John F. Kennedy campaigns in Bowling Green, 1960
According to the publicity for a new book, Ellen Fitzpatrick’s Letters to Jackie: Condolences From a Grieving Nation, in the first seven weeks after President John F. Kennedy’s assassination, more than 800,000 letters to First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy poured into the nation’s capital. Over the next two years, the total grew to more than 1.5 million.
Although the volume of mail rendered it impossible for Mrs. Kennedy to reply personally, embossed acknowledgement cards, hand-addressed by a group of Washington women, were eventually mailed to her many sympathizers.
One of these cards, bearing John F. Kennedy’s coat of arms and a simple but elegant expression of gratitude, is held in the collections of WKU’s Special Collections Library. A finding aid and image of the card and envelope can be downloaded by clicking here.
Thanks to radio celebrity and music historian Tommy Starr gave the Kentucky Library and Museum another gift of local musical memorabilia. Included are LPs from luminaries such as Billy Vaughn, The Hilltoppers and Exile, CDs from Cerebral Metal, Cage the Elephant and Foster and Lloyd, as well as promotional posters and photos featuring acts like The Kentucky Headhunters, Black Stone Cherry and many more. Gifts like Mr Starr’s are helping The WKU Libraries and Museum protect and preserve the musical heritage of popular music in South Central Kentucky.
