecuentes oportunidades“.

JFKWHP-KN-22522. El presidente John F. Kennedy pronuncia un discurso al llegar a la Ciudad de México. El presidente de México, Adolfo López Mateos, se encuentra en la plataforma a la derecha; El intérprete del Departamento de Estado de Estados Unidos, Donald Barnes, se encuentra por debajo de la plataforma a la izquierda. Los miembros de la guardia de honor de pie en el fondo. Aeropuerto Internacional Benito Juárez, Ciudad de México, México, 29 de junio de 1962.

 Ver esta foto y más imágenes de la carpeta aquí.

 Escuche el audio de la dirección aquí.

 Ver borradores y transcripción del discurso aquí.

 Ver película de la ceremonia de llegada y todo el viaje aquí.

Y así, el presidente Kennedy viajó a México después que se le extendiera una invitación por parte del  Presidente de México, Adolfo López Mateos, en el otoño de 1961.

JFKPOF-122-004-p0011

 Para una traducción en ingles, vaya a la carpeta aquí.

Las fotografías de la visita muestran que el pueblo de México y el presidente López Mateos recibieron con entusiasmo al Presidente y a la Primera Dama. (como podemos ver por su abrazo en esta fotografía!).

JFKWHP-ST-300-41-62. El presidente de México, Adolfo López Mateos, le da la bienvenida al presidente John F. Kennedy a Los Pinos, la residencia oficial del Presidente de México. De pie en el centro (L-R): la primera dama Jacqueline Kennedy; El presidente López Mateos; El presidente Kennedy; la Primera Dama de México, Eva Sámano de López Mateos; y Eva López Mateos. También en la foto: el Jefe de Protocolo de México, Federico A. Mariscal; el Jefe del Personal Presidencial General de México, General de División José Gómez Huerta; Jefe de Protocolo de los EE.UU., Angier Biddle Duke; el intérprete del Departamento de Estado de los EE.UU., Donald Barnes; el General Cristóbal Guzmán Cárdenas; y los agentes del Servicio Secreto de la Casa Blanca, Gerald A. “Jerry” Behn, y Paul S. Rundle. Ciudad de México, México, 29 de junio de 1962.

 Ver esta foto y más imágenes de la carpeta aquí.

La cálida bienvenida es especialmente evidente en las imágenes de la caravana de los vehículos que viajaban desde el aeropuerto hasta la residencia del Presidente de México (Los Pinos). Aproximadamente un millón y medio de personas se alinearon en las calles para ver el desfile de los automóviles, y una tormenta de confeti los saludaba mientras hacian su camino a través de la ciudad.

JFKWHP-ST-C1-27-62. El presidente John F. Kennedy se encuentra en un convertible durante el desfile de los automóviles a Los Pinos, la residencia oficial del Presidente de México, después de su llegada junto a la primera dama Jacqueline Kennedy en México. El presidente de México, Adolfo López Mateos (derecha), se encuentra en el coche con el presidente Kennedy. La Catedral de México y la Galería Palacio Nacional son visibles en el fondo. El Confeti cae en la caravana; los espectadores bordean la calle. Ciudad de México, México, 29 de junio de 1962.

 Ver esta foto y más imágenes de la carpeta aquí.

Al igual que con muchos de los viajes de los Kennedy, la señora Kennedy se destacó como una estrella. Ella recorrió varios lugares de interés y centros importantes de la Ciudad de México en la década de 1960, entrañandose a sí misma para el pueblo de México.

La Primera Dama Jacqueline Kennedy se encuentra frente a la Piedra del Sol (calendario azteca) durante una visita al Museo Nacional de Antropología del Instituto Nacional de Antropología e Historia en la Ciudad de México, México. De izquierda a derecha: Eva López Mateos; la primera dama de México, Eva Sámano de López Mateos; el subdirector del Instituto Nacional de Antropología e Historia, el Dr. Ignacio Bernal; la señora Kennedy; y el director del Instituto Nacional de Antropología e Historia, el Dr. Eusebio Dávalos Hurtado. 29 de junio de 1962.

 Ver esta foto y más imágenes de la carpeta aquí.

JFKWHP-ST-C1-21-62. La primera dama Jacqueline Kennedy visita a niños en el Instituto Nacional de Protección a la Infancia en la Ciudad de México, México, 30 de junio de 1962.

 Ver esta foto y más imágenes de la carpeta aquí.

La señora Kennedy incluso dio un discurso en español en un almuerzo que ella y el presidente Kennedy dieron en honor al presidente López Mateos y a la Primera Dama de México, Eva Sámano de López Mateos.

JFKWHP-KN-C22666-G. El presidente John F. Kennedy se encuentra con la primera dama Jacqueline Kennedy mientras ella daba un discurso en español en un almuerzo celebrado en honor al presidente de México, Adolfo López Mateos, y a la Primera Dama de México, Eva Sámano de López Mateos. En la mesa (L-R): el Presidente de la Comisión Permanente del Congreso de México, Rómulo Sánchez Mireles; El presidente López Mateos; La señora Kennedy; El presidente Kennedy; La señora López Mateos (en su mayoría oculta detrás de las flores); el Presidente de la Corte Suprema de México, Alfonso Guzmán Neyra. También en la foto está el intérprete del Departamento de Estado de los de Estados Unidos , Donald Barnes (en la parte trasera, detrás de la señora Kennedy). Hotel Maria Isabel, Ciudad de México, México, 30 de junio de 1962.

 Ver imagen aquí.

JBKOPP-SF16-003-p0084—85. Las traducciones en inglés y en español de las declaraciones de la primera dama Jacqueline Kennedy.

 Ver la carpeta completa aquí.

A medida que estas fotografías y documentos sugieren, el viaje a México fue un gran éxito en el fortalecimiento de la relación entre México y Estados Unidos como “buenos vecinos.” A lo largo del viaje, los dos presidentes expresaron su deseo de una fuerte amistad entre las dos naciones. En un mensaje enviado al presidente López Mateos a su salida de México, el presidente Kennedy llegó a la conclusión, “Vine a conocer a un presidente y estadista, yo lo he dejado como un amigo. ¡Viva México!”

JFKPOF-122-006-p0175. Borrador del mensaje que el presidente Kennedy le envió al presidente López Mateos al salir de México.

 Ver la carpeta completa aquí.

El presidente López Mateos le envió este mensaje al presidente Kennedy en respuesta:

JFKPOF-122-001-p0047-49

 Para una traducción en ingles, vaya a la carpeta aquí.

Hasta la fecha, más de la mitad de las fotografías de este viaje han sido catalogadas y publicadas en nuestros archivos digitales. Visita nuestro instrumento de investigación para explorar más fotografías de este viaje y permanezcan atentos ya que el proyecto se acerca más a la finalización!

The John F. Kennedy Presidential Library has teamed up with the National Archives Communications Office to extend its social media reach to Spanish-speaking audiences. As chance would have it, a Kennedy Library intern was in the midst of cataloging President and Mrs. Kennedy’s 1962 trip to Mexico when NARA announced a new Diversity and Inclusion intern hired to promote a pilot project aimed at expanding outreach.

After cataloging over 150 photos from the trip to Mexico, Kennedy Library White House Photographs cataloging intern, Lillianne “Lilli” Germain, created the following blog post featuring archival materials related to the visit; the Kennedy Library enlisted the help of NARA’s Diversity and Inclusion intern, Idaliz “Ida” Marie Ortiz Morales, to translate Lilli’s blog into Spanish. We are excited to share the results of Lilli and Ida’s hard work!

by Lillianne Germain, Graduate Student Intern (Simmons College GSLIS)

JFKWHP-ST-300-27-62

JFKWHP-ST-300-24-62

As a White House Photographs cataloging intern at the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library, I am lucky to work with an amazing collection of photos on a daily basis. My main internship responsibilities are to research the people, places, and events depicted and to write descriptions of the photos. One of the great advantages of working with such a historic collection is the vast amount of material we have at our disposal for this research. The many resources available at the Library truly bring the photos to life. This is especially the case with my project this summer–I get to spend my days in Mexico with President John F. Kennedy and First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy on their state visit in 1962.

The amount of materials related to this one visit (which lasted just 48 hours!) spans multiple collections of textual materials, audio recordings, and moving images. Though my job is to catalog the photographs from this trip, at the half-way point of this project I am struck with the amount of time I have spent with other materials in our collections, pooling information from the President’s Office Files, National Security Files, and Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy Onassis Personal Papers.

President and Mrs. Kennedy traveled to Mexico City in the summer of 1962, but the foundation for the trip started much earlier. As President Kennedy remarked at a ceremony upon his arrival in Mexico, the visit was a tradition that had been practiced by U.S. presidents since Franklin D. Roosevelt. “We come as good neighbors and follow in the footsteps of one of my most distinguished predecessors, Franklin Roosevelt, who prophesied that the day would ultimately come when Presidents of Mexico and the United States would freely meet and freely communicate upon their common responsibilities and common opportunities.”

JFKWHP-KN-22522. President John F. Kennedy delivers remarks upon his arrival in Mexico City. President of Mexico, Adolfo López Mateos, stands on platform at right; U.S. State Department interpreter, Donald Barnes, stands below platform at left. Members of an honor guard stand in the background. Benito Juárez International Airport, Mexico City, Mexico, 29 June 1962.

View this photo and more images from the folder here. 

Listen to audio of the address here.

View drafts and transcript of the speech here.

View motion picture footage from the arrival ceremony and the entire trip here.

And so President Kennedy traveled to Mexico after an invitation was extended from the President of Mexico, Adolfo López Mateos, in the fall of 1961.

JFKPOF-122-004-p0011

For an English translation, view the folder here.

The photographs from the visit show that the President and First Lady were received with enthusiasm by the Mexican people and by President López Mateos (as we can see from their embrace in this photograph!).

JFKWHP-ST-300-41-62. President of Mexico, Adolfo López Mateos, welcomes President John F. Kennedy to Los Pinos, the official residence of the President of Mexico. Standing in center (L-R): First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy; President López Mateos; President Kennedy; First Lady of Mexico, Eva Sámano de López Mateos; and Eva López Mateos. Also pictured: Chief of Protocol of Mexico, Federico A. Mariscal; Chief of the Presidential General Staff of Mexico, Major General José Gómez Huerta; U.S. Chief of Protocol, Angier Biddle Duke; U.S. State Department interpreter, Donald Barnes; General Cristóbal Guzmán Cárdenas; White House Secret Service agents, Gerald A. “Jerry” Behn, and Paul S. Rundle. Mexico City, Mexico, 29 June 1962.

View this photo and more images from the folder here.

The warm welcome is especially evident in the images of the motorcade traveling from the airport to the residence of the President of Mexico (Los Pinos). Approximately a million and a half people lined the streets to watch the motorcade, and a blizzard of confetti greeted them as they made their way through the city.

JFKWHP-ST-C1-27-62. President John F. Kennedy stands in a convertible during the motorcade to Los Pinos, the official residence of the President of Mexico, following his and First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy’s arrival in Mexico. President of Mexico, Adolfo López Mateos (right), stands in the car with President Kennedy. The Catedral de México (Metropolitan Cathedral) and the Galería Palacio Nacional (National Palace) are visible in the background. Confetti falls on the motorcade; spectators line the street. Mexico City, Mexico, 29 June 1962.

View this photo and more images from the folder here.

As with many of the Kennedys’ trips, Mrs. Kennedy stood out as a star. She toured various attractions and facilities important to Mexico City in the 1960s, endearing herself to the people of Mexico.

JFKWHP-KN-C22562. First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy stands in front of the Piedra del Sol (Aztec calendar, Sun Stone) during a visit to the Museo Nacional de Antropología (National Museum of Anthropology) of the Instituto Nacional de Antropología e Historia (National Institute of Anthropology and History) in Mexico City, Mexico. Left to right: Eva López Mateos; First Lady of Mexico, Eva Sámano de López Mateos; Subdirector of the Instituto Nacional de Antropología e Historia, Dr. Ignacio Bernal; Mrs. Kennedy; Director of the Instituto Nacional de Antropología e Historia, Dr. Eusebio Dávalos Hurtado. 29 June 1962.

View this photo and more images from the folder here.

JFKWHP-ST-C1-21-62. First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy visits with children at the Instituto Nacional de Protección a la Infancia (National Institute for the Protection of Children) in Mexico City, Mexico, 30 June 1962.

View this photo and more images from the folder here.

Mrs. Kennedy even delivered a speech in Spanish at a luncheon that she and President Kennedy gave in honor of President López Mateos and First Lady of Mexico, Eva Sámano de López Mateos.

JFKWHP-KN-C22666-G. President John F. Kennedy stands with First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy as she delivers remarks in Spanish at a luncheon held in honor of President of Mexico, Adolfo López Mateos, and First Lady of Mexico, Eva Sámano de López Mateos. At table (L-R): President of the Permanent Commission of the Mexican Congress, Rómulo Sánchez Mireles; President López Mateos; Mrs. Kennedy; President Kennedy; Mrs. López Mateos (mostly hidden behind flowers); President of the Supreme Court of Mexico, Alfonso Guzmán Neyra. Also pictured is U.S. State Department interpreter, Donald Barnes (in back, behind Mrs. Kennedy). Hotel Maria Isabel, Mexico City, Mexico, 30 June 1962.

View image here.

JBKOPP-SF16-003-p0084—85. English and Spanish translations of First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy’s remarks.

View the entire folder here.

As these photographs and documents suggest, the trip to Mexico was a great success in strengthening the relationship of Mexico and the United States as “good neighbors.” Throughout the trip, both presidents expressed a desire for a strong friendship between the two nations. In a message sent to President López Mateos upon his departure from Mexico, President Kennedy concluded, “I came to meet a president and statesman, I have left him as a friend. ¡Viva México!”

JFKPOF-122-006-p0175. Draft of message President Kennedy sent to President López Mateos upon leaving Mexico.

View the entire folder here.

President López Mateos sent this message to President Kennedy in response:

JFKPOF-122-001-p0047-49

For an English translation, view the entire folder here.

To date, over half of the photographs from this trip have been cataloged and published in our digital archives. Visit our finding aid to explore more photographs from this trip, and stay tuned as the project comes closer to completion!

by Laurie Austin, Audiovisual Reference Archivist

We were saddened to learn of the passing of documentary filmmaker Robert Drew on July 30, 2014. While Drew had a long and distinguished career that went beyond his connection with John F. Kennedy, we pause a moment to recognize the importance of his three Kennedy documentaries, Primary (1960), Adventures on the New Frontier (1961), and Crisis: Behind a Presidential Commitment (1963).

In the late 1950s Robert Drew developed new film technology that would change how documentary filmmaking was produced. His innovation—a handheld camera that filmed action in sync with the sound—made it possible to look in on historic events in a new way, as they were unfolding. While today this method seems like second nature, in the late 1950s it was a giant step forward in film technology.

Drew’s documentary Primary followed Democratic presidential candidates John F. Kennedy and Hubert Humphrey through the 1960 Wisconsin primary. It was groundbreaking in its “you-are-there” nature—a genre now known as cinéma vérité. Drew followed that film up with a documentary portraying President Kennedy’s inauguration and his first months in the White House; this work, Adventures on the New Frontier, candidly followed the President’s actions in the Oval Office.

Memo from Robert Drew to President-elect John F. Kennedy regarding the logistics of filming the President’s inauguration and transition, 30 December 1960. 

View the digitized folder of material here: http://www.jfklibrary.org/Asset-Viewer/Archives/JFKCAMP1960-1053-014.aspx

The “fly-on-the-wall” nature of Drew’s filmmaking was brought to full force in Crisis, which told the story of the integration of the University of Alabama from the perspectives of both the White House and the citizens of Alabama. Drew’s request to film this event was initially rejected.

Robert Drew’s initial inquiry to the White House about the filming of Crisis, 2 May 1963.

View the digitized folder of material here: http://www.jfklibrary.org/Asset-Viewer/Archives/JFKWHCSF-0847-002.aspx

Letter from White House Press Secretary, Pierre Salinger, to Robert Drew, rejecting the proposal to film the President’s handling of the crisis at the University of Alabama, 20 May 1963.

View the digitized folder of material here: http://www.jfklibrary.org/Asset-Viewer/Archives/JFKWHCSF-0367-005.aspx

We cannot find written evidence showing that President Kennedy changed his mind about the filming of this event, though clearly he did. Crisis captures important conversations and decisions made by President Kennedy during one of the most intense domestic disputes of his presidency.

White House draft opener for Robert Drew’s forthcoming documentary Crisis, 10 October 1963.

Additional narration and transcriptions of film segments can be found here: http://www.jfklibrary.org/Asset-Viewer/Archives/JFKWHCSF-0366-002.aspx

We have copies of all three of Robert Drew’s documentaries on John F. Kennedy and anyone is welcome to make an appointment with the Audiovisual Reference Unit to view them on-site. Please email JFK.AVArchives@nara.gov for more information.

Por Laurie Austin, Archivera de Referencias Audiovisuales
Traducción por David Castillo, Interna en la Biblioteca Presidencial John F. Kennedy

(See English version here.)

Estamos muy triste saber de la defunción del director de documentales Robert Drew el 30 de julio de 2014. Aunque Drew tenía una carrera larga y distinguida que excedía su connexión con John F. Kennedy, nos detenemos un momento para reconocer la importancia de sus documantales sobre Kennedy: Primary (1960), Adventures on the New Frontier (1961), y Crisis: Behind a Presidential Commitment (1963).

Al fin de los años cincuenta, Robert Drew desarrolló una nueva technología cinematográfica que cambiaría la producción del cine documental. Su innovación—una cámara portátil que grabó la acción en sincronización con el sonido—hizo possible mirar a los sucesos históricos de nueva manera, segun se iban desarollando. Aunque hoy día este método parece muy normal, en los años cincuenta, fue un avance grande para la technología del cine.

El documental Primary siguió los candidatos John F. Kennedy y Hubert Humphrey durante la elección primaria de Wisconsin en 1960. Era revolucionario con su calidad de inmediatez—un género conocido ahora como cinéma vérité. A continuación, Drew hizo un documental sobre la inauguración de Kennedy y los primeros meses en la Casa Blanca. Esta obra, Adventures on the New Frontier, ofreció una vista franca de las acciones del Presidente en el Despacho Oval.

Memorándum de Robert Drew al presidente-electo Kennedy sobre la logística de rodar la inauguración y transición del Presidente, 30 de diciembre de 1960.

Se puede encontrar la carpeta de documentos digitalizados en: http://www.jfklibrary.org/Asset-Viewer/Archives/JFKCAMP1960-1053-014.aspx

La inmediatez del cine de Drew llegó a su máxima extensión con Crisis, que trataba de la historia de la integración de la Universidad de Alabama desde las perspectivas de la Casa Blanca y los ciudadanos de Alabama. Al principio, se rechazaron las propuestas de Drew para rodar estos sucesos.

Primera solicitud de Robert Drew a la Casa Blanca sobre el rodaje de Crisis, 2 de mayo de 1963.

Se puede encontrar la carpeta de documentos digitalizados en: http://www.jfklibrary.org/Asset-Viewer/Archives/JFKWHCSF-0847-002.aspx

Carta de Secretario de Prensa para la Casa Blanca, Pierre Salinger, a Robert Drew rechazando su propuesta para rodar las acciones del Presidente con respecto al crisis en la Universidad de Alabama, 20 de mayo de 1963.

Se puede encontrar la carpeta de documentos digitalizados en: http://www.jfklibrary.org/Asset-Viewer/Archives/JFKWHCSF-0367-005.aspx

No podemos encontrar evidencia escrita que demuestra que el presidente Kennedy tuvo un cambio de opinión sobre el rodaje, pero evidentemente eso ocurrió. Crisis documenta conversaciones importantes y decisiones hechos por el presidente Kennedy durante uno de los conflictos nacionales más intensos de su presidencia.

Borrador del introducción por la Casa Blanca para su próximo documental Crisis, 10 de octubre de 1963.

Se puede encontratr mas narración y transcripsciones de varias partes de la película en: http://www.jfklibrary.org/Asset-Viewer/Archives/JFKWHCSF-0366-002.aspx

Tenemos copias de los tres documentales de Robert Drew sobre John F. Kennedy y se puede pedir una cita con el Departamento de Referencias Audiovisuales para verlos. Por favor, manda un correo electrónico a JFK.AVArchives@nara.gov para mas información.

by Abigail Malangone, Processing Archivist

We are pleased to announce that the Lawrence F. O’Brien Personal Papers are open and available for research.

Lawrence “Larry” O’Brien, of Springfield, Massachusetts, was a member of the inner circle of Kennedy aides that came to be known as the “Irish Mafia.” O’Brien began his association with John F. Kennedy in the early 1950s; he worked on Kennedy’s 1952 and 1958 Senate campaigns and was named National Director of Organization for Kennedy’s 1960 presidential run. A widely admired figure for his organizing talent, his “O’Brien Manual” became a highly sought-after volume for anyone wanting to run a campaign and win an election.

O’Brien was named Special Assistant to the President for Congressional Relations and Personnel in 1961. He faced challenges from the outset, including a slender Democratic majority in Congress and a Rules Committee fight. However, he used his skills to build an office and a staff that would strengthen communication between the executive and legislative branches.

Congressional Quarterly “White House Lobby on the Hill.” Excerpt of an article on the O’Brien operation.

[View the entire folder here: http://www.jfklibrary.org/Asset-Viewer/Archives/LOBPP-090-008.aspx]

Following President Kennedy’s assassination, O’Brien continued to serve as a special assistant during the Johnson Administration. He remained in that role even after being appointed Postmaster General—a position that made him a member of President Johnson’s Cabinet. O’Brien took over the reins of the Post Office Department at a critical juncture and began a course of examination and change that led to the modern-day United States Postal Service.

Larry O’Brien resigned from government service in 1968 to join Robert F. Kennedy’s presidential campaign; later, he directed Hubert Humphrey’s presidential run. After a brief hiatus from politics, O’Brien served as Chairman of the Democratic National Committee (DNC) and was charged with bringing back respectability, financial stability, and unity to the Democratic Party.

Excerpt from Chairman O’Brien’s 1972 convention speech.

[View the entire folder here: http://www.jfklibrary.org/Asset-Viewer/Archives/LOBPP-200-009.aspx]

During his tenure as DNC Chairman, O’Brien was a target of the Watergate break-in and fought to have a Special Prosecutor appointed to investigate the event.

O’Brien’s letter to President Nixon following the Watergate break-in.

[View the entire folder here: http://www.jfklibrary.org/Asset-Viewer/Archives/LOBPP-239-008.aspx]

O’Brien wrote about his life in politics in his 1974 book, No Final Victories. The book’s contents mimic those of O’Brien’s personal papers, both of which focus on O’Brien’s political life—from John F. Kennedy to Watergate. Researchers will learn not only about the man, but also about: campaign organization; legislative programs during the Kennedy and Johnson administrations; the Post Office Department’s operations; the workings of the DNC; and much more.

by Elyse Edwards, Graduate Student Intern (Simmons College GSLIS)

In times of great struggle and conflict in the South,” Congressman [John] Lewis said, “during the freedom rides of 1961, when young people were being beaten by angry mobs in Montgomery and when fire hoses and dogs were being turned on people in Birmingham, people always said, ‘Call Burke.’”

["Burke Marshall, a Key Strategist Of Civil Rights Policy, Dies at 80," © The New York Times Company, June 3, 2003.]

Civil rights-related materials from the Burke Marshall Personal Papers represent the latest addition to the digital archives of the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library. As Assistant Attorney General in the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice (DOJ), Burke Marshall oversaw landmark moments in civil rights and was instrumental in developing the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The newly-digitized material focuses on civil rights issues such as: desegregation of interstate transportation and travel facilities; school desegregation (including James Meredith’s fight to enter the University of Mississippi); voting rights; and legislation.

A memorandum from Burke Marshall to Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy discussing pending civil rights cases, issues, incidents, and Department of Justice actions, 19 November 1962.

[View the entire folder here.]

Burke Marshall was born on October 1, 1922, in Plainfield, New Jersey. He received his undergraduate degree from Yale University before serving as a Japanese translator and cryptanalyst in the United States Army during World War II. After the war, Marshall returned to Yale for his law degree before joining the law firm of Covington and Burling. In 1961, Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy appointed Marshall to the post of Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights, a position he held until 1965. Following his resignation from the Department of Justice, Marshall returned to Covington and Burling before joining I.B.M., where he served as Vice President and General Counsel. In 1970, Marshall accepted a position as Deputy Dean and Professor at Yale, where he taught classes on political and civil rights for over three decades, eventually earning the title of Professor Emeritus.

Note to file by Burke Marshall regarding demonstrations in Jackson, Mississippi, 29 March 1961.

[View the entire folder here.]

As head of the DOJ’s Civil Rights Division, Marshall took immediate action to enforce desegregation in schools and in interstate travel. Never one to send representatives in his stead, he worked directly with affected communities and established relationships within them. In the summer of 1961 Marshall visited every city in the South with schools that were slated for desegregation that fall, speaking with state and local officials and community members to facilitate open dialogue. Marshall preferred to seek resolution through open discourse, a hallmark of his approach to easing racial tensions and encouraging voluntary integration.

A letter from James Meredith to the Justice Department requesting that the federal government step in to enforce integration in public education and protect the rights of all citizens, 7 February 1961.

[View the entire folder here.]

One of the major challenges that Marshall faced was the integration of the University of Mississippi. Marshall spent weeks traveling between Mississippi and Washington, D.C., working with state and local officials to ensure that James Meredith would be admitted peacefully to the school. Mississippi Governor Ross Barnett opposed Meredith’s admission, citing state laws. Despite numerous telephone calls with Marshall and Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy, Governor Barnett refused to uphold the Supreme Court ruling banning segregation in public schools. United States Marshals were sent to the University of Mississippi to maintain peace while the ruling was enforced, leading to a violent confrontation between students and those opposed to the admission of Meredith. Careful preparation and close vigilance by Marshall and RFK, as well as protective details provided by the U.S. Marshals, ensured Meredith’s successful enrollment in the University of Mississippi on October 1, 1962.

Listen to some of the telephone conversations among the President, Attorney General, Governor Barnett, and Burke Marshall here and here.

Transcript of a telephone conversation between Burke Marshall and Governor of Mississippi, Ross Barnett, regarding the admission of James Meredith to the University of Mississippi, 1 October 1962.

[View the entire folder, containing additional transcripts of conversations among the Governor, President Kennedy, and the Attorney General, here.]

Burke Marshall visited the southern states regularly, holding numerous meetings with various leaders including Governor Barnett, Governor George Wallace of Alabama,  as well as mayors, businessmen, and lawyers, to discuss potential solutions for easing racial tensions. The success of civil rights legislation and its implementation was influenced by the tenacious efforts of Marshall and his staff to open up channels of communication and to mediate sharp disagreements within communities. Additionally, Marshall used legal recourse when necessary to enforce civil rights legislation; he and his staff actively applied the rule of law to civil rights cases, a key strategy for enforcing voting rights.

Memorandum from Burke Marshall to Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy regarding a letter from NAACP field secretary Medgar Evers about voting rights infringement cases in the South, 15 March 1961.

[View the entire folder here.]

Letter from Burke Marshall to Laura McCray, who was appointed a voting referee in Alabama to ensure fair and lawful registration for all voters, 10 May 1961.

[View the entire folder here.]

At that time, voting restrictions served as a major vehicle of oppression in the South. Literacy tests, poll taxes, and intimidation were mechanisms of discrimination used against African Americans, leaving them unable to exercise their right to vote. The resulting disenfranchisement meant that African Americans were unable to exert any political influence where they lived. To address this problem, Marshall and his team undertook a massive legal effort to guarantee voting rights. To that end, inspections of voting facilities, voting records, and test administrators were conducted in nearly 200 counties to ensure that voting regulations were administered fairly.

The Civil Rights Act of 1964, originally proposed by President John F. Kennedy in 1963, was the culmination of years of hard work undertaken by Burke Marshall, Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy, and countless others working for, with, and alongside the Department of Justice. Previous civil rights legislation, including the acts of 1957 and 1960, lacked adequate enforcement provisions and their defense relied heavily on the 14th Amendment. Marshall approached civil rights legislation from a different angle, invoking the federal government’s constitutional power to regulate interstate commerce.

As racial tensions grew, the necessity for legislation to protect civil rights activists and civilians and to permit federal intervention became apparent. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 was a source of heated debate, as many viewed it as a violation of states’ rights. Regardless, it was signed into law by President Lyndon B. Johnson on July 2, 1964 and was a crowning achievement for those committed to expanding and ensuring equal rights for all Americans. (You can read more about the Civil Rights Act of 1964 on our blog and on Tumblr.)

Burke Marshall’s contribution to the field of civil rights is enduring and his role as a consummate public servant was well-recognized. On Marshall’s letter of resignation as Assistant Attorney General, President Lyndon B. Johnson noted, “I have never known any person who rendered a better quality of public service.”

by Bill Bjelf, Assistant Digital Archivist for Audiovisual Collections

A series of materials from the Kennedy Library’s United States Information Agency Audio Recordings Collection has been digitized and made available in the Library’s digital archives. The Director Edward R. Murrow Recordings, 1961-1965, contains audio recordings of speeches and other public appearances of former United States Information Agency (USIA) Director, Edward R. Murrow. Also included are recorded retrospectives of Murrow’s life and career made following his death in 1965.

JFKWHP-ST-C61-1-61. President John F. Kennedy shakes hands with Edward R. Murrow at Murrow’s swearing-in ceremony as Director of the USIA, 21 March 1961.

[View entire folder here: http://www.jfklibrary.org/Asset-Viewer/Archives/JFKWHP-1961-03-21-E.aspx]

During Director Murrow’s tenure, the USIA acted as an independent foreign affairs agency within the executive branch of the U.S. government. The agency was charged with communicating and promoting U.S. foreign policy and national interests through a wide range of overseas information programs; a key goal was to further mutual understanding between the United States and other nations through educational and cultural activities.

Before joining the USIA, Edward R. Murrow had a long and renowned career as a radio and television broadcast journalist. In one of the earliest recordings in this newly-digitized set—remarks at a luncheon at the National Press Club (USIAAU-002)—Director Murrow makes a humorous reference to his career change:

It is with mingled pleasure and awe that I join you today…pleasure at being again among so many of my former colleagues…awe that I am now the object of those scowling, critical visages among whose array I once sat with my own frowning brow.

The Director Edward R. Murrow Recordings series covers USIA activities, goals, and challenges; communications and media; issues related to the Cold War; and other topics. Recordings of particular interest include:

• a statement by Director Murrow on the offer by Prime Minister Fidel Castro of Cuba to exchange prisoners for tractors (USIAAU-022), in which Murrow reports on reactions to the offer in the United States and around the world; and
• statements by Director Murrow concerning the resumption of U.S. nuclear testing (USIAAU-012), in which Murrow discusses the Soviet Union’s responsibility for breaking a moratorium on nuclear testing, the reluctance of the United States to resume testing, worldwide reaction, and the commitment of the U.S. government to achieve a complete ban on nuclear testing.

Please see the collection’s finding aid for more information; we also encourage you to browse the digitized USIA recordings.

Due to copyright concerns, a small number of recordings in this set are not available in our digital archives; please contact our audiovisual reference staff for more information: JFK.AVarchives@nara.gov.

More recordings from the United States Information Agency Audio Recordings Collection relating to President Kennedy and his times are currently being digitized and will be available in our digital archives soon.

by Christina Lehman Fitzpatrick, Processing Archivist

“You were far more indispensable than the public knows to John Kennedy’s success as a Senator, candidate and President. He knew it, however; and I know he would want me to express his deep gratitude.”

– Theodore Sorensen to Myer Feldman upon learning that Feldman was leaving the White House, 23 January 1965

We are pleased to announce that the Myer Feldman Personal Papers are open and available for research. This collection provides an in-depth look at the work of one of President Kennedy’s closest advisors, his Deputy Special Counsel. Feldman’s White House Staff Files are also available for research, as well as his 14 oral history interviews.

Myer Feldman earned a law degree from the University of Pennsylvania and was serving as counsel to the U.S. Senate Banking and Currency Committee when he first met Theodore C. Sorensen and Senator John F. Kennedy. Feldman joined Kennedy’s staff as Legislative Assistant in 1958. During the 1960 presidential campaign, Feldman was Director of Research for the Democratic ticket. After winning the election, President Kennedy appointed Feldman to the post of Deputy Special Counsel. Feldman served directly under Sorensen, who was Special Counsel to the President. After President Kennedy’s death, President Lyndon B. Johnson retained Feldman and promoted him to Counsel in April 1964. During Johnson’s presidential campaign in 1964, Feldman led the effort to compile information on opponent Barry M. Goldwater. After leaving the White House in February 1965, Feldman returned to private law practice in Washington, D.C.

This collection covers a wide range of topics due to Feldman’s many duties in the White House.  In the memo seen below, he outlined his responsibilities in areas such as agriculture, commerce, aviation, transportation, immigration, and mental health. However, he was most influential as President Kennedy’s liaison to the Jewish community. In his own words, this role included “domestic issues of special interest to the community, our attitude toward Israel, United Nations actions affecting the Near East, [and] political matters.”

Memo from Myer Feldman to Theodore Sorensen listing Feldman’s general responsibilities, 2 Dec 1963.

View the entire folder here.

The following four topics are especially well documented in the Myer Feldman Personal Papers.

Israel and the Middle East: Feldman served as the main White House advisor on matters related to Israel and acted as liaison to the American Jewish community. He helped shape the administration’s strategy on Israel and the Middle East, where tensions ran high. When the President wanted to have direct policy discussions, he often sent Feldman on a secret diplomatic mission to confer with Israeli leaders face-to-face. President Johnson dubbed Feldman his “prime minister” to Israel in recognition of his contributions to important foreign policy decisions.

Excerpt of memo from Myer Feldman to Rep. Emanuel Celler, 12 June 1962. The memo outlined the “essential characteristics of the United States policy toward the Middle East” and identified four main objectives to pursue in the region.

View the entire folder here.

In one of the most controversial matters concerning the Middle East, Feldman advocated the selling of weapons to Israel in order to help defend the country against its enemies in the region. He wrote: “Our policy should be based on a desire to avoid American involvement in hostilities in the Near East. This can best be done by keeping Israeli strength at a high enough level to deter any adventure from the Arabs.” Alaska Senator Ernest Gruening (D) took exception: “Such a move can only serve to give United States approval to the arms race in the Middle East.” Read more about Feldman’s role in selling Hawk missiles to Israel in this oral history interview.

(Left) Memo from Myer Feldman to President Johnson on selling tanks to Israel, 6 Dec 1963. (Right) Letter from Sen. Gruening to President Johnson in response, 21 Dec 1963.

View the entire folder here.

Immigration reform: Soon after his inauguration, President Kennedy asked Feldman to monitor progress on immigration legislation in Congress. The administration was seeking a complete overhaul of existing immigration policies and specifically targeted the national origins quota system for elimination. Many different plans were proposed but an acceptable compromise proved extremely difficult until the Immigration and Nationality Act was signed into law by President Johnson on October 3, 1965. Although Feldman had left the White House by that time, the legislation would not have been possible without his work on the issue over the previous four years.

Memo from Myer Feldman to Jack Valenti on the immigration bill proposed by Congressman Michael A. Feighan, 12 Aug 1964. According to Feldman, the plan “contains none of the essential elements of our bill (elimination of national origins, Asia-Pacific triangle elimination, mandatory distribution of unused quota numbers).”

View the entire folder here.

International trade and tariffs: Feldman was responsible for briefing the President on matters pertaining to trade and tariffs. He traveled to Hanoke, Japan, in November 1961 to attend the conference of the Joint U.S.-Japan Committee on Trade and Economic Affairs. When Congress passed the Trade Expansion Act in 1962, the White House gained an expanded role in negotiating tariffs with foreign countries. Feldman’s papers contain many files on efforts to change import and export rates on a wide range of products, from cotton and steel to shoes and poultry. The next period of international trade negotiations (the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade, or GATT), held from 1964 to 1967, was named the “Kennedy Round” in honor of the deceased president and his administration’s efforts in the field.

(Left) Letter from Secretary of State Dean Rusk asking for Feldman’s thoughts on the Hanoke conference, 9 Dec 1961. (Right) Menu for a luncheon held during the conference.

View the entire folder here.

Transportation: Feldman also handled a variety of matters pertaining to transportation and aviation. One ambitious project under consideration by the administration was a high-speed rail line along the Northeast Corridor. The idea, introduced by Senator Claiborne Pell of Rhode Island in 1962, planned to link Washington, D.C., New York City, and Boston via passenger trains running at speeds of 100 miles per hour or more. Feldman kept tabs on the proposal as the Commerce Department conducted feasibility studies in 1964. Ultimately, Congress passed the High Speed Ground Transportation Act of 1965, which was the first commitment by the federal government to fund and develop high-speed rail service in the United States.

Memorandum from Myer Feldman to President Johnson regarding the Northeast Corridor rail project, 28 May 1964.

View the entire folder here.

Finally, the Myer Feldman Personal Papers provide a perspective on how the assassination of President Kennedy affected his staff (and close friends) and how they adjusted to the different atmosphere of the Johnson Administration. Feldman was on a plane to Japan when he heard the news of President Kennedy’s assassination. In shock, he and the other cabinet members on board promptly returned to Washington. Several days later, Feldman gave a heartfelt eulogy to President Kennedy, saying “Now it is up to us to pick up the torch which he lighted and follow along the way he charted.”

Draft statement written by Myer Feldman for the Jewish community memorial service for John F. Kennedy in Washington, D.C., 25 Nov 1963.

View the entire folder here.

por Bill Bjelf, archivero digital asistente por las colecciones audiovisuales
traducción por David Castillo, Interna en la Biblioteca Presidencial John F. Kennedy

(See English translation here.)

Se ha digitalizado una serie de grabaciones del United States Information Agency Audio Recordings Collection del Kennedy Library y se puede accederlas en nuestro archivo digital. Los Director Edward R. Murrow Recordings, 1961-1965, constan de grabaciones de audio de discursos y otras apariciones públicas del antiguo director del United States Information Agency (USIA), Edward R. Murrow. Además incluyen grabaciones de retrospectivas sobre la vida y carrera profesional de Murrow que se hicieron después de su fallecimiento en 1965.

JFKWHP-ST-C61-1-61. Presidente John F. Kennedy saluda a Edward R. Murrow en la investidura de Murrow como director del USIA, 21 Marzo 1961.

[Ver la carpeta entera aquí: http://www.jfklibrary.org/Asset-Viewer/Archives/JFKWHP-1961-03-21-E.aspx]

En aquella época, el USIA actuaba como una agencia independiente de relaciones exteriores dentro del departamento ejecutivo del gobierno de los Estados Unidos. La agencia se encargaba de comunicar y promover la política exterior y los intereses de los Estados Unidos por una variedad de programas de información en el extranjero. Un objetivo clave era fomentar un entendimiento entre los Estados Unidos y otros países por medio de actividades educativas y culturales.

Antes de trabajar en el USIA, Edward R. Murrow hacía una carrera larga y prestigiosa como reportero de radio y televisión. En una de las primeras grabaciones—un comentario en una merienda en el National Press Club (USIAAU-002)—Director Murrow se refirió en broma a su cambio de profesión:

Me siento una mezcla de placer y asombro estar con vosotros hoy…placer en estar otra vez con mis colegas anteriores…asombro que ahora, me fruncís los ceños y me miráis con desaprobación cuando anteriormente, estaba sentado con vosotros con ceño fruncido.

La serie Director Edward R. Murrow Recordings trata de las actividades, metas, y desafíos del USIA; de comunicaciones y los medios; de asuntos relacionados a la Guerra Fría; y de otros temas. Grabciones de interés incluyen:

• a una declaración por Director Murrow sobre la oferta del Primer Ministro Fidel Castro de Cuba de intercambiar prisioneros por tractores (USIAAU-022), donde Murrow informa sobre las reacciones a la oferta en los Estados Unidos y en el resto del mundo; y
• declaraciones por Director Murrow que tratan de la reanudación de pruebas nucleares por parte de los Estados Unidos (USIAAU-012), donde Murrow habla de la responsabilidad de la Unión Soviética de romper la moratoria en las pruebas nucleares, la reticencia de los Estados Unidos a reanudarlas, y sus intenciones de conseguir una prohibición total contra las pruebas nucleares.

Por favor, consulte al inventario de la colección para más información. También, le animamos echar un vistazo a las grabaciones digitalizadas del USIA.

Debido a cuestiones de derechos de autor, una pequeña cantidad de grabaciones no son accesibles en nuestro archivo digital. Por favor, para más información, póngase en contacto archiveros de referencias audiovisuales: JFK.AVarchives@nara.gov.

Están en proceso la digitalización de más grabaciones del United States Information Agency Audio Recordings Collection relacionadas al Presidente Kennedy y su época y tendremos disponibles en seguida en nuestro archivo digital.

by Abigail Malangone, Processing Archivist

We are pleased to announce the opening of the John H. Sharon Personal Papers collection.

John H. Sharon was a Washington, D.C.-based attorney whose personal papers document his interest and involvement in the Democratic Party in the 1950s and 1960s. The materials in this collection focus primarily on Sharon’s association with Adlai Stevenson and John F. Kennedy.

Sharon was a supporter of Adlai Stevenson, serving as Director of the National Stevenson-Kefauver headquarters in the 1956 presidential campaign. Sharon’s 1956 campaign files cover a variety of topics including: television publicity, delegates, campaign finances, and hydrogen bomb testing. The hydrogen bomb testing issue became a major focus of Governor Stevenson’s campaign against President Eisenhower. Sharon compiled a report entitled “The History of the H-Bomb Issue in the 1956 Presidential Campaign” at the request of the Dean of the George Washington University Law School, Sharon’s alma mater.

Table of contents and excerpt from the hydrogen bomb report written in May 1958. View the entire folder here.

Sharon also served as the deputy campaign manager for the “Stevenson for President” organization in 1960. He worked to galvanize support for Stevenson’s potential third consecutive presidential run.

Pages from Sharon’s to-do list before the 1960 Democratic Convention. View the entire folder here.

Sharon’s association with John F. Kennedy began in 1950. Before practicing as an attorney, Sharon was an aide to Congressman Charles Howell of New Jersey; Congressman Kennedy occupied the office next door. They had contact over the years; Sharon even contributed funds to Kennedy’s 1958 Senate campaign.

Letter from John Sharon to Senator John F. Kennedy, 30 October 1958. View the entire folder here.

In November 1960 Stevenson wrote a memorandum to President-elect Kennedy sharing his thoughts on the foreign policy outlook for the new administration. The memo was delivered by Sharon and George W. Ball (a Sharon colleague and future Undersecretary of State for Economic and Cultural Affairs). Kennedy soon requested that Sharon and Ball organize foreign policy task forces to aid in the presidential transition; he further requested that the two compile pertinent foreign policy questions for him to discuss with President Eisenhower during their December 1960 meeting. Final task force reports were presented to President Kennedy in January 1961 on the following subjects: Africa, balance of payments, disarmament, foreign economic policy, the United States Information Agency, and State Department operations overseas and in Washington.

Page one of the press release describing the task force reports submitted to President-elect Kennedy, 13 January 1961. View the entire folder here.

Sharon talked and met with John F. Kennedy on a number of occasions during the transition and into the early months of Kennedy’s presidency. According to meeting notes written by Sharon in March 1961, President Kennedy offered Sharon an appointment in his administration. Sharon deferred, as he preferred to “…remain at his [the President's] disposal on the outside reporting in, rather than reporting up the chain.”

Excerpt of a memorandum of conversation between President Kennedy and John Sharon, 28 February 1961. View the entire folder here.

Sharon remained outside the White House and continued to practice law, working at several firms over the course of his career. He passed away in 1980 at the age of 53.