Joseph P. Kennedy to John F. Kennedy

 

 

Joseph Kennedy, Jr was the eldest son of Joseph Kennedy, Sr. and the older brother of future president John F. Kennedy. Joseph went to Choate and Harvard College. He was so bright in his college days that it was largely held that he will inherit his family’s political legacy. However, he left Harvard Law School to join the Navy and served as a bomber pilot in WW II. He died when his aircraft, loaded with explosives for an assault on German V-2 rocket site, blew up soon after lift-off. In the letter below Joseph gives pep talk to his younger sibling following an obvious rapprochement.

Dear Jack,

I was not particularly upset about your not getting back on time as I feel you are doing such a good job up there, but some little thing like that might put you off on the wrong foot and then again it may give people the idea that you were expecting privileges that other people could not enjoy.

However, I am glad you are back and I think you and Joe did a swell job on your marks.

I am impressed with the almost complete turn around you have made in yourself in the last year, you know I always felt you had great possibilities and I think now you are starting to avail yourself of them.

You are making a great hit with the older people and they are very much impressed with your discussions and looking on you with a great deal of respect. For your own satisfaction this is really worth-while.

I talked with Mother on the phone last night, she is coming down this week. Said she had a grand time in Boston and she was more than pleased with you and Joe.

Rosemary had a marvelous time also and really does not require many gestures like this to make her life worth while.

The weather after you left was bad for almost the whole week, in fact it was raining for three days, so you were most fortunate in the break you got on the weather.

I went to the Colony Saturday night and I saw Mrs. Dewar smiling and shaking all over the floor. My golf is completely gone, I can’t beat anybody but O’Leary and Heffernan.

Arthur Brown, the artist, is staying here with LeRoy Ward for a couple of days and he again told me that he would take care of you and Joe for any original drawings that you want for your rooms. Maybe you can get some of the originals of Olive from some of the artists that are doing them.

Good luck to you on the swimming and as to foot-ball, remember to be as good as the spirit is. You ought to weigh somewhere about 170.

Love,