More than 100 years before President John F. Kennedy would take up residence at the White House, his great-grandmother Bridget Murphy arrived on the shores of America. There she met Patrick Kennedy, another Irish immigrant, and they started a life together that would lead to one of America’s most famous political families. We sit down with Neal Thompson to discuss his new book, “The First Kennedys.”

The First Kennedys with Neal Thompson

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&nbsp;looks at the trip to Texas and how the country - and the world - mourned the president.

Let Us Begin: The Torch Has Been Passed

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 Library Foundation Executive Director Rachel Flor about their work preserving President Kennedy’s legacy for generations to come.

Let Us Begin: A Legacy Continued

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.

Bayard Rustin: The Man Behind the March

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.

Being the President

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.

Hemingway's Letters

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.

A Conversation with U.S. Archivist Colleen Shogan

Kennedy Library Forums are a series of public affairs programs offered by the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum to foster public discussion on a diverse range of historical, political and cultural topics reflecting the legacy of President and Mrs. Kennedy's White House years.

The First Kennedys with Neal Thompson

JFK Library

Related tracks