by Christina Lehman Fitzpatrick, Processing Archivist

We are pleased to announce that the James Saxon Personal Papers are open and available for research. Saxon served as Comptroller of the Currency during the Kennedy and Johnson administrations (1961-1966). As an independent bureau of the U.S. Treasury Department, the Office of the Comptroller is charged with regulating and administering the system of national banks.

James Joseph Saxon was born on April 13, 1914, in Toledo, Ohio. After studying economics and finance, he joined the Treasury Department in 1937 as a securities analyst in the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency. During World War II, Saxon served as Treasury attaché in the Philippines, where he dealt with seized Japanese assets and advised the Army commanders on financial issues. After several years representing the Treasury abroad, Saxon returned to Washington and was appointed assistant to the Secretary of the Treasury in December 1947. He received a law degree from Georgetown University in 1950, then became special assistant to the Treasury’s General Counsel. After a brief stint with the Democratic National Committee, Saxon was named assistant general counsel of the American Bankers Association in 1952. In August 1956, he was hired as an attorney by the First National Bank of Chicago. Saxon was appointed Comptroller of the Currency by President Kennedy on November 16, 1961, and was confirmed by the Senate on February 7, 1962.

Soon after I began processing the collection, I started seeing clues that Saxon was not just another mild-mannered banker. The press dubbed him “that feuding comptroller” and the newspaper headlines blared:

“Saxon, Comptroller of US, Keeps Banking in a Whirl”

“Currency Comptroller is Most Controversial”

“U.S. Comptroller Flaunts Tradition”

“Comptroller Saxon Seems to Enjoy Maverick’s Role”

Who was this government official and how had he caused such an uproar?

I discovered that Saxon’s term as Comptroller was actually quite exciting. He took a much more active role than his predecessors and instituted many reforms in both the agency and the national banking system. These included expanding bank powers, overhauling and streamlining procedures, and lifting restrictions on certain banking products; granting approval to many new banks and branches to encourage expansion and increase competition; creating a network of regional comptrollers with more authority, as well as an international banking unit; adding a new department of trained economists; and raising hiring standards for bank examiners.

(Left) Chart showing the high number of new banks chartered during Saxon’s term. View the entire folder here.

(Right) Saxon discusses his mission and goals in this draft speech. View the entire folder here.

As Saxon explained in one speech (shown above at right):

“When I came into the office of the Comptroller of the Currency, my object was [to] see the commercial banking business inoculated with a spirit of progress, initiative, and innovation. It seemed at the time that unless the commercial banking business could be unshackled and got off dead center, it would continue to stagnate and that the economy and the society would thereby suffer. It appeared that a massive effort should be made to modernize the archaic banking structure and its operational powers and capacity, so as to make it more dynamic and competitive. This program had President Kennedy’s support, without which the controversial forward-looking program which was developed over a period of years would not have been possible.”

Saxon’s innovative approach soon caught the attention of the U.S. Congress, which was worried that he was approving charters for too many new banks. After a string of high-profile bank failures, Saxon was called to testify before Congress and defend his policies. He also butted heads with the other regulatory agencies (most notably, the Federal Reserve and the FDIC) while asserting the authority and independence of the Comptroller’s Office. Even though several of his regulatory initiatives were later overturned by the courts, Saxon left a lasting mark on the banking industry that can still be seen today.

(Right) Sample question from the briefing book Saxon used to prepare for the Congressional investigation into national banks. View the entire folder here.

(Below) Memo from Saxon to G. d’Andelot Belin, General Counsel for the Treasury Department, expressing his displeasure at perceived encroachment on the Comptroller’s authority. View the entire folder here.

Upon his resignation at the end of 1966, Saxon received an outpouring of congratulations from bankers around the country. David Rockefeller of the Chase Manhattan Bank wrote:

“I am sure that when the final version of the history of banking in the United States is written, your role as a stimulating, activating, organizing force will loom large. These past few years have been turbulent and exciting. The industry needed to be stirred up and modified, and you [helped] to do both. Congratulations on the fine services you have rendered our country!”

We are very sad to report that Warren I. Cikins, whose personal papers reside at the Kennedy Library, passed away on December 13, 2014. Cikins was a dedicated public servant at both the federal and local levels. He began his lengthy career as a legislative assistant to Congressman Brooks Hays of Arkansas, and went on to work for several federal agencies. He was a White House staffer during the Kennedy and Johnson administrations (1962-1966). In 1975, Cikins was elected to the Board of Supervisors in his local community of Fairfax, Virginia. He also worked for the Brookings Institution for nearly two decades.

The collection guide to the Warren I. Cikins Personal Papers is available on our website.

Warren Cikins’ obituary and memorial service (click “on demand viewer”) are also online for those who would like to learn more about this most interesting gentleman.

Those of us at the Kennedy Library who had the good fortune to work with Mr. Cikins knew him to be a very kind, compassionate, and generous man who took great pains to ensure that his papers and his long political career were described accurately. He provided great assistance to the Archives staff and always did so with good humor and warmth.

We will miss Warren Cikins, though are heartened to know that his legacy will live on for generations to come.

by Lauren Wallace, Graduate Student Intern (Simmons College GSLIS)

We are pleased to announce that the Ace of Clubs Records is now open and available for research. This collection features the administrative, social, and photographic records of the Ace of Clubs Charitable Organization. From charity events to by-law revisions, President’s books to Secretary journals, the collection documents the charitable activities of the organization, founded in 1911 by Rose Fitzgerald (later known as Mrs. Rose Kennedy) and Miriam Finnegan. The object of the Club was to foster its membership’s interest in social, educational, cultural, and charitable activities.

Initially founded as a limited membership club for unmarried Catholic women who had traveled or been educated abroad in the early 1900s, it later grew into a club of social elites, with up to 400 members. The Ace of Clubs gave women a chance to expand their intellectual, social, and cultural enrichment by hosting guest speakers, balls, fundraisers, art auctions, fashion shows, and many other activities.

To facilitate educational enrichment, the Ace of Clubs hosted a series of lectures for its members. Among some of the more notable speakers were: John F. Kennedy during his time as Senator of Massachusetts; John F. Fitzgerald, former Mayor of Boston and father of Rose Kennedy; and Letitia Baldrige, former White House Social Secretary to Jacqueline Kennedy. Included here are various documents that highlight the important records within the collection.

Below are Club meeting minutes that document a speech given by John F. Fitzgerald. He appeared as a guest speaker for the Ace of Clubs and spoke on the “Future of Boston” on November 28, 1932.[1]

The Second meeting of the Ace of Clubs was held at the Hotel Somerset on Monday, November twenty-eight at one o’clock. A complimentary luncheon for the members was greatly enjoyed. The president, Mrs. William B. Burkes introduced the guest speaker. The Honorable John F. Fitzgerald who made an appeal to the Catholic Women to assist in the future of Boston. It was voted to hold a dance, the date left to the discretion of the board. An interesting exhibit of handicraft followed. Prizes being voted to Miss Hannah Reardon, first prize, Miss Katherine Manning, second prize, and two honorable mentions, one to Miss Marie Quinlan and to Miss Gladys Carew. The new members introduced to the club were Miss Hannah Reardon, Mrs. Nom Blakes, Virginia Manning, Isabel MacDonald, Marion Maloney, Margaret Quinn. Mme. Joly spoke to the members about forming a French class. A group was formed. Respectfully submitted, Gladys Carew. Secretary.”

During his term as U.S. Senator, John F. Kennedy spoke to the Ace of Clubs on “Current Events” at the Harvard Club of Boston on May 13, 1957. Below is the meeting minutes entry by Club Secretary, Esther F. Ronan:[2]

“The Seventh meeting of the 1956-1957 year was held at the Harvard Club of Boston. The Club was most fortunate to hear Senator John F. Kennedy Speak on ‘Current Events.’ This evening meeting was well attended by members and their guests. Respectfully submitted, Esther F. Ronan.”

View the entire folder here.

The Ace of Clubs hosted an annual fundraising event to sponsor a selected charity. Events included balls, art auctions, and fashion shows. Several charities of note sponsored by the Ace of Clubs were the Make-A-Wish Foundation, the American Diabetes Association, and the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum.

The 1963-1964 Ace of Clubs scrapbook documents the Club’s activities. Featured right are materials from monthly meetings in February and March 1964. Included are programs and clippings from the newspaper column, “Social News,” covering luncheons and charity events. The collection holds several scrapbooks documenting the organization through the late 1990s.

View the entire folder here.

Featured right is the Club’s charity fundraising event, “Gentleman’s Night.” The event was postponed for two months in the wake of President John F. Kennedy’s death. The Club President at the time was President Kennedy’s cousin, Pauline Fitzgerald.

View the entire folder here.

Overall, the Ace of Clubs supported many charities and institutions over its ten decades of service.[3] As seen above, the Club continually supported the Kennedy family, whether by staying in contact with Rose Kennedy long after she stepped down as an officer, or sponsoring activities in support of the family during times of mourning. In May 1964 the Club received thanks from Jacqueline Kennedy for its donation to the John F. Kennedy Library in memory of President Kennedy. Additionally, the Club received several thank-you letters from Rose Kennedy and Edward M. Kennedy for its continued support, examples of which are featured below.[4, 5]

[Left] Letter from Rose Kennedy to Mrs. John Reilly thanking Mrs. Reilly for her recent note and update on the program activities of the Ace of Clubs, December 6, 1968.

View the entire folder here.

[Right] Letter from Edward M. Kennedy to Mrs. John M. Slattery thanking her for the Club’s recent contribution toward the establishment of the Robert F. Kennedy Memorial, January 15, 1970.

View the entire folder here.

Over the years, the Ace of Clubs strove to maintain and to stay true to the founding goals established by Rose Kennedy and Miriam Finnegan in 1911. Due to declining membership, the Club was disbanded in 2011 after celebrating 100 years of service. During those 100 years, the Ace of Clubs succeeded in providing financial support to local charities as well as educational and cultural enrichment to its membership.

1. Box 12, Folder: “Scrapbook: 1963-1964 (1 of 2 folders),” pages 11-12 [AOCR-012-004-p0015 and -p0016].
2. Box 4,  Folder: “Correspondence: Signed letter from Rose Kennedy, 6 December 1968″ [AOCR-004-014-p0001].
3. Box 4, Folder:  “Correspondence: 1954-1981″ [AOCR-004-013-p0037].
4. Box 15, Folder: “Secretary’s Journal: 1925-1939″ [AOCR-V0015-001-p0018].
5. Box 16, Folder: “Secretary’s Journal: 1953-1969″ [AOCR-016-001-p0047].

by Jennifer Marciello, Processing Archivist

We are pleased to announce that the Nancy Tuckerman Series of the Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy Onassis Personal Papers is open and available for research.

The papers contain personal and professional materials relating to Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis’s public and private life and her role as First Lady of the United States. They document her interest in such topics as the redecoration of the White House, travel, State visits, arts and culture, press coverage, as well as her involvement in a variety of cultural projects, organizations, and associations. The collection spans the years 1926 to 2002, and the materials consist principally of staff files, correspondence, clippings, photographs, scrapbooks, and albums as well as other materials accumulated by Mrs. Kennedy during the course of her life.

The recently opened Nancy Tuckerman Files contain subject-based files and personal correspondence spanning Mrs. Kennedy’s last few months in the White House until her death in 1994. Nancy Tuckerman was the White House Social Secretary from June of 1963 until Mrs. Kennedy left Washington D.C. for New York in 1964, when Tuckerman then became Mrs. Kennedy’s personal secretary and chief of staff.

The subject files—the majority of material—are arranged alphabetically by type and are composed of memos, notes, and correspondence relating to general information on the First Lady and members of her family, projects and organizations with which she was associated, as well as memorials to President Kennedy.

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Jacqueline Kennedy, Caroline, and John, Jr. were present at the christening of the aircraft carrier U.S.S. John F. Kennedy on May 27, 1967, in which Caroline Kennedy did the honors of christening the carrier in honor of President Kennedy.

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Jacqueline Kennedy was interested in finishing the work started by President Kennedy on June 1, 1962 regarding redevelopment of the Federal Triangle in Washington D.C. (Right) Letter from New York Senator Daniel P. Moynihan informing Mrs. Onassis that the work had been completed.

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Pushinka was a dog that Nikita Khrushchev, Premier of the Soviet Union (USSR), gave to President Kennedy. (Left) Pushinka’s original paperwork from Russia and the records for other family dogs can be found within Tuckerman’s subject files.

The series also contains the White House files that Tuckerman kept in her role as White House Social Secretary. Included are materials relating to the White House redecoration project and the Fine Arts Committee, requests of the Social Office, state gifts, and state dinners such as the Nobel Prize winners dinner, which includes the guest book signed by invitees such as Pearl Buck, Robert Frost, and Robert Oppenheimer. Of note are extensive handwritten notes from Mrs. Kennedy to Chief Usher J.B. West regarding the upkeep and running of the White House.

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(Right) Memo for Chief Usher J. B. West from Mrs. Kennedy outlining her specific instructions for how to photograph an official state dinner.

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(Left) Memo from Chief Usher J.B. West to Mrs. Kennedy regarding her introduction of the first White House Guidebook.

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(Right) Example of a White House menu from January 18, 1962. The Tuckerman Series contains menus from February 1961 to October 1963.

Also included in this opening is material relating to President Kennedy’s gravesite and condolence mail received by First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy (and personally handled by Nancy Tuckerman) after the assassination of the President. A small segment of condolence mail includes general mail addressing requests from the public, gift acknowledgments, and tributes and memorial projects. Other condolence mail includes anniversary remembrances, flower card enclosures, and V.I.P. mail from government officials and heads of state. Of note are files relating to the volunteers who helped answer the large amount of condolence mail received after President Kennedy’s assassination. For additional condolence mail received by Mrs. Kennedy’s office please consult Series 1.2. Condolence Mail.

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(Left) Mass service booklet on the Day of Burial for John Fitzgerald Kennedy, Saint Matthew’s Cathedral, Washington D.C.

(Below) Letter from John Carl Warnecke to Jacqueline Kennedy regarding the design of President Kennedy’s gravesite, as designed by John Carl Warnecke and Associates, Architects and Planning Consultants.

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(Left) Condolence telegram to Mrs. Kennedy from Martin Luther King, Jr.

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(Right) Condolence telegram to the Kennedy Family from Bob Hope.

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(Left) Draft of a press release thanking the public for their messages of sympathy and recognizing the thousands of volunteers who answered Mrs. Kennedy’s condolence mail.

For additional information about the Personal Papers of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis please refer to the full finding aid of the collection.

by Maryrose Grossman, Audiovisual Reference Archivist

Aside from being born four days apart (in May 1917), President John F. Kennedy and Fr. Theodore M. “Ted” Hesburgh had other things in common. Both were steeped in Catholic tradition as well as committed to public service. They were also charismatic leaders who exhorted generations to combat the world’s problems and to achieve personal success in the service of others. President Kennedy’s career in public service began in 1946, first as a U.S. Representative and later as a U.S. Senator from Massachusetts. Fr. Hesburgh served as President of the University of Notre Dame from 1952-1987; he was also a charter member of the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights and a champion of higher education and other causes throughout his long life.

During the 1960 presidential campaign, John F. Kennedy directly addressed anti-Catholic bias and misconceptions about his religion; he triumphed over this obstacle to win the presidential election. The question of his potential allegiance to the Pope over the U.S. Constitution was of particular concern to many, and Kennedy quelled those fears at an address to the Greater Houston Ministerial Association on September 12, 1960. Kennedy stated:

I am not the Catholic candidate for President. I am the Democratic Party’s candidate for President who happens also to be a Catholic. I do not speak for my Church on public matters—and the Church does not speak for me.” [1]

Fr. Hesburgh later spoke of the anti-Catholic issue, perhaps somewhat humorously:

That was talked about far and wide. It was really a bigoted kind of thing. There was no sense to it. The last thing in the world the Kennedys would do is go to the Pope for advice.” [2]

Every year the University of Notre Dame offers the Laetare Medal to a prominent American Catholic layman. Since 1883, the University has provided “by tradition and general acceptance, the most honored and outstanding lay award in the United States.” [3] It is not surprising that the 1961 Laetare Medal was awarded to President Kennedy. However, the award was not a fait accompli; aware of lingering anti-Catholic sentiment, Fr. Hesburgh did not want to risk further alienating President Kennedy from certain circles by giving him the medal; he therefore offered the President the choice of whether to accept the 1961 award. Fr. Hesburgh wrote in a letter to the President on February 14, 1961:

As I see the alternatives, some vocal non-Catholics might raise their eyebrows; on the other hand, I am sure it would be rather incomprehensible to the more than forty million Catholics in this country if anyone but yourself were given the award this year… It seems to me only proper that you yourself should make the this decision.” [4]

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View the entire folder related to Fr. Hesburgh, here.

President Kennedy decided to accept the Laetare Medal and Fr. Hesburgh sent a handwritten note expressing his delight that the President would be receiving the award for 1961.

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 View the entire folder related to Fr. Hesburgh, here.

The ceremony took place in the Oval Office on November 22, 1961. President Kennedy did not offer prepared remarks, perhaps in concession to any vocal non-Catholics who might disapprove.

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                                                  View the entire folder of photographs related to the 1961 Laetare Medal, here.

Two years later, to the day, President Kennedy was assassinated; Fr. Theodore Hesburgh lived another 51+ years and died on February 26, 2015, at the age of 97.

Just four days after President Kennedy’s death, Fr. Hesburgh published an essay in the University of Notre Dame’s campus magazine, Scholastic. In it he stated:

If John F. Kennedy’s death has any message for America and all the world, it is this: ‘Get on the road, because the hour is late’.” [5]

Hesburgh’s words resonated with those of President Kennedy in his Inaugural Address:

All this will not be finished in the first one hundred days. Nor will it be finished in the first thousand days, nor in the life of this Administration, nor even perhaps in our lifetime on this planet. But let us begin.” [6]

The significance of President Kennedy’s award of the 1961 Laetare Medal was reflected in the following statement by Fr. Hesburgh following the President’s death:

The truest tragedy is not that some like John Kennedy fall victim along the way, but that so many others lack both the commitment and dedication to get started. Those who fall along the way do indeed become great beacons of light for those that follow them.” [7]

[1] The Speeches of Senator John F. Kennedy Presidential Campaign of 1960 (Washington: United States Government Printing Office), p. 210.

[2] Margaret Fosmoe, “Hesburgh Reflects on JFK,” South Bend Tribune, 21 November 2013.

[3] JFKPOF-030-011-p0008

[4] Ibid.

[5] Fosmoe.

[6] Public Papers of the President of the United States: John F. Kennedy 1961 (Washington: United States Government Printing Office), p. 2.

[7] Fosmoe.

by Michael Desmond, Reference Archivist

We wish to acknowledge the passing of Dr. Jack P. Ruina on February 4th, 2015 at the age of 91. From 1961 to 1963, Dr. Ruina served as Director of the Defense Department’s Advanced Research Projects Agency (ARPA). As the head of ARPA, Ruina played a key role in the hiring of J.C.R. Licklider, who paved the way for the creation of ARPANET, a precursor to the Internet.

Dr. Ruina was also responsible for the Ballistic Missile Defense Program and the Nuclear Test Detection Program (Project Vela). He described his role in the Ballistic Missile Defense Program in his first oral history interview for the Kennedy Library. His account of the Nuclear Test Detection Program can be found in his second oral history interview. This latter program led to the Nuclear Test Ban Treaty.

Dr. Ruina met twice with President Kennedy. The first meeting took place at the White House on November 22, 1961 as part of a group led by Jerome Wiesner (Special Assistant to the President for Science and Technology) to discuss the Nike-Zeus Missile System. The second meeting took place in Hyannis Port on November 24, 1961, again as part of a larger group discussing the Nike-Zeus Missile System.

Dr. Ruina served on the MIT faculty for more than thirty years. You can read more about his life and career on the MIT website, here.

by Stacey Chandler, Reference Archivist, and Christina Lehman Fitzpatrick, Processing Archivist

The Kennedy Library recently released an updated finding aid (guide) to the Ernest Hemingway Personal Papers to improve organization and to enable better access to the collection. We are excited to share the results of this work: nine separate series (that function like chapters in a book, breaking down the larger collection to keep related documents together), and a wealth of new information. Here are some of the major changes to the guide:

1. All series in the collection are now listed together, allowing a single keyword search of the entire collection for the first time. For example, a search for “Gertrude Stein” now highlights related documents in every series, including Manuscripts, Incoming and Outgoing Correspondence, Other Materials, Newspaper Clippings, Scrapbooks, and Books. Click here for more tips on searching the new finding aid.

2. Box numbers and folder titles are now included in the guide, making it easier to request boxes and to locate and cite documents. The guide presents a streamlined view of the collection, but reveals detailed document descriptions when the folder title is expanded. To expand a folder title description, click on the plus mark (+) next to each folder title. To expand all descriptions at once, scroll to the heading for “Container List,” then click the plus mark (+) next to “Expand / Collapse All.”

3. Archivists researched and identified the writers of twenty letters for the first time. These writers, previously listed as “unknown” in Series 3: Incoming Correspondence, include Madeline author Ludwig Bemelmans, childhood friends William A. Cordes and Emily Goetzmann, shipmate Charles S. Evans, and Percy Winner of the New York Post. We also found additional letters from Guy Fangel, Archibald Crabbe, and Garfield David Merner. For more on how we identified these writers, see our new blog post, “Archival Detective Work in the Hemingway Collection”.

4. Newspaper clippings and other items that were originally sent with letters to Hemingway are now described in Series 3: Incoming Correspondence. For example, a letter previously described as “TLS Ivy Pratt 11 July 1938, London, 1 p., w/2 pp. enclosure” is now listed as “TLS Ivy Pratt 11 July 1938, London, 1p., w/contract to publish THAHN in Polish, 2pp.” (THAHN is an abbreviation for To Have and Have Not, Hemingway’s 1937 novel about a fishing boat captain. For a full list of Hemingway-related abbreviations, click here.)

TLS Ivy Pratt 11 July 1938, London, 1p., w/contract to publish THAHN in Polish, 2pp. [EHPP-IC06-002].

5. Series 4: Other Materials is fully processed and described for the first time. Collected by Hemingway and documenting his daily life and interests, the series contains subject files on various topics (such as travel) as well as files of specific types of material (such as receipts). Staff favorites include book lists, fishing logs and other notebooks, manuscripts by other writers including Ford Madox Ford, and writings on the Spanish Civil War, World War I, and World War II. While working on the series, we discovered that some materials had not been described or photocopied for research use, leading us to believe that they have never been seen by researchers. This includes binders, folders, and envelopes listing word counts and other handwritten Hemingway notes. We encourage researchers to contact the research room before working with this series, so that newly-described items can be photocopied as needed.

Items from Series 4: Other Materials include: Bullfight ticket from Pamplona, 7 July 1923 (top left, EHPP-OM03-027); a binder with Hemingway’s notes on his completed stories (top right, EHPP-OM04-001); and a card designating Hemingway as an honorary game warden, 1953 (bottom left, EHPP-OM01-005).

6. The list for Series 5: Newspaper Clippings now includes only the collection’s loose clippings. This change helps clarify the provenance of Hemingway’s clippings by distinguishing between loose clippings, clippings that originally came with incoming letters, and clippings that were pasted into scrapbooks.

Newly-cataloged postcards from Series 4: Other Material [EHPP-OM19-007].

7. Textual scrapbooks now have their own series, Series 6: Scrapbooks. This series contains 10 scrapbooks created by Ernest Hemingway or his publishers, and while most contain news clippings, magazine articles, and book reviews, a few also include correspondence. (These scrapbooks are distinct from the scrapbooks made by Hemingway’s mother, Grace Hall Hemingway, which contain photographs and are kept in the Kennedy Library’s audiovisual collections. Grace Hall Hemingway’s scrapbooks have been digitized and can be viewed here.)

Page from a scrapbook of clippings about Hemingway’s works The Torrents of Spring and The Sun Also Rises, 1926-1927 [SB02].

8. Books owned by Ernest and Mary Hemingway are now described in the new Series 8: Books. Researchers may be particularly interested in descriptions of Hemingway’s notations in these books, which include novels as well as volumes on history, hunting, and nature.

Hemingway’s unnumbered press copy of Ulysses by James Joyce [EHPP-BK01-057]. For more on this book, see our Tumblr post.

Additionally, three-dimensional artifacts in the collection, including artwork, awards, souvenirs, and taxidermy, are listed in the new Series 9: Objects. Access to books and objects in the collection is by appointment only and dependent upon the condition of the item, so we encourage researchers interested in these series to contact the research room before visiting.

Museum object 2000.17 Hemingway’s Travel Bag: Black leather traveling bag with foreign stamps in French and Spanish attached to exterior surface.

We are excited to debut these changes and additions to the Ernest Hemingway Personal Papers guide! To learn about these and other changes in more detail, see the Spring 2015 issue of The Hemingway Review, or contact a reference archivist by e-mailing Kennedy.Library@nara.gov.

by Christina Lehman Fitzpatrick, Processing Archivist

During the recent project to update the finding aid for the Ernest Hemingway Personal Papers, we noticed several folders of “unidentified” incoming letters where the author was not known. Naturally, this piqued our interest and we decided to do some sleuthing. In the current age of online search engines and digitized records, could we finally identify some of these mystery writers? Here are two examples of how we researched the unidentified letters.

Case #1: “One gut Cordes”

Ernest received two letters from someone who signed as both “One gut Cordes” and “Bill.” The writer was kind enough to include full dates (27 September 1916 and 16 October 1916) as well as a location: Wyoming, Ohio. Both letters were accompanied by their mailing envelopes, revealing a return address of 715 Springfield Pike, Wyoming, OH. In the letters, the writer discussed football, camp, and girls, leading us to think that he was probably a young man around Ernest’s age.

With these clues in hand, I headed to the 1910 United States Federal Census records held by the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) and digitized by Ancestry.com. [1] A quick web search revealed that the town of Wyoming is located in Hamilton County, Ohio. After setting those geographic parameters, I started to browse the digitized census pages. Unfortunately, only one page was indexed under Wyoming and it did not contain the correct street address. I did notice that Wyoming was a division of Springfield Township, so I went back and selected the census pages for Springfield, Ohio. Fifteen enumeration districts were listed under Springfield, with the added information that six of them covered “Wyoming village.” I scrolled through the pages for these six Wyoming districts until I found the residents of Springfield Pike, then house number 715. There they were, the Cordes family! So “one gut Cordes” did in fact refer to his surname. The family included a son, William A. Cordes, who was 10 years old in 1910. This meant he was born around 1900, only a year after Ernest – and it makes sense that he signed one letter with the nickname “Bill.” I knew I had found my mystery writer.

1910 census record showing the Cordes family of 715 Springfield Pike, Wyoming, Ohio

In retrospect, I could have made some assumptions to get to the information more quickly. Searching the 1910 census for the name William Cordes, born around 1899, living in Wyoming, Hamilton County, Ohio, does in fact lead you to the same person. This may not always work, but employing some educated guesses is always a good tactic to use when searching census records.

[1] Access to Ancestry is free-of-charge and unlimited from any National Archives facility.

Case #2: Charles from the Gripsholm

Ernest received this letter written by someone named Charles on 17 February 1938. Our archives intern, Bonnie McBride, tackled the detective work for this item. She found many clues in the content of the letter itself. Charles wrote:

The weather at Nassau continued to be filthy for four days after you left. Ronnie and I spent most of that time in the Colonial bar. … I ran across Crabbe and Dalhousie at Bradley’s. … I’m well at work again and return to England by the Berengaria on March 2nd. … My warmest greetings to you both. I shall long remember that happy trip on the Gripsholme [sic].”

Bonnie started by going to Ancestry.com and finding the category for Immigration and Travel records. After selecting Passenger Lists, she searched for the name Ernest Hemingway, born in 1899, and destined for Nassau, Bahamas. The first result was a page from the UK Outbound Passenger Lists, which documents that Ernest left Southampton, England, on 14 January 1938 aboard the ship Gripsholm, which was bound for Nassau. Bonnie scrolled through the passenger manifest for this voyage, and located two British citizens named Charles: Charles H. Caves, listed as a 54-year-old manservant from Newton Mearns, Scotland, and Charles S. Evans, a 49-year-old executive from London, England. She also found the other men mentioned in Charles’s letter: Archibald Crabbe, Earl John G. Dalhousie, and Ronald Banon (who could be “Ronnie”). Based on this evidence, Bonnie strongly believed that our writer was Charles S. Evans.

 Passenger manifest for the Gripsholm

I decided to try to find a record of Charles returning to England on the Berengaria on 2 March 1938, as he mentioned in the letter. Another search of the ship passenger logs revealed that the Berengaria arrived in New York on that date, but then it disappeared from the records. A quick web search revealed that the Berengaria caught fire in New York harbor on 3 March! The damage was serious enough that the ship was immediately taken out of service; it was scrapped later that year. Thus Charles had just missed the final voyage of the Berengaria and had to find another way home.

Passenger manifest for Pan American flight to Miami

I had quite a bit of trouble locating Mr. Evans again. Going on the assumption that he was born around 1888 – to narrow down the many people with the surname Evans – I initially did not have any luck locating him on return voyages to England. Finally I searched all the passenger lists for any Charles S. Evans arriving in 1938, anywhere. This brought up a Charles S. Evans, age 55, who arrived in Miami via airplane on 4 February 1938. This fit with the letter because Charles wrote that he “flew to Miami” after the stay in Nassau. In this record Charles was older and described as a publisher, but he provided the same home address as in the Gripsholm manifest. At this point, I was sure he was the same person.

Passenger manifest for the Queen Mary

Using his new birth year of 1883, I tried searching the passenger lists again. This time I found Charles S. Evans, age 54, who departed New York on the Queen Mary and arrived in Southampton, England, on 14 March 1938. He was listed as a publisher and gave an address of 99 Great Russell St., London WC1. I checked the London city directories and found that West Magazine had offices at that location, so it appeared this was his work address. With this new information in hand, it was easy to imagine why Ernest the writer and Charles the publisher got along so well on their “happy trip” on the Gripsholm.

Moral of the story? If you hit a wall in your research, be sure to try many different combinations of any personal data you have on your subject. Some records can be inaccurate or misleading. We’ll never know if the customs officer made a mistake – or whether Charles lied about his age!

by Jennifer Marciello, Processing Archivist

We are pleased to announce the opening of the William J. Hartigan Personal Papers.

JFKWHP-KN-17665

William J. Hartigan was born in 1923 in Revere, Massachusetts. He was a graduate of the Beacon Institute of Podiatry, pursued pre-legal studies at Suffolk University, and took university extension courses at Harvard University and M.I.T. During World War II Hartigan served in the United States Army Air Corps as a member of the Flying Tigers in China (1942-1945).

Hartigan began his career in transportation with the airline industry (1952-1960) where he served as a cargo specialist; in this role he advised shippers on the development of faster and more economical means of transportation. Hartigan also worked as an account executive for domestic and international freight forwarders.

Active in national politics, Hartigan served as a delegate to the 1960 Democratic National Convention (DNC) and was the Director of Transportation for the DNC during the 1960 presidential campaign. On the local level, he served as Vice Chairman of the Massachusetts Democratic State Committee for four years. Hartigan was also Vice Chairman for the presidential campaigns of Robert F. Kennedy and Hubert Humphrey.

WJHPP-016-002-p0022

(Right) Delegate seating plan for the 1960 Democratic National Convention. View the entire folder here.

WJHPP-018-013-p0001

(Left) Questionnaire for the state of Indiana regarding the 1964 presidential election. View the entire folder here.

In 1961 Hartigan was appointed as a staff assistant to President Kennedy and performed advance work for presidential trips. In July of that year he was appointed as Assistant Postmaster General for the Bureau of Transportation, a position that he held until 1967 under Postmasters John Gronouski and Lawrence F. O’Brien.

WJHPP-026-009-p0001

(Right) White House press release announcing the nomination of William Hartigan as Assistant Postmaster General, Bureau of Transportation, 23 July 1961. View entire folder here.

WJHPP-016-010-p0001

(Left) Official Senate Resolution confirming William Hartigan as Assistant Postmaster General, 4 August 1961. View entire folder here.

As Assistant Postmaster General, Hartigan was instrumental in modernizing the agency with the use of airplanes for mail delivery service; of note, he rode on the last postal delivery made by dogsled in Alaska in 1963.

WJHPP-016-005-p0009

(Right) Report of Accomplishments of the Post Office Department during the First Year of the Kennedy Administration. View entire folder here.

WJHPP-001-003-p0009

(Left) Newspaper article from the Anchorage Times about the last dog sled mail delivery in Alaska. View entire folder here.

Hartigan’s papers contain a range of material: clippings related to his role in the Post Office and to departmental matters in which he was in charge; correspondence as Assistant Postmaster General (e.g., constituents seeking promotions or employment, letters of congratulation on his appointment and reappointment, as well as invitations to various events); and photographs of Hartigan (documenting trips, meetings, and various receptions, as well as official office shots and head shots).

A large segment of the collection consists of a variety of subject files: official Post Office Department reports; studies on airline safety; and Hartigan’s work on proposed economic measures in the White House. Of note in this section are files related to Hartigan’s roles on the Democratic National Committee (1959-1967), the Massachusetts Democratic State Committee, and in local politics. The last section of the series contains trip files maintained by Hartigan during his tenure as Assistant Postmaster General; these serve to document his travels to regional post offices and facilities as well as his work with international organizations such as the Universal Postal Union (UPU) and the Consultative Committee for Postal Studies (CCPS).

by Lauren Wallace, Graduate Student Intern (Simmons College GSLIS)

Photograph of H. Bentley Hahn, at the ZIP Code Symposium in Pittsburgh, PA, March 16, 1965. View the rest of the folder, here: HBHPP-001-029.

We are pleased to announce that the H. Bentley Hahn Personal Papers is now fully digitized and available on our website.

The digitization of the H. Bentley Hahn Personal Papers was part of my final capstone internship for my Masters degree in Library and Information Science and Archives Management at Simmons College. It was exciting, yet challenging, to apply the skills I had learned over the course of my degree. In digitizing this collection, what struck me was the simplicity of a program that we now take for granted and how it completely revolutionized the U.S. Postal Service. The story of the ZIP Code and of the Mr. ZIP marketing campaign provides insight into a rapidly-changing postal system. In working with H. Bentley Hahn’s papers, I discovered a small snapshot of history that I would have never seen otherwise and I am excited to be able to share it with others.

Henry Bentley Hahn, Sr. was born on March 14, 1910 in Beaumont, Jefferson Co., Texas and served in the United States Air Force from 1942-1946. Upon his return Hahn became a postal inspector for the United States Post Office Department. It was the work he performed in this position for which he is best remembered.

In 1961, the volume of magazine and circular mail bundles in the United States averaged 43 million pieces per week, with a total of about 30 billion pieces annually. [1] The U.S. Post Office was still dealing with the loss of many trained employees from World War II and did not have the necessary resources to increase the specialized training required to handle this amount of mail. With mass mail marketing campaigns and magazine circulation on the rise, the U.S. Post Office was searching for ways to manage the exponentially increasing load more effectively.

After spending six years evaluating the operations of the field postal service, Hahn submitted a report entitled, “Proposed Reorganization of the Field Postal Service” (1953) to the Inspector in Charge, C. C. Garner, as a solution to the developing mail problem. This proposal would later become the, “Zone Improvement Plan,” establishing the ZIP Code and the two-letter state abbreviations.[2] The final plan was announced to the public on November 28, 1962 and implemented on July 1, 1963.

The first three slides from Hahn’s presentation and the transcript to”Technical Explanation of Post Office Department’s Proposed ‘Zip Code’ Program for the Postal System.” The presentation was delivered following the official announcement by the Postmaster General in November 1962. View the rest of the presentation slides, here: HBHPP-001-028. View the rest of the speech, here: HBHPP-001-022.

The ZIP Code plan created a hierarchy based on national region, sub-region, post office, and delivery station.[3] Using the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library ZIP Code as an example (02125), the region is 0, sub-region is 2, post office is 1, and delivery station is 25. As found in trial areas, the new ZIP Code eased the sorting process by removing delivery steps and effectively utilizing electronic data processing equipment in the pre-sorting of mail. This approach ultimately led to a decrease in cost and delivery time.[4]

Mr. ZIP, the United States Post Office Department mascot, promoting and explaining the new ZIP Code system. View the rest of the folder, here: HBHPP-001-026.

Memorandum from James F. Kelleher, Special Assistant to the Postmaster General, to all Postmasters at Cities Formerly Zoned and Cities Newly Zoned, sent April 29, 1963. The memorandum mandated that Postmasters “immediately launch a saturation campaign to fully inform the residents” of their respective cities. View the entire folder, here: HBHPP-001-032.

In order to implement the new program successfully, the U.S. Post Office set out to create an effective, mass marketing campaign. However, due to the limited time frame between the program’s official public announcement and its expected implementation, a majority of the campaign efforts was left to the regional and local post offices, some of which only received two months notification prior to the July 1,1963 implementation date.

To accomplish this ambitious goal, regional and local post offices were utilized to saturate the community with information. The U.S. Post Office mandated that the campaign inform residents on how to use the ZIP Code, when to start, and why the change was necessary.[5] With a “tremendous job to do and a very short time in which to do it,” local post offices were entrusted with promoting and informing their residents in a very short period of time.[6]

Shortly afterward, reports of success started to come in from the regional postmasters, with minor issues to be addressed. Despite these issues, the ZIP Code was considered by the U.S. Post Office to be a huge success. Some counties saved as much as $10,000 per year, speeding up delivery by up to 48 hours in some locations and easing the process of sorting without a reduction in staff or closing local post offices.[7] Below is a sampling of the reports sent in by postmasters shortly after the implementation of the ZIP Code:

Memo from Regional Director of Seattle, Washington to the Parcel Post Division, having submitted feedback from the Postmasters within the region in February 1967, almost five years after implementation of the ZIP Code. View the rest of the folder, here: HBHPP-001-002.

Memorandum from the Newark, New York Postmaster to H. Bentley Hahn, reporting back on ZIP code in July 1964, one year later. View the rest of the folder, here: HBHPP-001-010.

While there were challenges to work through with the new system, postmasters throughout the region reported overall success in the implementation of the ZIP Code system. Almost 52 years later, the system remains in effect and has continued to adapt to many changes, including advancements in technology.

[1] HBHPP-001-004-p0002

[2] HBHPP-001-012-p0003

[3] HBHPP-001-025-p0004

[4] HBHPP-001-025-p0004

[5] HBHPP-001-032-p0001

[6] HBHPP-001-032-p0014

[7] HBHPP-001-012-p0001

by Abigail Malangone, Processing & Reference Archivist

We are pleased to announce the opening of the David S. Black Personal Papers. The material in this collection relates to Black’s work as General Counsel for the Bureau of Public Roads; Commissioner, Vice Chairman, and Acting Chairman of the Federal Power Commission; Administrator of the Bonneville Power Administration; and Undersecretary of the Department of the Interior. These papers span the years 1961 to 1969 and cover topics related to the Federal Aid Highway Program, energy, power plants, power failures, natural resources, National Parks, and Native American land claims, among others. Please consult the David S. Black Personal Papers finding aid for more information related to this collection.

Swearing in of David S. Black as General Counsel of the Bureau of Public Roads by E.J. Martin and R.M. Whitten, 1961.
[DSBPP-PH-001]

by Corbin Apkin, Graduate Student Intern (Simmons College GSLIS)

We are pleased to announce that the William Henry Byrd Personal Papers collection is now available for research. The collection consists of materials created during Byrd’s time as Director of the Peace Corps training camps in Puerto Rico, a position he held from 1961-1963, and include correspondence, weekly reports, staff memos, and Peace Corps newsletters and publications. A large portion of the collection consists of photographic prints, negatives, and slides.

William Byrd with his family. (WHBPP-PH-004)

William Henry Byrd worked as a high school teacher in Oregon. He was also a mountain guide, and one of his clients was United States Secretary of Defense Robert S. McNamara. Shortly after the creation of the Peace Corps in 1961, Secretary McNamara approached Byrd to head the Peace Corps training camps in Puerto Rico.

Staff memos detail the training schedule for Peace Corps volunteers. (View rest of the folder here: http://www.jfklibrary.org/Asset-Viewer/Archives/WHBPP-001-001.aspx)

Byrd’s materials give great insight into what the training process was like for Peace Corps volunteers. Perhaps due to his former position as a mountain guide, Byrd focused on rock climbing and physical fitness as a way to train the volunteers, but training also included activities such as Spanish lessons. Byrd’s weekly reports contain information such as visitors to the camp, community relations, and staff development. The collection offers a look into the Peace Corps that is not always documented, and we can see firsthand what volunteers encountered.

Vice President Lyndon Johnson visited one of Byrd’s camps and delivered a speech to Peace Corps volunteers on July 26, 1962. (View rest of the folder here: http://www.jfklibrary.org/Asset-Viewer/Archives/WHBPP-001-003.aspx)

The collection also contains materials related to notable persons. Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson visited Camp Radley, one of the training camps led by Byrd in 1962, and a copy of his address to the Peace Corps volunteers is included in the collection. There is also correspondence between Byrd and Director of the Peace Corps Sargent Shriver, as well as photographs of Shriver with Governor of Puerto Rico, Luis Muñoz Marín.

William Byrd corresponded with Sargent Shriver and sent him weekly reports on the Puerto Rico camps. (View rest of the folder here: http://www.jfklibrary.org/Asset-Viewer/Archives/WHBPP-001-003.aspx)

While the collection’s textual materials show us what the training process was like for Byrd’s volunteers, the photographs show us other aspects of the camps. Recreation is a major theme of the photographs, but they also document parties and other activities and offer an interesting look at what volunteers did when they weren’t training. The photographs also include pictures of Byrd’s family and numerous landscapes of Puerto Rico, giving context for the setting of the training camps.

In 1963 Byrd moved back to Eugene, Oregon where he worked as a legal investigator, and later ran the Outward Bound School. William Henry Byrd died in 2008.

by Corbin Apkin, former Graduate Student Intern and recent Graduate of Simmons College GSLIS

For the past year, I have had the opportunity to work as an intern in the Research Room at the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library. Throughout my time doing reference work, I have seen a lot of interesting documents, and many of these have come from the White House Central Name File. The Name File serves as the alphabetical index to the mail that came into the White House during President Kennedy’s administration, housing correspondence between the public, President Kennedy, and his White House staff. The great thing about the Name File is that it allows reference staff to look up specific people to see if they corresponded with the President.

Containing over 3,000 boxes (about 1,300 linear feet), the collection holds letters and telegrams from celebrities and notable figures of the 1960s, many of whom make appearances on the Library’s Facebook, Twitter, and Tumblr pages.

JFKWHCNF-2577-013-p0023: Frank Sinatra’s telegram to President Kennedy, 28 August 1962. Here, he notified the President that a copy of the film “The Manchurian Candidate” was available for viewing at the White House.

But my favorite thing about the Name File is seeing letters that ordinary Americans sent to the White House. While looking for a specific name in the collection, staff members get to see all of the other letters housed in the same folder. They reflect public opinion of the time, whether in support of Kennedy or in disagreement with him. We see firsthand what American citizens were concerned about and how they wanted to make the country better. Every folder has something interesting (or even amazing) in it, and it’s always been a pleasure for me to be able to work with this collection.

JFKWHCNF-2466-009-p0040: This citizen wrote to President Kennedy with a suggestion: an eight-part plan for dealing with the Berlin Crisis.

Because this collection is so easy for staff members to search, I decided to see if anyone from my family had sent anything to President Kennedy. Without thinking this could even be a possibility, I looked through the “Api” folder in Box 80, and I was shocked to find that a carbon copy of a response letter from the White House to my great uncle, Judge Benjamin Apkin, was in the Name File.

JFKWHCNF-0080-010-p0006: The response letter to Benjamin Apkin in the White House Name File, 14 April 1961.

Often, this is what we find in the Name File – a carbon copy of a response from the White House, but no original letter from the person who wrote to the President. But there are some important clues provided by the White House to help us find the original letter: when a letter arrived at the White House, it was often assigned a code based on the topic of the letter; “HU” for “human rights,” “IV” for “invitations,” and so on – 62 codes in all. The White House response to each letter was copied, with one copy filed in the White House Name File (alphabetically by the name of the writer), and the other copy, often along with the original incoming letter, filed in the White House Central Subject Files (based on the code assigned by White House staff). The carbon responses in the Name File carry the subject code in the upper right corner, handwritten by White House staff and linking the carbon copy to any related documents in the Subject Files. This system, used by White House filing staff both well before and well after the Kennedy administration, gives archivists and researchers a way to search correspondence both by name and by subject.

I looked up the code on this carbon (IV 1/1961/ST21) in the White House Central Subject Files, hoping to my uncle’s original telegram. Luckily, the system worked exactly as the White House designed it, and I was able to find it the folder titled “IV 1: 1961: ST 21(Massachusetts): W: General” in Box 400.

JFKWHCSF-0400-007-052 and JFKWHCSF-0400-007-053: My uncle’s telegram to the President.

On behalf of the Mayflower Warehousemen’s Association, my uncle invited President Kennedy to attend a ceremony honoring the Warehouseman of the Year for the Northeastern United States in my hometown of Williamstown, Massachusetts.

While this telegram might not be significant to most, it greatly affected me. I’m proud to know that my uncle’s telegram, however seemingly insignificant it may be, will forever be preserved in the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library archives. It also made me realize that every single letter in the Name File has significance to someone, somewhere. To me, the Name File is a treasure trove of letters that reflect the time period in many different ways and serves as an important and interesting tool for understanding our history as Americans.

See some other examples of letters in the White House Name File here, or email kennedy.library@nara.gov for more information.

by Christina Lehman Fitzpatrick, Processing Archivist

We are pleased to announce that the Paul Rand Dixon Personal Papers are open and available for research. Dixon was appointed chairman of the Federal Trade Commission by President Kennedy and served on the regulatory agency for twenty years.

Paul Rand Dixon was born on September 29, 1913 in Nashville, Tennessee. He attended Vanderbilt University and the University of Florida Law School before joining the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) in July 1938 as a trial attorney. After a brief period with the U.S. Senate Antitrust and Monopoly Subcommittee chaired by Estes Kefauver (1957-1961), Dixon was appointed FTC Chairman by President Kennedy on March 21, 1961. Dixon occupied this position until January 1, 1970. He also served as Acting Chairman briefly from January 6 to March 23, 1976. After his initial appointment, Dixon was reappointed to two additional seven-year terms and retired on September 25, 1981.

The mission of the Federal Trade Commission is to promote economic competition and to protect consumers by developing and administering federal trade regulations. The Commission investigates such practices as price fixing, restraint of trade, unfair competition, false and deceptive advertising, exclusive dealings, untruthful labeling, and the marketing of dangerous products. It enforces the law by conducting formal litigation against offending businesses, and enables voluntary compliance through educational programs. The FTC is comprised of five Commissioners; one is chosen to be Chairman.

This collection contains personal papers generated by Paul Rand Dixon during his time as FTC Commissioner (1961-1981), including copies of docket case files that track legal proceedings against various businesses. Dixon’s work is well represented in a series of alphabetical correspondence files and another series of subject files. His files contain many speeches to professional organizations and statements prepared for Congressional hearings. Common types of documents throughout the collection include letters, memoranda, staff reports, publications, legal documents, meeting minutes, and news digests. Also included are a number of photographs that Dixon displayed in his office. Please note that additional records of the Federal Trade Commission can be found in RG 122 at the National Archives and Records Administration.

During the Kennedy Administration, many changes were afoot at the FTC. In early 1961, the agency was reorganized to create three enforcement bureaus, and the rules of practice were completely revised. Instead of focusing on individual cases, the FTC shifted its attention to compliance on an industry-wide scale. This resulted in a more efficient and fair operation, as Dixon reported in September 1963. Another new tool was the “advisory opinion,” where a company could ask for a FTC ruling on whether a specific practice was legal or not. This enabled voluntary compliance and proved very popular with the business community.

Memorandum from Paul Rand Dixon to Paul Southwick at the White House, reporting on highlights of the FTC’s activities since the beginning of the Kennedy Administration, 30 September 1963. View the entire folder here.

After President Kennedy’s assassination, Dixon wrote a condolence letter to Jacqueline Kennedy on the behalf of the entire Commission:

Condolence letter to Jacqueline Kennedy, 27 November 1963. “We have not the words for a sorrow so large as this.” View the entire folder here.

A happier occasion for Chairman Dixon was the FTC’s golden anniversary in 1965. The agency was created by the Federal Trade Commission Act, signed by President Woodrow Wilson on September 26, 1914. It officially opened on March 16, 1915–making this year (2015) the 100th anniversary of the FTC. Dixon coordinated the agency’s 50th anniversary celebration, which was attended by many current and former employees as well as an array of Washington VIPs.

Letter from President Johnson on the occasion of the FTC’s fiftieth anniversary, 17 July 1964. View the entire folder here.

Also in the mid 1960s, the FTC undertook a major investigation into the regulation of cigarettes after a report by the U.S. Surgeon General concluded that smoking was a significant health hazard. The agency proposed adding warnings to cigarette containers and tobacco print advertisements. The recommendations on warning labels were included in the Federal Cigarette Labeling and Advertising Act, which was signed into law by President Johnson on July 27, 1965. Later, warnings on print advertisements were added by the Public Health Cigarette Smoking Act of 1969. These regulations created what is now a well-known phrase, “Caution: Cigarette Smoking May Be Hazardous to Your Health.”

After reading all of the data compiled by FTC staff on the dangers of cigarettes, Dixon wasted no time in applying the information in his own personal life. He wrote to a friend:

Your information is correct – I smoked cigarettes intermittently until I read the Advisory Committee’s Report to the Surgeon General. On the day that I read it, January 8, 1964, I stopped smoking cigarettes. It seemed the wise thing to do.“

The FTC also set up its own laboratory to measure the tar and nicotine content of all cigarette brands. Tobacco companies were permitted to include statements about these chemical levels in their advertisements only if the lab tests corroborated the numbers. Tests were conducted according to strict standards and the results were reported to Congress periodically. The FTC hoped that this information would help customers make informed decisions about smoking, but in 2008, the agency changed its policy to prevent the data from being used in advertising due to concerns over the accuracy of the testing methods (given that smoking behavior varies from individual to individual).

(Left) Letter from Dixon to Tom Campbell, 9 June 1965, regarding his decision to stop smoking. View the entire folder here.

(Right) Chart of FTC test results, “Tar and Nicotine Content of 142 Varieties of Domestic Cigarettes,” August 1972. View the entire folder here.

In the 1970s, the consumer protection trend only increased. The public clamored for greater FTC regulation of shady business practices such as bait-and-switch ploys and deceptive advertising claims. Complaints flooded the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection. Elected officials responded by creating a variety of government organizations dedicated to consumer interests. Although the FTC frequently investigated illegal business practices that harmed consumers, many people thought the agency wasn’t doing enough. The loudest critic was consumer advocate Ralph Nader, whose law students published an investigative report on the FTC in January 1969. The harsh criticism in the report angered Dixon, who believed the attack was unwarranted, and led to animosity between the two men. Still, Dixon knew that the FTC could not ignore the growing consumer movement. As he wrote to his friend Senator Howard H. Baker, Jr. (R-Tennessee) on October 31, 1974:

Consumerism is here to stay. My advice to you is that you take a stand for it and mold it so that it will best serve the public interest. Like you, I have always stood for maximum free enterprise and I don’t like regulation, but I have got enough sense to know that there are times and places where this is the only way that the public interest can be preserved.“

Suggestions for improving the FTC’s consumer protection efforts, from a meeting between the FTC and a group of consumer representatives, 12 June 1970. View the entire folder here.

For more information about the Paul Rand Dixon Personal Papers, please see the finding aid on the Kennedy Library website.

by Joseph Fretwell, Undergraduate Summer Intern (Furman University)

Undergraduate student Joseph Fretwell recently completed a six-week summer internship in the Digitization Unit at the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library, prior to entering his senior year at Furman University in Greenville, South Carolina. While at the library, Joe scanned photos from the White House Photographs collection. He also learned the principles of cataloging archival photographs.

A Political Science major and Poverty Studies minor, Joe took advantage of his time at the Kennedy Library by spending one day a week conducting his own independent research. While in the library’s research room, he utilized several of the library’s textual collections, as well as its digital archives, to which he was directly contributing through his work scanning and cataloging photos. Joe describes his experiences in the following excerpts from his weekly journal:

Week 3

My third week at the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library allowed for more of my own research and work in the library’s archives. I have been working specifically in the research room with the papers of White House staffers like Lee C. White and Burke Marshall. It has been interesting to see how much influence average citizens had on the policy agenda and general discussion within the White House. Big name civil rights activists like Martin Luther King, Jr., Ralph Abernathy, A. Phillip Randolph, and James Baldwin are commonly mentioned in memos between White House staffers. These men also wrote letters to various members of the Kennedy Administration. They weren’t the only ones that the White House got letters from, though. From what I have noticed in my research, some of the most influential letters came from virtually unknown American citizens, from 9-year-old school boys, to aged grandmothers. Before doing this research, I never realized how seriously the White House handled mail from constituents. Perhaps this has changed now, but with regard to the Civil Rights Movement, many discussions between the most influential policymakers in the country were centered on the writings and actions of every day citizens.

Seeing the influence of constituent mail in policy talks of the 1960s has, in many ways, helped me to better understand the legacy of President Kennedy. Politics aside, he was a man who believed in the power of the common man to make a difference in public life. In fact, he often called on Americans in his speeches to seek a better world for themselves and their fellow citizens by devoting time and energy to public service initiatives. It’s been exciting to work with photographs and documents of some of the most powerful and renowned people of the 1960s, but I’ve enjoyed even more the fact that I can see and read about the unknown, sometimes nameless citizens who stepped up and contributed to the collective effort toward the passing of the civil rights legislation of 1964 and 1965.

Week 4

In my fourth week at the Kennedy Library, I got started on the second half of my major project. I began to catalog some of the photographs that I have been digitizing over the past couple weeks. Most of my time was spent researching the people in the photos and writing short bios about those who the National Archives and Records Administration did not have complete records of in its system. In this process, I became more familiar with the detail-oriented process of archival research, and I got the chance to learn more about and connect with the figures of the Kennedy era that were not always the most visible, from Secret Service agents to local civil rights activists.

My personal research for the week was primarily within Adam Walinsky’s papers. Walinsky was a senatorial staffer and speechwriter for Robert F. Kennedy. In his files, I’ve found various memos and reports on criminal justice reform and plans for community development partnerships. Many of the major themes of the time have obvious parallels with current discussions on race, poverty, and urban decay.

I also was able to attend an event at the library one evening last week that was focused on the legacy of James Baldwin, a writer and civil rights advocate of the mid-20^th century. The event featured a screening of The Price of the Ticket, a documentary about the life of Baldwin. Afterward, there was a panel discussion on how Baldwin’s words resonate today. Panelists pulled sections from his writings and interviews to explain major current events in Ferguson and Baltimore, as well as public policy issues like community-based policing.

JFKWHP-KN-C23586. President John F. Kennedy Designates Frederick Douglass Home Part of National Park System.
[www.jfklibrary.org/Asset-Viewer/Archives/JFKWHP-KN-C23586.aspx]

This week at the Kennedy Library, I finished cataloging a series of photographs taken on September 5, 1963 at President Kennedy’s signing of a bill that made the Frederick Douglass historical home an official part of the National Park Service. This process required a good deal of research, as I had to identify and write brief biographical notes for all of the people in the photos. Many of those who attended this event were U.S. Senators and Representatives who wrote the legislation, but there were also several local civil rights activists from groups like the National Association of Colored Women’s Clubs and the Frederick Douglass Memorial & Historical Association. Most of the research I did was new to the National Archives and Records Administration, meaning I am the first person to have cataloged the information for the more local and less-known individuals in the photographs. This made the research more difficult, and I had to dig in old magazines and newspapers to identify some of the people. It was gratifying to know, though, that I contributed to the national database for identifying historical figures.

Week 6

I’ve now finished my 6 weeks at the Kennedy Library, and I’ll start my congressional internship in Washington tomorrow on Capitol Hill.

My experience at the library in Boston allowed me to work with some phenomenal historical documents and photographs, as well as meet a number of people who do important, behind-the-scenes work. One of my biggest takeaways from the internship was how much work and time goes into archival research and record preservation. All of the people I met and worked with, especially my supervisors in the digitization wing, are crucial to the success of the library. The amount of effort they put into preparing materials for researchers and visitors to the library is incredible. Seeing this made me realize just how important their work, and the work I got to help out with over the past 6 weeks, is to an array of people—researchers, students, public servants, and so on.

The documents of the Kennedy Administration, even though just a tiny piece of the many preserved documents of American history, taught me more about current events today than anything I have ever done. Being able to look back at the past through the lens of the White House photographers and through the words of Kennedy’s staff gave me a clear, unbiased glimpse into a time that was really not much different from today. I saw parallels everywhere, from conversations on civil rights to issues of federal oversight to debates over foreign involvement in global crises. This was all important to me, as a person who is interested in policy work in government, because I got to see what worked and what did not. Hopefully, during my next month and a half in Washington, I will be able to bring what I learned in Boston to the table and apply it to issues and conversations over today’s policy issues. Our history matters. It matters to our well-being as Americans, to the direction of our conversations on national issues, and to the routes we ultimately decide to take towards progress. My experience in Boston is one that I will look back on as a great help to my growth as a thinking and contributing member to society.

by Laura Kintz, Graduate Student Intern (UMass Boston)

As a digitization intern at the Kennedy Library, I am lucky enough to work with the White House Photographs collection, scanning and cataloging photos. Through this work, I have learned so much about President John F. Kennedy’s daily activities, the ins and outs of the White House and its grounds, and many other aspects of the presidency. Twice this year, though, I have put my digitization work aside to help with the Library’s Preservation Week program. The current program involves the sorting of condolence mail that was received by the White House, mainly by First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy, in the aftermath of President Kennedy’s assassination. Staff members and interns have worked on arranging the materials alphabetically, so that individual items may be retrieved using the name of the sending individual, group, or organization.

During the most recent Preservation Week, from July 13-19, two collections collided when I discovered a condolence letter with a direct connection to the White House Photographs collection. During the alphabetization process, I just happened to pick up a letter with an attached photographic print of President Kennedy standing with two teenage girls in the Oval Office. In the letter, its writer, a girl from Pittsburgh named Anita Bernstein, expresses her heartfelt condolences to Mrs. Kennedy and describes the “wonderful experience” of visiting the White House with one of her friends and having the opportunity to meet the President. The photo she enclosed with her letter was from that visit.

The letter and photograph immediately piqued my interest. Before I even read the letter, I suspected that the photograph was from WHP. Having scanned so many photographs of the President in the Oval Office, I recognized the room right away and knew that since the photo was taken inside the White House, there was a good chance it was taken by an official White House photographer (it could have been taken by a news photographer, but I thought that unlikely, since the subjects of the photo were everyday citizens). I hoped it would be possible to confirm this by finding the original photograph in our collection. Luckily, aside from being an incredibly eloquent and moving tribute to the late President, Miss Bernstein’s letter was a goldmine of information that provided context for the photograph.

In her letter, Miss Bernstein recounts an event in Pittsburgh on December 4, 1962, after which she and a friend approached President Kennedy’s Press Secretary, Pierre Salinger, and expressed their “earnest desire to meet” the President. She writes that Mr. Salinger agreed to set up a meeting “if we could be in Washington the next day. Naturally we could.” That meant that Miss Bernstein and her friend were at the White House on December 5, 1962. White House Photographs are arranged chronologically, and sure enough, the finding aid lists a folder for that day titled “Visit of two girls from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.” There were two negatives on file for the event, neither of which had been scanned; I pulled both of them, and one matched the copy of the photograph that Miss Bernstein sent with her letter.

JFKWHP-ST-520-2-62. President John F. Kennedy with Young Supporters from Pittsburgh. [View entire folder here: http://www.jfklibrary.org/Asset-Viewer/Archives/JFKWHP-1962-12-05-D.aspx]

It was exciting to have confirmed that this photograph that I stumbled upon was actually part of the White House Photographs, because in addition to scanning photographs, I also catalog them, and I knew that this letter would help me with that process. Cataloging requires me to identify, to the best of my ability, the people pictured in a photograph, and to establish as much background as I can for the event or meeting depicted; this information ultimately accompanies the digitized photo in the Library’s digital archives. Since this photo in particular had not yet been scanned or cataloged, I had the opportunity to follow my regular workflow to complete those steps; this was when I realized the true impact of having the accompanying letter to provide context.

When cataloging a photograph, the first priority is to identify the people in it. The first places I check for names are the folder title, the backs of the prints on file, the President’s Appointment Book, the photographer’s log, and the shot cards. In this case, none of these sources provided any identifying information other than “Two girls from Pittsburgh” (the President’s Appointment Book didn’t provide any information at all, probably because this was just an informal meet-and-greet). This letter, therefore, put me ahead of the game because it provided something that these other sources did not: a name for one of the girls.

Cataloging resources: photographer’s log, shot card, and back of photographic print

The next step in my research process was to try to identify the other girl in the photo, whom Miss Bernstein only identifies as “my friend” in her letter. Using just the basic search term of “Anita Bernstein” in Google’s online newspaper archive, I found an Associated Press photo published by The Tuscaloosa News on December 9, 1962, with the caption: “Two honor students from Pittsburgh’s Peabody High School hold up charm bracelets given to them by President Kennedy. The girls, Anita Bernstein, (left), and Judy Mankin, both 16, visited the President at the White House. The girls played hookey [sic] from school and made the trip to Washington. They met the President when he was in Pittsburgh on a political tour two months ago and Kennedy remembered them.” Although the scan of the newspaper was grainy, the photo was clear enough that I could tell that these were the same two girls who are in the WHP photo, and it was clear which one was which. I now had names for both girls.

To complete the cataloging process, I wrote a brief description of the photograph. If I had scanned the negative and cataloged the photo without the letter, Miss Bernstein and Miss Mankin may have remained just “two girls from Pittsburgh.” But from what I learned about them from the letter and the newspaper caption, I was able to identify them by name, and I felt confident in describing them as “young supporters” of President Kennedy, rather than just as “visitors.” Once the condolence mail is digitized, researchers will be able to link directly between this photograph and Miss Bernstein’s letter. As a pair, these two documents have a higher research value than each would have on its own.

This connection between the White House Photographs and Condolence Mail collections is an exciting one. Such a link would be noteworthy under any circumstances, but is even more so because Anita Bernstein’s letter is such a wonderful tribute to President Kennedy and his legacy. Together, the photograph and the letter illuminate the story of two civic-minded young women who were vocal in their support of their president. This story is certainly one that is worth telling, and one that may have been lost had it not been for some serendipity in the archives.

The full text of Anita Bernstein’s letter is available below.

Papers of John F. Kennedy. Condolence Mail. Domestic Mail, Folder: “Bernock-Bernstein”.

by Lindsay Closterman, White House Photographs Metadata Cataloger

We are pleased to announce that all White House Photographs from the state funeral of President John F. Kennedy are now digitized in full.

These photographs capture a time of great significance and grief in our nation’s history, and they (together with the photos from the President’s final trip to Dallas) are among some of the most requested images in the White House Photographs collection. While they were already available for research, the photos are now accessible online to researchers and users worldwide, along with all of the materials in the library’s digital archives.

JFKWHP-AR8255-1H. Jacqueline Kennedy Departs White House for Funeral Procession to Capitol Building.

JFKWHP-KN-C30750. President John F. Kennedy’s Funeral Procession to St. Matthew’s Cathedral.

The 350 funeral photos span a period of three days, from November 23 to November 25, 1963. Events include: President Kennedy’s body returning to the White House, lying in repose in the East Room of the White House and lying in state at the U.S. Capitol; processions to the Capitol Building and St. Matthew’s Cathedral; the requiem mass at St. Matthew’s; the burial of President Kennedy at Arlington National Cemetery; a post-funeral reception at the White House; as well as photos of the newly-redecorated Oval Office with President Kennedy’s effects, the caparison of the riderless horse Black Jack, and a night view of the eternal flame near the late President’s gravesite.

JFKWHP-ST-C422-115-63. Requiem Mass at St. Matthew’s Cathedral.

JFKWHP-ST-C422-11-63. Burial of President John F. Kennedy at Arlington National Cemetery.

In addition to making the photos available to users all over the world, the process of scanning and cataloging the images makes them searchable in a way that was previously not possible. The metadata for these images enables online users to retrieve images of specific people, such as members of the Kennedy family, administration officials, military officials, heads of state, ambassadors, foreign dignitaries, and members of the clergy. These digital materials combine information found in the Kennedy Library’s collections, as well as in contemporary newspaper articles, books, correspondence from researchers, and firsthand accounts, and they serve to support the continued knowledge-building around this historic event.

JFKWHP-ST-C422-110-63. Flowers at Arlington National Cemetery.

JFKWHP-ST-C422-33-63. Post-Funeral Reception at the White House.

Browse all photos from President Kennedy’s funeral:

President Kennedy’s body returns to the White House

Lying in repose in the East Room of the White House

White House, redecorated Oval Office with President Kennedy’s effects

Departure from the White House and Procession to the United States Capitol

Lying in state at the United States Capitol, departure of Kennedy family

White House, State Rooms and floral arrangements

Procession to St. Matthew’s Cathedral

Requiem Mass at St. Matthew’s Cathedral and burial at Arlington National Cemetery

White House, post funeral Reception

Riderless horse Black Jack’s caparison (saddle, bridle, blanket, sword, boots, and spurs) delivered to White House

Eternal Flame (view from the Lincoln Memorial at night)

by Laura Kintz, Graduate Student Intern (UMass Boston)

We are pleased to announce that all White House Photographs from President John F. Kennedy’s trip to Italy in July of 1963 are now digitized in full. They are accessible online through the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum’s digital archives.

JFKWHP-KN-C29263. President John F. Kennedy’s Motorcade Through Rome, Italy.

The 92 photographs, covering July 1-2, 1963, document President Kennedy’s only official trip to Italy during his presidency, which came at the end of a 10-day trip to Europe that also included visits to Germany, Ireland, and England. During his time in Italy, the President visited various significant locations around Rome and Naples, delivering remarks, meeting with government and military officials, and greeting throngs of Italian well-wishers. During a time when Italy was experiencing political uncertainty, President Kennedy’s visit represented the United States’ commitment to maintaining a strong relationship with the country and its new president, Antonio Segni.

JFKWHP-KN-C29266. President John F. Kennedy Attends Wreath-laying Ceremony at Tomb of Unknown Soldier in Rome, Italy.

JFKWHP-KN-C29250. President John F. Kennedy Speaks at City Hall in Rome, Italy.

KN-C29276. President John F. Kennedy Arrives at NATO Headquarters in Naples, Italy.

In addition to his state-related activities during the trip, President Kennedy, the United States’ first Catholic president, also had the opportunity to meet with the recently-elected Pope Paul VI. White House Photographs from the visit are limited to the President’s arrival at the Vatican (see below), but a motion picture documenting his trip to Europe from the White House Films collection includes footage of his audience with the Pope and is available for viewing through the digital archives.

KN-C29284. President John F. Kennedy Visits the Vatican for Meeting with Pope Paul VI.

One part of the trip that is especially well-documented is President Kennedy’s motorcade through Naples. Among those 34 photographs are many that illustrate the intensity and excitement of the crowds who gathered to see the President. Some candid shots of President Kennedy’s aides and members of his White House Secret Service detail capture the fun of traveling down a Naples highway in a convertible.

ST-C230-46-63. President John F. Kennedy’s Motorcade Through Naples, Italy.

ST-A7-4-63. Presidential Aides and White House Secret Service Agents in Naples, Italy.

ST-C231-20-63. Spectators Watch President John F. Kennedy’s Motorcade Through Naples, Italy.

President Kennedy’s trip to Italy represents a significant diplomatic (and religious) venture of his presidency. Although the photographs from the trip were already available for viewing onsite at the Kennedy Library, now that they have been digitized and cataloged, they can be accessed by online users all over the world. Browsing terms, including some newly-created terms, have been associated with each photograph to aid in searching for specific people, places, and organizations. These images can now provide insight into President Kennedy’s travels, to a much wider audience.

Browse all photos from President Kennedy’s trip to Italy:

Italy, Rome: Arrival at Fiumicino Airport, and presentation of gift by President Antonio Segni at Quirinale Palace

Italy, Rome: President Kennedy at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier

Italy, Rome: Motorcade

Italy, Rome: President Kennedy at the Campidoglio (City Hall)

Italy, Rome: President Kennedy at dinner at Quirinale Palace

Vatican City: President Kennedy at the Vatican

Italy, Rome: President Kennedy at the Pontifical North American College with Jean Kennedy Smith and Archbishop of Boston Richard Cardinal Cushing

Italy, Naples: President Kennedy arrives at NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) Headquarters

Italy, Naples: President Kennedy gives address at NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) Headquarters

Italy, Naples: Motorcade

Italy, Naples: President Kennedy’s departure

by Niall O’Leary, Digital Humanities Specialist (guest author)

EH03541P. Ernest Hemingway writing in camp while on safari in Kenya, 1953. (C) Earl Theisen Archives.

Ernest Hemingway traveled a lot. Really, a lot. Born in Illinois, he first left the United States for Europe to become an ambulance driver in World War I. He returned to the U.S., then went to Canada, then France, and after that his travels really took off. This is clear from any Hemingway biography you might pick up, but it is also clear from a single image; this one:

The map shown above is created using information about the letters Hemingway sent throughout his life. The assumption is that if he sent a letter from a location then there is a good chance that he must have been there when the letter was sent. This map uses colors to indicate the time Hemingway was in a certain place; the closer to red along the spectrum, the older the letter, the closer to blue, the more recent.

This kind of visualization is a useful tool when conceptualizing large amounts of data (in this instance, nearly 2,500 letters). Data visualization transforms many thousands of complex items into simple graphs, charts, and maps that make it easy to appreciate certain aspects of the original objects. For instance, letters are often deeply personal, semantically rich records of feeling, ideas, and personality. Studying even one letter’s content can require specialist skills, while ambiguity, typos and basic individual style can complicate even the most detailed reading. Yet every letter has a set of attributes that once known makes it possible to compare one letter with another. These standard characteristics are a source of relatively unambiguous information and tell us about the letter itself rather than its content. As we have seen, just knowing where a letter came from provides a very important piece of information in itself. There are other characteristics that also illuminate correspondence and by extension the correspondents involved. For example, who sent a letter, who they sent it to, where they sent it and when, are details that allow correspondence to answer a whole host of questions about historical figures and their worlds.

A small sample of Hemingway’s network of correspondents

In the case of the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library’s holdings, the Ernest Hemingway Personal Papers provide a wide range of opportunities for scholars studying the great writer. Scrapbooks, clippings, letters, notebooks, published and unpublished manuscripts all jostle for one’s attention among the treasures. Just how does one get a handle on so much data? How can one possibly navigate, let alone study, all this material? In the case of his correspondence alone, there are over 10,000 letters both from and to Hemingway and his family. Most of this material is held in its original paper format. Only the most tenacious researcher with a huge amount of time on their hands and working within the Library itself could possibly rein in even a portion of such holdings. Unless they use data visualization, that is. Luckily the Library has documented their extensive holdings in a hugely detailed finding aid available online as a Guide to the Ernest Hemingway Collection. While this document contains detail on thousands of objects, it usefully brings together the most salient metadata in one place. Extract this metadata digitally, apply current technology, and some aspects of the collection can be navigated, analyzed, and understood. To be sure, we cannot answer all questions about Hemingway, but with relative ease we can now provide answers to many queries that in the past might have been beyond our time and resources.

For instance, who did Hemingway write most of his letters to? (His last wife, Mary Welsh Hemingway, received nearly 11% of his letters.) Who wrote to him the most? (His first wife, Elizabeth Hadley Richardson, takes that honor.) Which other writers and artists was he in contact with? (A huge network included F. Scott Fitzgerald, Sherwood Anderson, and Marlene Dietrich among many, many others.) How did the nature of his correspondence change as his popularity grew? (His letter writing peaks around the time he won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction.) Where was he in early March 1952? (Hemingway was at his home in Cuba while finishing his Pulitzer Prize-winning, The Old Man and the Sea.) To be sure, the where, when, and who questions are not always as interesting as the why, but knowing their answers often provides a clue when addressing motivation and cause. To the biographer or the Hemingway scholar, the who, when, and where questions are crucial.

The frequency of Hemingway’s letters over his life

It was with a view to exploring these questions and seeing how far the barest data might take us, that I developed the website ‘Visual Correspondence’. This site takes the five elements I have mentioned – sender, recipient, origin, destination, and date – and provides the user with a wide range of tools for querying that metadata. Maps, pie charts, bubble graphs, timelines and many more visualizations allow a user to conceptualize thousands of letters through a few clicks. As well as developing these tools, I have also sought out as many collections of letters as I could find and tried to index their metadata. That was how I came across the Library’s excellent finding aid. At the time of writing, I have indexed nearly 160,000 letters from thousands of writers, scientists, politicians, and artists, not to mention so-called ‘ordinary’ people, with correspondents such as Mark Twain, Charles Darwin, Benjamin Franklin, and James Joyce rubbing shoulders with immigrants, factory workers, and civil servants. My hope is that in bringing together so many disparate collections, overlaps and outliers might become apparent leading to new scholarly insights. At the most basic level the site provides a means of finding letters that even the most sophisticated Googling might not bring to light.

So what does ‘Visual Correspondence’ tell us about Ernest Hemingway. Certainly it confirms a lot of preconceptions. That he traveled extensively, had many friends and lovers, and became a cultural icon for the global literary community is clear through an analysis of his network of correspondents. That he was closely involved in his business affairs (he wrote extensively to his lawyer, Alfred Rice), that his various wives were in contact with one another, and that his interest in politics continued throughout his life (there is even some contact with John F. Kennedy) is also abundantly clear. However, the real insights are yet to be found and will require good old-fashioned research, albeit research with a new set of tools. What is certainly clear to me is that without the excellent finding aid compiled by the John F. Kennedy Library none of this would be possible. In his Nobel Prize-winning speech, Hemingway wrote, “A writer should write what he has to say and not speak it”. Thankfully for us, he was a true writer.

by Laurie Austin, Audiovisual Reference Archivist and Stacey Chandler, Textual Reference Archivist

Reference Archivists love sharing the treasures in their collections, so when the National Archives’ Office of Presidential Libraries announced a Twitter chat about Presidential holiday traditions, textual archivist Stacey Chandler and audiovisual archivist Laurie Austin jumped at the chance to participate. The #POTUSchat on December 9 was a great opportunity for us to look beyond the few Christmas-themed documents and photographs that everyone knows, and find some hidden gems to share with the public!

One question we were lucky enough to get in advance: “How did the First Family do their Christmas shopping?” Until we started digging for an answer, we had no idea – but the first place to look was in the Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy Onassis Personal Papers. We hit the archival jackpot when we found this FAO Schwarz toy catalog for Christmas 1961, along with a handwritten note by Mrs. Kennedy about items (and even their page numbers in the catalog) she wanted to order for her children, Caroline and John F. Kennedy, Jr.

A look inside the catalog shows that a great deal of attention went into choosing gifts—and luckily for archivists and researchers, Mrs. Kennedy dog-eared several pages and circled specific toys. What a find! We couldn’t believe we could actually see the selection of specific Christmas gifts, let alone figure out how they were purchased.

                                                                                          JBKOPP-037-008-p0008

But the fun didn’t stop there. Once we knew what to look for, we searched our photo and film collections to see if we could find the gifts in use. That horse and hound set circled on page 89?

 JBKOPP-SF037-008-FAO-p89

We spotted those in Caroline’s White House bedroom.

Caroline Kennedy’s bedroom, 8 May 1962. KN-C21446 [crop]. Photograph by Robert Knudsen, White House Photographs

Caroline Kennedy’s bedroom, 8 May 1962. KN-C21450 [crop]. Photograph by Robert Knudsen, White House Photographs

That “Busy Box” on page 10? There it is in John, Jr.’s crib in the nursery!

JBKOPP-SF037-008-FAO-p10

John F. Kennedy, Jr.’s bedroom, 8 May 1962. KN-C21451 [crop]. Photograph by Robert Knudsen, White House Photographs

Admittedly, the big rocking horse from page 13 was pretty easy to spot in Caroline’s room.

JBKOPP-SF037-008-p13

Caroline Kennedy’s bedroom, 9 May 1962. KN-C21505. Photograph by Robert Knudsen, White House Photographs

Of course, we did find a few favorites. Laurie’s is the trampoline from page 86, which Mrs. Kennedy noted the mothers of the childrens’ play group would get for the South Lawn.

JBKOPP-SF037-008_FAO_p86

Here we have a sweet photo of Caroline jumping on it, with a brave friend named Shawn Brittle underneath!

Caroline Kennedy jumps on a trampoline on the South Lawn of the White House as her friend, Shawn Brittle, lies underneath. 17 May 1962. ST-A19-41-62 [crop]. Photograph by Cecil Stoughton, White House Photographs

And can you believe we actually have footage of an unidentified friend jumping on the trampoline from an April 4, 1963 children’s party on the South Lawn?

PPP:54. Footage by Cecil Stoughton. President’s Personal Pictures.

Stacey’s favorite? The “peasant” costume that Mrs. Kennedy circled on page 76 – a pretty fancy “peasant,” if you ask us!

Figure 3 JBKOPP-SF037-008_FAO_p76

Check out the photo of Caroline wearing this gift while spending time with her mother and brother in the White House nursery.

Mrs. Kennedy with Caroline Kennedy and John F. Kennedy, Jr. in the nursery, 27 November 1962. ST-A28-13-62 [crop]. Photograph by Cecil Stoughton, White House Photos

As reference archivists, our work is guided entirely by the questions we are asked, and we get to learn something new about our collections every day. We’re grateful for the best holiday gift any archivist could as for – a question that led to fun discoveries in our archives!