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Oral history
John F. Kennedy Oral History Collection
JFKOH-RFK-01
In this interview Robert F. Kennedy [RFK] discusses beginning John F. Kennedy's [JFK] presidential Administration with no political obligations; carefully picking Cabinet members, specifically Secretaries of State, Defense, and Treasury; RFK’s decision on what role to play in JFK’s Administration; JFK’s unhappiness with Dean Rusk as Secretary of State; JFK’s advisers and other presidential appointments; Cabinet meetings; Department of Justice organization under RFK; the first 100 days of the Kennedy Administration; the role of the Vice President, according to RFK; JFK’s relationship with Lyndon B. Johnson and why JFK put Johnson on the ticket in 1960; what JFK was most concerned with as President; domestic programs versus foreign affairs in the Kennedy Administration; Joseph P. Kennedy, Sr.’s role during JFK’s presidency; the Bay of Pigs, the aftermath, and its effect on JFK; how JFK approached problems as President; dealing with Georgi Bolshakov; negotiating with the Soviet Union in Vienna, over Laos and Cuba, etc.; JFK’s relationship with foreign heads of state; State Department staff and U.S. Ambassadors; the military coup in Vietnam; the Berlin crisis of the summer of 1961 and the Berlin Wall; RFK’s 1961 trip to the Ivory Coast; and Soviet and American nuclear testing, among other issues.
Photograph folder
White House Photographs
JFKWHP-1962-08-08-A
AR25, KN20
Photograph
White House Photographs
JFKWHP-KN-C23131
President John F. Kennedy (at microphones) delivers remarks to participants of the American Institute for Free Labor Development (AIFLD) training program for Latin American and Caribbean trade union leaders. Latin America Specialist of the U.S. Department of Labor, Joaquin A. Bazan, Jr., stands right of President Kennedy; participant Eric Lloyd Harris, of Jamaica (in back, holding rolled document), stands with group in center. Standing at far right (L-R): President of the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO), George Meany; Secretary of Labor, Arthur Goldberg; Vice President of the AFL-CIO and Secretary-Treasurer of the AIFLD, Joseph Beirne; Executive Director of the AIFLD and Inter-American Representative of the AFL-CIO, Serafino Romualdi. The Executive Office Building is visible in background. West Wing Lawn, White House, Washington, D.C. [See also American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations Records: AFLCIOREC-009-012 and AFLCIOREC-009-013.]
Photograph
White House Photographs
JFKWHP-KN-C23130
President of the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO), George Meany (at microphones), delivers remarks to participants of the American Institute for Free Labor Development (AIFLD) training program for Latin American and Caribbean trade union leaders. President John F. Kennedy looks on from right; participant Eric Lloyd Harris, of Jamaica (face obscured by microphones), stands with group in center. Standing at far right (L-R): Secretary of Labor, Arthur Goldberg; Vice President of the AFL-CIO and Secretary-Treasurer of the AIFLD, Joseph Beirne; Executive Director of the AIFLD and Inter-American Representative of the AFL-CIO, Serafino Romualdi. The Executive Office Building is visible in background. West Wing Lawn, White House, Washington, D.C. [See also American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations Records: AFLCIOREC-009-012 and AFLCIOREC-009-013.]
Photograph
White House Photographs
JFKWHP-KN-C23129
President John F. Kennedy (at microphones) delivers remarks to participants of the American Institute for Free Labor Development (AIFLD) training program for Latin American and Caribbean trade union leaders; participant Eric Lloyd Harris, of Jamaica (wearing bow tie), stands with group in center. Standing behind President Kennedy at right (L-R): Latin America Specialist of the U.S. Department of Labor, Joaquin A. Bazan, Jr.; President of the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO), George Meany; Secretary of Labor, Arthur Goldberg; Vice President of the AFL-CIO and Secretary-Treasurer of the AIFLD, Joseph Beirne; Executive Director of the AIFLD and Inter-American Representative of the AFL-CIO, Serafino Romualdi. The Executive Office Building is visible in background. West Wing Lawn, White House, Washington, D.C. [See also American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations Records: AFLCIOREC-009-012 and AFLCIOREC-009-013.]
Photograph
White House Photographs
JFKWHP-KN-C23128
President John F. Kennedy (center right, back to camera) delivers remarks to participants of the American Institute for Free Labor Development (AIFLD) training program for Latin American and Caribbean trade union leaders. Standing in foreground at right, with backs to camera (R-L): President of the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO), George Meany; Secretary of Labor, Arthur Goldberg; Vice President of the AFL-CIO and Secretary-Treasurer of the AIFLD, Joseph Beirne; Executive Director of the AIFLD and Inter-American Representative of the AFL-CIO, Serafino Romualdi. West Wing Lawn, White House, Washington, D.C. [See also American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations Records: AFLCIOREC-009-012 and AFLCIOREC-009-013.]
Photograph
White House Photographs
JFKWHP-KN-C23127
Secretary of Labor, Arthur Goldberg (at microphones), delivers remarks to participants of the American Institute for Free Labor Development (AIFLD) training program for Latin American and Caribbean trade union leaders. President John F. Kennedy looks on from left; participant Eric Lloyd Harris, of Jamaica (in back, wearing bow tie), stands left of President Kennedy. Standing at far right: Latin America Specialist of the U.S. Department of Labor, Joaquin A. Bazan, Jr.; Vice President of the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO) and Secretary-Treasurer of the AIFLD, Joseph Beirne; Executive Director of the AIFLD and Inter-American Representative of the AFL-CIO, Serafino Romualdi; White House Secret Service agent, Jack Ready. The Executive Office Building is visible in background. West Wing Lawn, White House, Washington, D.C. [See also American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations Records: AFLCIOREC-009-012 and AFLCIOREC-009-013.]
Photograph
White House Photographs
JFKWHP-AR7401-G
Secretary of Labor, Arthur Goldberg (at microphones), delivers remarks to participants of the American Institute for Free Labor Development (AIFLD) training program for Latin American and Caribbean trade union leaders; President John F. Kennedy looks on from left. Participant Eric Lloyd Harris, of Jamaica (in back, wearing bow tie), stands left of President Kennedy. The Executive Office Building is visible in background. West Wing Lawn, White House, Washington, D.C. [See also American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations Records: AFLCIOREC-009-012 and AFLCIOREC-009-013.]
Photograph
White House Photographs
JFKWHP-AR7401-E
President John F. Kennedy (at microphones) delivers remarks to participants of the American Institute for Free Labor Development (AIFLD) training program for Latin American and Caribbean trade union leaders. Latin America Specialist of the U.S. Department of Labor, Joaquin A. Bazan, Jr., stands right of President Kennedy; participant Eric Lloyd Harris, of Jamaica (in back, partially hidden), stands left of the President. Standing at far right (L-R): President of the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO), George Meany; Secretary of Labor, Arthur Goldberg (mostly hidden); Vice President of the AFL-CIO and Secretary-Treasurer of the AIFLD, Joseph Beirne (mostly hidden); Executive Director of the AIFLD and Inter-American Representative of the AFL-CIO, Serafino Romualdi. The Executive Office Building is visible in background. West Wing Lawn, White House, Washington, D.C. [Ink bleed-through in upper right portion of image is original to the file print.] [See also American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations Records: AFLCIOREC-009-012 and AFLCIOREC-009-013.]
Photograph
White House Photographs
JFKWHP-AR7401-D
President John F. Kennedy (center right, back to camera) delivers remarks to participants of the American Institute for Free Labor Development (AIFLD) training program for Latin American and Caribbean trade union leaders; Latin America Specialist of the U.S. Department of Labor, Joaquin A. Bazan, Jr., stands left of President Kennedy. Standing in foreground at right, with backs to camera (R-L): President of the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO), George Meany; Secretary of Labor, Arthur Goldberg; Vice President of the AFL-CIO and Secretary-Treasurer of the AIFLD, Joseph Beirne; Executive Director of the AIFLD and Inter-American Representative of the AFL-CIO, Serafino Romualdi. West Wing Lawn, White House, Washington, D.C. [See also American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations Records: AFLCIOREC-009-012 and AFLCIOREC-009-013.]
Photograph
White House Photographs
JFKWHP-AR7401-C
President of the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO), George Meany (at microphones), delivers remarks to participants of the American Institute for Free Labor Development (AIFLD) training program for Latin American and Caribbean trade union leaders; President John F. Kennedy looks on from right. Standing at far right (L-R): Secretary of Labor, Arthur Goldberg; Vice President of the AFL-CIO and Secretary-Treasurer of the AIFLD, Joseph Beirne; Executive Director of the AIFLD and Inter-American Representative of the AFL-CIO, Serafino Romualdi. The Executive Office Building is visible in background. West Wing Lawn, White House, Washington, D.C. [See also American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations Records: AFLCIOREC-009-012 and AFLCIOREC-009-013.]
Photograph
White House Photographs
JFKWHP-AR7401-A
President John F. Kennedy (at microphones) delivers remarks to participants of the American Institute for Free Labor Development (AIFLD) training program for Latin American and Caribbean trade union leaders. Standing behind President Kennedy at right (L-R): Latin America Specialist of the U.S. Department of Labor, Joaquin A. Bazan, Jr. (mostly hidden); President of the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO), George Meany; Secretary of Labor, Arthur Goldberg; Vice President of the AFL-CIO and Secretary-Treasurer of the AIFLD, Joseph Beirne; Executive Director of the AIFLD and Inter-American Representative of the AFL-CIO, Serafino Romualdi. Participant Eric Lloyd Harris, of Jamaica (wearing bow tie), stands with group at left; New York Times photographer, George Tames (center, partially hidden), takes photographs in background. West Wing Lawn, White House, Washington, D.C. [See also American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations Records: AFLCIOREC-009-012 and AFLCIOREC-009-013.]