For Immediate Release: March 18, 1998
Further information: Ann Scanlon (617) 514-1662
As a result of the agreement reached 3/16/98 between the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) and Robert White, major consignee to the auction, NARA took possession of the originals of:
Lot 8: President John F. Kennedy’s drop leaf table from the Oval Office. A dark mahogany four-legged oblong table with its original green blotter which President Kennedy used to sign letters and important documents, this desk was six inches lower than President Kennedy’s desk. The shorter table was requested by his personal physician, Dr. Janet Travell, to help relieve his back pain.
Lot 47: May 25, 1962 memorandum for the Secretaries of State and Defense from President Kennedy on NATO and American foreign policy in Europe. The memo is typed on White House letterhead and second sheet with President Kennedy’s handwritten changes. Also includes a typed transcript of President Kennedy’s handwriting.
Lot 48: First page of a May 21, 1962 memorandum for the Secretary of State from President Kennedy about a military base in the Azores. The memo is typed on White House letterhead with President Kennedy’s handwritten changes. Also includes an annotated carbon.
Lot 49: July 26, 1961 and November 1961 Evelyn Lincoln (President Kennedy’s secretary) stenographic notes of dictation from President Kennedy on foreign affairs issues including America’s role in Vietnam, relations with China and Formosa, and tensions in the Congo. Two resulting memoranda for the Secretaries of State and Defense typed on White House letterhead with President Kennedy’s handwritten changes.
Lot51: Carbon of a typed “To Do” list for January 28 prepared from Evelyn Lincoln’s stenographic notes of dictation from President Kennedy. Stenographic notes and typed versions of 22 memoranda from President Kennedy to White House staff and Cabinet officials
Lot 79: President Kennedy’s notes in preparation for his summit meeting with Chairman Nikita Khrushchev in Vienna, June 1961. After President Kennedy read the briefing materials for the meeting, on May 28, 1961 he dictated his thoughts, questions and action items relating to the forthcoming meeting. These were typed up on three pages and he initialed his approval. Also includes the leather briefing book, a related White House memorandum, the official itinerary and press information.
Lot 221: Lyndon B. Johnson’s congratulatory July 14, 1960 telegram to John F. Kennedy on his nomination as Democratic presidential candidate.
For a total of 1 artifact and 22 documents consisting of 45 pages.
These materials have been deposited in the John F. Kennedy Library, a Presidential Library administered by NARA. The table was placed in the Library’s Oval Office Exhibit in the Museum and the documents were opened for research use in the Kennedy Library Archives on April 15, 1998. Please consult the Library’s Research Room (618-514-1629) for information on ordering copies of documents.
In addition, NARA made photocopies of the following items:
Lot 7: Yellow legal-sized page with the first line of draft III of John F. Kennedy’s inaugural address.
Lot41: Yellow legal-sized page of President Kennedy’s notes and doodles during a Cuban missile crisis meeting.
Lot42: Incoming FBIS cable and President Kennedy’s notes with a doodle on White House notepaper during the Cuban missile crisis.
Lot56: John F. Kennedy’s August 1960 correspondence with Bernard Baruch.
Lot57: President Kennedy’s August 1962 correspondence with Walter Annenberg.
Lot58: Congratulatory telegram to John F. Kennedy on his nomination as Democratic presidential candidate from Hubert Humphrey, July 15, 1960.
Lot59: Congratulatory telegram to John F. Kennedy on his nomination as Democratic presidential candidate from Hubert Humphrey and Eugene McCarthy, July 15, 1960.
Lot60: Congratulatory telegram to John F. Kennedy on his nomination as Democratic presidential candidate from Eugene McCarthy, July 14, 1960.
Lot61: Congratulatory telegram to John F. Kennedy on his nomination as Democratic presidential candidate from Edmund Muskie, July 15, 1960.
Lot62: Congratulatory telegram to John F. Kennedy on his nomination as Democratic presidential candidate from Orville Freeman, July 15, 1960.
Lot63: Congratulatory telegram to John F. Kennedy on his nomination as Democratic presidential candidate from Luther Hodges, July 15, 1960.
Lot 64: Congratulatory telegram to John F. Kennedy on his nomination as Democratic presidential candidate from Stuart Symington, July 14, 1960.
Lot65: Congratulatory telegram to John F. Kennedy on his nomination as Democratic presidential candidate from Henry Jackson, July 15, 1960.
Lot68: 1960 John F. Kennedy telegrams to Carl Vinson and Orville Freeman.
Lot69: One 1958 and eleven 1960 John F. Kennedy telegrams to political colleagues, supporters and friends.
Lot74: President Kennedy’s 1961 notes on the reverse of a music score.
Lot 78: President Kennedy’s doodles and notes on notepaper from the Rice Hotel, Houston, Texas, November 21, 1963.
Lot 97: First page of President Kennedy’s July 4, 1962 typed letter with handwritten changes to American Legion Commander Bacon.
Lot 98: Three John F. Kennedy notes and doodles.
Lot 99: Carbons of four typed 1962 memoranda from President Kennedy to the Secretaries of State and Defense and the Directors of Central Intelligence and the Office of Emergency Planning. Includes a related memorandum from Mrs. Kennedy’s office.
Lot102: John F. Kennedy’s November 22, 1960 correspondence with a photographer.
Lot104: Edited typescript of John F. Kennedy’s 1960 Labor Day speech.
Lot 105: Edited typescript of President Kennedy’s January 31, 1962 statement of thanks to Naval Reservists called up in 1961.
Lot 125: Photographs, itinerary, and U.S. Embassy information guide from President and Mrs. Kennedy’s visit to Mexico, June 29 - July 1, 1962.
Lot167: Handwritten John F. Kennedy notes on “From the Desk of John F. Kennedy” notepaper and an envelope, with Evelyn Lincoln’s handwritten transcription.
Lot 169: Album of captioned photographs from President and Mrs. Kennedy’s trip to France, May 31 - June 2, 1961.
Lot 170: Album of captioned photographs from President and Mrs. Kennedy’s trip to Austria, June 3 - 4, 1961.
Lot 171: Album of captioned photographs from President and Mrs. Kennedy’s trip to the United Kingdom, June 4 - 6, 1961.
Lot 188H: President Kennedy’s doodles and notes on notepaper from the Rice Hotel, Houston, Texas, November 21, 1963.
Lot188I: Three typed and signed 1961 and 1963 letters from President Kennedy to Wayne Hays. One unsigned memorandum from Vice President Lyndon Johnson to President Kennedy.
Lot188J: Two typed and signed 1961 and 1962 letters with personal greetings and one envelope from President Kennedy to John J. Rooney.
Lot188K: One typed and signed 1963 letter with personal greeting from President Kennedy to John J. Rooney.
Lot191: Typed 1959 memorandum from Bobby Baker to John F. Kennedy. John F. Kennedy handwritten notes about health matters and current political issues on Senate memorandum paper, with typed transcripts.
Lot193: Cable from John F. Kennedy to Mrs. Kennedy, 1959.
Lot222: Handwritten John F. Kennedy letter to Evelyn Lincoln on Senate stationery listing things to do.
Lot223: Legal-sized page of John F. Kennedy’s handwritten notes and doodles on the death of Charles W. Tobey, circa July 1953.
Lot224: John F. Kennedy’s handwritten notes on communism, 1953.
Lot252: Legal-sized page of President Kennedy’s doodles, including doodles of sailboats.
Lot 271: July 18, 1961 letter from Joseph P. Kennedy to Evelyn Lincoln with clippings for President Kennedy and comments about Great Britain. Evelyn Lincoln’s stenographic notes of dictation from President Kennedy. Carbon of President Kennedy’s response to his father’s letter.
For a total of 85 documents consisting of 462 pages.
These materials have been deposited in the John F. Kennedy Library, a Presidential Library administered NARA. The document copies were opened for research use in the Kennedy Library Archives on April 15, 1998. Please consult the Library’s Research Room (618-514-1629) for information on ordering copies of documents.
As a result of the agreement reached 3/18/98 between Caroline Kennedy and John F. Kennedy, Jr., and Robert White, major consignee to the auction, the John F. Kennedy Library received the originals of:
Lot 23: John F. Kennedy’s mahogany wall clock. The clock originally came from the Kennedys’ N Street home and was placed on the wall of President Kennedy’s private room next to the Oval Office soon after the Inauguration.
Lots 184A and 184B: John F. Kennedy’s handwritten two volumes of travel journals for his 1951 trips to England, Italy, Yugoslavia, Spain and Germany in January and February and France, Iran, India, Pakistan, Vietnam, Singapore and Japan in October and November with his brother Robert and sister Patricia.
These items will be made available for viewing and research use, respectively, following necessary preservation work.