Continue reading »]]> by Stacey Chandler, Reference Archives Technician

Just in time for Mother’s Day, our digital archivists have published a folder that contains some favorite documents here at the Kennedy Library. This folder comes from the Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy Personal Papers, and the documents inside offer an illuminating glimpse at the intersection of Kennedy family life and the world of high-stakes international politics.

In 1962, President Kennedy’s mother, Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy, was already in the midst of a project collecting signatures from notable people to give as gifts. She eventually collected autographs from renowned creative artists like Robert Frost and Marc Chagall; U.S. Presidents Herbert Hoover, Harry Truman, and Dwight D. Eisenhower; and foreign leaders including David Ben-Gurion of Israel and Konrad Adenauer of West Germany, among others. But when Rose Kennedy contacted Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev in August 1962 to ask for signed photographs, she prompted President Kennedy to write one of the most interesting personal letters of his Presidency.

Having received the signed photographs she requested from Premier Khrushchev, Rose sent them along to the President in late October 1962 and suggested that he add his own signature. President Kennedy, hearing about his mother’s correspondence with Khrushchev for the first time, responded with this letter – an explanation that asking favors of foreign leaders could be a tricky business.

Typed letter signed “Jack” from John F. Kennedy to Rose Kennedy, November 3, 1962, with Rose Kennedy’s hand-written notation. Rose Kennedy Personal Papers, Box 57, Folder: Jacqueline and John F. Kennedy, 1961-1968

John F. Kennedy’s concern that “requests of this nature are subject to interpretations” may have been influenced by the timing of this particular request. The President received the photographs from Rose sometime between October 19 and November 3 – a time frame that captured the peak of tension in the Cuban Missile Crisis standoff between Kennedy and Khrushchev. And, in fact, this note to his mother wasn’t the only carefully-crafted letter President Kennedy sent that day. On November 3, 1962, Kennedy also wrote to Khrushchev on the delicate negotiations surrounding the end of the crisis. (You can read that letter in Robert F. Kennedy’s Attorney General Papers, here: http://www.jfklibrary.org/Asset-Viewer/Archives/RFKAG-217-001.aspx).

Rose Kennedy’s response to the President’s letter was apologetic, but not without some humor:

Excerpt from typed carbon copy of Rose Kennedy”s letter to John F. Kennedy, November 10, 1962. Rose Kennedy Personal Papers, Box 57, Folder: Jacqueline and John F. Kennedy, 1961-1968

Rose recalled the Khrushchev signature episode when writing her 1974 memoir Times to Remember, noting, “We often joked about the incident later.” It is clear, though, that the President’s mother took her son’s request seriously; a few months later, she asked the President for permission to contact Indian Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru for his autograph. According to a secretary, President Kennedy responded “Yes – go ahead,” and Rose’s collection was soon expanded by signed copies of Nehru’s autobiography.

While we already knew that President Kennedy made time for his mother while he was in the White House (see his Mother’s Day telegram below), these letters and the story behind them serve as a reminder of the influence a mother can have, even in the unexpected arena of global politics.

Telegram from John F. Kennedy to Rose Kennedy. Rose Kennedy Personal Papers, Box 57, Folder: Jacqueline and John F. Kennedy, 1961-1968

You can see all of these letters in this newly-added folder in the digital archives: http://www.jfklibrary.org/Asset-Viewer/Archives/ROFKPP-057-001.aspx

Materials consulted for this post:

• Robert F. Kennedy Attorney General Papers, Box 217, Folder: 6-4-2: Cuba: Cuban Crisis, 1962: Kennedy-Khrushchev Letters, Etc.

• Rose Kennedy Personal Papers, Box 6, Folder: 1972: Diary Notebook B, “Girlhood, Married Life, Children, Campaigning, Later Years”

• Rose Kennedy Personal Papers, Box 57, Folder: Jacqueline and John F. Kennedy, 1961-1968

• Rose Kennedy Personal Papers, Box 63, Folder: Autographed Books, 1961-63, 1967

• Rose Kennedy Personal Papers, Box 98, Folder: Special Letters: World Leaders, 1961

Continue reading »]]> by Tara Mayes, Graduate Student Intern (UMass Boston)

I began my career here at the Kennedy Library six months ago as an intern, eager to work in an institution dedicated to historical research and interpretation. I have to admit, however, that before coming here I had basic (aka, grade school) knowledge of John F. Kennedy. As a graduate History student at UMass Boston, I’ve narrowed my focus to Native American, African American, and early nineteenth-century maritime history. So when I was first asked to create a bulletin board focusing on civil rights during the Kennedy Administration, I was a little hesitant. The Kennedy Library is a treasure chest of incredible documents regarding the subject, and choosing a select few to cover the 45 x 33-inch space was daunting. In taking the risk, however, I experienced a journey that not only enriched my historical knowledge but also helped me to reflect and create a new understanding of history.

The year 2014 will mark the 50th anniversary of “Freedom Summer,” a summer that sparked great social change in American history. I approached the task by selecting documents that thematically demonstrated the road to civil rights as a journey. This is not to say that 1964 marked the beginning of the Civil Rights Movement. American citizens, especially those of color, began demanding their equality long before the 20th century. The Civil War ended in 1865, and since then men and women turned a mirror to the American government, asking them to reflect on the basic principle that founded this country: “All men are created equal.” Brown vs. Board of Education in 1954 amended a ruling created 100 years earlier that separate did not inherently mean equal. The Freedom Rides began in 1961, when students on integrated buses risked their lives traveling south in protest of segregation on public transportation. In 1962, James Meredith initiated the integration of Ole’ Miss. All of these events were steps on a larger journey highlighting an issue of inequality in American society that led up to 1964.

I wanted observers to recognize the journey up to that year. The board starts with a small recap of events leading up to Freedom Summer, including a 1961 New York Times article with a caption that reads, “Attorney General Foresees a Negro as President.” The article summarizes an interview in which Robert F. Kennedy expressed the importance of establishing equal rights for African American citizens:

“In the next thirty or forty years a Negro can also achieve the same position that my brother has as President of the United States…”  (The New York Times, May 27, 1961)

The display then skips to April 1963, featuring the “Letter from a Birmingham Jail,” which Martin Luther King, Jr. wrote after his arrest for participating in demonstrations in Birmingham. I also included a telegram sent to the President in response to King’s arrest. I found the telegram to be exciting, as people such as Harry Belafonte, Sidney Poitier, Lena Horne, Paul Newman, Joanne Woodward, and Marlon Brando added their names to the many demanding King’s release.

First page of Martin Luther King’s “Letter from a Birmingham Jail.” White House Central Subject Files, Box 367, Folder: Human Rights: 2: ST 1 (Alabama): General, May 1963: 21-31. The rest of the letter can be seen here:     http://www.jfklibrary.org/Asset-Viewer/Archives/JFKWHCSF-0367-006.aspx

List of names attached to a telegram protesting King’s arrest. White House Central Subject Files, Box 367, Folder: Human Rights: 2: ST 1 (Alabama): General, 1963: 1 January-10 May. The rest of the telegram can be seen here: http://www.jfklibrary.org/Asset-Viewer/Archives/JFKWHCSF-0367-004.aspx

Another interesting document I chose was a summary of global reactions to the civil rights demonstrations and the violence protestors endured. This document illustrates the Kennedy Administration’s keen awareness that America projected a negative image overseas in regard to civil rights and the treatment of protestors. This was the era of the Cold War; it would be hard to criticize Communism and preach democracy and freedom when people were beaten and killed for asking for rights in a country founded on those principles.

Pages from a report to the President. President’s Office Files, Box 108, Folder: Trips: Tennessee/Alabama, 18 May 1963. The rest of the document can be seen here: http://www.jfklibrary.org/Asset-Viewer/Archives/JFKPOF-108-010.aspx

I also decided to add two telegrams from Governor George Wallace of Alabama to President Kennedy. In the telegrams, the Governor condemned what he saw as the abuse of states’ rights, and the violence and disruption civil rights protestors were carrying out in Birmingham. I juxtaposed the telegrams with a Charleston newspaper article that provides graphic images of protestors being attacked with fire hoses and police dogs. For me, the juxtaposition visually reflects the propaganda versus the reality.

Statement from a telegram to President Kennedy. White House Central Subject Files, Box 366, Folder: Human Rights: 2: ST 1 (Alabama): Executive. The full telegram, and others from Governor Wallace to President Kennedy, can be seen here: http://www.jfklibrary.org/Asset-Viewer/Archives/JFKWHCSF-0366-002.aspx

News clipping from the Charleston Gazette. White House Central Subject Files, Box 367, Folder: Human Rights: 2: ST 1 (Alabama): General, May 1963: 11-20. This and other newspaper clippings can be seen here: http://www.jfklibrary.org/Asset-Viewer/Archives/JFKWHCSF-0367-005.aspx

The display transitions into June 1963, when I found that President Kennedy could no longer ignore what must be done. On June 11, 1963 the President delivered his “Radio and Televised Address to the Nation on Civil Rights”. Instead of displaying a copy of the speech, I chose instead to exhibit a draft of the speech. Theodore Sorensen, the President’s Special Counsel and speech writer, was a civil rights advocate, which he clearly demonstrated through the speech draft. I found the drafts especially interesting because of President Kennedy’s edits; I noticed that he substituted some of Sorensen’s words that may have appeared too provocative or alienating, putting in language that could be seen as less inflammatory. For example, on the fourth page of the second draft, Sorensen wrote, “A social revolution is at hand—and our task, our obligation, is to make that revolution peaceful and constructive for all…” The President scratched out the word “revolution” and replaced it with “change”—though ultimately used the word “revolution” in his final delivery.

Draft of June 11, 1963 speech. President’s Office Files, Box 45, Folder: Radio and television address on civil rights, 11 June 1963. The full draft can be seen here: http://www.jfklibrary.org/Asset-Viewer/Archives/JFKPOF-045-005.aspx

Next to the draft is a note directing the observer to the Kennedy Library website to listen to (http://www.jfklibrary.org/Asset-Viewer/Archives/JFKWHA-194-001.aspx) or watch (http://www.jfklibrary.org/Asset-Viewer/Archives/TNC-262-EX.aspx) the speech as it was delivered. Listening to or watching the speech provides a new experience of what the American public heard versus what was written in the draft. It portrays the sense of urgency President Kennedy felt regarding civil rights, especially during the last couple of minutes, when he goes off script and earnestly and explicitly details the need for change.

The bulletin board ends, fittingly, in August 1963, marking the end of summer. That month brought the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom where Martin Luther King, Jr. delivered his famous “I Have a Dream” speech. On the board, I chose to display a copy of the press release from the President’s office endorsing the march:

Americans both Negro and white exercising their right to assembly peaceably and direct the widest possible attention to a great national issue…What is different today is the intensified and widespread public awareness of the need to move forward in achieving these objectives, objectives which are older than this nation. Although this summer has seen remarkable progress in translating civil rights from principles into practices, we have a very long way yet to travel.

(White House Staff Files of Pierre Salinger, Press Releases, Box 99, Folder: 8/28/63)

President Kennedy’s assessment proved accurate, for that summer did not mark the end of the journey. It was not until after President Kennedy’s assassination that President Lyndon B. Johnson was able to pass the Civil Rights Act on July 2, 1964.

I enjoyed creating the board because it was a learning experience for me. When first asked to tackle the challenge, I thought that I would portray the subject matter in a simple, creative way to pique the interests of visitors to the research room. I did not think, however, that during the process I would find my own interest in the subject, which has nothing to do with my interest in early nineteenth-century maritime history. I could not have been more wrong. In telling the story of the journey of brave individuals involved in the Civil Rights Movement, I saw links to my own work: individuals constantly fighting and struggling for freedom, equality, and citizenship that stretched before the Civil War. The summer of 1963 was a summer of change, in which President Kennedy struggled on his journey, trying to balance and uphold the law while avoiding alienating southern white citizens. His June 11 speech, for me, marked his realization that the importance of the issue outweighed fear of division. The summer of ’63 reflects the long and tumultuous journey for African American people and their fight for freedom against the bondage of second-class citizenship.

Doing the board reminded me of why I chose to be a historian and how the lessons and events of yesterday still pertain and are very much relevant today. History always amazes and surprises me from the lessons it can teach; it is absolutely incredible and slightly eerie that I get to live during the time that Robert F. Kennedy predicted, understanding that the importance in having equal rights did not end in 1963 or even in 1964 with the passing of the bill; it is a continual struggle. So I think ahead, to the intern in the Research department at the Kennedy Library fifty years from now, having just received the task of commemorating the 100th anniversary of Freedom Summer of 1964. What new discoveries will emerge then?

Continue reading »]]> by Kelly Francis, Assistant Digital Archivist for Textual Collections

The economy. Unemployment. Religion. Civil rights. Health care. These were the principal issues of the 2012 presidential election. Surprisingly, they were also the major issues of the 1960 election.

Senator John F. Kennedy’s 1960 Presidential Campaign Files were cataloged concurrently with the 2012 presidential campaign. As I described Senator John F. Kennedy’s speeches from his 1960 campaign I couldn’t help but notice numerous parallels to the 2012 campaign, despite a separation of half a century.

The Economy and Unemployment

The economic concerns of 1960 haven’t changed much over the decades. Americans are still concerned about unemployment levels, the deficit, increasing the debt limit, and the rate of economic growth. In a speech given to the Associated Business Publications conference on October 12, 1960 Senator Kennedy remarks that the U.S. went through two recessions since 1952 and that, “During a recession, as unemployment rises, profits decline, and farmers and small business men suffer especially, the growth of the gross national product slows to a halt, and public revenues shrink.” Sound familiar?

Since 2001 the United States and countries around the world experienced two recessions with rising unemployment numbers, decreased gross domestic product, and a reduction in public revenues. The biggest issues in the 2012 election were the economy and unemployment levels, just as in 1960.

Page one of a Democratic National Committee press release, October 12, 1960. Presidential Campaign Files, 1960, Box 1035, Folder: Publicity Division, October 1960: 9-13 [JFKCAMP1960-1035-007-p0050] http://www.jfklibrary.org/Asset-Viewer/Archives/JFKCAMP1960-1035-007.aspx

Religion

In 1960 Senator John F. Kennedy’s Catholicism was a major issue of the campaign. A Roman Catholic had never been elected President and many Americans believed that because of his religious faith he would be obligated to take orders from the Pope. In response, Senator Kennedy gave a speech to a group of Protestant ministers at the Greater Houston Ministerial Association in Houston, Texas where he clarified, “…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.”

In the 2012 election Mitt Romney had the opportunity to become the first Mormon elected President of the United States. Although his religion was not a point of concern for many Americans it would have been a religious milestone had he won the election, as it was for President Kennedy.

Page from address at the Houston Ministerial Association, September 12, 1960. Presidential Campaign Files, 1960, Box 1049, Folder: Religion: Ministerial Association, Houston, Texas, 12 September 1960. [JFKCAMP1960-1049-020-p0051] http://www.jfklibrary.org/Asset-Viewer/Archives/JFKCAMP1960-1049-020.aspx

Civil Rights

The 1960s is one of the most important decades in American history, with civil rights playing a large role. It’s hard to imagine in 2012 not being able to eat or sit where you want, being required to pass a literacy test before you can vote, or not getting housing due to the color of your skin. Unfortunately, these inequities were all too common during the 1960s. It wasn’t until the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965 before laws were passed to outlaw all discrimination against race, religion, and gender, and it wasn’t until 1967 that anti-miscegenation laws were ruled unconstitutional.

Regardless of the anti-discrimination legislation passed in the 1960s, inequality still exists in 2012. The rights of the LGBT community, particularly concerning same-sex marriage, have become a major issue in political campaigns. Despite the legalization of same-sex marriage in nine states, 30 states passed constitutional bans on gay marriage and in 1996 the Federal government passed the Defense of Marriage Act, legally preventing the government from recognizing same-sex unions. However, a popular vote in the 2012 election legalized marriage equality in three more states.

Page from a speech on health care, April 1, 1960. Presidential Campaign Files, 1960, Box 1032, Folder: Social Security and depressed areas: Medical care for our older citizens. [JFKCAMP1960-1032-008-p0001] http://www.jfklibrary.org/Asset-Viewer/Archives/JFKCAMP1960-1032-008.aspx

No matter how far we feel we have progressed as a society, we only need to go back a short time in history to see that things really aren’t all that different than they were 50 years ago. The campaign issues discussed above are only a few addressed by Senator Kennedy during the campaign. Explore for yourself in the 1960 Presidential Campaign Files, now fully available in our Digital Archives: http://www.jfklibrary.org/Asset-Viewer/Archives/JFKCAMP1960.aspx

Continue reading »]]> by Jane Silva, Graduate Student Intern (UMass Boston)

As a graduate student in the History Department’s Archives track at the University of Massachusetts Boston, I was required to complete a 120 hour internship at an archival institution to gain practical experience in the Archives field. At first I thought there was nothing I could learn from an internship, because throughout my undergraduate and graduate studies I had been employed in the Archives of the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum, where I had gained all the practical experience I thought I needed. However, rules were rules, and per the suggestion of my adviser I took on a project at the Kennedy Library that was different from anything I had done in my previous years there. Not only did I end up having fun doing the project, I also learned several new skills that have broadened my archival abilities and helped build on the skills I previously had.

Partial list of members of the Committee of Arts, Letters, and Sciences for Kennedy for President, undated.
[JLSPP-001-009-p0010]

Partial list of Committee members published in newspapers around the country, Nov. 2, 1960.
[JLSPP-001-010-p0002]

Statement supporting Senator John F. Kennedy’s 1960 presidential campaign signed by Upton Sinclair, undated. [JLSPP-001-002-p0012]

Telegram from James A. Michener to Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr., June 9, 1960.
[JLSPP-001-015-p0028]

With digitization and cataloguing completed, the collection was then published online; it can now be found on the Library’s website at http://www.jfklibrary.org/Asset-Viewer/Archives/JLSPP.aspx.

I had a great time conducting my digitization internship at the John F. Kennedy Library.  I was able to work with people I had never worked with before, I acquired new and valuable skills, and I learned a great deal about the 1960 presidential campaign. None of this could have been possible without the help of my supervisors, Erica Boudreau, Jenny Marciello, and especially Kelly Francis, who answered my hundreds of questions with patience, and who was full of encouragement throughout the entire process.

Continue reading »]]> by Stacey Chandler, Reference Archives Technician

Reference archivists at the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library are responsible for answering questions from researchers of all kinds around the world. For those of us who work specifically with the paper collections, our detective work can lead us to look at hundreds of documents every day; after all, finding just the right piece of paper in the roughly 48 million pages in our collections can take a bit of digging.

Our reference requests cover a wide range – you can find us working with students to find sources about the Cuban Missile Crisis; showing an Ernest Hemingway fan the (over forty!) drafts of endings to A Farewell to Arms; pointing a current-events follower to Kennedy’s 1960 speech on religion; helping members of the press fact-check historical information; and, of course, assisting scholars as they look for documents about anything from the Bay of Pigs Invasion to the Civil Rights Movement. We’re lucky to have such variety in our work, and to learn something new from these documents every day.

A great benefit of that variety is that our reference team regularly stumbles across unexpected gems in the course of our work. Many people would expect to find some of the most significant policy decisions and cultural moments in United States history documented in our holdings. But how many people would be surprised to come across these – some of my favorite unexpected finds in the archives?

John F. Kennedy was a known history buff, and he collected historical documents and artifacts all his life. A researcher’s question about Kennedy’s interest in history sent me to the Historical Documents Collection, where many of the historical letters John F. Kennedy collected are filed. In my favorite of these letters, President John Adams writes to President James Madison about whether Madison’s brother-in-law should be appointed to a government post. Adams writes,

A President ought not to appoint a Man to office because he is his relation; nor ought he to refuse or neglect to appoint him for that Reason. There would be no Justice to the Individual, to The President himself, nor to the Nation in such a Rule. …Shall he be dismissed, or not employed because he is a Son or a Brother of a President? The Nation has a right to his service.

The two Presidents clearly shared some opinions; almost 150 years later, President Kennedy appointed his brother Robert F. Kennedy as Attorney General, and his brother-in-law Sargent Shriver as Director of the Peace Corps.

1813 letter written by President John Adams. John F. Kennedy Personal Papers, Historical Documents Collection, Box 44, Folder: John Adams. [JFKPP-044-002-p0005] http://www.jfklibrary.org/Asset-Viewer/Archives/JFKPP-044-002.aspx

Searching for a letter a researcher wrote to John F. Kennedy during the 1960 presidential campaign led me to the “Massachusetts” folders in the 1960 Presidential Campaign Files, where this letter was filed away. Kurt Vonnegut had recently published his second novel, The Sirens of Titan, when he wrote to then-Senator Kennedy, introducing himself and offering his services during the 1960 presidential campaign.

The line that makes this one of my favorites: “On occasion, I write pretty well.”

1960 letter from Kurt Vonnegut to John F. Kennedy. John F. Kennedy 1960 Campaign Files, Box 982, Folder: Massachusetts: Unsorted: U-V. [JFKCAMP1960-0982-011-p0003] http://www.jfklibrary.org/Asset-Viewer/Archives/JFKCAMP1960-0982-011.aspx

Throughout his presidency, John F. Kennedy received many letters from people asking for permission to make him an honorary member of their organization. Assistants would sometimes accept these memberships on the President’s behalf and file the membership cards in the President’s Office Files. I was looking for one of those cards when I noticed this unexpected certificate. Founded in 1810 and still in existence today, the Society in Dedham for Apprehending Horse Thieves has also given memberships to nearly every President since Kennedy.

Society in Dedham for Apprehending Horse Thieves membership certificate, December 6, 1961. President’s Office Files, Box 131, Folder: Memberships: 1962. [JFKPOF-131-003-p0017] http://www.jfklibrary.org/Asset-Viewer/Archives/JFKPOF-131-003.aspx

President Kennedy produced so many doodles that we have an entire series – well over one hundred folders – of them in his personal papers. He especially liked to doodle during cabinet meetings and telephone conversations, and we most often see boxes, arrows, sailboats, and single words or phrases repeated several times. The President’s scribbles can be surprisingly revealing sources for researchers, so archivists look through them regularly.

That’s how we became acquainted with the “cheese doodle.”

“Cheese” doodle, April 5 1962. John F. Kennedy Personal Papers, Box 42, Folder: 1962: KP32-KP40. [JFKPP-042-006-p0021] http://www.jfklibrary.org/Asset-Viewer/Archives/JFKPP-042-006.aspx

A quick look at the agenda for this particular cabinet meeting reveals the topics of discussion: foreign policy, unemployment, emergency planning, and the budget. Given these topics, the words “unemployment,” “Austria,” and “commission” make sense. But we may never know what prompted the President to jot down “cheese” a couple of times during the hour-long meeting, making this document one of my favorites.

Working with a literary collection is an unexpected treat for archivists here, where we house the world’s largest collection of Ernest Hemingway papers. One source for interesting Hemingway material is a collection of scrapbooks kept by Hemingway’s mother, Grace. In helping researchers work with them, we’ve found several pages devoted to young Ernest Miller Hemingway’s art. In 1902, a nearly three-year-old Hemingway cut pieces of paper into shapes, and his mother labeled them as he told her what they represented.

These unique documents remind us that some of Hemingway’s most enthusiastic pursuits – hunting (“pistol”), boating (“steam boat”), and traveling by train (“chu chu”) – had interested him since childhood.

Page from Ernest Hemingway scrapbook created by his mother, Grace, 1902. Ernest Hemingway Personal Papers, Other Materials, Scrapbook II, page 44.

The documents featured here represent only a fraction of the many unusual items in our collections, and every processing, digital, and reference archivist plays a role in helping researchers find them. Coming across a fascinating document is fun for every archivist, but it’s also reflective of the President whose papers we work with – who once scribbled on a piece of scrap paper: “Who says American history is uninteresting?”

Note scribbled by John F. Kennedy, c. 1955. John F. Kennedy Personal Papers, Box 39, Folder: Miscellaneous notes: “I do not remember his name…”, letter to Hemingway. [JFKPP-039-002-p0023] http://www.jfklibrary.org/Asset-Viewer/Archives/JFKPP-039-002.aspx

Continue reading »]]> by Jessica Green, Graduate Student Intern (Simmons College, GSLIS)

The Ernest Hemingway Collection at the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum is extremely grateful for all of the hard work our Hemingway aficionados put into deciphering this pictogram puzzle. Special thanks go out to Noah Kim and Ellen Knodt for their correct ordering of the document and narrative of the paragraphs. The following narrative is heavily based on William McFarland’s detailed description of each of these paragraphs, to whom we are very thankful.  More thanks go out to Peter Krynicki, Marian Simmons, Robert W. Trogdon, Frank DeMarco, Elizabeth, David Anderson, Daniel Robinson, and “Fin” for their helpful ideas and for getting the discourse going. To see all of their insightful interpretations and detailed commentary, please see the comments under the original blog post: Hemingway Pictogram Puzzle.

Thanks to everyone’s help, we have put together the following narrative of the whole document, so you can follow along with the images in the pictogram. We believe this document was a letter sent to Hemingway from his fellow American Red Cross (ARC) Section IV ambulance drivers, Brummy (Theodore B. Brumback), Bill (William D. Horne), and Jenks (Howell G. Jenkins), while he was recuperating at the American Red Cross hospital in Milan. His nurse was Agnes von Kurowsky, the model for Catherine Barkley in A Farewell to Arms.

The letter has been cataloged in the Ernest Hemingway Personal Papers in the Incoming Correspondence series. The letter has been dated c. 24 September 1918, with copies of the letter filed under each one of the senders: Theodore B. Brumback, William D. Horne, and Howell G. Jenkins.

Greeting:

To Agnes von Kurowsky (a frying pan with an egg, Ag sounds like egg) and Ernest Hemingway (overflowing beer stein, Hemingstein was a common nickname and this was a symbol used by Hemingway for himself).

Opening Paragraph:

Yesterday, the three Fiat ARC ambulances driven by Brummy, Bill, and Jenks (numbers 2, 8, 13) sat idle, because there was nothing for them to do. Instead, the three ambulance drivers used the water wagon to sprinkle water on dirt roads in an effort to keep down the dust. They would like to get out of doing such boring chores by obtaining permission to take some leave time. This possibility remains uncertain, however (question mark). They also know that beautiful starry nights in Milan with Agnes are like heaven. Therefore, they want to leave Schio and travel by train to Milan. Upon arrive at the ARC Hospital, the three men will be joined by Agnes, ARC nurse Ruth “Brooksie” Brooks (pancakes and syrup = stacked and sweet), Hemingway, and Johnny Miller, Jr. (a ribbon bar signifies the Silver Medal of Valor both he and Hemingway received). They will change into their clean English-style uniforms and later that night the group will drink six bottles of Chianti and have fun with music and “ev’rything.”

Paragraph Regarding Brummy:

On Saturday, Sept. 21st, Brummy and his friends spent the night drinking mixed drinks made from Asti Spumanti, Rum, Cognac, Marsala, and Rock Syrup (water supersaturated with sugar) and enjoyed music and “ev’rything” (ditto marks). At 11:00 pm that night, Brummy, holding a bottle, passed out outside the V.R. (Villa Rosa brothel), where he was attended and protected by a V.R. girl (rabbit). At the same time, three members of ARC Section IV, Corp (Carleton Shaw), Jenks, and Simmy (Zalmon K. Simmons, Jr.) were drinking, singing, and marching around like drum majors (Corp with a cane, Jenks with a bottle, and Simmy with a baton). All of this activity was closely observed by an Italian carabinieri (national paramilitary policeman wearing a tricorn hat), who was slightly amused. By 1:00 am, Brummy was in such bad shape that “everybody” had to help him to his bed where they pulled off his pants and got him ready for bed. During the night, Brummy was so sick that he overfilled his “chamber pot,” labeled Spumanti (“spew-manti”?) At 10:00 am the next day, Brummy awakened with a horrible hangover, and could hardly open his eyes in the harsh daylight. In the night, he had soiled his sheets and bed, so “everybody again,” holding their noses, hung Brummy’s sheets outside on the clothesline to air out. Brummy’s cot was so badly soiled that two of the men, still holding their noses, poured kerosene on it and set it ablaze using a “fiamifaro” (fiammifero or wooden match). After drinking lots of water, Brummy felt much better, was able to fully open his eyes, and even smiled.

Paragraph regarding Jenks:

Jenks treated his bed with kerosene to get rid of bedbugs, which promptly dove off his bed and migrated to Simmy’s bed. Jenks then slept soundly with a big smile. Jenks and fellow ARC ambulance driver, Barney (Lawrence T. Barnett) drove a Ford Model T ambulance (nicknamed “Henry,” probably after Henry Ford) to Thiene. There they had tea, butter, and jam with a British person (a cheereo, because he said “cheereo”). Despite the war, they were able to have real milk or cream in their tea!!. The other  Henry severely reprimanded Jenks and Barney for making their unauthorized trip to Thiene, shaking his fist while pointing to rules and regulations laid out on his desk. Jenks and Barney pleaded with Henry for leniency. Jenks swore off tea saying the w.k. (well-known) “nevermore” of Edgar Allen Poe’s raven, but Barney only fumed with anger and refused to make any promises (hand over mouth). Later, Jenks, wanting to get away from the Section IV barracks, or perhaps following orders, took an ambulance high up above the clouds of Mount Pasubio (characterized by a tunnel, of which there were 52, caves, and a winding road) His fast and erratic driving scared lots of mules. They hide in caves, pressed themselves against the walls of the mountain, or jumped off the mountain in fear, only to be impaled on nearby mountaintops. Jenks may plan to visit the cave with the sign “ABRI” (French for “shelter”). This shelter perhaps refers to the soup kitchen on Mount Pasubio.

Paragraph regarding Bill:

Bill has been suffering from gastroenteritis and wonders whether he needs to have surgery to remove his appendix. “Our Cap Bates” (Captain Robert W. Bates, head of the ARC Ambulance Service in Italy) was not pleased when he saw that Bill had received a package in the mail from Spagnolini Bros (Milan tailor) that contained a new English-style officer’s uniform. Captain Bates ordered Bill to follow regulations and wear the regulation ARC Ambulance uniform. Bill wore the regulation uniform but he was very displeased and quite uncomfortable with the high, tight collar. Bill’s mustache had grown too long and was unruly, so he trimmed it with scissors and added Ed Pinaud’s wax. The result was a beautiful mustache with waxed, turned-up ends.

Paragraph Misc (Miscellaneous):

Two men from ARC Section IV, “Bake” (1st Lt. Edwin H. Baker, Jr.) and “Henry” (2nd Lt. William H. “Henry” George) were honored with crowns for the dedicated leadership they displayed during the recently-ended Battle of the Piave. The “ye hall section” praised them with prayers and singing, including the doxology song (“Praise God from whom all things” etc.), which is an integral part of many Protestant worship services. Everyone is tired of always waiting for (sitting on) fellow ARC Section IV member, Blakeley (G. Bogert Blakeley), who was always running late for every activity. They decide that they’ve waited for Blakeley “for the last time.” Members of Section IV have been anticipating and looking out for an attack, but so far, there has been no such attack (big zero). At noon on Tuesday (actually Wednesday), Sept. 25th, they had fresh eggs for lunch (a treat always worth mentioning). ARC Section IV member, Porritt (Longshaw K. Porritt), who has been overly quiet in the past, seemed much improved at lunch, bragging and telling tall tales (throwing a bull). It augurs well (is a good omen, for Porritt to be more outgoing and assertive).

Complimentary Closing:

To Agnes and Hemingway, with love from Bill, Brummy, and Jenks.

Sender’s Signature:

Drawings of Brummy, Bill, and Jenks together with their names.

Senders Address:

A drawing of the Section IV building at the bottom left corner of page three is the equivalent of a “sender’s address” sometimes put at the end of a letter. The Section IV building served as Section IV headquarters and barracks and was located near Schio, Italy, not far from Mount Pasubio. Artillery shells are depicted flying through the air to indicate that this location is near the front lines. A skeleton is depicted slumped against the front of the building probably denoting that there is little activity at present and times are boring — or perhaps indicating the danger associated with their location.

Continue reading »]]> by Maura Porter, Declassification Archivist

The President’s Daily Brief, or PDB, is a highly classified intelligence briefing produced each morning for the President of the United States. The written briefing informs the President and other senior policymakers about intelligence developments worldwide and provides analysis of those events. Although now produced by the Director of National Intelligence, from 1961 until early 2005 the briefing was produced by the Central Intelligence Agency. According to the CIA website, the PDB compiles the Intelligence community’s highest-level intelligence analysis related to key national security issues and concerns of the President. The PDB is given only to the President, the Vice President, and a very select group of Cabinet-level officials designated by the President. The PDB is published six days a week, Monday through Saturday. Much of its content is unrelated to the day’s events and has been in progress for a period of time. At daybreak, the PDB is hand-carried to the White House for the briefing. Some Presidents are briefed in their residence, others in their office.

The predecessor of the PDB was called the President’s Intelligence Check List and was first produced by the CIA for President Kennedy. Although the format initially went through several trial runs, it was formalized in early 1961. The checklist, initially known by the acronym PICL and pronounced “pickle,” was later renamed the President’s Daily Brief.

PICL, 12 July 1962
pg. 1

PICL, 12 July 1962
pg. 2

PICL, 12 July 1962
pg. 3

PICL, 12 July 1962
pg. 4

PICL, 12 July 1962
pg. 5

Former Central Intelligence Director George Tenet considered the PDBs highly sensitive and in July 2000 declared that none could be released for publication “no matter how old or historically significant it may be.” The PDB became more publicly known after the 9/11 Commission called for the declassification of the PDB from August 2001 entitled, “Bin Ladin Determined to Strike the US”. Although several PDBs have been released through the years in various administrations, including a handful of PICLs from the Kennedy Administration, these declassification decisions were based on sporadic reviews and there has been no systematic opening of PDBs or PICLs. Until now.

The release of PICLs at the Kennedy Library was put into motion by researcher and former Nixon Library Director, Timothy Naftali, who submitted formal requests to access several PICLs through the Mandatory Review (MR) process (see MR online form). Recently, through the second level of appeals to the Interagency Security Classification Appeals Panel (ISCAP), several Kennedy Administration PICLs were opened in part – 126 pages total. This constitutes the largest release of daily brief (i.e., PICL) material to date and sets quite a precedent.

In total, 18 intelligence checklists and two CIA Information Reports were opened for research use on July 19, 2012.  The date ranges of these documents are mid-July 1962 through August 1962. They cover a variety of countries and topics such as the USSR, China, Cuba, Vietnam, Laos, Peru, Brazil, Haiti, British Guiana, Germany (Berlin), Indonesia and disarmament/nuclear testing.

These newly-opened PICLs come from the Kennedy Library’s National Security Files, Box 356, Chester Clifton sub-series. General Chester V. “Ted” Clifton, Military Aide to the President, coordinated the PICL briefings. The writing on the first page of the PICL is usually in General Clifton’s hand and indicates whether the President saw that particular PICL. Clifton’s notations – “P saw”, ”P not seen”, or “Pres has seen” – can be distinguished from another (unidentified) staff person’s notation, “President read”. If the President did not see or need to be briefed on particular sections of the PICL, that information was recorded on the front page, as well.

When the President was away from the White House, the PICLs were sent as White House wires to his location. On the newly-released materials, the initials HP – meaning Hyannisport – indicate where the message was sent (and then the original wire destroyed).

As we approach the 50^th anniversary of the Cuban Missile Crisis, the Cuba intelligence information provided to the President in the months leading up to the Crisis is particularly intriguing.

__

In The President’s Intelligence Checklist for August 23, 1962, it is noted “most of our information from within Cuba on the influx of Soviet equipment and technicians has come from Cuban sources.  We now have several reports from the British Embassy whose people have been out looking” … their information on the equipment coming in—some ‘hard’ some not—leads them to suggest that ‘an expert might consider the possibility of anti-aircraft rockets and radar.’ ”

The President’s Intelligence Checklist for August 28, 1962 stated, “the Soviet Chief Engineering Directorate in Moscow has raised the budget of its representative in Cuba from $80,000 in July to at least $175,000 for August.”

As part of The President’s Intelligence Checklist for August 30, 1962, there is a USIB Watch Committee Conclusions from August 29, 1962 which states, “We are not able on the basis of evidence available at this time to determine the precise nature or purpose of the intensified program of Bloc military assistance and construction in Cuba.”

In The President’s Intelligence Checklist for August 31, 1962, it is reported “one of our naval aircraft, on a routine mission, was fired on yesterday afternoon by Cuban patrol vessels at a point twelve miles off Cuba’s northern coast.”

__

The declassification of the PICLs at the Kennedy Library is exciting; in addition to demonstrating the success of the MR process in opening materials for research, the release of these highest-level intelligence briefings further expands our historical knowledge and understanding of the Kennedy Administration.

For more information about the PICLs, or to receive copies, please contact the Kennedy Library research room at kennedy.library@nara.gov or 617.514.1629.

Continue reading »]]> by Christina Lehman Fitzpatrick

Recently the library was pleased to open the newly-processed Personal Papers of Warren I. Cikins, who served in the White House from 1962 to 1966 during the Kennedy and Johnson administrations. (For more information on the opening, please see our press release.) This large collection documents the professional life of Warren Cikins over the course of his long and diverse career in Washington, D.C. Cikins had many different jobs, including Congressional staffer, federal and local government official, educator, management consultant, and advocate for criminal justice reform. Materials in the collection date from 1922 to 2011, though here we would like to highlight several documents of historical interest that are contemporary to President Kennedy’s time in our nation’s capital.

Like John F. Kennedy, Warren Cikins was born in Boston and attended Harvard University. His path to service in the Kennedy Administration began in 1956 when he moved to Washington to work as a legislative assistant to Congressman Brooks Hays (D-Arkansas). The following year, racial crisis erupted in Little Rock when nine black students were prevented from enrolling in Central High School despite the Brown v. Board of Education ruling. Angry crowds surrounded the campus and Governor Orval Faubus ordered his security forces to physically block the students from entering the building. Congressman Hays tried to act as a mediator to defuse the situation, and arranged a meeting between Faubus and President Eisenhower in Newport, Rhode Island. Ultimately no agreement could be reached, forcing Eisenhower to send federal troops to integrate the school. The incident became a defining moment in the Civil Rights Movement. Cikins was in Little Rock with Hays during the crisis and kept a notebook recording the events. One page of his notes is shown here. On it Cikins lists numerous meetings and phone calls between Hays and other local officials. The Little Rock segregationists were enraged by the Congressman’s efforts to broker a resolution and by his moderate stance on the issue of race. In retaliation, they engineered his defeat in the next election. Cikins took another job on Capitol Hill, but he and Hays remained close as professional colleagues and personal friends right up until Hays died in 1981.

After President Kennedy took office in 1961 he appointed Hays to the State Department as Assistant Secretary of State for Congressional Affairs. Hays asked Cikins to join him as his assistant. The State Department planned to mark the 16th anniversary of the United Nations with a speaking tour and Cikins jumped at the opportunity to participate. He spent two weeks traveling through the western states to address large groups of citizens. At the time, U.S. participation in the United Nations was a controversial topic, and the State Department was loudly criticized for “losing” China to the Communists. As a result, Cikins expected hostile crowds but was pleased to find that the majority of listeners responded favorably to his message. Here is one page from his main speech, titled “The United Nations: International Cooperation at the Crossroads.” In the conclusion he states, “The question of whether the UN is good for the US must be answered with a loud affirmative. Our national interest and our dedication to our international goals requires that we pledge ourselves to the preservation and the strengthening of the UN.” He reported that audiences were generally receptive to his speeches and often asked many good questions afterward: “Why did the U.S. permit the veto to be written into the UN Charter?” “Does the admission of new members to the UN undermine the U.S. position?”

Soon President Kennedy asked Brooks Hays to transfer to the White House and serve as Special Assistant to the President. Thus Warren Cikins joined the White House staff in January 1962 as Hays’s executive assistant. While at the White House, Hays and Cikins often contributed to intergovernmental relations projects. President Kennedy wanted to build better relationships with local and state officials and to improve coordination of federal and state planning. Materials in Cikins’s collection reveal his role as a liaison between the White House and such organizations as the Conference of Appalachian Governors, the Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental Relations, and the Council of State Government. He frequently collaborated with these groups on issues concerning the Area Redevelopment Administration (ARA). The ARA was established in May 1961 in order to “help areas of substantial and persistent unemployment and underemployment to take effective steps in planning and financing their economic redevelopment.” (Listen to President Kennedy’s remarks upon signing the Area Redevelopment Act.) The Appalachian region had one of the highest unemployment rates in the country and received the most ARA assistance. At the right are two documents concerning aid to Appalachia. The first is a map indicating the geographical area served by the ARA. The second is a memorandum from Cikins to Lee White reporting on a meeting held on April 18, 1963, with representatives of various federal agencies. This meeting resulted from President Kennedy’s directive, issued earlier that month, asking the agencies to review their operations and locate more opportunities to direct aid to Appalachia. Unfortunately, the officials foresaw “great difficulties involved in doing anything substantial in this direction.”

Although Cikins accepted a full-time position with the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights in December 1963, he continued to work on White House projects for President Johnson on a part-time basis through 1966. He went on to jobs at the Agency for International Development (1965-1967) and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (1967-1969) before transitioning to the private sector. More about his later adventures can be found in his autobiography, In Search of Middle Ground: Memoirs of a Washington Insider (2005).

Continue reading »]]> by Jessica Green

The document pictured below is from the Ernest Hemingway Collection at the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library. We think it may be a rebus or another type of pictogram that uses pictures to represent words, parts of words, or phrases. Can you help us solve this puzzle?

The dates specifically mentioned on the documents are September 21, 22, 24, and 25. Luckily, whoever created this document also included the day of the week (i.e., Saturday, September 21). Using a handy historical calendar, we were able to determine the year to be 1918.

We think that the document depicts a scene that took place shortly after Hemingway’s time as an American Red Cross (ARC) ambulance driver in Italy in June and July of 1918.

Background

• Hemingway was assigned to ARC Section Four along with William Horne, Howie Jenkins, and Theodore Brumback (Baker 41). Based on nicknames Hemingway used for these friends in his correspondence, we suspect they appear in this document as Bill, Jenks, and Brummy, respectively.
• Around midnight on July 8, 1918, Hemingway was severely injured by an exploding canister while delivering “a supply of cigarettes, chocolate, and postcards for the soldiers” (Baker 44).
• Hemingway recovered in a hospital in Milan, where he fell in love with a nurse named Agnes Hannah von Kurowsky, the model for Catherine Barkley in A Farewell to Arms.
• In late September 1918, Hemingway was healthy enough to go on holiday to the Gran Hotel Stresa on Lago Maggiore with his companion Johnny Miller, ARC ambulance driver for Sections Two and Three (Baker 51).

Questions

• Based on the drawing of the envelope with their nicknames, it is possible that Bill Horne, Theodore Brumback, and Howie Jenkins drew this puzzle about their Red Cross activities to send to Hemingway while he was in the hospital. Bill Horne had also been recuperating in the hospital alongside Hemingway for three weeks in August 1918 (Baker 48). What do you think about this possibility? Who do you think created the document?

• Do you recognize the people and scenes depicted in the document? And can you tell us how you know that?

• Our cap, Bates probably refers to Captain Robert W. Bates. He was Field Inspector of Ambulances for the American Red Cross (Baker 48). Do you agree?

• Jimmy probably refers to Jim Gamble. He was American Red Cross Inspector of Rolling Canteens (Baker 48). Do you agree?

• The document is composed of three one-sided pages with no page numbers. Do you think the above images represent the original order of the document? Why or why not?

• Do you know who the following people are?
  • Barney
  • Henry
  • The Other Henry
  • Blakeley
  • Corp

• Do you know what the following terms mean?
  • w.k. raven
  • Porritt
  • Spumanti
  • Fiamifaro

We appreciate your help describing this exciting Hemingway document. Enjoy!

References

• Baker, Carlos. Ernest Hemingway: A Life Story. New York: Scribner, 1969.
• “Historical Calendar.” Miscellany: Miscellaneous Technical Articles by AR Collins. ARC.id.au. Web. 14 May 2012. <http://www.arc.id.au/Calendar.html>.

Continue reading »]]> by Timothy Bowen

As a soon-to-be graduate of the Simmons College Graduate School of Library and Information Science with a focus in Archives, I was recently required to complete a 130-hour internship meant to strengthen the skills I learned throughout the program. When Digital Archivist Erica Boudreau approached me about an internship at the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library, I jumped at the chance. Although I already worked at the Library digitizing negatives from the White House Photographs collection, this new internship would allow me the opportunity to expand my experience by digitizing, cataloging, and publishing to the Web a small manuscript collection in its entirety.

For this project I was assigned the processed papers of James W. Wine. Spanning the years 1959 to 1965, the papers consist of over 800 pages of documents and photographs relating to James Wine’s work on John F. Kennedy’s 1960 presidential campaign and later as U.S. Ambassador. In his capacity as an advisor to then Senator Kennedy, Wine—a Protestant—worked to dispel the public’s fear of voting for a Catholic president. This problem was known as “the religious question.” The concern about President Kennedy’s Catholicism was widespread and Wine received numerous letters deploring his decision to help the Kennedys. By distributing pamphlets and writing statements and press releases, Wine’s work directly influenced the public’s choice of John F. Kennedy as President.

After working on the presidential campaign, Wine became Ambassador to Luxembourg and soon after, the Ivory Coast. As a representative of the United States and of President Kennedy, Wine conducted business that facilitated direct communication among the countries’ politicians and between the President and foreign Heads of State.

I began my internship by reviewing the collection (which was processed in 2005 by a fellow Simmons intern) to familiarize myself with the materials and to learn more about James Wine and his work for John F. Kennedy. Although I was already  familiar with the history surrounding Kennedy’s presidency, I had not heard of James Wine and did not know much about the “religious question.” More than anything, I was surprised by the level of concern expressed by the American public about Kennedy’s religion before he took office. As I learned more about James Wine’s work within the campaign, I began to draw parallels between President Kennedy’s fight and current political events.

The next step was to digitize all of the materials within the collection. Working closely with Kelly Francis, the Assistant Digital Archivist for Textual Collections, we began the process of digitization. Each document was scanned to standards set by NARA and the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and then reviewed for proper quality control. Following digitization, I began the work of cataloging and describing the collection. Working folder by folder, I reviewed the materials, looking for documents that stood out  and identifying a general theme within every folder. From there I began to describe each folder to the best of my ability. With Kelly’s help, I learned tricks of the trade for creating good metadata and after repeated edits the cataloging was complete.

With digitization and description completed, the collection was published online;  it can now be found on the library’s website at http://www.jfklibrary.org/Asset-Viewer/Archives/JWPP.aspx.

After spending four months working on James Wine’s papers it was hard  to believe that it was over. In that short period of time I felt that I had formed a connection to Wine during that time in his life. Through his political work and his personal correspondence between friends, I had a firsthand look into his life and work. What I’ve taken from this experience and what I am most grateful for is the confirmation that I have chosen the right career. My internship with the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library has helped me better understand the work that goes into digitizing a collection and has made me feel more confident that I belong within the field of archives and archives digitization.