Finally, my appreciation goes out to the following agents who spoke openly and freely and did not ask for anonymity: Larry Newman, Joseph Paolella, and Anthony Sherman.
A note about documents from the Federal Bureau of Investigation: First of all, my thanks to Michael J. Ravnitzky for his assistance in helping me obtain FBI files and for his understanding of the complicated procedures involved.
Over the years, many authors have attempted to utilize FBI documents to research books involving the Kennedys. However, those who have been successful have done so without ever explaining exactly which of the thousands of documents compiled by that organization over the years are of any value. Many are filled with rumor and innuendo and, as such, are worthless. Others actually have real value as source material.
As a researcher and author, I have always wished that other writers who had covered this particular territory would have provided the FBI file numbers for the more reliable documents used as source material. It’s never happened, to my knowledge, making it necessary for every writer along the way to start from the beginning in tracking down pertinent FBI files, reviewing thousands of documents in search of those few that are worthwhile. One of the most time-consuming aspects of the FOIA process—the search through an agency’s holdings for requested information—can be eliminated if one is able to provide the FBI’s own file number. I am herein providing those numbers for future researchers, historians, and authors. These numbers will mean nothing to the general reader but hopefully will save other writers months of research time and expense.
These are the documents that were utilized for this book:
For Marilyn Monroe: HQ-1050040018; LA-1630001398; LA-1000022505.
For John Fitzgerald Kennedy: HQ-0090037991; HQ-0090037800; HQ-0940037374; HQ-0090039836; HQ-0560002534; HQ-1570000929; HQ-0620109060; HQ-0870138553; HQ-0620107481; HQ-0620107506; HQ-0620108641; HQ-1050111811; HQ-0940037374; (Assassination) HQ-0620109060.
For Joseph P. Kennedy: P.HQ-0940037808.
For Robert F. Kennedy: HQ-0440024721; HQ-0620076943; HQ-1180005869; HQ-1200009166; HQ-0770051387; HFO-0770037011; HQ-0440089006; HQ-1570000768; HQ-0890003213; HQ-0620107624; HQ-0620000587; F. HQ-0620109131.
To obtain any file, write to: FBI Freedom of Information Act Unit, Office of Public and Congressional Affairs, Federal Bureau of Investigation, 935 Pennsylvania Avenue N.W., Washington, DC, 205350000, and request, by name and file number, the files of interest under the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act (5 USC 552). List which files are needed, and also agree to pay reasonable fees up to twenty dollars without additional permission, so that the FBI can quickly process the request. (Files are just a dime a page, with the first hundred pages free.)
As well as documents about the Kennedys from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, I reviewed J. Edgar Hoover’s Official and Confidential Files. A word to the wise about Hoover’s papers: Most are filled with rumor, innuendo, and stories that cannot be substantiated. It was my decision not to use any of J. Edgar Hoover’s files as source material for this book.
I also reviewed papers from the National Archives II in College Park, Maryland, released under the Assassination Records Review Board.
A note about correspondence and telephone conversations between the Kennedys and the Johnsons: I am so greatly indebted to the staff of the Lyndon Baines Johnson Library for their help in compiling documents from the decades of correspondence between Jackie Kennedy Onassis and President Lyndon Johnson and his wife, Lady Bird Johnson, used as research material in this work. In particular, the letters exchanged between Jackie and Lady Bird over more than a forty-year period speak to a strong friendship. Mrs. Johnson, a wise woman who has always understood the importance of historical documentation, also made available certain letters that are not available for general usage in the library. I have such admiration for her and thank her so much for her generosity and understanding.
I would also like to acknowledge Linda M. Seelke, the library’s archivist, for her dedication to her work and for her assistance to me and my researchers. As well as Ms. Seelke, I would like to thank Harry J. Middleton, director of the library, for his help in many ways, and also for the personal interview he granted to Cathy Griffin on September 28, 1998. My thanks also go to Tina Houston, the supervisory archivist. Also a special thanks to Matthew Hanson, Deirdre Doughty, Mollie McDonnold, and Kate Bronstad.
I urge any researcher working on a book involving President Lyndon Johnson even tangentially to contact the Lyndon Baines Johnson Library in Austin, Texas, for they will make your work much easier.
Thanks also to Lady Bird Johnson’s assistant, Shirley James.
Oral Histories
I could not have written Jackie, Ethel, Joan without using as source material the many Oral Histories provided by the John F. Kennedy Library.
Begun in 1964 with a grant from the Carnegie Corporation, the Oral History program is one of the oldest continuing activities of the Kennedy Library. Modeled on the Columbia University oral history program, its goal is to collect, preserve, and make available interviews conducted with individuals who have recollections of events and people associated with the Kennedy family.
Many of these interview subjects have given not just one but numerous Oral Histories, some as many as five conducted over a span of years.
In the past, these Oral Histories have been criticized by some Kennedy historians as not containing anything of a revelatory nature. My researchers and I did not find that to be true. Of course, the usefulness of these interviews to a biographer—and the informative nature of the stories found in these histories—depends on what the writer is searching for exactly, and whether or not his particular subject matter has been written about in the past. For instance, if one were writing a so-called exposé on Jackie Kennedy, this material would not prove to be beneficial. (However, the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Newsclipping Files at the John F. Kennedy Library do contain hundreds of printed articles and full-length stories that I found to be useful in my work.) Also, a great deal of material has been archived—hundreds of thousands of pages, in fact—and one has to go through all of it to find the fascinating nuggets. Because my subject matter, the relationship between the three Kennedy sisters-in-law, has never before been examined (and because my researchers and I have been diligent over the years in reading these many transcripts), we found a wealth of stories, remembrances, and other fascinating details.
My thanks to the following staff members of the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library who assisted me and my researchers: William Johnson, Ron Whealon, June Payne, Maura Porter, Susan D’Entrement, Kyoko Yamamoto, Allen Goodrich, and James Hill.
Also, I would like to mention that David Powers, former special assistant to President John Kennedy, was the first curator of the late leader’s library. Mr. Powers was an unemployed veteran living with his widowed sister and her ten children when he first met JFK after the Second World War. The man who would become president was looking for help in running his first political campaign for the House of Representatives. After Mr. Powers signed on, a friendship was formed that lasted until JFK’s assassination in November 1963. David Powers, always the Kennedy loyalist, was extremely reluctant to speak to me for this book. However, he did fill out two lengthy questionnaires and then, finally, submitted to a followup telephone interview. No mention of the Kennedy Library is complete without a nod to Mr. Powers, who died in April 1998, at the age of eighty-five.
The John Fitzgerald Kennedy Library collection of Oral Histories totals more than 1,800 interviews. I stand in particular debt to the Oral History interviewers, the volunteers who conducted interviews with JFK’s and RFK’s family, friends, and associates, most notably L.J. Hackman and Roberta Greene. I utilized the following interviews throughout Jackie, Ethel, Joan for a more complete understanding of the Kennedys, as well as background about the major events and personalities of their times. (Except where noted, all of the Histories can be found in the John Fitzgerald Kennedy L
ibrary archives.) I am also grateful to Marianne Masterson, Leanne Johnson, and Doug Anderson for assisting me in the reading and analyzing of all of these transcripts.
It would be impossible—and impractical, given space limitations—to cite paragraph by paragraph how these Oral Histories were used; they were that important in the general shaping of this work. However, anyone interested in reading the Oral Histories should avail himself of that opportunity by contacting the John Fitzgerald Kennedy Library in Boston.
The following Oral Histories were utilized in this work:
Joseph Alsop, journalist, author, Kennedy friend and associate; Lawrence Arata, White House upholsterer; Janet Lee Auchincloss, Jackie’s mother; Isaac Avery, White House carpenter; Letitia Baldrige, White House social secretary; Joanne Barboza, waitress at Kennedy home, Hyannisport.
Albert Wesley “Wes” Barthelmes, press secretary to Robert F. Kennedy; Charles Bartlett, journalist, friend of President Kennedy; Jack L. Bell, journalist, Associated Press; Leonard Bernstein, composer, conductor, New York Philharmonic Orchestra; Kirk LeMoyne “Lem” Billings, Kennedy family friend and associate; Dinah Bridge, Kennedy friend and associate, Great Britain; Edmund Pat Brown, governor of California (interview conducted by the Lyndon Baines Johnson Library); Preston Bruce, White House doorman; Traphes L. Bryant, White House electrician; McGeorge Bundy, special assistant to the President for National Security Affairs; Carter Burden, New York society and political figure, worker in Robert F. Kennedy’s New York Senate office (interviewed for RFK Oral History Project); Kenneth Burke, White House policeman; George Burkley, physician to the President; Elaine Burnham, office worker, John F. Kennedy’s presidential campaign, Oregon.
Rev. John Cavanaugh, Kennedy family friend, associate, Roman Catholic priest, University of Notre Dame; Barbara J. Coleman, journalist, White House press aide, member of Robert Kennedy’s Senate staff, and presidential campaign aide; Peter Cronin, reporter, United Press International; (Cardinal) Richard Cushing, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Boston.
Andrew Dazzi, journalist, Boston Globe; Margaret Dixon, journalist, managing editor, Baton Rouge Morning Advocate; Angier Biddle Duke, chief of protocol, White House and State Department; Frederick Dutton, special assistant to President Kennedy.
John English, New York political figure, political aide to Robert F. Kennedy (interview conducted for the RFK Oral History Project); Rowland Evans, journalist, New York Herald Tribune, syndicated columnist.
Paul B. Fay, Jr., friend of President Kennedy and undersecretary of the Navy; Richard Flood, friend and classmate of Joseph P. Kennedy, Jr., at Harvard and worker for John F. Kennedy’s congressional and Senate campaigns; Edward Folliard, journalist, Washington Post; Hugh Fraser, Kennedy family friend and associate.
Edward Gallagher, Kennedy family friend; Elizabeth Gatov (interview conducted by the Women in Politics Oral History Project, University of California, Berkeley); Dun Gifford, legislative assistant to Senator Edward M. Kennedy, national presidential campaign assistant to Robert F. Kennedy, staff member, secretary’s office, Department of Housing and Urban Development (interview conducted for the RFK Oral History Project); Roswell Gilpatrick, deputy secretary of Defense; John Glenn, Project Mercury astronaut; Grace DeMonaco, Princess of Monaco; Katherine Graham, publisher, Washington Post (interview conducted by the Lyndon Baines Johnson Library); Edith Green (interview conducted for the RFK Oral History Project); Jeff Greenfield, legislative assistant to Robert F. Kennedy, member of Robert F. Kennedy’s presidential campaign staff (interview conducted for the RFK Oral History Project); Josephine Grennan, Irish cousin of John F. Kennedy; Michael Gretchen, West Virginia labor leader; Charles E. Guggenheim, film producer, political media consultant for Robert Kennedy’s Senate campaign and presidential campaign, producer of RFK Remembered (1968) (interview conducted for the RFK Oral History Project); Edwin O. Guthman, editor, Seattle Times, director of public information, Department of Justice, press assistant to Robert F. Kennedy; Milton Gwirtzman, presidential adviser, speechwriter, Robert Kennedy’s senate campaign, director of public affairs, Robert Kennedy’s presidential campaign, co-author (with William vanden Heuvel) of On His Own: RFK, 1964–1968 (interview conducted for the RFK Oral History Project).
David Hackett, friend of Robert F. Kennedy, executive director, President’s Committee on Juvenile Delinquency and Youth Crime, member, John F. Kennedy’s and Robert F. Kennedy’s presidential campaign staffs (interview conducted for the RFK Oral History Project); Kay Halle (Katherine Murphy), author and Kennedy family friend; John Harlle, Kennedy associate, chairman, Federal Maritime Commission; Averell (William) Harriman (interview conducted for the RFK Oral History Project); Harrison Gilbert, editor, publisher, New Republic; Andrew J. Hatcher, assistant press secretary to John F. Kennedy; Anne Hearst, West Virginia political figure; William Randolph Hearst, owner, editor, Hearst Newspapers; Mary (Welsh) Hemingway, wife of Ernest Hemingway; Louella Hennessey, Kennedy family nurse; David P. Highley, John F. Kennedy’s Washington barber (written statement); Jacqueline (Provost) Hirsh, French language instructor to President Kennedy’s children (1966); Harry G. Hoffman, journalist, editor, Charleston Gazette; John Jay Hooker, member, John F. Kennedy’s presidential campaign staff; Claude E. Hooten, member, John F. Kennedy’s presidential campaign staff; Ralph Hooten, classmate of John F. Kennedy at Choate Academy and Princeton University, member, John F. Kennedy’s presidential campaign staff, special assistant, Equal Opportunity Program, Department of the Army; Oscar L. Huber, Roman Catholic priest who administered Last Rites to President Kennedy in Dallas; Hubert H. Humphrey, Vice President of the United States, presidential candidate (interview conducted for the RFK Oral History Project and also by the Lyndon Baines Johnson Library); Francis T. Hurley, Roman Catholic monsignor, assistant secretary, National Catholic Welfare Conference.
Benjamin Jacobson, Kennedy associate, Boston; Jacob Javitz, Senator from New York (interview conducted for the RFK Oral History Project.); Rafer Johnson, friend and aide to Robert F. Kennedy (interview conducted for the RFK Oral History Project.)
Joseph J. Karitas, White House painter; Nicholas Katsenbach (interview conducted for the RFK Oral History Project.); Mary Kelly, Oregon political figure; John H. Kelso, journalist, Boston Post; Robert Francis Kennedy, brother of President Kennedy, Attorney General of the United States, Senator from New York; Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy, wife of Joseph P. Kennedy, mother of President Kennedy (interview conducted by the Herbert Hoover Library Foundation.); Fletcher Knebel, journalist, Cowles Publications, Look; Laura Bergquist Knebel, journalist, Look (interview conducted for the RFK Oral History Project); John H. Knowles, classmate of Robert F. Kennedy, Harvard College, general director, Massachusetts General Hospital (1962–72) (interview conducted for the RFK Oral History Project); Joseph Kraft, journalist, syndicated columnist (interview conducted for the RFK Oral History Project); Jerome Kretchmer, member, New York State Assembly from Manhattan, campaign worker, Robert Kennedy’s Senate and presidential campaigns (interview conducted for the RFK Oral History Project); Arthur Krock, journalist, New York Times, Kennedy family associate.
Donald Larrabee, journalist, Griffin-Larrabee News Bureau; Fridda Laski, wife of Harold Laski of the London School of Economics; Peter Lawford, actor, brother-in-law of President Kennedy (edited draft transcript); William Lawrence, journalist, New York Times, news commentator, American Broadcasting Company; Helen Lempart, secretary, Senator John F. Kennedy’s Washington office and White House; Anthony Lewis, journalist, New York Times, Washington bureau, London bureau (interview conducted for the RFK Oral History Project, portions closed); Samuel B. Lewis, vice president, general manager, Carlyle Hotel, New York; Evelyn Lincoln, John F. Kennedy’s personal secretary (interview conducted by Barry Goldman for Manuscripts magazine in 1990); Gould Lincoln, journalist, editor, Washington Star; Walter Lippmann, journalist, New York Herald Tribune, Newsweek; Kathleen Louchhmeim (Katie Scofield), director, women’s activities, Democratic National Committee, deputy assistant s
ecretary of state for Public Affairs.
Torbert MacDonald (Hart), roommate of John F. Kennedy at Harvard, Representative from Massachusetts; Ralph McGill (Emerson), publisher, Atlanta Constitution; Mary McGrory, features writer, Washington Evening Star; Mary McNeely, Massachusetts political figure; Frank Mankiewicz, press secretary to Robert F. Kennedy (interview conducted for the RFK Oral History Project) (unedited transcript); Andrew Minihan, Irish cousin of John F. Kennedy, mayor, New Ross; Patrick J. Patsy Mulkern, Kennedy friend and political associate, Massachusetts political figure.
Esther Newberg, staff assistant to Robert F. Kennedy (interview conducted for the RFK Oral History Project).
Kenneth O’Donnell, special assistant to the President (interview conducted by the Lyndon Baines Johnson Library); Andrew Oehmann, executive assistant to the Attorney General (interview conducted for the RFK Oral History Project); Frank O’Ferrall, Kennedy family friend, London; Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis (interview conducted by the Lyndon Baines Johnson Library, 1974).
Nelson Pierce, White House usher; Charles Roberts, contributing editor, Newsweek.
Pierre Salinger, press secretary to John F. Kennedy (interview conducted for the RFK Oral History Project); Dore Schary, playwright, motion picture producer; Arthur Schlesinger, special assistant to the President; John L. Seigenthaler, reporter, editor, the Tennessean, Nashville, aide to Robert F. Kennedy; Maud Shaw, Kennedy family governess; Sargent R. Shriver, director, Businessmen for Kennedy, director, Civil Rights Division, Democratic National Committee, director, Farmers for Kennedy; Carroll Kilpatrick, journalist, Washington Post; Eunice Kennedy Shriver, sister of President Kennedy, executive vice president, Joseph P. Kennedy, Jr. Foundation; Hugh Sidey, journalist, Time, Life; George Smathers, Senator from Florida (interview conducted by the U.S. Senate Historical Office); Theodore C. Sorenson, staff assistant, speechwriter to Senator John F. Kennedy, special counsel to the President; Charles Spalding, Kennedy friend and campaign aide.
Jackie, Ethel, Joan: Women of Camelot Page 54