December 20, 2019
About This Episode
For many, the holiday season is a time to be with family and friends, decorate, and send out cards to loved ones. As we find out in this episode of JFK35, the early 1960's were not much different. However, in the midst of the Cold War, there were concerns among many families about Santa Claus’s safety during nuclear testing.
We sat down with archivists Stacey Chandler, Maryrose Grossman, and Laura Kintz who spoke about President Kennedy’s reassuring message to a child that the North Pole would be safe, as well as other holidays moments and traditions inside the Kennedy White House.
View the transcript for this episode.
What We Talked About
- See the archivists' picks in their blog post
- Photos from Christmas in Palm Beach, 1962
- Letters with Christmas wishes from President Kennedy to members of law enforcement who assisted with escorting James Meredith into the University of Mississippi
- Memo with White House Secret Service members' shirt sizes for a holiday gift
- If you have a story idea or want to let us know how we're doing, email us at JFK35pod@jfklfoundation.org.