The main exhibit galleries at the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum will be temporarily closed for technology and design upgrades from December 31, 2014 through March 27, 2015. The project, which was announced in May 2014, will include overhauling and adding to the existing museum technology infrastructure, creating an interactive, dynamic experience for visitors to learn about John F. Kennedy, his era, and his administration.
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BOSTON, MA – The John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum today announced that it has unveiled a special new display of rare Superman artwork created by legendary comic book artist Al Plastino featuring President John F. Kennedy. The story, told in ten hand-drawn story boards, was written in collaboration with the Kennedy White House in an effort to promote the President’s initiative encouraging physical fitness. The never-before-displayed original artwork will be shown in the Library’s museum through September 1, 2014.
BOSTON, MA – The John F. Kennedy Library Foundation today announced that Robert Epstein, Co-Chairman of Horizon Beverage Group, will chair the Foundation’s 26th Annual May Dinner on Sunday, May 4, 2014. The May Dinner is the Foundation’s annual black-tie gala that celebrates President Kennedy’s enduring legacy.
BOSTON – The National Archives welcomed the donation by Raleigh DeGeer Amyx to the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum of an original watercolor painting of the White House skillfully painted by Jacqueline Kennedy. Mrs. Kennedy signed the painting “J to J” and gave it to the President, which he kept in the Oval Office. The watercolor shows the White House seen from a distance with the Potomac River in the foreground. This depiction of the White House was copied by Jacqueline Kennedy from a circa 1805 print of the same view of the White House.
Boston MA – Former President George H. W. Bush was presented the prestigious John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Award™ today by Jack Schlossberg at the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum in recognition of the political courage he demonstrated when he agreed to a 1990 budget compromise that reversed his 1988 campaign pledge not to raise taxes and put his re-election prospects at risk. Bush’s granddaughter, Lauren Bush Lauren, accepted the award on behalf of the former President. Paul W. Bridges, former mayor of Uvalda, Georgia, was also honored for risking his mayoral career with his decision to publicly oppose a controversial immigration law in Georgia.
Tokyo, Japan - The John F. Kennedy Library Foundation presented its first international symposium on President Kennedy, titled The Torch Has Been Passed: JFK’s Legacy Today. Drawing on the themes of President Kennedy’s iconic inaugural address challenging citizens to give back, push the boundaries of science and innovation, and seek a more peaceful world, this half-day event celebrated the ideals he championed and examined how his words and deeds can help guide new generations in solving critical problems that we face today. The event was held in Okuma Auditorium at Waseda University where President Kennedy’s brother, then-Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy, delivered a speech in 1962.
Boston, MA – Pete Buttigieg, the Mayor of South Bend, IN, and Kirsten Lodal, Co-Founder and CEO of LIFT, a non-profit dedicated to providing holistic social services to those struggling with poverty, have been named this year’s recipients of the John F. Kennedy New Frontier Awards. The awards will be presented by Congressman Joe Kennedy III on November 12, 2015 during a private ceremony at Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government.
BOSTON, MA – PEN New England announced that Arna Bontemps Hemenway has won the 2015 PEN/ Hemingway Award for a distinguished first book of fiction for his critically acclaimed Elegy on Kinderklavier (Sarabande).
BOSTON, MA – The John F. Kennedy Library Foundation today announced that former U.S. Congressman Bob Inglis (R-SC) was named the 2015 recipient of the John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Award™ for political courage. Inglis is being awarded this honor for the courage he demonstrated when reversing his position on climate change after extensive briefings with scientists, and discussions with his children, about the impact of atmospheric warming on our future. Knowing the potential consequences to his political career, Inglis nevertheless called on the United States to meaningfully address the issue. In June, 2010, Inglis lost his re-election to the U.S. Congress. The prestigious award for political courage will be presented by Jack Schlossberg, President Kennedy’s grandson, at a ceremony at the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum in Boston on May 3, 2015.
Boston, MA—The John F. Kennedy Library Foundation today announced that Matthew Waltman, a junior at Dwight-Englewood School from Tenafly, New Jersey, has won the national John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Essay Contest for High School Students. Waltman’s prize-winning essay describes the political courage of Tom Selders, the former mayor of Greeley, Colorado, whose stand on immigration reform cost him his bid for re-election in November 2007. Waltman will be honored during the May 3, 2015 Profile in Courage Award ceremony at the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum in Boston. He will also receive a $10,000 award for his first-place essay.
BOSTON, MA – The John F. Kennedy Library Foundation today announced that former U.S. Congressman Bob Inglis (R-SC) was named the 2015 recipient of the John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Award™ for political courage. Inglis is being awarded this honor for the courage he demonstrated when reversing his position on climate change after extensive briefings with scientists, and discussions with his children, about the impact of atmospheric warming on our future. Knowing the potential consequences to his political career, Inglis nevertheless called on the United States to meaningfully address the issue. In June, 2010, Inglis lost his re-election to the U.S. Congress. The prestigious award for political courage will be presented by Jack Schlossberg, President Kennedy’s grandson, at a ceremony at the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum in Boston on May 3, 2015.
The John F. Kennedy Library Foundation today announced that CEO Heather Campion has resigned her position to take on a new consulting role at Harvard’s Institute of Politics focused on women’s leadership.
Boston MA – On March 6, 2015, the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum (Kennedy Library), the U.S. National Archives, and the National Archives of Japan will unveil a special international exhibit in Tokyo, Japan. JFK: His Life and Legacy highlights President Kennedy’s service in World War, his relationship with Japan, and his accomplishments in the White House, including the resolution of the Cuban Missile Crisis, the signing of the Nuclear Test Ban Treaty, and American investment in the space program that led to the first moon landing. The exhibit runs through May 10, 2015.
BOSTON - The John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum today announced that a new permanent exhibit presenting touchstones of John F. Kennedy’s early life will open on November 5, 2015. "Young Jack" provides glimpses of the future President as a boy, a student, a decorated war hero, and a young man seeking his life’s path. Drawn from the collections of the Kennedy Library, the exhibit celebrates the return of two of the museum’s most treasured artifacts following their display in Japan and features never-before-displayed items, including a set of JFK's crutches.
The John F. Kennedy Library Foundation today announced that it is undertaking an extensive national search to find a new Chief Executive Officer to lead the organization. The search, in its very early stages, will focus on locating the right person to help the Foundation prepare for the 2017 Centennial of President Kennedy’s birth.
BOSTON - The John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum today announced the opening of a new landmark exhibition, Ernest Hemingway: Between Two Wars. Showcasing the JFK Library’s Hemingway Collection, this is the first ever major museum exhibition devoted to the work and life of Ernest Hemingway. The exhibit features a trove of rarely exhibited material, including multiple drafts of the writer’s major works, correspondence with a legendary circle of expatriate writers living in 1920s Paris, as well as photographs and a selection of Hemingway’s personal belongings.
BOSTON— The John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum today announced a year-long celebration to honor the 100th anniversary of the birth of President John F. Kennedy. Born in Brookline, Massachusetts on May 29, 1917, President Kennedy was the youngest president ever elected to office. To commemorate his centennial year, the JFK Library is spearheading a series of events and initiatives aimed at inspiring new generations to find meaning and inspiration in the enduring American values that formed the heart of the Kennedy presidency.
Washington (September 20, 2016) – Democratic Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) yesterday named Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) to serve on the John F. Kennedy Centennial Commission. The Commission, established last month with enactment of the John F. Kennedy Centennial Commission Act, is charged with planning, developing, and carrying out activities to honor President Kennedy on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of his birth in 2017.
Washington (July 15, 2016) – Senators Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Orin Hatch (R-Utah) and John McCain (R-Ariz.) applauded passage of Senate legislation to establish a commission to be known as the “John F. Kennedy Centennial Commission” that would plan, develop, and carry out activities to honor President Kennedy on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of his birth in 2017.
Boston, MA – Aja Brown, the Mayor of Compton, CA, and Max Kenner, founder of the Bard Prison Initiative, an organization dedicated to helping incarcerated individuals earn college degrees while in prison, have been named this year’s recipients of the John F. Kennedy New Frontier Awards.
Boston, MA – Ambassador Jean Kennedy Smith was an inspiration and a role model for our family. She played a central role in the Irish Peace Process, was a longtime Trustee at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, and carried forward our family’s work on behalf of people with intellectual disabilities as the founder of Very Special Arts.
Boston, Mass – The John F. Kennedy Library Foundation today announced that after a three-year tenure marked by record fundraising, successful high-profile events including President Kennedy’s Centennial and the recent 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing, Steven M. Rothstein has decided to step down from his position as executive director of the Foundation at the end of the year. Deputy Director Rachel Flor was chosen by the Foundation’s Board to be the new executive director. She will begin transitioning into the role in November to assume full responsibilities in January 2020.
The John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum will offer several family-oriented activities and programs throughout Presidents’ Day week, including its signature Presidents’ Day Family Festival on February 17 featuring presidential storytelling, activities and performances. In honor of the 100th anniversary of the ratification of the 19th Amendment, the Festival will highlight presentations by actors portraying Sojourner Truth and Lucretia Mott. A Celebrate! series presentation of Tales from African Traditions by Valerie Tutson will take place on February 19, and family-friendly Highlights Tours will be offered throughout the week.
Boston MA – The John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum is closing immediately and until further notice after learning that two employees attended a conference at the Row Hotel in Somerville, MA last week where other attendees were confirmed to have come down with the coronavirus. Neither of the Library employees have shown symptoms and both are in self-quarantine. While neither of our employees have shown symptoms and the risk of transmission is low, we are notifying the public out of an abundance of caution. If you have visited the Library between March 5 and March 11, please monitor your health for symptoms of coronavirus, including fever, cough, and shortness of breath. If you experience symptoms, please seek medical care. The Library has been working with state public health officials to ensure all proper health measures are taken.
Boston MA – As an update to the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum’s March 14 announcement that two Library employees were potentially exposed to coronavirus, Library officials are pleased to report that neither employee has developed symptoms of the illness following a 14-day self-quarantine period ending today. The Library has been working with public health officials to ensure all proper health measures are taken and as an extra precaution, will complete a deep cleaning of its facilities already underway.