The John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum
collects, preserves, and makes available primary-source materials, in all
formats, pertaining to the life and times of John F. Kennedy, the 35th
President of the United States. The Library's holdings include the papers of John F. Kennedy, Robert F. Kennedy,
Joseph P. Kennedy, and Rose Kennedy, as well as close to 400 other collections: those of
Kennedy family members, Kennedy administration officials and associates, and
pertinent individuals, authors, and institutions. The John F. Kennedy Library
also houses the Ernest Hemingway
Collection and the John F.
Kennedy and Robert F. Kennedy Oral History Collections.
Oral History Program
The Oral History Program is one of the oldest continuing activities of the John F. Kennedy Library; its goal is to collect, preserve, and make available interviews conducted with individuals who were in some way associated with John F. Kennedy and his legacy. The collection comprises
more than 1,700 interviews that, taken together, provide a unique perspective on John F. Kennedy's life and presidency and the events and personalities that shaped his times. Interviewees included prominent public figures as well as private individuals who played unique or distinct roles in the history of the period.
The collection also contains interviews with members of Congress,
administration officials, national and state political leaders, business and
labor leaders, journalists, civil rights leaders, foreign government officials,
and people who opposed Kennedy administration policies. As a supplement to the
personal papers of Robert F. Kennedy, the collection includes approximately 265 interviews
focusing on Robert F. Kennedy's career
and particularly his role as U.S. Attorney General, Senator from New York, and
U.S. presidential candidate in 1968.
The oral-history project also began recording, starting with Mrs. 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 declining to take part, a Secret Service agent. The Library's audiovisual collections originated primarily from government agencies, newspapers, television networks, private organizations, and individual citizens. These materials offer rich documentary sources for studying the life and administration of President John F. Kennedy.
The core of the audiovisual holdings includes photographs, motion pictures, and sound recordings made by White House personnel (1961-1963). The Library also houses collections that document the activities and careers of Robert F. Kennedy, other members of the Kennedy family, as well as friends, associates, and contemporaries. In all, the Library holds approximately 400,000 still photographs (1863-1984), 7,550,000 feet of motion picture film (1910-1983), and 11,000 reels of sound recordings (1910-1985).
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