Joseph P. Kennedy (#136) - John F. Kennedy Presidential Library & Museum

An Inventory of His Personal Papers
1888-1974
In the John F. Kennedy Library
National Archives and Records Administration

Administrative Information
Biographical Note
Function and Use
Collection Overview
List of Series
Series Description

Administrative Information

Abstract
Papers 1888-1974
Father of President Kennedy, banker, financier, diplomat. Chairman, Securities and Exchange Commission (1934-1937); Chairman, Maritime Commission (1937); Ambassador to Great Britain (1938-1940). Personal, family, business and diplomatic papers.

Access
Under the terms of the deed of gift, access to this collection is “by permission only.” The deed establishes a donor committee to review and approve all matters relating to the processing of the collection and the opening of the papers for scholarly review. The committee has approved instructions for applying for access and a uniform “Request for Access” to be submitted by applicants for access. Forms attached.

Usage Restrictions
According to the deed of gift signed November 21, 1995, all copyright in these materials that was held by the donors at the time of donation has been assigned to the John F. Kennedy Library Foundation until November 21, 2020 when the Library Foundation will be free to transfer and assign any then-valid intellectual property rights (including any copyrights) in these materials to the United States of America for the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library.

Copyright
The copyright law of the United States (Title 17, United States Code) governs the making of photocopies or other reproductions of copyrighted material. Under certain conditions specified in the law, libraries and archives are authorized to furnish a photocopy or other reproduction. One of these specified conditions is that the photocopy or reproduction is not to be “used for any purpose other than private study, scholarship, or research.” If a user makes a request for, or later uses, a photocopy or reproduction for purposes in excesses of “fair use,” that user may be liable for copyright infringement. This institution reserves the right to refuse to accept a copying order if, in its judgment, fulfillment of the order would involve violation of copyright law. The copyright law extends its protection to unpublished works from the moment of creation in a tangible form. Direct your questions concerning copyright to the reference staff. All copies from this collection are made on distinctively colored paper and bear the following statement on each page:

THE JOSEPH P. KENNEDY PAPERS COLLECTION. This copy is for the sole use of [Name of researcher] and shall not be reproduced, copied, or shared with any other person without the prior written consent of the Joseph P. Kennedy Papers Donor Committee and/or the copyright holder.

Provenance
Deeded to the National Archives and Records Administration by the Joseph P. Kennedy, Jr., Foundation of Washington, District of Columbia, in November 1995. Received from Rose Kennedy, August 1975 (Acc. 1976-006); January 1976 (Acc. 1976-20); September 1976 (Acc. 1976-044); from Stephen Smith, March 1977 (Acc. 1977-15); from Patricia Kennedy Lawford, April 1977 (Acc. 1977-20); from Rose Kennedy, May 1977 (Acc. 1977-21); from Stephen Smith, May 1977 (Acc. 1977-23); from Rose Kennedy and Patricia Kennedy Lawford, June 1977 (Acc. 1977-29); from Rose Kennedy, June 1977 (Acc. 1977-032), May 1977 (Acc. 1977-040), July 1977 (Acc. 1977-041) and October 1978 (Acc. 1979-02); from Patricia Kennedy Lawford, May 1980 (Acc. 1980-10); from Rose Kennedy, September 1986 and May 1987 (Acc. 1987-021); from the John F. Kennedy Library Corporation, January 1995 (Acc. 1995-23); from the Joseph P. Kennedy, Jr., Foundation, November 1996 (Acc. 1997-02); through Amanda Smith from Joseph P. Kennedy Enterprises storage, February 2002 (Acc. 2002-310); and from Edward Kennedy, July 2002 (Acc. 2002-361) and May 2004 (Acc. 2004-82).

Extent
About 124,725 items (343 linear feet)

Classified Items Withdrawn
Selected folders may contain withdrawal sheets where documents containing national security classified information were removed from this collection.

Withdrawn Items
Selected folders may contain withdrawal sheets where documents, in accordance with the donor's deed of gift, were removed from the collection. These include documents which may be used to injure or harass any living person. All withdrawn documents have been placed under seal and upon request the Kennedy Library will review any material which has been closed for a period of not less than two years for the purpose of opening items which no longer require restrictions. Researchers should consult the reference staff to obtain the appropriate form(s).

Items Separated
Items separated include oversize items (OVZ-136), oversize printed materials (PM-136), oversize volumes of books and ledgers (SV-136), and pictures (P-136). A separation sheet has been inserted in the appropriate file describing the item and giving a reference number. To see oversize material, please ask the reference archivist for assistance.

Date Opened
August 2000-March 2004.

Processed by
Megan F. Desnoyers

Encoded by
James M. Roth

Related Collections

Personal Papers Collections
	Doris Kearns Goodwin Papers, John F. Kennedy Presidential Library J. Edgar Hoover Papers, John F. Kennedy Presidential Library John F. Kennedy Papers: Personal Papers, John F. Kennedy Presidential Library Rose Kennedy Papers, John F. Kennedy Presidential Library David Koskoff Papers, John F. Kennedy Presidential Library James Landis Papers, Manuscript Division, Library of Congress Pathe Exchange Collection, Special Collections, Margaret Herrick Library, Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, Beverly Hills, CA Franklin D. Roosevelt Papers, Franklin D. Roosevelt Library, Hyde Park, NY James Seymour Papers, John F. Kennedy Presidential Library R. Sargent Shriver Papers, John F. Kennedy Presidential Library Gloria Swanson Collection, University of Texas, Austin, TX
Audio-visual Collections, John F. Kennedy Presidential Library
	Kennedy Family Photograph Collection U.S. Government Agency Photograh Collection
Oral History Interviews, John F. Kennedy Presidential Library
	James Fayne Rose Kennedy Alan G. Kirk Lee C. White

The Personal Papers of Joseph P. Kennedy (1888-1969)

Biographical Note
Born in Boston, Massachusetts, on September 6, 1886, Joseph Patrick Kennedy was the son of Mary Hickey and Patrick Joseph Kennedy, a local political figure who served in the Massachusetts House and Senate and was also a successful businessman helping to found Columbia Trust Company in 1895. Although Kennedy attended Catholic schools throughout his childhood, his father enrolled him in Boston Latin School, a preparatory school. Class president during his senior year, Kennedy graduated from Boston Latin in 1908 and went on to Harvard University, earning his degree in 1912. Upon graduation, he took a job as an assistant state bank examiner.

Throughout high school and college, Kennedy courted Rose Fitzgerald, a childhood friend and daughter of Boston Mayor John Francis Fitzgerald (“Honey Fitz”). They were married on October 7, 1914. After a two-week honeymoon, the couple settled in the Boston suburb of Brookline and their first son, Joseph P. Kennedy, Jr., was born on July 28, 1915. The Kennedy family continued to grow: John Fitzgerald (Jack) was born on May 29, 1917; Rosemary on November 11, 1918; and Kathleen on February 20, 1920.

After averting a takeover at his father’s Columbia Trust Company, Kennedy became president of the bank in early 1914. At twenty-five years old, he was touted in the press as the country’s youngest bank president. While president of Columbia Trust, Kennedy also served on the Board of Trustees of the Massachusetts Electric Company where he met Guy Currier. In 1917, Currier offered Kennedy a position as an assistant at the Fore River Shipyard in Quincy, Massachusetts. Run by Bethlehem Steel, the shipyard prospered with American involvement in World War I. While working at Fore River, Kennedy first met Franklin D. Roosevelt, then assistant secretary of the Navy. At the end of World War I, Kennedy left Bethlehem Steel to return to finance, accepting a job as a stock manager at the Boston branch of Hayden, Stone and Company, under the direction of partner Galen Stone. When Stone retired in 1922, Kennedy remained in the same office but struck out on his own, becoming involved with Wall Street and real estate speculation. During this time Kennedy became involved in the movie industry.

In 1919, Kennedy and a group of investors, including Guy Currier, purchased the Maine and New Hampshire Theatres Company, a chain of thirty-one New England movie theatres. Throughout the early 1920’s, Kennedy was associated with the finances and distribution of several different film companies, joining the board of directors of Robertson-Cole/Film Book Offices (R.C./F.B.O.) in 1923. It was also in 1923 that Kennedy met Fred Thomson, a popular film star of westerns. Kennedy later coordinated a production deal between himself, Thomson and R.C./F.B.O., arranging for Thomson to create a series of westerns directly for the studio under Thomson's production company. After resigning from the board of directors in 1924, Kennedy purchased R.C./F.B.O. in 1925, working with a group of investors that again included Guy Currier, along with Frederick H. Prince and Louis Kirstein, head of Filene's department stores. When the purchase was publicly announced in early 1926, Kennedy and Currier formed Cinema Credits Corporation. Kennedy then coordinated a lecture series at Harvard University entitled “The Story of the Films” that included speakers such as Marcus Loew, William H. Hays and Cecil B. DeMille. In 1927, Kennedy struck another production deal with Fred Thomson, arranging for four westerns to be produced by Fred Thomson Productions on the F.B.O. lot and released by Paramount Pictures. In late 1927, Kennedy met actress Gloria Swanson, one of the most prominent actresses of her time. Because of Swanson’s extravagant lifestyle and financially disastrous attempt at self production under the aegis of United Artists Corporation, Kennedy took over Swanson's personal and professional finances, creating Gloria Productions. In early 1928, Kennedy hired director Erich Von Stroheim to direct Swanson in a lavish film designed to restore her former star power. Though Von Stroheim’s film was never completed, Kennedy and Swanson produced two other films, including Swanson's first talking feature, “The Trespasser” before ending their business relationship in 1930.

During 1927, Kennedy began meeting with David A. Sarnoff, head of Radio Corporation of America (R.C.A.). To join the film industry and begin the merger that would eventually create Radio-Keith-Orpheum (R.K.O.), R.C.A. purchased shares of F.B.O. This process continued throughout 1928 as Kennedy, Sarnoff, and J.J. Murdock, head of the Keith-Albee-Orpheum theatre network, merged their respective companies together to create R.K.O., the first film studio designed to exclusively produce sound pictures. The merger was completed in late 1928, leaving Sarnoff as the head of the newly created R.K.O. In 1928, Kennedy also assumed a position as “special advisor” to Pathé studios, Cecil B. DeMille’s former company and owner of the lot where Gloria Productions films were made. In December 1930, Kennedy sold his share in Pathé to R.K.O. and resigned from active management of Gloria Productions.

Though Kennedy spent a great deal of time on the West Coast due to his involvement in the film industry, back east, his family continued to expand. His third daughter, Eunice was born on June 10, 1921, with Patricia following on May 5, 1924, Robert (Bobby) on November 20, 1925 and Jean on February 20, 1928. In 1926, he moved the family from Boston to Riverdale, New York. Kennedy also continued his interest in real estate by purchasing property in Palm Beach, Florida, and Hyannisport, Massachusetts. Kennedy avoided the stock market pitfalls of 1929. He had largely pulled out of the market before the infamous October crash and the family's finances remained largely unaffected throughout the 1930s. The Kennedy family was completed with the birth of their ninth child, Edward (Teddy) Moore on February 22, 1932.

It was in the 1930s that Kennedy began to devote his time to politics, lending both financial and personal support to Franklin Roosevelt's 1932 presidential campaign. In September 1932, Kennedy spent several months with Roosevelt on his campaign train. During a 1933 trip to Europe with Jimmy Roosevelt (FDR's son), Kennedy became involved in the import business and became the U.S. agent for Haig & Haig Ltd., John Dewar and Sons, Ltd. and Gordon's Dry Gin Company Ltd.. With these new contacts, Kennedy arranged for his company, Somerset Importers, to stockpile liquor imports for the end of Prohibition. In July 1934, Kennedy returned to politics after Roosevelt appointed him chairmen of the newly created Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Despite widespread qualms about the appointment of an ex-speculator to an influential regulatory position, Kennedy got the SEC off to a firm start. His knowledge of and ties with the business community were an asset in an agency charged with policing investment practices. Though Kennedy had been appointed for a five-year term, he resigned from the SEC in September 1935. After taking a six-week tour of Europe and reporting to Roosevelt on the European economic situation, he began work as a corporate consultant with David Sarnoff at R.C.A. Kennedy also returned briefly to the movie industry as an advisor to Paramount Pictures. He prepared an influential report that led to changes throughout the company's operational structure. During the 1936 presidential campaign, Kennedy published and widely distributed I'm for Roosevelt . Written with the aid of New York Times columnist Arthur Krock, the book detailed Kennedy's strong support for Roosevelt and the New Deal from the prospective of the business community. After his successful re-election, Roosevelt appointed Kennedy chairman of the Maritime Commission. Created by the Merchant Marine Act of 1938, the commission was expected to rejuvenate America's merchant shipping industry, which was currently crippled by an outdated fleet and a difficult labor situation. Kennedy spent only ten months at the commission. In early December 1937, the news broke that Roosevelt had selected Kennedy as the new ambassador to the Court of St. James’s, a position Kennedy had had his eye on for several months. Kennedy officially resigned from the Maritime Commission in February 1938.

Kennedy served as ambassador to Great Britain from 1938 until 1940. During this time, Kennedy argued for appeasement and for American neutrality, wanting the United States to stay out of any conflict that might occur between Britain and Germany. Kennedy resigned in November 1940. The 1940s were a hard time for the Kennedy family. During the war, Kennedy’s two eldest sons served in the Navy, Joe, Jr. as a pilot and John as the commander of PT-109. In 1944, Joe, Jr. was killed in a bombing raid over Germany. John was seriously wounded when his boat was attacked by the Japanese. On May 14, 1948, Kennedy’s daughter Kathleen died in a plane crash over Sainte-Bauzille, Ardeche, France. When her father had served as ambassador, Kathleen had met and married William John Cavendish, Marquess of Hartington, who was also killed in action in World War II in 1944.

In his later years Kennedy continued to be successful in business (notably real estate) and devoted considerable time to philanthropic activities, especially the Joseph P. Kennedy, Jr., Foundation. After his eldest son’s death, Kennedy focused on the career of his second son, John F. Kennedy, convincing him to run for a seat in Massachusetts’ eleventh congressional district, which he won in 1946. John F. Kennedy served three terms (1947-1952) in the House of Representatives, two terms (1952-1960) in the U.S. Senate, and was elected President of the United States in 1960. Kennedy also supported the political aspirations of his son Robert, who served one term (1965-1968) in the U.S. Senate.

On Dec. 19, 1961, Joseph Kennedy suffered a series of strokes (coronary thrombosis) that left him an invalid. Weathering the tragedies of the assassinations of his sons John and Robert, Kennedy bore his burden quietly. On November 18, 1969, Joseph P. Kennedy died in Hyannis, Massachusetts, as the age of 81.

Function and Use
Papers created by Joseph P. Kennedy--and members of his staff--in his capacity as a banker, financier, philanthropist, Chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission (1934-1937), Chairman of the U.S. Maritime Commission (1937), and Ambassador to Great Britain (1938-1940).

Collection Overview
The Personal Papers of Joseph P. Kennedy document his life as banker, financier, movie producer, diplomat and father to nine children. The collection is arranged into twelve series, roughly organized chronologically by the positions Kennedy held, including his business ventures in banking, real estate and finance, movie producer, chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission, chairman of the U.S. Maritime Commission, and ambassador to Great Britain. Other series document Kennedy family life, including Kennedy’s time after his ambassadorship and the political campaigns of his two sons, John F. Kennedy and Robert F. Kennedy.

The first series, Family, documents family correspondence and contains material about individual family members. This material was collected from throughout the papers by Library staff. This series consists of two subseries: Correspondence and Subject Files. The Correspondence series contains letters between immediate members of the Kennedy family, including spouses and grandchildren. Of note are Rose Kennedy’s “round robin” letters, which kept the large and scattered family in touch. The Family Subject Files contain material specifically related to each family member. The files are arranged in birth order. The Subject Files include material from John C. Dowd, Inc., Advertising, hired by Kennedy, to write press releases, plan publicity, and collect news clippings about the family.

The Early Correspondence series contains fragmentary files of Kennedy’s personal, business and extended family correspondence, describing business deals, stock purchases, and initial acquaintances with individuals who appear throughout the later correspondence series. There is material about Kennedy’s father, Patrick Joseph Kennedy, his final illness and death. The series also documents early donations by the Kennedy family to different types of charities, including the Catholic Church, children’s hospitals and schools, and Harvard University.

The Business and Finance series contains information about Kennedy’s early employment in the banking and investment sectors, as well as his later business ventures, securities trading, and general financial records. Arranged into nine subseries, the files include information on Columbia Trust Company; Bethlehem Shipbuilding: Fore River Plant; Columbia Advertising Company; Somerset Importers, the American agent to sell Haig & Haig Scots Whisky, Gordon’s Gins, Dewar’s Scotch Whiskey, King William IV Scotch Whisky, and Riondo Puerto Rico Rum in the United States; Merchandise Mart, an office building in Chicago that Kennedy rented to a mixture of retail stores and offices; Kennedy’s Investments and Finances, including general banking and financial records, securities, taxes, real estate, and insurance. Materials related to Kennedy’s business and financial dealings are largely closed to research due to privacy issues.

The Movie Industry series documents Kennedy's involvement in the film industry. Although the series spans the years 1919 to 1957, the bulk of the material dates from 1920 to 1932. As Kennedy's involvement in the movie industry was varied and extensive, the material has been organized into seven subseries representing his major film enterprises: Robertson-Cole/F.B.O.; Fred Thomson Productions; Gloria Swanson; Pathé/R.K.O.; Cinema Credits Corporation; Paramount Pictures; and General Files.

The Franklin D. Roosevelt and Politics series documents the relationship between Kennedy and Roosevelt, as well as Kennedy’s other political activities. The series is arranged into three subseries: Correspondence; Campaigning for Roosevelt; and News Clippings and Scrapbooks.

The Chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission series consists of material related to Kennedy's position as chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and is arranged into three subseries: Correspondence, Speeches, and News Clippings.

The Chairman of the U.S. Maritime Commission series consists of material related to Kennedy's tenure as chairman of the U.S. Maritime Commission. The series is arranged into four subseries: Outgoing Letters; Correspondence; Speeches, Articles, and Reports; and News Clippings and Scrapbooks.

The bulk of the collection is found in U.S. Ambassador to Great Britain series. It consists of material related to Kennedy's position as ambassador to Great Britain, and is arranged into eleven subseries: Appointments and Diary; Correspondence; Diplomatic Memoir; Speeches; Subject File; Dispatches; Incoming Press Materials; British Broadcasting Corporation Broadcasts; News Clippings, Scrapbooks, and Magazine Articles; Ambassador Bingham Files; and English Newspapers. The complexity of the collection is documented within the correspondence series as it was handled by numerous offices in London and New York. The correspondence series also includes public opinion mail, labeled the “OOO” file, as well as Kennedy assistant Edward E. Moore’s files. The Diplomatic Memoir contains files created by researchers and ghostwriters Elizabeth P. Walsh and James Landis, and later Jim Fayne and Paul Mallon, in collaboration with Kennedy. The memoir details Kennedy’s activities as ambassador to England, focusing on his experience during World War II, and draws on materials from diary entries, correspondence, memos and other secondary sources. Much of the Subject Files, originally labeled “#2”, concern World War II and the impact of the war on particular areas. The Ambassadorial Dispatches consist of a variety of different telegrams between the U.S. Embassy in London, the Department of State in Washington, D.C., and U.S. Embassies in other countries. The Press Materials consist of press releases and news reports from The National Defense Advisory Commission, Teletypes, and Public Opinion News Service. The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) Broadcasts contain digests of BBC news programs from around the world. Ambassador Robert Bingham Files are a fragment of Robert Bingham’s social and business files while serving as ambassador to Great Britain, prior to Kennedy.

The Private Citizen series documents the period after Kennedy resigned as ambassador to Great Britain (November 1940) and ends with his death (November 1969). Most of the material comes before Kennedy’s 1961 stroke. Of note are the drafts of the book The Surrender of King Leopold (1950), written by Kennedy, with ghostwriters James M. Landis and Elizabeth P. Walsh; Kennedy’s speeches; his work on the two Hoover Commissions (Commissions on the Organization of the Executive Branch) and a Massachusetts Department of Commerce. Also of note throughout the correspondence are references to John F. Kennedy’s various campaigns.

In addition to Kennedy’s Private Citizen correspondence, there are two separate series document the campaigns of John F. Kennedy and Robert F. Kennedy. The John F. Kennedy Campaign series concerns John Kennedy’s 1946 congressional campaign, 1952 Senate campaign against Henry Cabot Lodge, 1958 Senate re-election campaign, and 1960 presidential campaign. The Robert F. Kennedy Campaign series concerns Robert Kennedy’s New York campaign for Senate against Senator Kenneth Keating and his 1968 presidential campaign.

The books consist of bound volumes of published transcripts of House of Commons Parliamentary Debates, opera librettos, government publications, and fiction and non-fiction books.

List of Series			Date Opened
Series 1. Family, 1888-1973			Opened 8/2000-2/2004
	1.1. Family Correspondence, 1923-1968		Opened 8/2000, 11/2003
	1.2. Family Subject Files, 1888-1973		Opened 8/2000, 3/2003, 11/2003-12/2003, 2/2004
		1.2.1. Joseph P. Kennedy, 1888-1969 1.2.2. Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy, 1925-1973 1.2.3. Joseph P. Kennedy, Jr., 1924-1962 1.2.4. John F. Kennedy, 1929-1963 1.2.5. Rosemary Kennedy, 1931-1958 1.2.6. Kathleen Kennedy Hartington, 1933-1948 1.2.7. Eunice Kennedy Shriver, 1930-1963 1.2.8. Patricia Kennedy Lawford, 1933-1954 1.2.9. Robert F. Kennedy, 1934-1968 1.2.10. Jean Kennedy Smith,1936-1956 1.2.11. Edward M. Kennedy, 1936-1965
Series 2. Early Correspondence, 1890-1967			Opened 8/2000-9/2003
Series 3. Business and Finance, 1894-1974			Opened 9/2000-2/2004
	3.1. Columbia Trust Company, 1914-1919
	3.2. Bethlehem Shipbuilding, Fore River Plant, 1917-1919
	3.3. Columbia Advertising Company, 1923-1928
	3.4. Somerset Importers, 1933-1946
	3.5. Merchandise Mart, 1945-1974
	3.6. Investments and Finances, 1894-1965
		3.6.1. General Banking and Financial Records 3.6.2. Securities 3.6.3. Taxes 3.6.4. Subject Files 3.6.5. Real Estate
	3.7. General Business, 1917-1961
		3.7.1. Subject Files 3.7.2. Staff Files
	3.8. Insurance, 1914-1971
	3.9. Estate, 1961-1974
Series 4. Movie Industry, 1919-1957			Opened 3/2003- 2/2004
	4.1. Robertson-Cole/F.B.O., 1920-1932
	4.2. Fred Thomson Productions, 1927-1947
	4.3. Gloria Swanson, 1921-1957
		4.3.1. Gloria Swanson Personal, 1921-1930 4.3.2. Gloria Swanson Productions, 1925-1930 4.3.3. Gloria Productions, 1927-1957
	4.4. Pathe/R.K.O., 1927-1935
	4.5. Cinema Credits Corporation, 1926-1943
	4.6. Paramount Pictures, Inc., 1936-1937
	4.7. General, 1919-1954
Series 5. Franklin D. Roosevelt and Politics, 1932-1960 Opened 8/2002-2/2004
	5.1. Correspondence, 1932-1960
	5.2. Campaigning, 1932-1937
		5.2.1. Campaign Train, 1932 5.2.2. I’m for Roosevelt, 1936 5.2.3. Speeches and Articles, 1936-1937
	5.3. News Clippings and Scrapbooks, 1935-1952
Series 6. Chairman, Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), 1927-1940 Opened 9/2000-2/2004
	6.1. Correspondence, 1934-1935
		6.1.1. Outgoing Letters, 1934-1935 6.1.2. Personal Correspondent File, 1934-1935
	6.2. Speeches, Articles and Reports, 1934-1937
	6.3. News Clippings and Scrapbooks, 1927-1940
Series 7. Chairman, U.S. Maritime Commission, 1937-1938			Opened 8/2000-3/2004
	7.1. Outgoing Letters, 1937-1938
	7.2. Correspondence, 1937-1938
	7.3. Speeches, Articles and Reports, 1937-1938
	7.4. News Clippings and Scrapbooks, 1937-1938
Series 8. U.S. Ambassador to Great Britain, 1931-1951			Opened 8/2000-4/2004
	8.1. Appointments and Diary, 1938-1951
	8.2. Correspondence, 1938-1940
		8.2.1. Correspondent File, London, 1938-1940 8.2.2. Subject File, London, 1938-1940 8.2.3. Edward E. Moore File, 1938-1940 8.2.4. London Public Opinion Mail (OOO File), 1938-1941 8.2.5. Correspondent File, New York, 1938-1940
	8.3. Diplomatic Memoir
	8.4. Speeches, 1938-1940
	8.5. Subject File, 1937-1944 (bulk dates 1938-1940)
	8.6. Dispatches, 1938-1940
	8.7. Incoming Press Materials, 1939-1940
	8.8. British Broadcasting Corporation Broadcasts, 1939-1940
	8.9. Clippings, Scrapbooks, and Magazines, 1934-1940
	8.10. Ambassador Robert Bingham Files, 1931-1937
	8.11. English Newspapers
Series 9. Private Citizen, 1940-1969			Opened 4/2003-9/2003
	9.1. Correspondence, 1940-1969
		9.1.1. Correspondent File, 1940-1969 9.1.2. Subject File, 1940-1969
	9.2. Speeches, 1940-1953
	9.3. Writings, 1940-1959
	9.4. Subject File
	9.5. News Clippings, 1940-1969
Series 10. John F. Kennedy Campaigns, 1946-1960			Opened 1/03, 2-3/2004
	10.1. Congressional and Senate Campaigns, 1946, 1952, 1958
	10.2. Presidential Campaign, 1960
Series 11. Robert F. Kennedy Campaigns, 1964-1968			Opened 1/2003
	11.1. Senate Campaign, 1964
	11.2. Presidential Campaign, 1968
Series 12. Books			Opened 9/2003

Series Description

Series 1. Family, 1888-1973.
Opened 8/2000-2/2004

Series 1.1. Family Correspondence, 1923-1968.
Opened 8/2000, 3/2003, 11/2003-12/2003, 2/2004
About 2000 items.
Arrangement: chronological.

This series contains correspondence between immediate members of the Kennedy family, including spouses and grandchildren. Types of correspondence include letters, notes, telegrams, and postcards. Of particular note are Rose Kennedy’s “round robin” letters, which kept the large and scattered family in touch.

Researchers should note this material was artificially arranged by Library staff from throughout the papers. Joseph P. Kennedy’s files did not contain specific folders on his family. Whenever possible, Library staff have estimated dates for undated letters and filed the items in the appropriate chronological files. Estimated dates are marked in brackets at the upper right corner of the documents. Undated letters whose dates could not be estimated are arranged by author at the end of the chronological files, and, in some cases, are further separated by subject. The “Undated: Miscellaneous” file contains letters from multiple authors or unknown authors, as well as unidentified fragments of letters. Due to the value and fragility of the originals, photocopies have been made for research use. A small number of items remain closed under deed restrictions. Correspondence with members of the Kennedy extended family, such as Rose Kennedy’s parents or Joseph Kennedy’s sister, will be found throughout the collection under the person’s name or in Series 1.2. Family Subject Files. See also Series 1.2. Family Subject Files for additional correspondence with spouses prior to marriage as well as correspondence with non-family members.

Box 1	1923-1937 (14 folders)
Box 2	1938-1942 (6 folders) 1943
		January-October (5 folders)
Box 3		November-December
	1944-1949 (11 folders)
Box 4	1950-1962 (12 folders) 1964, 1968 Undated
		Joseph P. Kennedy
Box 5		Rose F. Kennedy Joseph P. Kennedy, Jr.
			School, c. 1929-1940 World War II, c. 1942-1944 Miscellaneous
		John F. Kennedy
			Canterbury, c. 1930-1931 Choate, c. 1931-1935 Harvard, c. 1936-1940 World War II, c. 1943 Congress, c. 1946-1960 Miscellaneous
		Jacqueline B. Kennedy Rosemary Kennedy Kathleen Kennedy Hartington
			School, c. 1933-1937 England, c. 1943-1948 Miscellaneous
		Eunice Kennedy Shriver R. Sargent Shriver, Jr. Patricia Kennedy Lawford Robert F. Kennedy
			Portsmouth Priory, c. 1939-1942 Milton Academy, c. 1942-1943 Navy, c. 1943-1946 Miscellaneous
		Ethel Skakel Kennedy Jean Kennedy Smith Edward M. Kennedy Joan Bennett Kennedy Grandchildren
	Miscellaneous

Series 1.2. Family Subject Files, 1888-1973.
Opened 8/2000, 3/2003, 11/2003, 12/2003, 2/2004
About 6600 items.
Arrangement: in birth order by name of family member.

The Family Subject File is arranged into eleven subseries based on birth order: 1.2.1. Joseph P. Kennedy (1888-1969); 1.2.2. Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy (1890-1995); 1.2.3. Joseph P. Kennedy, Jr. (1915-1944); 1.2.4. John F. Kennedy (1917-1963); 1.2.5. Rosemary Kennedy (1918- ); 1.2.6. Kathleen Kennedy Hartington (1920-1948); 1.2.7. Eunice Kennedy Shriver (1921- ); 1.2.8. Patricia Kennedy Lawford (1924- ); 1.2.9. Robert F. Kennedy (1925-1968); 1.2.10. Jean Kennedy Smith (1928- ); and 1.2.11. Edward M. Kennedy (1932- ). Several series contain material from John C. Dowd, Inc., Advertising, hired by the Kennedy family to write press releases, plan publicity, and collect news clippings about the family.

Researchers should note this material was arranged by Library staff from throughout the papers. Joseph P. Kennedy’s files did not contain these specific folders on his family. For correspondence among immediate family members, see Series 1.1. Family Correspondence .

Series 1.2.1. Joseph P. Kennedy, 1888-1969.
Opened 11/2003
About 50 items.
Arrangement: alphabetical by subject.

This series contains items relating to Joseph P. Kennedy (1888-1969) that did not fit elsewhere in the collection. All material related to Kennedy's health is closed. “News clippings” contains biographical articles and overviews of Kennedy’s entire life, with most news clippings found in news clippings and scrapbooks series throughout the collection. For additional material relating to Kennedy’s death, see Series 3.9. Business and Finance: Estate .

Box 6	Biographies Birth certificate Boston Latin School Calling cards Death, 1969 Draft card, 1917-1918 Harvard Athletic Association award, 1911 Harvard souvenir programs, 1913-1922 Health, 1920-1960 Miscellaneous items News clippings
		Biographical articles “Joseph P. Kennedy: His Life and Times,” 1964 (3 folders)
	Photographs

Series 1.2.2. Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy, 1925-1973.
Opened 8/2000, 12/2003
About 2800 items.
Arrangement: alphabetical by subject.

This series contains material produced by or about Rose F. Kennedy (1890-1994) including financial papers, bills and receipts, diaries, scrapbooks, itineraries, lists and inventories, deeds, speeches, press releases, news clippings, and magazine articles. Subjects covered include Kennedy homes in Bronxville, New York; Palm Beach, Florida; Hyannisport, Massachusetts, and Maryland; Rose Kennedy's trips to Europe and South Africa; her time in London as wife of the American ambassador; donations she made; restoration of John F. Kennedy's birthplace in Brookline, Massachusetts; her involvement in John F. Kennedy’s 1960 presidential campaign; and general educational material relating to her children. Correspondence is filed in several categories. "Correspondence series, 1934, 1953-1960" is an incomplete series that was found intact in the collection. "Non-family correspondence" is Rose Kennedy’s general correspondence from throughout the collection. A large portion of the series consists of extensive material about Kennedy residences, including information on household expenses, bills, staffing, interior decorating, deeds, leases, property values, construction, and repairs. Researchers interested in family homes should also consult Series 3.5. Business and Finance: Merchandise Mart and Series 9.1.2. Private Citizen Correspondence Subject File, 1940-1969 .

Box 6	Anniversary (25 ^th ), 1939 Biographies Bronxville House
		Construction/repairs
			1928-1930 1938-1940
		Sale/donation, 1940-1941 Staff, 1940
	Children's education, 1930-1941 and undated (2 folders) Donation of Choate sound equipment, 1932 Christmas lists, 1947-1955 Correspondence
		Congratulations
			1960 presidential election (2 folders)
Box 7			Ambassadorial appointment, 1937 Becoming papal countess, 1951-1952 (2 folders)
		Correspondence, 1934, 1953-1960
			A B Burke, Mrs. Charles (Margaret) [Joseph P. Kennedy’s sister] C Charities Connelly, Mrs. George (Loretta) [Joseph P. Kennedy’s sister] Convents (2 folders) E F Moore, E.E. Miss Murphy
		Get well
			Re: Joseph P. Kennedy, 1961-1962 (2 folders) Rose F. Kennedy, March-April 1962 (2 folders)
		Lectures, 1954-1959 Non-family correspondence
			1925-1938
Box 8			1939-1973 (6 folders) Undated (2 folders)
		On behalf of Rose Kennedy, 1939-1951 With parents [John F. Fitzgerald and Mary Josephine Hannon Fitzgerald]
	Deigman, David (chauffeur) Diaries
		1934-1935 Loose notes and observations Miscellaneous writings (1-2 of 4 folders)
Box 9		Miscellaneous writings (3-4 of 4 folders) National Diary 1941
	Donations
		1940-1953 (6 folders) 1961
	Family timeline, 1952 Health Household matters/expenses (Hyannisport and Palm Beach)
		1947: August-September 1947: November-December (2 folders) 1948: January-March (3 folders)
Box 10		1948: April-July (4 folders) 1961-1963 (3 folders) Payroll Book, 1961 Deductions, 1951-1958 Employees’ record, 1966-1970
	Housewares
		China, correspondence and bills, 1940-1961 Silver, correspondence and inventory, 1936-1959
	Hyannisport house
		Booklist Boundary dispute, 1943-1945 Correspondence
			1949-1954
Box 11			1955-1963 (3 folders)
		Decorating
			Correspondence, 1927-1960 (3 folders) Merchandise Mart, 1961-1963 Schemes/samples
		Deeds, leases, and plans Elevator, 1962 Landscaping Renovations, 1948 (2 folders) Miscellaneous material
	Insurance for jewelry and furs, 1939-1940 Interior decorating, 1929-1940 Jewelry, 1936-1948 John F. Kennedy Birthplace
		Dedication as national historic site
Box 12		Restoration: correspondence and documentation (5 folders)
	Miscellaneous items (3 folders) News clippings and articles
		About Rose Kennedy About Kennedy family Collected by Rose Kennedy (2 folders)
Box 13	Palm Beach house
		Correspondence re: household affairs, 1936-1960 (2 folders) Property value, 1942 Renovation estimates, 1934 Swimming pool tile, 1961
	Perfume, 1959-1960 Photographs
		Family Miscellaneous
	Scrapbooks about Rose Kennedy
		Personal scrapbook, London 1938 (5 folders) 1938-1939 (2 folders) 1951-1954
	Scrapbooks about Kennedy family
		1908-1957
		Box 14 1960-1962
	Speeches Store credits/debits Trips
		Europe, 1938-1939
			Bon voyage telegrams Correspondence
		Europe, March 1951 Paris, August 1937 South Africa, 1939 South America, 1941 Travel lists, 1957-1959, undated
	Washington house: bills and receipts, 1937-1938 (5 folders)

Series 1.2.3. Joseph P. Kennedy, Jr., 1924-1962.
Opened 12/2003
About 900 items.
Arrangement: alphabetical by subject.

This series consists of material relating to or belonging to Joseph P. Kennedy, Jr. (1915-1944) gathered from throughout the collection. It contains correspondence, school material, speeches, articles, drafts, naval records, news clippings, and condolence material to his family upon his death. Topics covered include his education at Choate and Harvard, his trip to Spain in spring 1939, the 1940 Democratic convention, his naval career, his death in August 1944, and the launch of the USS Joseph P. Kennedy, Jr . For material on the Joseph P. Kennedy, Jr. Foundation, see Series 9.4. Private Citizen: Subjects: Joseph P. Kennedy, Jr. Foundation.

Box 15	American Embassy, 1938-1940 "Attack on the Townsend Plan" (speech), 1938-1940 Correspondence
		E.E. Moore Extended family Non-family, 1924-1944 (4 folders) Re: Joseph P. Kennedy, Jr.
	Death of Joseph P. Kennedy, Jr.
		Condolence mail, 1944-1945
			General (6 folders) Dignitaries (2 folders)
Box 16			Acknowledgements (3 folders)
		Correspondence with military re: death, 1944-1945 Ensign Simpson report of last mission, 1944 Eulogies/memorials by family members Mass cards (2 folders) Memorials, 1944-1949 Military awards, 1944-1945 News clippings
			1944-1945 (2 folders) 1961-1962 Re: Navy Cross, 1944-1945
		Will, 1942-1944
	Democratic National Convention, 1940 Diaries, 1933-1934 (2 folders) Dowd Advertising publicity material
Box 17	Education
		Early schooling/Choate, 1930-1933 Harvard, 1934-1940
	European Trip, 1938-1939 Finances Invitations Miscellaneous items Navy records, 1941-1945
		Correspondence and loose items Documentation of naval missions and correspondence (3 folders) Enlisted service jacket Miscellaneous correspondence re: rank, leave, transfer and duty (2 folders) Officer fitness report jacket Officer's miscellaneous correspondence and orders jacket Officer's selection board jacket (2 folders)
	Photographs Spain, 1939
		Correspondence
			Re: Joseph P. Kennedy, Jr., in Spain Re: publication of Spain material
		36 letters, 1939: February 10-April 4 (2 folders)
Box 18		"Dear Dad: An Ambassador's Son Writes from Spain" drafts (2 folders) Interviews 1-3 Interviews 4-7 Interviews 8-9 “Casado’s Autobiography” "Trip to Spain" "Collapse of Loyalist Spain" "Second Period: Council of National Defense under Casada and Basteriro" "Third Power/Part Negotiations for Peace" “ Summary” Miscellaneous short writings Notes Miscellaneous
	USS Joseph P. Kennedy, Jr ., 1945
		Commissioning of USS Joseph P. Kennedy, Jr . Correspondence Launch: invitations and RSVPs (1 of 4 folders)
Box 19		Launch: invitations and RSVPs (2-4 of 4 folders)

Series 1.2.4. John F. Kennedy, 1929-1963.
Opened 3/2003, 12/2003
About 475 items.
Arrangement: alphabetical by subject, then chronological by year.

This series consists of material relating to or belonging to John F. Kennedy (1917-1963) gathered from throughout the collection. It contains personal correspondence, office correspondence, school material and report cards, speeches, articles, drafts, news clippings and financial material. Topics covered include John Kennedy's health, his education at Choate, Harvard and Stanford, material on his article Why England Slept , his naval career and PT 109, Profiles in Courage , various articles and speeches, his wedding to Jaqueline Lee Bouvier in September 1953, and his inauguration as president in January 1961. The folders titled "Non- family Correspondence" contain correspondence between John Kennedy and non-family members and include business, personal and financial material. The "Office Correspondence" folder contains correspondence from members of his office, including secretaries and staffers, about business and political matters and date mostly from his time in Congress. The material from Choate is extensive and includes report cards, quarterly reports and correspondence with the headmaster and assistant headmaster. The "Health" folder contains all major correspondence discussing John Kennedy's health from throughout the Joseph P. Kennedy Papers, including correspondence with doctors and Choate staff. It has been physically separated out of the order and placed in box 21. Items about John Kennedy’s health may not be photocopied.

See Series 10. John F. Kennedy Campaigns for further information on 1946-1960 campaigns. Further material on John Kennedy's early years will be found in the Kennedy Library’s John F. Kennedy Papers: Personal Papers and John F. Kennedy Papers: Pre-Presidential Papers.

Box 19	American Embassy, 1938-1940 Articles by John Kennedy
		Disarmament ("Let’s Try an Experiment in Peace"), 1945 Political Letters General, 1950s
	Books:
		Thesis/ Why England Slept , 1940 Profiles in Courage
	Boston Birthday Book, 29 May 1961 Correspondence
		E.E. Moore Non-family, 1932-1961, undated (3 folders) Office, 1948-1961 Re: John F. Kennedy
	Death (1 of 3 folders)
Box 20	Death (2-3 of 3 folders) Education
		Early schooling, 1929-1930 Choate, 1931-1935 (2 folders) Harvard, 1936-1940 Yale Law School, 1940 Stanford, 1940
	Finances
		General First National City Bank, 1959 (13 folders) (Closed) Mercantile Trust Company statements, 1959 (Closed) Taxes, 1946-1956
	Inauguration, January 1961
		Invitations and plans News clippings and articles (3 folders)
	Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy
Box 21	Health (No photocopying permitted)
Box 22	Letters from the public about John Kennedy, 1957-1961, 1963 (7 folders) Miscellaneous items Navy
		Navy/PT 109 Letters about John Kennedy in the Navy/PT 109 (2 folders)
	News clippings, articles and publicity:
		Dowd publicity material General (1 of 9 folders)
Box 23		General (2-9 of 9 folders)
	Photographs Real estate, 1954 Scrapbooks:
		1947 (2 folders)
Box 24		January 1948-December 1951 (4 folders) May-September 1952 (3 folders) 1953-1954
Box 25		1955-1956
	Senate staff and schedules, 1958 Speeches and remarks (2 folders) Wedding, 1953
		Dowd publicity material
			General (4 folders) Engagement (1-2 of 3 folders)
Box 26			Engagement (3 of 3 folders)
		Gifts (2 folders) Guest lists and planning

Series 1.2.5. Rosemary Kennedy, 1931-1958.
Opened 12/2003
About 200 items.
Arrangement: alphabetical by subject.

This series consists of material relating to or belonging to Rosemary Kennedy (1918- ) found in Joseph Kennedy's papers, including bills, correspondence, and news clippings. Topical subjects cover information on Rosemary Kennedy’s health and her education. Due to deed restrictions, much of this material is closed.

Box 26

Bills, 1945, 1948
Correspondence, 1931-1958
Education, 1930-1940
Health, 1923-1949
Miscellaneous items
News clippings

Series 1.2.6. Kathleen Kennedy Hartington, 1933-1948.
Opened 12/2003
About 100 items.
Arrangement: alphabetical by subject.

This series consists of material relating to or belonging to Kathleen Kennedy, Marchioness of Hartington, (1920-1948) found in Joseph Kennedy's papers, including correspondence between Kathleen and non-family members, correspondence about Kathleen, a series of short articles written by Kathleen on notable people for the Washington Times-Herald , scrapbooks, Red Cross material, estate material and limited condolence mail.

Box 26	Condolence mail lists Correspondence
		Extended family Non-family, 1936-1947 Re: Kathleen Kennedy, 1933-1945
	Death: Joseph P. Kennedy note, 1948 "Did You Happen to See…" newspaper articles for Times-Herald , 1942-1943 Education, 1938-1940 Estate
		Estate ledger Taxes/estate materials (3 folders)
	“Impressions of the Coronation of Pope Pius XII,” 1939 Miscellaneous News clippings Photographs Red Cross material, 1944-1946 Scrapbooks:
		May 1948 (Lady Hartington) (1 of 2 folders)
Box 27		May 1948 (Lady Hartington) (2 of 2 folders) Personal scrapbook

Series 1.2.7. Eunice Kennedy Shriver, 1930-1963.
Opened 11/2003
About 400 items.
Arrangement: alphabetical by subject.

This series consists of material relating to or belonging to Eunice Kennedy Shriver (1921- ) found in Joseph P. Kennedy's papers, including correspondence, school material, remarks and speeches, bills and receipts, lists, itineraries, writings and newsclippings. Subjects covered include Eunice’s and Jean's trip to Europe, Northern Africa and the Middle East in 1951, articles and interviews written about the trip, speeches and remarks by Eunice Kennedy, many on the subject of mental retardation and social reform, and Eunice's wedding to Sargent Shriver, including photographs, guests lists and news coverage. For material on Eunice Kennedy Shriver's involvement with the Joseph P. Kennedy, Jr. Foundation, see Series 9.4. Private Citizen: Subject File: Joseph P. Kennedy, Jr. Foundation. For additional Sargent Shriver correspondence, see Series 3.5. Business and Finance: Merchandise Mart and Series 9.1.1. Private Citizen: Correspondence File .

Box 27	Articles by Eunice Kennedy Shriver Biographies Correspondence
		E.E. Moore Non-family, 1940-1961 Re: Eunice Kennedy