The Enduring Legacy of the U.S. Constitution
JFK35 - A podcast by the JFK Library Foundation
The U.S. Constitution has served as the foundation of American democracy for nearly 250 years, guiding the nation through war, economic hardship, political upheaval, and profound change. In this episode of JFK35, historian Barbara Perry joins us to explore the Constitution's enduring importance and how presidents—including John F. Kennedy—have understood their oath to preserve, protect, and defend it.
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John F. Kennedy and America's Maritime Tradition
JFK35 - A podcast by the JFK Library Foundation
President John F. Kennedy's connection to the sea shaped his life from an early age to the his time in the White House. In this episode, JFK Presidential Library Director Alan Price explores how the sea helped shape President Kennedy's life and presidency, while examining the vital role America's oceans and maritime history have played throughout the nation's 250-year story.
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The Founders with Historian Alexis Coe
JFK35 - A podcast by the JFK Library Foundation
Two-hundred and fifty years after America's founders declared the United States free and independent from Great Britain, we look back at the choices they made to shape a new nation—and how their leadership influenced future presidents, including President John F. Kennedy. Award-winning presidential historian, fellow at New America, and bestselling author Alexis Coe joins us to explore America's earliest leaders, the challenges they faced, and how President Kennedy—and other presidents who followed—drew on their legacy.
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In Pursuit with Colleen Shogan
JFK35 - A podcast by the JFK Library Foundation
As part of JFK35's America 250 season, former U.S. Archivist Colleen Shogan joins us to discuss In Pursuit, a new essay project that explores the lessons America's presidents and first ladies can offer as the nation marks its 250th anniversary. Together, we examine the importance of preserving history, the role of public memory in a democracy, and how understanding our past can help strengthen the future of the United States.
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Staff Picks: Mementos from a Presidency
JFK35 - A podcast by the JFK Library Foundation
From a young woman’s sketch of John F. Kennedy with a mustache to boxes of dog treats discovered in his Oval Office desk on the day he died, the JFK Presidential Library and Museum preserves artifacts that reveal personal, unexpected, and deeply human sides of history. In this episode, we speak with Supervisory Archivist Abbey Malangone and Museum Curator Janice Hodson about some revealing items from the Library’s vast collections — from public tributes to everyday objects — and the stories they continue to tell about President Kennedy’s life and legacy.
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Staff Picks: Papers that Shaped a Legacy
JFK35 - A podcast by the JFK Library Foundation
The JFK Library holds thousands of primary source treasures that bring history to life. In this episode, JFK Library Foundation Executive Director Rachel Flor takes us behind the scenes to explore the original records showing how Jacqueline Kennedy reimagined the White House as the People’s House. We’ll also hear the voice of one of President Kennedy’s closest friends, preserved in an intimate oral history.
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Staff Picks: Family Roots
JFK35 - A podcast by the JFK Library Foundation
At the JFK Presidential Library and Museum, history isn’t frozen behind glass — each artifact has its own story to tell. This episode, we talk with the JFK Library Foundation’s Maggie Bramley about the museum items that continue to inspire her — from the Kennedy family bible to a commode gifted to the President and Mrs. Kennedy by French President Charles de Gaulle.
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Staff Picks: Letters from Children on Civil Rights
JFK35 - A podcast by the JFK Library Foundation
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.
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Staff Picks: JFK's Origin Stories
JFK35 - A podcast by the JFK Library Foundation
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 a new chapter for the future president. Together, these pieces reveal how personal experiences shaped the leader we know today.
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Lessons on Democracy - A More Perfect Union
JFK35 - A podcast by the JFK Library Foundation
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 episode is the last of a four-part series taking a closer look at what made President John F. Kennedy a strong democratic leader, not as a leader of the Democratic Party, but as the leader of a...
info_outlineThe 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.