Kenneth "Kenny" P. O'Donnell (#178)

An Inventory of His Personal Papers, 1924-1977
In the John F. Kennedy Library
National Archives and Records Administration

Administrative Information
Biographical Note
Collection Overview
List of Series
Collection Description

Administrative Information

Abstract
Papers 1924-1977
Assistant and friend to Robert and John F. Kennedy, government official, politician, author, businessman. Assistant Counsel, Select Committee to Investigate Improper Activities in Labor-Management Relations in the Senate (1957-59), Campaign Director, Kennedy for President (1960), Appointment secretary to the President (1961-1963); Special Assistant to the President (1961-1965); President, Kenneth P. O'Donnell and Associates (1965-1977), Massachusetts gubernatorial candidate (1966, 1970); co-author (with David F. Powers and Joe McCarthy), "Johnny We Hardly Knew Ye" (1972). Personal and professional papers relating to Harvard College Football, the Kennedy Administration, National and Massachusetts state politics and campaigns, and O’Donnell’s work in private industry.

Access
Open.

Usage Restrictions
Documents in this collection that were prepared by officials of the United States as part of their official duties are in the public domain. Users of these materials are advised to determine the copyright status of any document from which they wish to publish.

Copyright
The copyright law of the United States (Title 17, United States Code) governs the making of photocopies or other reproductions of copyrighted material. Under certain conditions specified in the law, libraries and archives are authorized to furnish a photocopy or other reproduction. One of these specified conditions is that the photocopy or reproduction is not to be "used for any purpose other than private study, scholarship, or research." If a user makes a request for, or later uses, a photocopy or reproduction for purposes in excesses of "fair use," that user may be liable for copyright infringement. This institution reserves the right to refuse to accept a copying order if, in its judgment, fulfillment of the order would involve violation of copyright law. The copyright law extends its protection to unpublished works from the moment of creation in a tangible form. Direct your questions concerning copyright to the reference staff.

Provenance
Received from Kenneth P. O’Donnell, Jr. of Westford, Vermont, in December 1988 (Acc.1989-015).

Extent
About 9500 items (7 linear feet; 8 cubic feet)

Items Separated
Items separated include photographs (P-178), printed material (PM-178), oversized items(OVZ – 178), index card boxes (IDX-178), and museum objects (MO-178).

Date Opened
January 2007

Finding Aid Prepared by
Jaimie Quaglino and Dominique Tremblay

Related Collections
David Powers Papers, John F. Kennedy Presidential Library  
David Powers Oral History, John F. Kennedy Presidential Library  
White House Staff Files of Dorothy Davies, John F. Kennedy Presidential Library  
White House Staff Files of Dan H(untington) Fenn, John F. Kennedy Presidential Library  

The Personal Papers of Kenneth "Kenny" P. O'Donnell

Biographical Note
Kenny O’Donnell was born Phillip Kenneth O’Donnell in Worcester, Massachusetts, on March 4, 1924. After serving in the U.S. Air Force during World War II, O’Donnell attended Harvard University, where he met and befriended fellow football teammate Robert F. Kennedy. The son of former Holy Cross football coach Cleo O’Donnell, O’Donnell was quarterback as well as captain of the Harvard team. Following his graduate education at Boston College Law School in 1951, he was employed in sales and public relations work but maintained involvement in politics, working on John F. Kennedy’s Senatorial campaigns of 1952 and 1958. In 1957 Robert Kennedy appointed him to be Assistant Counsel, Select Committee to Investigate Improper Activities in Labor-Management Relations in the Senate, a position he held until he became director of John F. Kennedy’s Presidential campaign schedule in 1960.

After winning the presidency, John F. Kennedy named O’Donnell his appointment secretary as well as a special assistant to the President. Following Kennedy’s death in 1963, O’Donnell continued working as a special assistant for President Johnson, assisting him with his re-election campaign in 1965. After Johnson won the re-election O’Donnell left the White House and established a management consulting business, Kenneth P. O’Donnell and Associates. He maintained his involvement in politics running two campaigns for Massachusetts governor in 1966 and 1970, as well as assisting Hubert Humphrey with his 1972 Presidential campaign. In 1972 O’Donnell collaborated with Dave Powers and Joe McCarthy to create the John F. Kennedy memoir, Johnny, We Hardly Knew Ye. Kenneth O’Donnell died in Boston in 1977.

Collection Overview
This collection of Kenneth P. O’Donnell papers contains personal and professional papers documenting O’Donnell’s pre- and post-White House activities, including his role as quarterback and captain of the Harvard College Football team, his personal and professional relationships with Robert and John F. Kennedy, his 1966 and 1970 gubernatorial campaigns, co-authorship of Johnny We Hardly Knew Ye and work as president of management consultants Kenneth P. O’Donnell and Associates. Documents are organized into correspondence and subject files. Original order and folder titles are maintained throughout the collection whenever possible. In cases of ambiguity chronological order was imposed for ease of research and annotated or imposed folder titles are bracketed “[]” by Kennedy Library staff for clarity.

List of Series
Series 1. Correspondence Files, 1947-1977
Series 2. Subject Files, 1941-1977

Additions
Addendum of October 2007  

Series 1. Correspondence Files, 1947-1977.
About 3000 items.
Arrangement: alphabetical by name, thereunder reverse chronological; thereafter chronological by year.

This series consists of incoming and outgoing letters, resumes, newspaper clippings, invitations, and requests for letters of recommendation, interviews and autographs pertaining to O’Donnell’s work as Assistant to Presidents John F. Kennedy and Lyndon Johnson, his role as campaign coordinator for Kennedy’s Senate and Presidential campaigns, his Massachusetts gubernatorial campaign in 1966 and 1970 and his work as a private consultant in Boston in the years following Robert F. Kennedy’s death. Also included in this series are correspondence and related materials concerning O’Donnell’s work with the National Football Foundation and his contribution to the creation of the Robert F. Kennedy Memorial.

The bulk of the correspondence consists of alphabetical files arranged by correspondent and subject, thereafter reverse chronologically. A small run of chronological files exists for the years 1947-1959, as well as a single folder from 1968. While some folders have been divided because of volume, all files generally reflect the original order established by O’Donnell.

Series 2. Subject Files, 1941-1977.
About 6500 items.
Arrangment: alphabetical by subject or type

This series contains materials relating to Kenny O’Donnell’s athletic, political, and professional endeavors and interests, as well as a small amount of personal and financial records. Included are files relating to his 1966 and 1970 runs for Massachusetts governor; these items contain financial records, correspondence, campaign memorabilia, and advertising and PR material. Clippings, game programs, and tickets from Harvard College Football games highlight O’Donnell’s role as halfback and captain of the Harvard team, as well as his continued interest in college football after graduating from Harvard. Drafts and correspondence created by O’Donnell’s as part of his role as co-author of Johnny, We Hardly Knew Ye document the research and writing of, advertisement for, and public reception of and reaction to the book in its various published forms. Note that letters regarding the book are also interfiled throughout Series 1. Correspondence Files: Alphabetical. A section of personal memorabilia contains incoming and outgoing letters between O ’Donnell, politicians, and colleagues, as well as materials relating to the Kennedy Family; several folders also contain items specifically related to O’Donnell’s work with President Kennedy such as tickets, invitations, brochures and publications. Researchers should also consult Series 1. for additional communication between O’Donnell and the Kennedy family.

Additions

Addendum of October 2007  
About 400 items (2.5 linear inches).
 

The material in this addendum to the Kenneth O’Donnell Papers arrived with the original accession, but was misfiled and not processed. It should have been placed in Series 2. Subject Files, 1941-1977. Note that, while this addition has not been integrated into the original deposit, it has been arranged according to the organization scheme of the previously deposited materials.

Series 2. Subject Files, 1941-1977.
About 400 items.
Arrangement: alphabetical.

This series contains materials relating to Kenny O’Donnell’s athletic, political, and professional endeavors and interests, as well as a small amount of personal and financial records. This addition consists of two folders each of correspondence, transcriptions of hearings, and reports relating to the two following topics: the Kohler/UAW strike of 1958 and a 1973 proposal for a low emissions vehicle known as the “Boston Car.” For a full description of this series and other related materials, see Series 2.

Box 17
Boston Car (Steve Moulton), 1973 (2 folders)
Kohler hearings, 1958 (2 folders)