Correspondence, 1959-1960
This correspondence documents public reaction to John F. Kennedy's presidential campaign in 1960 and illustrates Robert Kennedy's relationships as campaign manager to various Kennedy supporters. A relatively small portion of the correspondence contains post-election congratulations and advice (such as on appointments) for the transition prior to the inauguration. There is also some correspondence sent to Robert Kennedy in his capacity as Chief Counsel to the Senate Select Conunittee on Improper Activities in his capacity as Chief Counsel to the Senate Select Committee on Improper Activities in the Labor or Management Field, but this type, of mail stops after October 1959. The documents total approximately 30,000 pages. They consist primarily of correspondence, telegrams, newsclips, and invitations, generally addressed to Robert Kennedy. The earliest items date from September 1959 and the latest from January 1961. The series incorporates files from three groups of materials: a correspondence file, a small index of names of campaign workers, and a file of invitations declined, 1959-1960. The correspondence consisted of 29 of the present 30 boxes and was maintained in three alphabetic filing systems: 1) 9/59-9/60, 2) 10-11/60, and 3)11-12/60. The 5 linear inches of invitations and the index of campaign workers were quite small by comparison. T'he Kennedy Iibrary incorporated all these files into one series arranged in alphabetic order by name of correspondent. The index was retained intact and is listed under campaign workers.
General Subject File, 1959 - 1960
This series documents Robert Kennedy's role in the presidential election campaign and the operation and organization of the campaign. The series contains campaign literature, correspondence, memoranda, newsclips, notes, public opinion polls, printed materials, reports, schedules, and speeches. Although a few items date back to 1954 and to the 1956 presidential campaign and some extend to the inauguration in 1961, the bulk of this material derives from the efforts in 1959 - 1960 to secure the presidential nomination for John F. Kennedy and to the presidential campaign in the fall of 1960. The documents total about 16,000 pages. These files were originally maintained in two series: Papers relating to the 1960 Presidential Campaign, 1954-1961; and General Subject File, 1959 - 1960. In combining the two series, the Kennedy Library has maintained the original folder titles except where a change would more accurately reflect the contents. Folders covering the same general subject were grouped under one topic (e.g., polls, state files) to facilitate research. The materials under Media Campaign (1 box), Memos (2 boxes), Polls (2 boxes), and State Files (1 box) constitute the largest entries. Tle arrangement is alphabetic by folder title. The "Notes" accompanying the folder titles are an attempt to highlight useful materials and to refer to other series.
