The library and museum is part of the Presidential Library System, which is administered by the Office of Presidential Libraries, a part of the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA).[3]
Since Kennedy encouraged his administration to save effects of both personal and official nature, the complex would not just be a collection of the President's papers, but "a complete record of a Presidential era." Therefore, the building would have the word "museum" appended to its name as the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum.[4]
Initial progress
After President Kennedy was assassinated in November 1963, his family and friends discussed how to construct a library that would serve as a fitting memorial. A committee was formed to advise Kennedy's widow Jacqueline, who would make the final decision. The group deliberated for months, and visited with architects from around the world including Pietro Belluschi and others from the United States, Brazil's Lucio Costa, and Italy's Franco Albini. Mrs. Kennedy and others met with the candidates together at the Kennedy Compound in Hyannis, Massachusetts, and visited several in their offices. The committee also conducted a secretive process whereby the architects voted anonymously for the most capable of their colleagues.[6]
Progress on the building began shortly after his death. After the assassination, Cambridge residents actively opposed the Kennedy family's efforts to build a presidential library at Harvard Square due to traffic concerns.[7] On January 13, 1964, Attorney GeneralRobert F. Kennedy announced that a taped oral-history project was to be undertaken for inclusion in the library. The project would feature administration staff, friends, family, and politicians from home and abroad. The Attorney General also announced that Eugene R. Black Sr. agreed to serve as chairman of the board of trustees and that $1 million of Black's $10 million goal had been given to the trust by the Joseph P. Kennedy Jr. Foundation.[8]
The death of the President was still fresh in the hearts and minds of the American public and by March of that year $4.3 million had been pledged, including 18,727 unsolicited donations from the public.[9] Large donations came from the Hispanic world with Venezuela pledging $100,000 and Governor of Puerto RicoLuis Muñoz Marín offering the same. The oral-history project also began recording, starting with Jacqueline Kennedy and Robert Kennedy. Originally projected to consist of interviews with 150 people, 178 had agreed to participate and the total number of expected participants doubled to 300, with just one person (a Secret Service agent) declining to take part.[9]
Also by this time fourteen architects were named to serve on a design advisory committee:[9]
Over the following months pledges continued to funnel in for the building still being conceptualized by the various architects. Some notable donations include $900,000 handed over to Postmaster GeneralJohn A. Gronouski on July 9, 1964. It was the sum of a campaign encompassing 102 Federal agencies. Gronouski said many of the Federal employee contributions were in the form of a $5 withholding each payday for a period of three years.[10] The next day the Indian ambassador to the United States, Braj Kumar Nehru. presented Black with a check for $100,000 during a ceremony at the River Club. Nehru said that the Indian people were hit by a "sad blow" when the President died, and that they held him "in the highest regard, esteem and affection." He desired for Indian students abroad in the United States to use the library, then still planned for construction at Harvard along the banks of the Charles River.[11]
Pei selected as architect
The John F, Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum as seen from the Boston Harborwalk on the Columbia Point segment
On December 13, 1964, the Kennedy family announced that I. M. Pei was unanimously chosen by a subcommittee as the architect of the library.[12][13] Even though Pei was relatively unknown amongst the list of candidates, Mrs. Kennedy, who viewed him as filled with promise and imagination and after spending several months inspecting the many architects' offices and creations, selected him to create the vision she held for the project.[14] Pei did not have a design yet, but the idea as described by Robert Kennedy was to "stimulate interest in politics." Meanwhile, the suggestion that Harvard may not be a suitable site for the library had begun cropping up. When asked if Pei may have had to start from scratch, he said this was the case. With an "encouraging grin" Robert Kennedy simply wished Mr. Pei "Good luck."[12]
Mrs. Kennedy chose Pei to design the library, based on two considerations. First, she appreciated the variety of ideas he had used for earlier projects. "He didn't seem to have just one way to solve a problem," she said. "He seemed to approach each commission thinking only of it and then develop a way to make something beautiful."[15] Ultimately, however, Kennedy made her choice based on her personal connection with Pei. Calling it "really an emotional decision", she explained: "He was so full of promise, like Jack; they were born in the same year. I decided it would be fun to take a great leap with him."[16]
Not long before Pei was selected, the $10 million goal set by Black had been reached.[12] By 1965, fundraising was suspended when the contributions reached $20 million.[17]
Years of setbacks
In January 1966, when Massachusetts GovernorJohn A. Volpe signed a bill allowing the state to purchase the land for the site—an old train yard belonging to the Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority (MBTA)—it was expected that the project would be complete by 1970.[18] The original design was a large complex comprising the John F. Kennedy Library and Museum, the John F. Kennedy School of Government, and an Institute of Politics.[2] However the project faced many delays. The MBTA would not agree to remove the heavy machinery from the land until 1970. By that time construction costs had risen to over $20 million.[19] Only now could Pei prepare a six-month study of the site's soil, and he said the "money we had six years ago, today will barely pay for 60 percent of the original plans."[19]
Robert Kennedy, by then a senator from New York, had been serving as president of the John F. Kennedy Library Corporation until he was assassinated in 1968. Weeks before, William Manchester and Harper & Row donated $750,000 to the library.[20] The first in a series of installments expected to total $5 million, came from the profits of the 1967 book The Death of a President which caused a bitter feud between the Kennedys and Manchester. Mrs. Kennedy remarked "I think it is so beautiful what Mr. Manchester did. I am glad that Senator Kennedy knew about it before he died."[20] The youngest of the Kennedy brothers, Senator Edward M. Kennedy, would step down as vice president of the corporation to fill the newly vacant position.
By 1971, construction had still not begun; researchers and scholars were forced to work out of the Federal Records Center which was temporarily housing some of the 15 million documents and manuscripts. Pei said there was finally "a clear way ahead"; however, he was asked to save on construction expenses by using inexpensive materials.[17] This would translate into Pei working with concrete instead of his preferred stone.[21]
Meanwhile, the Cambridge community was in fierce opposition to having the library being built in Cambridge at all. Although originally welcomed in 1965, the library was now seen as a great attractor of over a million annual tourists who would change the neighborhood with "hordes of tourists, automobiles, fast-food franchises and souvenir shops,"[22][23] as well as cause a negative environmental impact. One neighborhood group filed a lawsuit in federal court demanding that the General Services Administration study, which found that the great number of visitors would have "no adverse effect on the area," be reexamined.[24]
Stephen E. Smith, a Kennedy in-law who heads the John F. Kennedy Library Corporation decided that "we want the Kennedy Library to be a happy place. It would not be in keeping with the nature of this memorial for it to open in an atmosphere of discord and controversy."[24] And in February 1975 the plans for having the library where President Kennedy would have wanted it, were dropped.[23][24]
New location, new plan
From the pavilion (pictured), designer I. M. Pei says there is a restricted access area that offers the best view in the complex.[21]
In 1975, the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library Corporation announced that it would locate the library on a 10-acre site offered by the University of Massachusetts Boston adjacent to its campus on the Columbia Point peninsula,[13] and was described as a group of "massive, blocky structures...in sharp contrast to the mellow and urbane atmosphere of the library's original site near Harvard Square."[25] The site was originally a garbage dump; Pei recalls finding old refrigerators and appliances under the soil. In all seriousness, he asserted that one could toss a lit match on the earth and watch the ground ignite as the soil emitted methane gas.[21] One thing the site did have going for it was that the community was not opposed to the area being landscaped to house the library.
June 12, 1977, marked the official groundbreaking for the library with construction following in August.[13] Although the site was a landfill it did overlook Boston, Dorchester Bay and the ocean. The area was covered in 15 feet (4.6 m) of earth and topsoil.[14] Pei was particularly proud of the landscaping results.[21]
The design would be a simple geometric structure with a large glass pavilion. The concrete tower stands 125 feet (38 m) tall and houses offices and archives. A circular section contains two theaters and is connected to the tower by the 115 foot (35 m) grey-glass pavilion. The concrete finish of the building directly reflects the budget.[2] With more money Pei would have made the building with stone which he believes offers a nicer finish with more detail.[21] The materials chosen kept the costs within budget, in total costing $20.8 million.[2]
Over 30 million people contributed to the cost of construction, which more than 225 construction workers labored to complete before the end of 1979.[26]
Dedication
The official dedication was held on October 20, 1979.[13] Outside the building on the green, on a blue-carpeted stage with a bank of yellow chrysanthemums sat the Kennedy family and those close to them. Among many others, President Jimmy Carter was in their company. The ceremony began with President Kennedy's daughter, Caroline Kennedy, introducing her brother, John F. Kennedy Jr., who read from the Stephen Spender poem, I Think Continually of Those Who Were Truly Great.
President Carter said of John F. Kennedy that he embodied "the ideals of a generation as few public figures have ever done in the history of the earth."[27][28] He spoke of openly weeping upon hearing about the death of Kennedy, something that he had not done since his own father died, ten years before. Afterwards, he accepted the library "on behalf of the American people"[27] and the National Archives and Records Administration.[26]
Senator Edward M. Kennedy, said of his brother's life, that it "was a voyage of discovery, a quest for excellence that inspired universal trust and faith. In that brief unfinished journey, he made us believe once more in the great historic purpose of this land. He filled America with pride and made the nation young again."[29]
Critics generally liked the finished building, but the architect himself was unsatisfied. The years of conflict and compromise had changed the nature of the design, and Pei felt that the final result lacked its original passion. "I wanted to give something very special to the memory of President Kennedy," he said in 2000. "It could and should have been a great project."[30] Perhaps the most important consequence of the Kennedy project for Pei was his elevation in the public's consciousness as an architect of note.[31] Pei considered the John F. Kennedy Library "the most important commission in my life."[30]
Exhibits and collection
Freedom 7, flown in 1961 by Alan Shepard to become the first American in space (formerly on display at the U.S. Naval Academy), displayed at the Kennedy Library until 2021, when it was moved to the Smithsonian.
The library's first floor features a museum containing video monitors, family photographs, political memorabilia. Visitors to the museum begin their visit by watching a film narrated by President Kennedy in one of two cinemas that show an orientation film, and a third shows a documentary on the Cuban Missile Crisis.
First Lady Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy – Exhibit on the life of First LadyJacqueline Bouvier Kennedy; features footage of the First Lady and artifacts from her life, include several pieces of clothing.[40]
The sailboat Victura and the exterior of the Library
Among the Library's art collection is a 1962 portrait of Robert F. Kennedy by Lajos Markos,[42] a watercolor sketch of John F. Kennedy by Jamie Wyeth,[43] a watercolor painting of the White House painted by Jacqueline Kennedy and given as a gift to her husband, who had it hung in the Oval Office,[44] a fingerpainting by Caroline Kennedy as a child,[45] and a bust of John F. Kennedy sculpted by Felix de Weldon.[46]
Kennedy's 25-foot Wianno SeniorsailboatVictura is on display on the grounds of the Library from May to October. Acquired by the family when Kennedy was 15, it played an important role in forging sibling bonds and, after the president's death, continued being sailed by other members of the family, especially race-enthusiast brother Ted.[47][48]
The Library has a variety of temporary and special exhibits.[49]
Archives
President Kennedy had the coconut made into a paperweight. It sat on the Resolute desk, which Kennedy used in the Oval Office. The message reads: "NAURO ISL… COMMANDER… NATIVE KNOWS POS'IT… HE CAN PILOT… 11 ALIVE… NEED SMALL BOAT… KENNEDY"
Audiovisual
The audiovisual archives contain over 400,000 still photographs taken from 1863 to 1984, over 7.5 million feet (2,300,000 m) of film shot between 1910 and 1983, and 11,000 reels of audio recordings from 1910 to 1985.[50]
Oral-history project
Begun in 1964, the oral-history project was a unique undertaking to document and preserve interviews with those associated with Kennedy. Initially expected to have about 150 participants,[9] today it contains over 1,100 interviews and continues to this day.[51] It is modelled after a program by the Columbia University Oral History Research Office, the world's oldest, which began in 1948.[8] At its conception, while serving as Attorney General, Robert Kennedy speculated that some of the interviews, such as ones relating to the Cuban Missile Crisis, might have to be sealed for a while due to containing "highly classified material." He said that although the emphasis would be on releasing everything as soon as possible, some items might remain closed for 10 to 25 years.[8]
Because the interviewees are allowed to review their transcripts before the interviews are released for use by scholars, the audio may differ from the written record so that the interviewees may disambiguate any misunderstanding in their speech and make it clear in a written form.[51]
Artifacts
The library keeps a wide range of artifacts, many of which can be found in their respective exhibits. One is the original coconut on which a rescue message was inscribed by Kennedy to rescue the crew of the PT-109, which was delivered to coastwatcher Reginald Evans by Biuku Gasa and Eroni Kumana, natives of the Solomon Islands.[52]
The Ernest Hemingway Collection
The library is also home to a collection of documents and belongings from Ernest Hemingway. The collection was established in 1968 following an exchange of letters between Hemingway's widow Mary and Jacqueline Kennedy that confirmed that Hemingway's papers would be archived there.[53] In 1961, despite a U.S. travel ban to Cuba, President Kennedy had arranged to allow Mary Hemingway to go there to claim her recently deceased husband's documents and belongings.[53] A room for the collection was dedicated on July 18, 1980, by Patrick Hemingway and Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis.[53]
The Ernest Hemingway Collection spans Hemingway's career, and includes "ninety percent of existing Hemingway manuscript materials, making the Kennedy Library the world's principal center for research" on his life and work.[54] It includes:[54]
Over 1000 manuscripts of varying lengths, including hand-written drafts of The Sun Also Rises and dozens of hand-drafted alternate endings to A Farewell to Arms
In 2013, a fire occurred in the library. Reports initially stated that the fire appeared to have started in a mechanical room.[55] The fire was unrelated to the Boston Marathon bombing, which occurred simultaneously.[56]
In 2022, a window washer fell to his death in the building's pavilion.[57]
^ abcdHuxtable, Ada (October 27, 1979). "The Museum Upstages The Library". The New York Times. Retrieved August 16, 2008. The project for the Harvard location was for a much larger, three-part complex which was to include the library-museum, the John F. Kennedy School of Government and an Institute of Politics. Only the School of Government has been built at Harvard." "A 125-foot (38 m) high, nine-story, white concrete tower housing offices and archives, and a low circular section containing two theaters are connected by a truss-walled, gray glass pavilion that rises a full 115 feet (35 m) to form the ceremonial heart of the structure." "Finishes are neither luxurious nor special; standard components have kept the cost to $20.8 million raised from public gifts and the Kennedy family.
^"U.S. employees give to Kennedy Library". The New York Times. Associated Press. July 7, 1964. Retrieved August 16, 2008. Mr. Gronouski said the Federal employee contributions included pledges of $5 each pay day for three years and an individual donation of $5,000.
^"India Gives $100,000 To Kennedy Library". The New York Times. July 8, 1964. Retrieved August 16, 2008. Mr. Nehru said that the people of India held the late President "in the highest regard, esteem and affection." It was a "sad blow" to the Indian people when Mr. Kennedy was slain, the Ambassador added. He said he hoped that Indian students in the United States would make great use of the library and the accompanying institute that will be built on the banks of the Charles River in Boston.
^ abcHuxtable, Ada (December 13, 1964). "Pei will design Kennedy Library". The New York Times. p. 1A. Retrieved August 16, 2008. "The idea of the institute is to stimulate interest in politics," Robert Kennedy said. "Good Luck, Mr. Pei," Mr. Kennedy said, with an encouraging grin.
^ ab"I. M. Pei, Architect". John F. Kennedy Presidential Library Foundation. Retrieved March 1, 2015. At an early meeting in 1964, Mr. Pei explained to Mrs. Kennedy, somewhat apologetically, that as a relatively young architect he had not worked on monumental projects. Though relatively unknown and obscure at the time, Mrs. Kennedy nevertheless selected Pei from a list of candidates that included of some America's best-known architects. He seemed to her so filled with promise and he had the imagination and temperament to create a structure that would reinforce her vision of the goals of the library." "The Kennedy Library was erected on a landfill site overlooking Boston, Dorchester Bay, and the ocean beyond. To overcome existing conditions, the site was raised 15 feet (4.6 m).
^ abRaymont, Henry (January 24, 1970). "Kennedy Library Faces Rise in Cost; Long-Delayed Kennedy Library Faces Cost Rise and Lag in Aid". The New York Times. p. 1A. Retrieved August 16, 2008. A major obstacle to the construction of the library and its related buildings on the Harvard University campus was removed three weeks ago when the Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority agreed to vacate its subway-train yards on the proposed 12.2-acre (49,000 m2) construction site in Cambridge, Massachusetts
^ abRaymont, Henry (June 20, 1968). "Manchester and Harper Donate $750,000 to the Kennedy Library; Kennedy Library is given $750,000". The New York Times. p. 1A. Retrieved August 16, 2008. In acknowledging the contribution, Mrs. John F. Kennedy said: "I think it is so beautiful what Mr. Manchester did. I am glad that Senator Kennedy knew about it before he died. All the pain of the book and now this noble gesture, of such generosity, makes the circle come around and close with healing."
^ abcdeRobert Campbell, Ieoh Ming Pei (September 26, 2004). Conversation with I. M. Pei (Television production). Boston: WGBH Educational Foundation. Archived from the original(RAM) on August 14, 2008. Retrieved August 17, 2008.
^Kifner, John (February 11, 1975). "Kennedy Museum Blocked By Combination of Forces". The New York Times. p. 1A. Retrieved August 16, 2008. But in recent years, the project has met with sharp criticism from residents from surrounding neighborhoods who feared it would attract hordes of tourists, automobiles, fast food franchises and souvenir shops into the already congested Harvard Square area.
^ ab"History". John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum. Retrieved August 17, 2008.
^ abcKifner, John (February 6, 1975). "Cambridge Loses Kennedy Museum; Plan for Kennedy Museum Is Dropped". The New York Times. p. 1A. Retrieved August 16, 2008. We have tried to be responsive to the wishes of the people of Cambridge," Mr. Smith said in his statement. He added: "But the fact is that a segment of the Cambridge community seems likely to remain opposed to our plans. We want the Kennedy Library to be a happy place. It would not be in keeping with the nature of this memorial for it to open in an atmosphere of discord and controversy.
^Goldberger, Paul (February 11, 1975). "New Kennedy Library Plan Released". The New York Times. Retrieved August 16, 2008. The out-of-the-way site, called Columbia Point, houses the massive, blocky structures of a commuter campus of the University of Massachusetts, and it is in sharp contrast to the mellow and urbane atmosphere of the library's original site near Harvard Square in Cambridge.
^ ab"Library Dedication". John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum. Archived from the original on July 24, 2008. Retrieved August 17, 2008.
^ abSmith, Terrance; Paul Goldberger (October 21, 1979). "Carter and Kennedy Share Stage at Library Dedication; Attack on Oil Companies". The New York Times. p. 1A. It was a grievous personal loss Mr. Carter said "My President. I wept openly for the first time in more than 10 years — for the first time since the day my own father died." – "On the blue-carpeted stage, set off by a bank of yellow chrysanthemums, the Kennedys dominated the scene. The late President's widow, Jacqueline Onassis sat cool and composed next to her children, Caroline and John F. Kennedy Jr.,...
^Graham, James (April 1, 2014). Victura: the Kennedys, a Sailboat, and the Sea (First ed.). Lebanon, NH: ForeEdge/University Press of New England. pp. 3–10. ISBN978-1-61168-411-7.
^Plan Your Trip, John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum.
^Past Exhibits, John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum.
^"Audiovisual archives". John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum. Retrieved August 17, 2008.
