John Kennedy

by Burns, James MacGregor;

  Behind the Lace Curtain: My sources on Patrick Kennedy and John F. Fitzgerald are chiefly newspaper clippings in the reference libraries of the Boston Herald and the Boston Globe, aside from Kennedy family interviews. The “Irish switch” story is from Time, December 2, 1957, p. 19; the story of the baseball game from a witness, Charles F. Ely, of Westfield, Mass. On the skills of Irish politicians acquired in Ireland, see D. W. Brogan, Politics in America (New York: Harper, 1954). On the politics of Boston during this period, I have relied mainly on M. E. Hennessey, Twenty-Five Years of Massachusetts Politics (Boston: Practical Politics, Inc., 1917); J. A. Garraty, Henry Cabot Lodge (New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1953); J. J. Huthmacher, Massachusetts People and Politics (Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1959); Duane Lockard, New England State Politics (Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1959); and J. F. Dinneen, The Purple Shamrock (New York: W. W. Norton, 1949). For Curley’s description of the socially aspiring Irish, see J. M. Curley, I’d Do It Again (Englewood Cliffs, N. J.: Prentice Hall, 1957), pp. 13–14, and for his relations with Cardinal O’Connell, see the same, p. 113. The quotation on the “inrushing immigrant masses” is from Brogan, op. cit., p. 97. Dinneen’s novel Ward Eight is an evocative picture of old-time Irish politics in Boston. On the attitudes in the Catholic Church toward liberal reformism, see the admirable treatment in Handlin, op. cit., Chapter 5. The Fitzgerald exchange with the banker is from Kennedy family interview.

  Upward Bound: The fullest account of Joseph P. Kennedy’s business career is in Fortune, September 1937, and the quotations are from that source; see also Time, July 22, 1935; The New Republic, July 11, 1934, and July 18, 1934. I have also used Kennedy family interviews. Kennedy’s book, I’m for Roosevelt, was published by Reynal and Hitchcock, New York, 1936. Roosevelt’s comment on I’m for Roosevelt is from Elliott Roosevelt, ed., F.D.R.: His Personal Letters (New York: Duell, Sloan and Pearce, 1950), Vol. I, p. 595. His remark “I was born here …” is quoted in Cleveland Amory, The Proper Bostonians (New York: E. P. Dutton, 1947), p. 346.

  No Terrors at Home: The “Home holds no terrors” quotation is from Fortune, cited above. The story of Joseph Kennedy in the Waldorf Astoria is from Joe McCarthy, “Jack Kennedy: Heir to Power,” Look, Oct. 27, 1959, p. 92. The story of Joe, Jr. toppling off the sled is from H. H. Martin, “The Amazing Kennedys,” The Saturday Evening Post, Sept. 7, 1957, p. 44. The reference to the children’s thinking of problems in terms of how their father would approach them is from Eleanor Harris, “The Senator Is in a Hurry,” McCall’s, August 1957, p. 119, as is the father’s statement that he never discussed money at the table. Information on Rose Kennedy is from Kennedy family interviews and interviews with acquaintances in Boston.

  II. The Green Bloods

  The plea for the raise is in Kennedy family papers, undated.

  Canterbury and Choate: Information on Kennedy’s early and school years is from teachers, family friends, Kennedy family interviews, and Kennedy family papers. The record of the year at Canterbury is especially full because the students there were evidently required to write letters home at least once a week. Kennedy’s grades at Choate are from a transcript of his record at Choate, April 21, 1959. On Kennedy’s relations with his father, see Kennedy family papers, especially Kennedy to Joseph P. Kennedy, undated (received December 4, 1934); Joseph P. Kennedy to Kennedy, December 5, 1934. Jean’s letter protesting about the mistletoe kiss is from her letter to Joseph P. Kennedy, January 8 (no year indicated), Kennedy family papers.

  Harvard: The best source—and one with more objectivity than might be expected—on Joseph P. Kennedy, Jr., is J. F. Kennedy, ed., As We Remember Joe, a memorial volume privately printed in 1945, which includes the quoted statement from Laski on Joe. A useful source on Kennedy at Harvard is Irwin Ross in the New York Post, July 31, 1956, p. 21. Kennedy’s grades at Harvard are based on Transcript of Record, Office of the Registrar, Harvard University, April 21, 1959; the list of his activities, on 1940 Class Book, Harvard University, 1940. Kennedy’s letters from Europe during 1937 trip are in Kennedy family papers; see especially, Kennedy to Joseph P. Kennedy, July 25, 1937, and August 11, 1937; letter to Mr. and Mrs. Joseph P. Kennedy, undated.

  Alone at the Top: On Joseph P. Kennedy’s trusts for his children see Martin’s article in The Saturday Evening Post, cited above.

  III. War and Peace

  Kennedy’s letter to his father on the latter’s Navy League speech is undated, but probably November 1938, in Kennedy family papers; for his letter on the Danzig situation, see Kennedy family papers, Kennedy to his father undated but received June 7, 1939. On the Athenia incident, see Memo, “Telephone Call from Mr. William Hillman,” Sept. 7, 1939, Kennedy family papers; and New York Times, Sept. 8, 1939, p. 14.

  “Why England Slept”: The letter from Kennedy to Joseph P. Kennedy is undated (penciled notation states “spring 1940” but internal evidence suggests fall 1939), Kennedy family papers. Information on Kennedy’s stockmarket activities is from same letter. The thesis, “Appeasement at Munich,” is dated 1940, and the copy I have used is deposited in Widener Library; quotations are from this manuscript and from Why England Slept (New York: Wilfred Funk, 1940). My chief source on Joseph Kennedy, Sr.’s views on the situation in Europe is W. L. Langer and S. E. Gleason, The Challenge to Isolationism (New York: Harper, 1952). For Joseph Kennedy, Jr.’s views on nonintervention, see the New York Times, Jan. 7, 1941, p. 7. Other quotations and analysis of Joseph Kennedy’s stand during the war years are from several sources, mainly from the hearings of the Committee on Foreign Affairs, U.S. Congress, on H.R. 1776 (Lend Lease), January 21, 1941, pp. 229–30, 246-48, 250, 254, 258, and 259 ff. (Joseph Kennedy). For Joseph Kennedy’s standing with America First, see W. S. Cole, America First (Madison: University of Wisconsin Press, 1953), p. 17. On commencement activities, the Class Day and Commencement programs are in Kennedy family papers, as is Joseph Kennedy’s telegram of congratulations. These family papers include an extensive file of correspondence between Kennedy and his father in regard to publication of Why England Slept; the letter of his father that Kennedy used for his concluding remarks is dated May 20, 1940. The Roosevelt-Fitzgerald exchange is from Kennedy interview. On Joseph Kennedy’s volunteering for service, see Elliott Roosevelt, op. cit., Vol. II, pp. 1289–90. His instructors’ estimates of Kennedy’s abilities in the Navy are from a file of Navy Fitness Reports on Kennedy, Kennedy Main Office.

  “Jesus Loves Me”: The account of events on the Japanese destroyer is from K. Hanami to Kennedy, undated, 1952 Campaign Files, Main Office; K. Hanami to author, July 1, 1959; and T. Chichida (Hanami’s translater) to author, July 7, 1959. The remainder of this section, aside from Kennedy interviews, is drawn entirely from John Hersey, “Survival,” The New Yorker, June 17, 1944, pp. 31–43.

  War’s End: The Navy Fitness Reports also cover the period following active service. The New York Times, May 7, 1944, p. 43, refers to the first Duke of Devonshire’s Protestantism. Kennedy’s article on peace, with covering letter dated February 8, 1945, is in Kennedy family papers. For Kennedy’s articles on the San Francisco Conference, see the New York Journal-American, April 28, 30, May 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 9, 10, 14, 16, 18, 19, 21, 23, 28, 1945. The London coverage is in ibid., June 24, July 10, 27, 1945.

  IV. The Poor Little Rich Kid

  Kennedy’s indecision of 1945 is based on Kennedy and Kennedy family interviews. Description of Massachusetts politics is drawn mainly from Huthmacher, op. cit.; see also review of this book by John F. Kennedy, the New York Times Book Review, Sept. 20, 1959, p. 42.

  Political Baptism: On Curley’s situation in 1946, see J. M. Curley, op. cit., and Dinneen, op. cit. Billings’ participation in the campaign is described in McCall’s, August 1957, p. 123.

  Free-for-All: Account of the 1946 primary battle is based mainly on Kennedy and Kennedy family interviews and on interviews with six of the nine primary opponents and with Kennedy campaign workers. Newspaper coverage is rather scanty. Election tota
ls are from Election Statistics 1946, Public Document No. 43, Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Boston, 1946, p. 70. Fletcher Knebel, “Pulitzer Prize Entry,” in Eric Sevareid, ed., Candidates 1960 (New York: Basic Books, 1959), p. 196, relates Fitzgerald’s victory celebration.

  Safe Seat: The 1948 and 1950 election results are in Election Statistics 1948, op. cit., pp. 248, 341; 1950, pp. 70, 270; interviews were also conducted with Kennedy’s 1950 primary opponents still available, and with his 1950 Republican opponent. Kennedy could not remember in 1959 how he had become a member of the House Committee on Education and Labor.

  V. The Gentleman from Boston

  O’Neal’s testimony is in Proceedings of Committee on Education and Labor, House of Representatives, 80th Cong., 1st Sess., pp. 1836, 1838. Material on Kennedy’s personal life during the House of Representatives period is from interviews with representatives and others who worked with him during that period. The story of the football practice at the high school is from the New York Times, Nov. 9, 1949, p. 3.

  Bread-and-Butter Liberal: The account of Kennedy’s experience with veterans’ housing politics and legislation is drawn mainly from interviews and from occasional newspaper clippings, House of Representatives material, Attic Office; copy of Kennedy’s speech to the veterans’ housing conference is in this file. His statement before the House of Representatives on the Legion is in the Congressional Record, Vol. 95, Part 3, March 22, 1949, p. 2950. His quoted remark on the Taft-Hartley Bill is ibid., Vol. 93, Part 3, April 16, 1947, pp. 3512–13; for his views on this bill more generally, see ibid., Vol. 95, Part 4, April 27, 1949, pp. 5147–48.

  Defying the White House: Kennedy’s statement on the Chinese situation is in Congressional Record, Vol. 95, Part 1, Jan. 25, 1949, pp. 532–33; the speech at Salem was reprinted in the same document, Appendix, Vol. 95, Part 12, Feb. 21, 1949, p. A993. Kennedy’s notes on his European trip of 1951 are in an envelope marked “European Trip—January—February 1951,” Attic Office. For Kennedy’s stand on sending troops to Europe, see Hearings before the Committee on Foreign Relations and Committee on Armed Services, United States Senate, “Assignment of Ground Forces of the United States to Duty in the European Area,” Senate Concurrent Resolution 8, February 1951, 82nd Cong., 1st Sess., pp. 424–44. For Senator George’s interrogation and Kennedy’s answers, see Hearings cited above, “Assignment of Ground Forces …,” pp. 432–33.

  A Subject of the Pope?: For the exchange between Rogers and Kennedy, see Hearings before Subcommittee No. 1 of the Committee on Education and Labor, House of Representatives, 80th Cong., 1st Sess., Vol. 1, pp. 332–57. Cardinal Spellman’s statement was reported in the New York Times, July 23, 1949, p. 1, and Mrs. Roosevelt’s answers on July 28, p. 16. Cardinal Spellman’s statement on fringe benefits for parochial schools is in the New York Times, Aug. 6, 1949, p. 1, and Bishop Oxnam’s answer in the Times, Aug. 8, p. 13. Kennedy’s bill is summarized in the Times, March 16, 1950, p. 29. This description of Kennedy’s amendment to the federal school bill is based on his statement of his position in biographical statement for the 1952 campaign (p. 5); this document is cited more fully in notes for Chapter 6. The New York Times editorial appeared on March 16, 1950, p. 30; and the remarks of Representative Barden on Cardinal Spellman, and Mrs. Roosevelt on the Kennedy amendment, in the Times, March 7 and 8, 1950, p. 1 and p. 28. The reasons for the fate of the bill are discussed by Benjamin Fine in the New York Times, March 19, 1950, Sec. 4, 6. E9. The Pilot quotation is from the issue of March 18, 1950. Kennedy’s position on budget-balancing is reflected in speeches in the House of Representatives and also in correspondence with constituents in House of Representatives material, Attic Office.

  Kennedy as a Congressman: Joseph Kennedy’s remarks, beginning “Our policy today …,” are from a speech to the Virginia Law School Forum, Dec. 12, 1950, reprinted in the Congressional Record, Vol. 96, Part 18, Dec. 15, 1950, p. A7723; and the Republican congressman is Representative Paul W. Shafer of Michigan, whose remarks are in the Congressional Record, Vol. 97, Part 12, April 16, 1951, p. A2207. Kennedy’s comment on “Uncle Sugar” was in his speech to the Boston Chamber of Commerce, Nov. 19, 1951, reprinted in the 1952 campaign statement, p. 24. McCormack on “Where’s Johnny?” is from an auditor. The Kennedy-McCormack dialogue on the Curley petition is as Kennedy remembers it; Curley, op. cit., pp. 331–34, has an account of the petition episode from Curley’s viewpoint. The comment on Kennedy’s talking only about New England is in the Congressional Record, Vol. 98, Part 3, April 1, 1952, p. 3329; I have altered the quotation very slightly. On Kennedy’s appearance before the Harvard seminar, see J. P. Mallan, “Massachusetts: Liberal and Corrupt,” The New Republic, Oct. 13, 1952, pp. 10–12; see this same journal, Nov. 3, 1952, p. 2, for a rejoinder by the professor in charge of this seminar; I have interviewed and corresponded with witnesses in connection with this controversial episode. The Boston Post, April 22, 1951, reported Kennedy’s opposition to negative anticommunism. The Handlin quotation is from op. cit., p. 142.

  VI. Green Blood versus Blue Blood

  The two reporters whose descriptions of Kennedy are mentioned are Fletcher Knebel in Candidates 1960, op. cit., p. 198, and Ralph M. Blagden, “Cabot Lodge’s Toughest Fight,” The Reporter, Vol. 7, No. 7, Sept. 30, 1952, pp. 10–11. Morrissey’s statement on the campaign handshaking is quoted in McCall’s, op. cit., p. 118. I have also used interviews with Morrissey and Kennedy and other participants in the early campaigning.

  The Battle Joined: Text of (Kennedy’s announcement, mimeographed, April 7, 1952, is in Senatorial Campaign File, Attic Office. Material in Kennedy’s office on the 1952 campaign is rather disorganized; some of it is in the Attic Office and some in the Main Office. Some of the staff studies arguing in favor of flanking Lodge on the right are in the collection, but undated and unsigned. Material includes an eight-page, single-spaced typewritten document, “What They Said and Did—Kennedy—Taft—Lodge” purporting to show Kennedy’s frequent support of the Taft position as compared with Lodge’s. Chief source on Kennedy’s positions on campaign issues is a 178-page mimeographed compilation, well organized by subject, prepared by T. J. Reardon, and including biographical data and comparisons of Kennedy’s and Lodge’s voting records, Attic Office.

  By the Left—or Right?: The fullest published source on Kennedy’s campaign financing is H. D. Price, “Campaign Finance in Massachusetts in 1952,” in C. J. Friedrich and J. K. Galbraith, eds., Public Policy (Cambridge: Graduate School of Public Administration, 1955), pp. 36–8. On the Brewer-Kennedy relationship, copies of messages between Brewer and Kennedy campaign aides are in the campaign collection. Ralph M. Blagden, in The Reporter, cited above, provides excellent coverage of the work of Taft supporters for Kennedy; he quotes from a letter sent out by Taylor. My account of the encounter in Kennedy’s living room between Jackson and Joseph Kennedy is based on interviews with participants. On the Kennedy, Sr.-Fox episode, see “Investigation of Regulatory Commissions and Agencies,” Hearings before a subcommittee of the Committee on Interstate and Foreign Commerce, House of Representatives, 85th Cong., 2nd Sess., Part 11, June 27, 1958, pp. 4126–4132.

  Battle of the Teacups: There are a few campaign posters in the 1952 campaign collection. The billboard episode is drawn from an interview with an eyewitness. Kennedy’s campaigning on his own, apart from the party, was observed by the author and was well established also in interviews. The best description of a Kennedy campaign tea party is Cabell Phillips, “Case History of a Senate Race,” the New York Times Magazine, Oct. 26, 1952, p. 10. The speech by Robert Kennedy is reported in Paul F. Healy, “The Senate’s Gay Young Bachelor,” The Saturday Evening Post, June 13, 1953, p. 27. Kennedy’s television schedule is in the 1952 Campaign Collection, as are suggested speeches for Mrs. Kennedy. On Lodge’s campaign finance, see Price, op. cit., p. 36. For a somewhat different evaluation of the 1952 voting returns, see Elmo Roper, “The Myth of the Catholic Vote,” The Saturday Review, Oct. 31, 1959, p. 22.

&
nbsp; VII. The Senator from New England

  The episode of Kennedy’s being warned back by the guard is from The Saturday Evening Post, June 13, 1953, p. 26, and the remarks of William S. White on the Senate are from his Citadel (New York: Harper, 1956), p. 2.

  The Open Door: Kennedy’s office allowance is estimated from the regulations thereon; see George B. Galloway, The Legislative Process in Congress (New York: Thomas Y. Crowell, 1953), pp. 416 ff. The list of Kennedy achievements is from a far longer compilation, “Memorandum from John F. Kennedy to his Constituents,” January 1955, in Attic Office. The Burke quotation is from Galloway, op. cit., p. 209.

  What’s the Matter with New England?: Kennedy’s three speeches on the New England economy may be found in Congressional Record, Vol. 99, Part 4, May 18, 1953, pp. 5054–70; May 20, 1953, pp. 5227–40; and May 25, 1953, pp. 5455–66. For the claimed results of the New England program, see “Progress Report December 1953,” 8 pp. (mimeographed), in 1953–54 Legislative Files, Attic Office. Kennedy’s position on the Seaway is explained by him in Congressional Record, Vol. 100, Part 1, Jan. 14, 1954, p. 238. On the tariff problem, see Kennedy’s Memorandum to Constituents, January 1955, cited above.

  The Girl from Newport: The Post article is that by Healy, cited above, and the asparagus episode from Time, Dec. 2, 1957, p. 20. Mrs. Kennedy’s comment on the courtship is from Eleanor Harris, “The Senator Is in a Hurry,” McCall’s, August 1957, p. 123 (an article, incidentally, that presents an interesting interpretation of Kennedy). The New York Times, Sept. 13, 1953, p. 1, offered full coverage of the wedding. The “Rules for Visiting the Kennedys” was published in the Post, Sept. 7, 1957, cited above. Source of Mrs. Kennedy’s comment on sabotaging Monopoly is André Fontaine, “Senator Kennedy’s Crisis,” Redbook Magazine, November 1957, p. 119. Most of this section is drawn from Kennedy family interviews.