JFK35 - A podcast by the JFK Library Foundation
John F. Kennedy, the 35th President of the United States, inspired a generation that transformed America. But not everyone knows the stories behind the man - his experiences as a young serviceman in World War II, how he wrote some of his most memorable speeches, what sparked him to set the country on a path to the moon. Join Matt Porter and Jamie Richardson of the JFK Library Foundation as they dig into the archives at the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum in Boston and interview their colleagues to get a behind-the-scenes look at JFK’s life, legacy, and the era he lived in. JFK35 is a production of the JFK Library Foundation. The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed are the guests own and do not represent the views, thoughts, and opinions of the JFK Library Foundation staff, board or donors or the JFK Library. The material and information presented here is for general historical and educational information purposes only. The views expressed in the podcast are not meant to imply any endorsement of or opposition to any organization or political party.
Episodes
Lessons from a letter? JFK Presidential Library Education Director Suzi Fonda shares some of her favorite letters from children who picked up their pens urging President Kennedy to take action on Civil Rights.
In the first episode of our Staff Picks series, Library Director Alan Price highlights three artifacts that capture pivotal moments that shaped President John F. Kennedy’s life. The coconut shell that carried his rescue message during World War II tells a story of courage and resilience, a letter from the surviving members of the Amagiri show how two bitter enemies can make peace, while Jacqueline Bouvier’s wedding dress symbolizes...
In this episode, we take a closer look at how President Kennedy viewed the social contract between the president and the American people with historian Fredrik Logevall. In particular, we’ll look at how that played out for four segments of the population who had been historically marginalized in varying ways: African Americans, women, people with intellectual disabilities, and immigrants.
This ep...
In this episode, we explore how President Kennedy’s call to public service helped shape a generation of dedicated government leaders. His vision for a professional and expert-driven public sector laid the foundation for decades of democratic progress. Historian Fredrik Logevall joins us to reflect on the lasting impact of JFK’s New Frontier.
This episode is part three of a four-part series taking a closer ...
In this episode, we look back at how President Kennedy understood the needs of his roles as a diplomat abroad and a strong negotiator at home. Historian Fredrik Logevall joins a conversation as we look at events that tested Kennnedy’s skills as a negotiator.
This episode is part two of a four-part series taking a closer look at what made President John F. Kennedy a strong democratic leader, not as a leader...
Democracy requires leaders who understand the responsibility they hold as elected leaders. In this episode, we will return to the speech President Kennedy made in Massachusetts, now referred to as the “City on a Hill” speech. Historian Fredrik Logevall joins a conversation that will look at the four specific qualities of leadership Kennedy highlighted as essential for a healthy democracy.
This episode is ...
For more than 150 years, women have put their name forward to run in a presidential election. Of them, only three have made it on the ticket for a major party, and just two have made it to the top of the ticket. We discussed the history of women running for the top job with UMass-Boston Center for Women in Politics Director Laurie Nsiah-Jefferson and the state of the 2024 campaign with NPR political reporter Asma Khalid.
Presidential campaigns, from John F. Kennedy and Richard Nixon in 1960 to today’s candidates, have strategically sought endorsements from celebrities and social influencers. We'll look at the history of campaigns using pop culture and technology to create viral moments.
From the 1960 campaign to today, black and latino voices have played important roles in presidential campaigns. In this episode, we speak with Columbia Journalism School Dean Jelani Cobb and Lincoln Project Co-Founder Mike Madrid about how presidential campaigns have made special efforts to earn the vote of the nation’s Black and Latino communities.
In 1968, President Lyndon B. Johnson told the nation he would not seek re-election as President. This year, President Joe Biden stepped down in the middle of the 2024 presidential campaign. In this episode, we speak with LBJ Foundation President and CEO Mark Updegrove along with presidential historian Alexis Coe about presidents who chose to “pass the baton” and the country’s legacy of ensuring peaceful transitions between presiden...
In John F. Kennedy’s Presidential Campaign, there were many concerns over the high costs of running for president. Still, the money required to run in 1960 is dwarfed by the expenses of today’s presidential and congressional campaigns. Former Senator Russell Feingold, a chief architect of bipartisan campaign finance reform, discusses how our elections got to this point and how America can still untangle the mess of financing politi...
For the first time in more than 40 years, a president was fired on and injured by an assassin’s bullet. In this episode, we speak with presidential historian Alexis Coe about the history of violence against presidential candidates and author and writer Tom Nichols about how the country’s intensely partisan politics have spurred violent acts across American communities.
Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy was the mother of a 20th century political dynasty. In this episode, we’ll explore her history through the museum she helped create at the John Fitzgerald Kennedy National Historic Site and speak with historian Barbara Perry, author of Rose Kennedy: The Life and Times of a Political Matriarch.
This Earth Day, the JFK Library Foundation announced the Earthshot Innovation Challenge: Northeast U.S. Edition. The challenge is a $100,000 prize to ignite regional innovations to address climate change. Foundation Executive Director Rachel Flor discusses the award and when winner’s will be announced.
In 1934, the National Archives and Records Administration was created to oversee the protection and dissemination of governmental and historic records of the United States. In this episode, we speak with the Dr. Colleen Shogan, the 11th Archivist of the United States.
The Hemingway Letters Project seeks to publish a comprehensive edition of the writer Ernest Hemingway’s letters. In this episode, we talk with two of the project's editors, Verna Kale and Sandra Spanier, in advance of the publication of volume 6 of the series. We talk about the detective work they’ve done and how Hemingway’s letters give a deeper understanding of the man.
What did President Kennedy think of the presidency himself? And what makes a president? In this episode, we hear from JFK himself and talk to historian Alexis Coe about her project at New America on the presidency, as well as her work as an historian.
On August 28, 1963, 250,000 people of different races, religions, and economic backgrounds convened on the nation’s capital for the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. The man behind organizing the event – Bayard Rustin – is profiled in a new Oscar-nominated film “Rustin.” In this episode, we speak with producers of the film, Tonia Davis and Bruce Cohen, and historian Dr. Clayborne Carson of Stanford University.
In February 1963, President Kennedy said, “A man may die, but an idea lives on.” In this episode, we look at the legacy JFK left behind and how some are continuing the spirit of his work. We speak with NASA astronaut Victor Glover who represents the new generation of space explorers and is set to be the first black man to travel to the Moon. We also have a conversation with JFK Presidential Library Director Alan Price and JFK Libra...
President Kennedy’s trip to Texas was meant to rally support for his programs and policies and lay groundwork for the 1964 election. But instead, something happened that changed the course of history: the president was assassinated. The world seemed to stop as John F. Kennedy’s state funeral was arranged. This episode brings you into the White House in the aftermath of the assassination and historian Fredrik Logevall looks at the t...
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