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Oral history
John F. Kennedy Oral History Collection
JFKOH-AUG-01
In this interview Heckscher discusses John F. Kennedy [JFK] and Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy Onassis as an “inspiration to cultural life”; Heckscher’s involvement in government affairs prior to becoming a Special Consultant to the President; the invitation of 168 artists to JFK’s 1961 inauguration and its impact; how Heckscher came to work for the White House; discussing Heckscher’s position with Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr.; the reasoning behind the creation of the new position of Special Consultant on the Arts and the favorable public reaction to it; enlarging the definition of “The Arts,” especially regarding architecture; Arthur Goldberg; the establishment of the Freedom Medal; creating the President’s Advisory Committee on the Arts through executive order; personal impressions of JFK; setting up Heckscher’s office and staff; how Heckscher was meant to advise JFK and what his position entailed; the Cultural Center [Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts]; conversations with JFK; Mrs. Kennedy’s expansive work for the arts; the arts as part of national policy; working with other White House staff members and other Departments; designing special postage stamps; what the President’s role in the arts should be; and the Fine Arts Commission, among other issues.
Oral history
John F. Kennedy Oral History Collection
JFKOH-RFK-07
In this interview Robert F. Kennedy [RFK] and Marshall discuss the very limited proposal for voting rights legislation before the demonstrations in Birmingham, Alabama; how civil rights groups did not always understand politics or how to get things through Congress; John F. Kennedy [JFK] trying to explain political difficulties to civil rights leaders; meetings on civil rights legislation and the strategy for getting the votes for a civil rights bill in both houses of Congress; RFK’s disagreements with Lyndon B. Johnson on civil rights legislation; RFK, the Justice Department, and the reapportionment cases; RFK’s meeting with James Baldwin and the subsequent attack on RFK in the press; JFK’s role in the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, 1963; speeches at the March on Washington; George Wallace, Alabama state troopers, and the investigation into the 16th Street Baptist Church bombing in Birmingham, September, 1963; and JFK, James J. Delaney, and the issue of aid to church schools, among other issues.
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White House Photographs
JFKWHP-AR6620-K
President John F. Kennedy’s birthday party celebration at the National Guard Armory. President Kennedy’s birthday cake sits in the foreground. Seated at the head table, L-R: Speaker of the House of Representatives, Sam Rayburn (Texas); President Kennedy; Chairman of the Democratic National Committee (DNC), John M. Bailey; two unidentified; Attorney General, Robert F. Kennedy; unidentified; Postmaster General, J. Edward Day; unidentified; Secretary of Labor, Arthur Goldberg. The fund-raising dinner was given by the DNC and the Democratic Senatorial and Congressional Campaign Committees.
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White House Photographs
JFKWHP-AR6620-J
President John F. Kennedy’s birthday party celebration at the National Guard Armory. L-R: Secretary of Labor, Arthur Goldberg; Senator Hubert H. Humphrey (Minnesota); comedian, Jerry Lewis; Patti Palmer. The fund-raising dinner was given by the Democratic National Committee and the Democratic Senatorial and Congressional Campaign Committees.
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White House Photographs
JFKWHP-AR6496-G
President John F. Kennedy and others listen to the national anthem during the opening game of the 1961 baseball season at Griffith Stadium, Washington, D.C. Audience includes Special Counsel to the President Ted Sorensen; Secretary of the Interior Stewart Udall; Secretary of Agriculture Orville Freeman; Boys Clubs of America's "Boy of the Year" Richard Lopez; Representative Carl Albert of Oklahoma; Senate Majority Leader Mike Mansfield of Montana; Associate Press Secretary Andrew Hatcher; Special Assistants to the President Lawrence "Larry" O'Brien and David F. “Dave” Powers; Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare Abraham Ribicoff; Secretary of Labor Arthur Goldberg; Under Secretary of the Navy Paul "Red" Fay; General Manager of the Washington Senators baseball team Ed Doherty; Secret Service Agents Gerald "Jerry" Behn and John J. “Muggsy” O’Leary.
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White House Photographs
JFKWHP-AR6496-C
President John F. Kennedy; Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson; Special Assistant to the President Dave Powers and others with former Washington Senators player James Barton "Mickey" Vernon and majority owner of the Washington Senators franchise General Elwood R. “Pete” Quesada at the opening game of the 1961 baseball season at Griffith Stadium, Washington, D.C. The row in front of the President includes (L-R) Special Assistant to the President Ted Sorensen; Secretary of the Interior Stewart Udall; Secretary of Agriculture Orville Freeman; Boys Clubs of America’s "Boy of the Year" Richard Lopez; unidentified. Others in the crowd include Representative Charles Halleck of Indiana; Representative Carl Albert of Oklahoma; Senate Majority Leader Mike Mansfield of Montana; Senate Minority Leader Everett Dirksen of Illinios; Senator Hubert Humphrey of Minnesota; Senator George Smathers of Florida; Associate Press Secretary Andrew Hatcher; Special Assistant to the President Lawrence "Larry" O'Brien; Postmaster General J. Edward Day; Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare Abraham Ribicoff; Under Secretary of the Navy Paul "Red" Fay; Secret Service Agents Gerald "Jerry" Behn and John J. "Muggsy" O'Leary; General Manager of the Washington Senators baseball team Ed Doherty; Secretary of Labor Arthur Goldberg; Special Assistant to the President, Frank D. Reeves.
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White House Photographs
JFKWHP-AR6496-B
President John F. Kennedy; Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson; Special Assistant to the President Dave Powers and others greet former Washington Senators player James Barton "Mickey" Vernon and majority owner of the Washington Senators franchise General Elwood R. “Pete” Quesada at the opening game of the 1961 baseball season at Griffith Stadium, Washington, D.C. The row in front of the President includes (L-R) Special Assistant to the President Ted Sorensen; Secretary of the Interior Stewart Udall; Secretary of Agriculture Orville Freeman; Boys Clubs of America's "Boy of the Year" Richard Lopez; unidentified. Others in the crowd include Representative Charles Halleck of Indiana; Representative Carl Albert of Oklahoma; Senate Majority Leader Mike Mansfield of Montana; Senator Hubert Humphrey of Minnesota; Senator George Smathers of Florida; Associate Press Secretary Andrew Hatcher; Special Assistant to the President Lawrence "Larry" O'Brien; Postmaster General J. Edward Day; Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare Abraham Ribicoff; Under Secretary of the Navy Paul "Red" Fay; Secret Service Agents Gerald "Jerry" Behn and John J. “Muggsy” O’Leary; General Manager of the Washington Senators baseball team Ed Doherty; Secretary of Labor Arthur Goldberg; Special Assistant to the President Frank D. Reeves.
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White House Photographs
JFKWHP-AR7159-M
President John F. Kennedy stands with government officials during the first game of the 1962 baseball season. Those pictured include: Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare Abraham Ribicoff; Representative Hale Boggs of Louisiana; Secretary of Labor Arthur J. Goldberg; Special Assistant to the President Dave Powers; Special Assistant to the President Timothy Reardon; Senator Mike Mansfield of Montana; Senator Everett Dirksen of Illinois; Associate Press Secretary Andrew Hatcher; Senator George Smathers of Florda; Secretary of the Treasury C. Douglas Dillon; Secretary of the Interior Stewart Udall. D.C. Stadium, Washington, D.C.
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White House Photographs
JFKWHP-AR7159-F
President John F. Kennedy watches the opening game of the 1962 baseball season. Front row (L-R) Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson; Special Assistant to the President Dave Powers; President Kennedy; General Elwood “Pete” Quesada, majority owner of the Washington Senators; Secretary of the Treasury C. Douglas Dillon. Those behind the President include: Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare Abraham Ribicoff; Secretary of Labor Arthur J. Goldberg; Special Assistant to the President Lawrence “Larry” O’Brien; Special Assistant to the President Timothy Reardon; Senator Everett Dirksen of Illinois; Associate Press Secretary Andrew Hatcher; Secret Service agent Gerald “Jerry” Behn; unidentified observers. D.C. Stadium, Washington, D.C.
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White House Photographs
JFKWHP-AR7159-E
President John F. Kennedy watches the opening game of the 1962 baseball season. Those pictured include: Representative Hale Boggs of Louisiana; Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson; Special Assistant to the President Dave Powers; Special Assistant to the President Lawrence “Larry” O’Brien; Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare Abraham Ribicoff; Secretary of Labor Arthur J. Goldberg; Special Assistant to the President Timothy Reardon; Senator Mike Mansfield of Montana; Senator Everett Dirksen of Illinois; Representative Charles Halleck of Indiana; Associate Press Secretary Andrew Hatcher; Secretary of the Treasury C. Douglas Dillon; Secretary of the Interior Stewart Udall; Joseph Cronin, President of the American League of Professional Baseball Clubs; James Barton “Mickey” Vernon, Manager of the Washington Senators; General Elwood “Pete” Quesada, majority owner of the Washington Senators; Senator George Smathers of Florida; Bob Scheffing, Manager of the Detroit Tigers; Ed Doherty, General Manager of the Washington Senators; unidentified observers. D.C. Stadium, Washington, D.C.
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White House Photographs
JFKWHP-AR7159-C
President John F. Kennedy talks with Senator George Smathers of Florida (right of President Kennedy) during the opening game of the 1962 baseball season. Special Assistant to the President Dave Powers sits left of the President, holding up a baseball glove. Others pictured include: Representative Carroll D. Kearns of Pennsylvania; Representative Hale Boggs of Louisiana; Secretary of Labor Arthur J. Goldberg; Special Assistant to the President Lawrence “Larry” O’Brien; Special Assistant to the President Timothy Reardon; Senator Mike Mansfield of Montana; Senator Everett Dirksen of Illinois; Representative Charles Halleck of Indiana; Associate Press Secretary Andrew Hatcher; Secret Service Agent Gerald “Jerry” Behn; Secret Service agent John “Muggsy” O’Leary; Secretary of the Treasury C. Douglas Dillon; Secretary of the Interior Stewart Udall; unidentified observers. D.C. Stadium, Washington, D.C.
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White House Photographs
JFKWHP-AR7159-B
President John F. Kennedy talks with Special Assistant to the President Dave Powers during the opening game of the 1962 baseball season. Those pictured include: Representative Carroll D. Kearns of Pennsylvania; Representative Hale Boggs of Louisiana; Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare Abraham Ribicoff; Secretary of Labor Arthur J. Goldberg; Special Assistant to the President Lawrence “Larry” O’Brien; Senator Mike Mansfield of Montana; Senator Everett Dirksen of Illinois; Representative Charles Halleck of Indiana; Associate Press Secretary Andrew Hatcher; Secret Service Agent Gerald “Jerry” Behn; Senator George Smathers of Florida; Secretary of the Treasury C. Douglas Dillon; Secretary of the Interior Stewart Udall; unidentified observers. D.C. Stadium, Washington, D.C.