Kennedy Convocation Collection
, 1962-1988 (Bulk: 1962-1963)
4 archives boxes, 1 half archives box (2.25 linear ft.)
Terms of Access and Use:
There is no restriction on access to the Kennedy Convocation Collection for research use. Particularly fragile items may be restricted for preservation purposes.
Requests for permission to publish material from the Papers should be directed to the Archives and Special Collections. It is the responsibility of the researcher to identify and satisfy the holders of all copyrights.
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.
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.
This collection is organized into seven series:
There is no restriction on access to the Kennedy Convocation Collection for research use. Particularly fragile items may be restricted for preservation purposes.
Requests for permission to publish material from the Papers should be directed to the Archives and Special Collections. It is the responsibility of the researcher to identify and satisfy the holders of all copyrights.
Please use the following format when citing materials from this collection:
[Identification of item], in 1963 Kennedy Convocation Collection [Box #, folder #]. Amherst College Archives and Special Collections, Amherst College Library.
Selected documents and images from this collection are also available in the web exhibition The President and the Poet: John F. Kennedy at Amherst, 1963 (www.amherst.edu/library/archives/exhibitions/kennedy-frost/index.html).
| Contact Information |
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Amherst College Archives and Special Collections
Robert Frost Library
PO Box 5000 Amherst, MA 01002-5000 Phone: (413) 542-2299 Fax: (413) 542-2692 Email Reference Form: http://www.amherst.edu/library/archives/askus URL: http://www.amherst.edu/library/archives |
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SERIES 1: PREPARATIONS
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1963
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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 |
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Yale University Commencement Information
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1962 Jun
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Box 1: folder 1
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Robert Frost Memorial Service, Johnson Chapel
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1963 Feb 17
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Box 1: folder 2
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Robert Frost Memorial Service Amherst College List
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1963 Feb
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Box 1: folder 3
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The American University Bulletin Commencement, Kennedy's Speech, Honorary Degree Citation
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1963 Jun 10
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Box 1: folder 4
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Seton Hill College - re: Mrs. Joseph P. Kennedy
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1963 Oct 26
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Box 1: folder 5
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Mailings - To alumni and undergraduates
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1963 Aug-Sep
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Box 1: folder 6
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Convocation Committee: minutes, mailings, expenses, etc.
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1963 Aug-Oct
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Box 1: folder 7
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Letter to Peter Schrag from Pierre Salinger
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1963 Aug 6
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Box 1: folder 8
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Miscellaneous Correspondence
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1963 Aug-Oct
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Box 1: folder 9
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Correspondence re: Program: John J. McCloy to J. Alfred Guest; J. Alfred Guest to Evelyn Lincoln
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1963 Sep
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Box 1: folder 10
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Educational Radio Network memo
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1963 Oct 23
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Box 1: folder 11
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Suggested timetable
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1963 Oct 9
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Box 1: folder 12
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Invitations
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n.d.
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Box 1: folder 13
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Ticket to Convocation
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1963 Oct 26
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Box 1: folder 14
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Program for Convocation and Ground breaking
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n.d.
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Box 1: folder 15
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Alumni Weekend packet for Oct 25-26, 1963
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1963 Aug
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Box 1: folder 16
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Agenda for 50th Annual Meeting of Alumni Council
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1963 Oct 25-26
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Box 1: folder 17
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Amherst Alumni News, Special Issue, fall 1963
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1963
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Box 1: folder 18
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Duplicates of JFK's speeches and remarks from special editionof Amherst Alumni News
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n.d.
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Box 1: folder 19
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Topographic plan of campus and floor plan for the Cage
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1963 Oct 26
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Box 1: folder 20
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Alternate seating plan - for added seats in Cage
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1963 Oct
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Box 1: folder 21
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Procession and reserved section
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1963 Oct
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Box 1: folder 22
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List of Alumni acceptances
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n.d.
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Box 1: folder 23
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Luncheon at the President's House list
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1963 Oct
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Box 1: folder 24
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Press information, general information
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1963 Oct
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Box 1: folder 25
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Media plans
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1963 Oct
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Box 1: folder 26
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Press releases - telling of events to happen
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1963 Aug-Oct
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Box 1: folder 27
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Press releases - text of Plimpton's speech
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1963 Oct 26
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Box 1: folder 28
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White House press release: Kennedy remarks at Ground Breaking
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1963 Oct 26
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Box 1: folder 29
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Honorary degree texts (Press release)
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1963 Oct 26
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Box 1: folder 30
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SERIES 2: SPEECHES,
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1963
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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. |
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Copy of Kennedy Convocation Speech (from JFK Library)
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n.d.
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Box 2: folder 1
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Notes
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n.d.
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Box 2: folder 2
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Notes - Convocation
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n.d.
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Box 2: folder 3
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Notes and draft (Schlesinger)
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n.d.
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Box 2: folder 4
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Typescript - Convocation
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n.d.
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Box 2: folder 5
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Groundbreaking
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n.d.
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Box 2: folder 6
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Series 3, PHOTOGRAPHS
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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. |
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Photograph of the Seal of the President of the United States
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1963
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Box 3: folder 1
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Photographs of bystanders lining the streets, awaiting the arrival of JFK (civil rights protest)
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1963 Oct 26
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Box 3: folder 2
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Photographs of military helicopters arriving
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1963 Oct 26
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Box 3: folder 3
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Photographs of Arrival/Departure of President
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1963 Oct 26
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Box 3: folder 4
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Photograph - JFK walking with Alfred Guest and Calvin Plimpton
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1963 Oct 26
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Box 3: folder 5
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Photograph of seating in the Cage
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1963 Oct 26
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Box 3: folder 6
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The crowd in the Cage
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1963 Oct 26
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Box 3: folder 7
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Photographs of Media arrangements
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1963 Oct 26
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Box 3: folder 8
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Photographs of Media coverage
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1963 Oct 26
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Box 3: folder 9
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Photograph of Pres. John F. Kennedy and Pres. Calvin H. Plimpton in Procession
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1963 Oct 26
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Box 3: folder 10
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Photographs of Marshal
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1963 Oct 26
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Box 3: folder 11
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Photograph of Procession, Entering Podium
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1963 Oct 26
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Box 3: folder 12
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Photograph of Marshal, Faculty, MacLeish, Kennedy and Plimpton
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1963 Oct 26
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Box 3: folder 13
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Amherst College President Calvin H. Plimpton
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1963 Oct 26
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Box 3: folder 14
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Photographs of Archibald MacLeish, recipient of Honorary Degree
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1963 Oct 26
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Box 3: folder 15
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Photographs of John J. McCloy
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1963 Oct 26
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Box 3: folder 16
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Color photographs of JFK sitting on stage in the Cage
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1963 Oct 26
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Box 3: folder 17
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Photographs of Archibald MacLeish, John F. Kennedy
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1963 Oct 26
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Box 3: folder 18
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JFK delivering Convocation address
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1963 Oct 26
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Box 3: folder 19
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Awarding of JFK Honorary degree
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1963 Oct 26
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Box 3: folder 20
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JFK smiling and watching convocation
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1963 Oct 26
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Box 3: folder 21
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Photographs of Archibald MacLeish, John J. McCloy, John F. Kennedy and Calvin H. Plimpton
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1963 Oct 26
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Box 3: folder 22
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Photographs of JFK and Calvin Plimpton in car going from President's house to groundbreaking
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1963 Oct 26
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Box 3: folder 23
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Photographs of people in crowd
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1963 Oct 26
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Box 3: folder 24
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JFK in crowd
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1963 Oct 26
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Box 3: folder 25
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Photograph of the media platform at groundbreaking
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1963 Oct 26
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Box 3: folder 26
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Groundbreaking - Photograph - JFK and Plimpton arrive at podium
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1963 Oct 26
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Box 3: folder 27
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Groundbreaking, standing on podium - John F. Kennedy, Calvin Plimpton
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1963 Oct 26
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Box 3: folder 28
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Band at the Robert Frost Library Groundbreaking
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1963 Oct 26
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Box 3: folder 29
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Groundbreaking - Kendall B. DeBevoise presiding
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1963 Oct 26
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Box 3: folder 30
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Groundbreaking - Calvin Plimpton giving remarks
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1963 Oct 26
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Box 3: folder 31
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Groundbreaking - John J. McCloy giving remarks
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1963 Oct 26
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Box 3: folder 32
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Groundbreaking - JFK speaking
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1963 Oct 26
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Box 3: folder 33
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Photographs - Groundbreakers standing by with shovels while Kendall DeBevoise speaks
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1963 Oct 26
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Box 3: folder 34
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Photographs - Ground breaking taking place
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1963 Oct 26
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Box 3: folder 35
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Photograph of State Police
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1963 Oct 26
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Box 3: folder 36
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Humor
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1963
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Box 3: folder 37
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Contact sheets
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n.d.
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Box 3: folder 38
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Series 4: PRESS COVERAGE OF THE EVENTS,
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1963
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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. |
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Newspaper clippings Re: JFK at Amherst before event
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pre 1963 Oct 27
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Box 4: folder 1
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Newspaper clippings giving an account of JFK at Amherst
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1963 Oct 26
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Box 4: folder 2
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The Amherst Student Convocation Special
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1963 Oct 26
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Box 4: folder 3
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Newspapers about JFK at Amherst
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1963 Oct 27
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Box 4: folder 4
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Newspapers giving an account of JFK at Amherst
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1963 Oct 28-31
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Box 4: folder 5
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Amherst Journal Record
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1963 Nov 29
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Box 4: folder 6
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Amherst Journal Record, 31 Oct 1963 and 28 Nov 1963 (duplicates)
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1963 Oct-Nov
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Box 4: folder 7
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Paragraph and photograph about JFK at Amherst
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1963 Nov 1
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Box 4: folder 8
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Wall Street Journal clipping
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1963 Nov 6
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Box 4: folder 9
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Amherst Capital Program Newsletter
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1963 Nov 18
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Box 4: folder 10
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The Amherst Student
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1963 Nov 23
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Box 4: folder 11
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Newspapers giving an account of JFK at Amherst
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1963 Nov
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Box 4: folder 12
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Other misc. news clippings
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1963 Nov-Dec
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Box 4: folder 13
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Unidentified 1963 newspaper clippings pre: convocation and detailing convocation
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1963
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Box 4: folder 14
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The Amherst Student re: Library dedication
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1965 Oct 24
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Box 4: folder 15
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Series 5: SCRAPBOOKS,
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1963
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Series 5, SCRAPBOOKS, 1963, consists of two scrapbooks documenting the convocation and groundbreaking, probably created by Amherst College administrators in the alumni office. |
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Scrapbook
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1963 Oct
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Box 5: folder 1
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Scrapbook
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n.d.
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Box 5: folder 2
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Series 6: POST-EVENT CORRESPONDENCE,
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1963-1968
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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. |
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Letters to J. Alfred Guest from Robert Frost's son-in-law and granddaughter re: library groundbreaking
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1963 Oct
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Box 5: folder 3
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Letter to Horace Hewlett from Joseph L. Presbrey, Jr.; Reply
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1963 Oct-Nov
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Box 5: folder 4
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Letters to the White House
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1963 Oct-Nov
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Box 5: folder 5
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Letter to Archibald MacLeish
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1963 Nov 18
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Box 5: folder 6
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Reactions to Speeches
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1963 Oct-Nov
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Box 5: folder 7
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Correspondence with Nancy Tuckerman, Secretary to Mrs. Kennedy
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1964 Jan
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Box 5: folder 8
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Letter from J. A. Fayne, JFK Library
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1964 Jul 16
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Box 5: folder 9
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"Of Poetry and Power" correspondence
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1965 May-Jul
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Box 5: folder 10
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Spoken Arts correspondence
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1964 Mar-1965 May
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Box 5: folder 11
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Recordings correspondence
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1967 Apr
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Box 5: folder 12
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Memo re: Manuscript for Kennedy Speech: J. A. Guest to C.H. Plimpton
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1968 Feb
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Box 5: folder 13
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Harcourt, Brace - re: Anthology
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1968 Oct 23
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Box 5: folder 14
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Series 7, RETROSPECTIVES,
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1963-2005
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Series 7, RETROSPECTIVES, 1963-2005, consists of published and unpublished retrospective accounts of the Kennedy visit to Amherst. Arranged chronologically. |
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Daily Hampshire Gazette after JFK's death
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1963
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Box 5: folder 15
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Cohasset Cottager Editorial - Remembrance of JFK at Amherst
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1963 Dec 5
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Box 5: folder 16
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Town of Amherst: Town Report for 1963 (cover material - Kennedy's visit to Amherst)
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1963
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Box 5: folder 17
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Amherst Alumni News, Winter 1964
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1964
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Box 5: folder 18
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Periodical articles
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1963-1964
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Box 5: folder 19
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The Boston Globe
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1963
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Box 5: folder 20
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Journal of the National Medical Association
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1964 Jan
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Box 5: folder 21
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Invitations and programs for Robert Frost Library dedication
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1965 Oct
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Box 5: folder 22
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1923-1973 Amherst Alumni Fund 50th Anniversary Brochure - Photograph and quote from Convocation/Groundbreaking
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1973
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Box 5: folder 23
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"A Memoir of John F. Kennedy and Robert Frost" by Stewart L. Udall
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1988 Oct 30
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Box 5: folder 24
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Advertisement for National Endowment for the Arts
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ca. 1990
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Box 5: folder 25
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John F. Kennedy Museum Newsletter, Fall 2003, featuring photograph of JFK at Amherst (p. 17)
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2003
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Box 5: folder 26
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The Amherst Student, JFK at Amherst (p. 10)
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2003 Oct 22
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Box 5: folder 27
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Hawkins, Hugh: "Recollections of the JFK Visit to Amherst College, 1963"
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2003 Oct 26
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Box 5: folder 28
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