Amherst College Kennedy Convocation Collection
General International Standard for Archival Description
Amherst College Archives and Special Collections
Finding aid encoded in NoteTab Pro. Encoded by Peter A. Nelson. 2007-11-01
Encoded Archival Description
Encoded Archival Description (EAD) Version 2002
collection
Kennedy Convocation Collection
Creation of Kennedy Convocation Collection
Time of Creation of Kennedy Convocation Collection
Amherst College
Biographical History for: Kennedy Convocation Collection
Historical Note U.S. President John F. Kennedy visited Amherst College on October 26, 1963 for the ground¬breaking of the Robert Frost Library. The groundbreaking was part of a special alumni weekend that also included a convocation at which President Kennedy and poet Archibald MacLeish were awarded honorary doctor of laws degrees. Both Kennedy and MacLeish spoke at the convocation and Kennedy also spoke later that afternoon at the groundbreaking. On both occasions his remarks were addressed to the significance of Robert Frost and of the arts for the United States and for the world. The event turned out to be one of President Kennedy's last public appearances before he was assassinated in November. An estimated 10,000 people were on campus that day to witness the events. The Robert Frost Library was formally dedicated on October 24, 1965.
Scope and Contents of the Collection Correspondence, press releases, news clippings, photographs and other materials documenting President John F. Kennedy's visit to Amherst College on October 26, 1963 for a special convocation at which he and poet Archibald MacLeish were awarded honorary degrees, and for a groundbreaking ceremony for the Robert Frost Library.
American poetry--20th century--History and criticism.
lcsh
Photographs--Amherst College.
Frost, Robert, 1874-1963--Criticism and interpretation.
lcnaf
Kennedy, John F. (John Fitzgerald), 1917-1963.
MacLeish, Archibald, 1892-
Amherst College. Library.
Amherst College--Buildings.
Amherst College.
series
SERIES 1: PREPARATIONS
Creation of SERIES 1: PREPARATIONS
Time of Creation of SERIES 1: PREPARATIONS
Series 1, PREPARATIONS, includes correspondence, convocation committee materials, seating plans, maps, invitations and other mailings, press releases and other media documents related to the preparations for the events of October 23, 1963. This series includes information collected about similar events at other colleges and universities, as well as material on the Robert Frost memorial service held at Amherst College on February 17, 1963. This series is organized into the following sub-groups: A. Related Events about other honorary events and also the Frost memorial service B. Mailings and Correspondence C. Planning Documents and Printed Matter D. Press Releases
Yale University Commencement Information 1962 Jun
Robert Frost Memorial Service, Johnson Chapel 1963 Feb 17
Robert Frost Memorial Service Amherst College List 1963 Feb
The American University Bulletin Commencement, Kennedy's Speech, Honorary Degree Citation 1963 Jun 10
Seton Hill College - re: Mrs. Joseph P. Kennedy 1963 Oct 26
Mailings - To alumni and undergraduates 1963 Aug-Sep
Convocation Committee: minutes, mailings, expenses, etc. 1963 Aug-Oct
Letter to Peter Schrag from Pierre Salinger 1963 Aug 6
Miscellaneous Correspondence 1963 Aug-Oct
Correspondence re: Program: John J. McCloy to J. Alfred Guest; J. Alfred Guest to Evelyn Lincoln 1963 Sep
Educational Radio Network memo 1963 Oct 23
Suggested timetable 1963 Oct 9
Invitations n.d.
Ticket to Convocation 1963 Oct 26
Program for Convocation and Ground breaking n.d.
Alumni Weekend packet for Oct 25-26, 1963 1963 Aug
Agenda for 50th Annual Meeting of Alumni Council 1963 Oct 25-26
Amherst Alumni News, Special Issue, fall 1963 1963
Duplicates of JFK's speeches and remarks from special edition of Amherst Alumni News n.d.
Topographic plan of campus and floor plan for the Cage 1963 Oct 26
Alternate seating plan - for added seats in Cage 1963 Oct
Procession and reserved section 1963 Oct
List of Alumni acceptances n.d.
Luncheon at the President's House list 1963 Oct
Press information, general information 1963 Oct
Media plans 1963 Oct
Press releases - telling of events to happen 1963 Aug-Oct
Press releases - text of Plimpton's speech 1963 Oct 26
White House press release: Kennedy remarks at Ground Breaking 1963 Oct 26
Honorary degree texts (Press release) 1963 Oct 26
SERIES 2: SPEECHES, 1963
Series 2, SPEECHES, 1963, includes the text of President Kennedy's convocation speech, reproductions of his early notes, a typescript draft of the convocation speech prepared by Arthur Schlesinger, Jr. with annotations by the President, and a copy of the library groundbreaking remarks.
Copy of Kennedy Convocation Speech (from JFK Library) n.d.
Notes n.d.
Notes - Convocation n.d.
Notes and draft (Schlesinger) n.d.
Typescript - Convocation n.d.
Groundbreaking n.d.
Series 3, PHOTOGRAPHS
Series 3, PHOTOGRAPHS, documents most of the major events of October 26, 1963, including the arrival of President Kennedy at Amherst, media coverage, the crowds on campus to greet the President, the convocation ceremony and the library groundbreaking. This series is arranged roughly in chronological order.
Photograph of the Seal of the President of the United States 1963
Photographs of bystanders lining the streets, awaiting the arrival of JFK (civil rights protest) 1963 Oct 26
Photographs of military helicopters arriving 1963 Oct 26
Photographs of Arrival/Departure of President 1963 Oct 26
Photograph - JFK walking with Alfred Guest and Calvin Plimpton 1963 Oct 26
Photograph of seating in the Cage 1963 Oct 26
The crowd in the Cage 1963 Oct 26
Photographs of Media arrangements 1963 Oct 26
Photographs of Media coverage 1963 Oct 26
Photograph of Pres. John F. Kennedy and Pres. Calvin H. Plimpton in Procession 1963 Oct 26
Photographs of Marshal 1963 Oct 26
Photograph of Procession, Entering Podium 1963 Oct 26
Photograph of Marshal, Faculty, MacLeish, Kennedy and Plimpton 1963 Oct 26
Amherst College President Calvin H. Plimpton 1963 Oct 26
Photographs of Archibald MacLeish, recipient of Honorary Degree 1963 Oct 26
Photographs of John J. McCloy 1963 Oct 26
Color photographs of JFK sitting on stage in the Cage 1963 Oct 26
Photographs of Archibald MacLeish, John F. Kennedy 1963 Oct 26
JFK delivering Convocation address 1963 Oct 26
Awarding of JFK Honorary degree 1963 Oct 26
JFK smiling and watching convocation 1963 Oct 26
Photographs of Archibald MacLeish, John J. McCloy, John F. Kennedy and Calvin H. Plimpton 1963 Oct 26
Photographs of JFK and Calvin Plimpton in car going from President's house to groundbreaking 1963 Oct 26
Photographs of people in crowd 1963 Oct 26
JFK in crowd 1963 Oct 26
Photograph of the media platform at groundbreaking 1963 Oct 26
Groundbreaking - Photograph - JFK and Plimpton arrive at podium 1963 Oct 26
Groundbreaking, standing on podium - John F. Kennedy, Calvin Plimpton 1963 Oct 26
Band at the Robert Frost Library Groundbreaking 1963 Oct 26
Groundbreaking - Kendall B. DeBevoise presiding 1963 Oct 26
Groundbreaking - Calvin Plimpton giving remarks 1963 Oct 26
Groundbreaking - John J. McCloy giving remarks 1963 Oct 26
Groundbreaking - JFK speaking 1963 Oct 26
Photographs - Groundbreakers standing by with shovels while Kendall DeBevoise speaks 1963 Oct 26
Photographs - Ground breaking taking place 1963 Oct 26
Photograph of State Police 1963 Oct 26
Humor 1963
Contact sheets n.d.
Series 4: PRESS COVERAGE OF THE EVENTS, 1963
Series 4, PRESS COVERAGE OF THE EVENTS, 1963, includes newspaper clippings and other printed material covering the president's visit to Amherst, as well as some clippings concerning the dedication of the Robert Frost Library in 1965. This series is arranged roughly in chronological order.
Newspaper clippings Re: JFK at Amherst before event pre 1963 Oct 27
Newspaper clippings giving an account of JFK at Amherst 1963 Oct 26
The Amherst Student Convocation Special 1963 Oct 26
Newspapers about JFK at Amherst 1963 Oct 27
Newspapers giving an account of JFK at Amherst 1963 Oct 28-31
Amherst Journal Record 1963 Nov 29
Amherst Journal Record, 31 Oct 1963 and 28 Nov 1963 (duplicates) 1963 Oct-Nov
Paragraph and photograph about JFK at Amherst 1963 Nov 1
Wall Street Journal clipping 1963 Nov 6
Amherst Capital Program Newsletter 1963 Nov 18
The Amherst Student 1963 Nov 23
Newspapers giving an account of JFK at Amherst 1963 Nov
Other misc. news clippings 1963 Nov-Dec
Unidentified 1963 newspaper clippings pre: convocation and detailing convocation 1963
The Amherst Student re: Library dedication 1965 Oct 24
Series 5: SCRAPBOOKS, 1963
Series 5, SCRAPBOOKS, 1963, consists of two scrapbooks documenting the convocation and groundbreaking, probably created by Amherst College administrators in the alumni office.
Scrapbook 1963 Oct
Scrapbook n.d.
Series 6: POST-EVENT CORRESPONDENCE, 1963-1968
Series 6, POST-EVENT CORRESPONDENCE, 1963-1968, mainly consists of correspondence of J. Alfred Guest, then secretary of the Amherst College Alumni Council and secretary of the Board of Trustees, concerning information about the event and permissions to reproduce material in publications. Arranged chronologically.
Letters to J. Alfred Guest from Robert Frost's son-in-law and granddaughter re: library groundbreaking 1963 Oct
Letter to Horace Hewlett from Joseph L. Presbrey, Jr.; Reply 1963 Oct-Nov
Letters to the White House 1963 Oct-Nov
Letter to Archibald MacLeish 1963 Nov 18
Reactions to Speeches 1963 Oct-Nov
Correspondence with Nancy Tuckerman, Secretary to Mrs. Kennedy 1964 Jan
Letter from J. A. Fayne, JFK Library 1964 Jul 16
"Of Poetry and Power" correspondence 1965 May-Jul
Spoken Arts correspondence 1964 Mar-1965 May
Recordings correspondence 1967 Apr
Memo re: Manuscript for Kennedy Speech: J. A. Guest to C.H. Plimpton 1968 Feb
Harcourt, Brace - re: Anthology 1968 Oct 23
Series 7, RETROSPECTIVES, 1963-2005
Series 7, RETROSPECTIVES, 1963-2005, consists of published and unpublished retrospective accounts of the Kennedy visit to Amherst. Arranged chronologically.
Daily Hampshire Gazette after JFK's death 1963
Cohasset Cottager Editorial - Remembrance of JFK at Amherst 1963 Dec 5
Town of Amherst: Town Report for 1963 (cover material - Kennedy's visit to Amherst) 1963
Amherst Alumni News, Winter 1964 1964
Periodical articles 1963-1964
The Boston Globe 1963
Journal of the National Medical Association 1964 Jan
Invitations and programs for Robert Frost Library dedication 1965 Oct
1923-1973 Amherst Alumni Fund 50th Anniversary Brochure - Photograph and quote from Convocation/Groundbreaking 1973
"A Memoir of John F. Kennedy and Robert Frost" by Stewart L. Udall 1988 Oct 30
Advertisement for National Endowment for the Arts ca. 1990
John F. Kennedy Museum Newsletter, Fall 2003, featuring photograph of JFK at Amherst (p. 17) 2003
The Amherst Student, JFK at Amherst (p. 10) 2003 Oct 22
Hawkins, Hugh: "Recollections of the JFK Visit to Amherst College, 1963" 2003 Oct 26