Jackie, Ethel, Joan: Women of Camelot (78 page)

All of my thanks and gratitude is also extended to Andy Steinlen. He is an important person not only in my life, but also in the lives of so many others he has touched, inspired, motivated, and—sometimes even more important—made laugh. He gives of himself so unselfishly, and always with love.

Thanks to my wonderfully supportive family, Roz and Bill Barnett, Zachary and Jessica Barnett, Rock and Rose- marie Taraborrelli, Rocky and Vincent Taraborrelli, Arnold Taraborrelli, and of course, Rydell and Dylan. Special thanks to my father, Rocco, who has always been my inspi- ration. He has taught me more than he knows just by shining example.

And to those readers of my work who have followed my career over the years, who have sent me so many letters of

support and encouragement (and who have also doled out harsh criticism when necessary), I thank you for taking my books to bed with you. If reading this one keeps you up for just a fraction of the number of nights it kept me awake while writing it, then I’ve done my job.

A note about the Secret Service agents interviewed for this work:
Cathy Griffin and I interviewed a number of Se- cret Service agents while doing research for this book. They provided great insight into the private lives of the Kennedy wives and how the women dealt with their husbands.

On October 10, 1998, in Louisville, Kentucky, the Asso- ciation of Former Agents of the U.S. Secret Service Inc. chastised several colleagues at its annual meeting for speak- ing to reporters such as myself about their work during the Kennedy administration. The group passed a resolution ex- pressing disapproval of the agents’ actions, and—according to George Lardner, Jr., of the
Washington Post
—P. Hamilton Brown, the association’s secretary and one of the leading ad- vocates of the resolution, went so far as to say in a speech that it would have been better if a contract had been put out on the agents who spoke to Seymour Hersh for his 1997 book,
The Dark Side of Camelot.
James E. LeGette, the president of the association, declined to discuss the resolu- tion, saying, “It was a private business meeting, a private af- fair. I wouldn’t say we censured anyone. There’s no physical action or anything coming out of this.” Brown, who also worked on the Kennedy detail, added, “We got a lot of heat from our members. A lot of people thought they [the agents] were talking out of school.”

A copy of the resolution was sent to Secret Service Direc- tor Lew Merletti who, in turn, sent a memo to agents that

sternly cautioned them to never disclose any aspect of the personal lives of their protectees.

Afterward, several of the agents who had been inter- viewed for the first time about Jacqueline Kennedy, specifi- cally regarding her feelings about her husband’s relationship with Marilyn Monroe, asked that their names not be used in this work. Also, though the participation of certain other agents may be clear in the text, they asked to not be formally acknowledged in the source notes. Others asked for quote approval, meaning that they wanted to review in advance quotes of theirs that would appear in this book. In all fair- ness to these brave men who took such pride in their work for the Kennedy administration, the author honored each of their wishes. I so appreciate their input and cooperation.

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 In- vestigation:
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 perti- nent FBI files, reviewing thousands of documents in search of those few that are worthwhile. One of the most time-con- suming aspects of the FOIA process—the search through an agency’s holdings for requested information—can be elimi- nated 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; (Assassi- nation) 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, Fed- eral Bureau of Investigation, 935 Pennsylvania Avenue N.W., Washington, DC, 20535-0000, 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 Fed- eral 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 conversa- tions 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 Onas- sis and President Lyndon Johnson and his wife, Lady Bird Johnson, used as research material in this work. In particu- lar, 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 li-

brary’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 li- brary, 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 Presi- dent Lyndon Johnson even tangentially to contact the Lyn- don 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 Corpora- tion, the Oral History program is one of the oldest continu- ing activities of the Kennedy Library. Modeled on the Columbia University oral history program, its goal is to col- lect, preserve, and make available interviews conducted with individuals who have recollections of events and peo- ple associated with the Kennedy family.

Many of these interview subjects have given not just one but numerous Oral Histories, some as many as five con- ducted 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 bi- ographer—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 writ- ing 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 re- searchers and I have been diligent over the years in reading these many transcripts), we found a wealth of stories, re- membrances, and other fascinating details.

My thanks to the following staff members of the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library who assisted me and my re- searchers: 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 cu- rator of the late leader’s library. Mr. Powers was an unem- ployed 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 Rep-

resentatives. 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 ex- tremely reluctant to speak to me for this book. However, he did fill out two lengthy questionnaires and then, finally, sub- mitted 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 par- ticular 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 through- out
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 Library archives.) I am also grateful to Marianne Masterson, Leanne Johnson, and Doug Anderson for assist- ing me in the reading and analyzing of all of these tran- scripts.

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 as-

sociate; 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 electri- cian; 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 Pro- ject); 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 as- sistant to President Kennedy.