What’s Left of Camelot

Before I begin, let me warn you that there’s an amazing coincidence that occurred and that I’ll recount at the very end of this post. Just keep reading.

Last July, Brian and I toured the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum in California. I decided to purchase a membership to the museum and by doing so I took on the challenge of visiting at least 3 other presidential libraries this year to make it cost effective. I was happy to attend the National Council for Social Studies annual conference in Boston over the weekend because of the wonderful professional development opportunity but I also couldn’t pass up a trip to get library number two! I gladly took a cab to the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum (http://www.jfklibrary.org/).

The Library on the campus of UMass Boston

Maybe I went a little selfie crazy but I was able to capture a classic JFK quote!

I only had an hour before I had to return to the conference so I decided to skip the introductory video which apparently chronicled JFK’s early years up until the 1960 election. The exhibits start with his acceptance of the democratic nomination and they end with his legacy. I was a little underwhelmed. For a president who gleams such adoration and who served during a period in history rife with achievements and milestone, the exhibits seemed a bit flat. The highlight was the plethora of home footage and the professional television productions that gave you a true sense of why this media played a pivotal role in both his election and his admiration. I personally enjoyed the information and memorabilia surrounding his brother, Robert F. Kennedy, and his wife, Jacqueline.

Yet I still left the exhibits wanting more. I usually feel inundated by all the background and insight I extract from the presidential libraries and museums I’ve attended and instead I felt a bit unfulfilled. Where are the documents from the Cuban Missile Crisis? What about the interactions he had as he tried to literally and figuratively get the Space Program off the ground? And how about his Civil Right Movement?? How about his relationship with Johnson? I expected Marilyn to be absent but even that was a little disappointing. Perhaps the museum reflected an impression that I’ve always had about President Kennedy; he’s wildly overrated.

The Kennedy family (JFk is second from left and RFK is second from right)

A very Jackie O dress

 

 

 

 

 

 

His assassination was presented simply just by the original footage of the news report. The exhibits moved quickly into his legacy and then into this gorgeous gigantic space that overlooks the water. I loved standing in the space and reading quotes from Profiles of Courage, a text I have not had the pleasure of reading but that I plan to read and actually utilize as a theme in my classroom.

Third presidential library in 2014!

I’m really glad that I trekked to Columbia Point to visit the museum but it’s my least favorite library to date. Next on our list is the Carter Library in Atlanta! And now here’s the part you’ve really been waiting for. As I sat on the train home from Boston, I took a break from all the thoughts I had about how to implement social studies concepts into our curriculum and scrolled through my photos. I got to the photograph of the date of JFK’s assassination and suddenly realized that it was the exact same date. I had coincidently visiting his library 51 year after the date of his assassination. So although he’s not my favorite president nor is his museum my favorite, I feel like I paid a small tribute to a great man who inspired a nation and who never got enough time to prove just how remarkable he could be.

Presidential Pick: Lyndon B. Johnson

In honor of this past weekend’s Tony awards, I thought I’d start my Presidential Pick of the Week series with our 36th president, Lyndon B. Johnson. As an American Studies major at Barnard College my interest in the American presidency blossomed. To be honest, I’m much more interested in the presidents as men (and hopefully someday soon, as women) rather than their policies or platforms. So here’s a Top 5 list of why I love LBJ:

1. He began his career as a teacher. He taught in rural Texas and his experience teaching immigrant Mexicans deeply affected his decisions in office.

2. He was misunderstood (in my opinion, all the really good ones are). His policies in regards to the Vietnam War have greatly overshadowed his Great Society policies in our textbooks.

3. He can be argued as the most effective domestic legislator as he signed enumerable laws that supported civil rights, women’s rights, environmental protection, healthcare expansion, arts and education funding and programs to tackle poverty.

4. He’s a leader. Did you know LBJ was riding only 2 cars behind JFK in Dallas when the president was shot? He took office only 5 hours after the shooting and had to step up to the plate quickly and effectively.

5. His wife, Lady Bird, was the consummate conservationist believing that the man-made and the natural environment can be intertwined to be useful and beautiful. She loved those wildflowers.

Want to learn more about LBJ? Check out these great resources:

– Run, don’t walk, to get tickets to “All the Way” on Broadway (http://allthewaybroadway.com/) . Bryan Cranston’s rendition of LBJ is remarkable and you’ll walk away from the theater having a better understanding of the president and the tumult of the 1960’s that shaped his every waking moment. Insider tip: It’s long (3 hours) and it starts exactly on time. It’s worth the price for great seats or you can flirt with an usher and get moved closer to the stage during intermission.

– Fly to Austin, Texas to visit the Lyndon Baines Johnson Presidential Library at the University of Texas. Give yourself many hours to roam the halls and read every single piece of text (this is not usually my museum style but in this case, do it). It’s a fascinating museum dedicated to the life of the man and you’ll not want to feel rushed.
Check out some photos below from my trip with my mom to Texas in May 2007. Liza and Emily even stopped in Austin to join us on our trip to the Library.