JFK Library and Museum

JFK Presidential Library and Museum is located on the campus of University of Massachusetts on Columbia Point in Dorchester. It is a beautiful building with great views of the harbor. It is also nice to be so close to a college campus. The museum is smaller then the other presidential libraries and museums we have visited due, obviously to his short time in office. It was hard not to imagine what the museum might have been full of if the assassination had not occurred. It also left me feeling a bit sad as we walked into the sunlight. What could have been. I found the replica of the oval office interesting as JFK had it mostly decorated with things from friends and family. They meant so much to him. They also had a replica of Bobby’s Attorney General office which was very interesting. Not as much on Jackie and the kids but a nice bit on how she nursed him back from back surgery right after their marriage JFK’s penmanship qualified him to be a doctor, but his wife’s was immaculate and beautiful. It was fun reading some of her letters. I really liked the way they handled the assassination. It was only shown on one wall with 15 small 12 inch tvs playing Walter Cronkite’s commentary. That was it, nothing else and it was very effective. Maybe too effective. The similarities to our current president when it comes to being charismatic were amazing and striking as we listened to some of JFK’s speeches. I think the Obama library and museum someday will finish the abbreviated JFK museum. Next presidential library will be FDR’s in Hyde Park, NY just forty miles where we are camped tonight. Looking forward to FDR’s as his was such a pivotal time for our country. We will also visit West Point that same day. Want to see what all this ring knocking is all about being an OCS product, you know.