Camelot Endures: An Alternative Look at the 60s and Beyond
Chapter One - The Best and the Brightest of Camelot
November 1960 - January 19th, 1961
"I want to repeat through this wire congratulations and best wishes I extended to you on television Tuesday night. I know you will have the united support of all Americans as you lead the nation in the cause of peace and freedom in the next four years."
“I didn’t think he had it in him,” Bobby remarked to his brother. “Congratulations, Mr. President-Elect.”
Jack Kennedy held the telegram from Vice President Nixon. All the months of campaigning, hard work, and years of planning by his father had finally paid off. There would be a Kennedy in the White House. He responded, “this isn’t going to be easy. You know that, right?”
“Of course not. But we’re Kennedys. We always find a way to pull through.”
God, I hope so. He thought. “Looks like I have a victory speech to give,” John said reassuringly.
Only time would tell if the Kennedys would indeed pull through. But first, he had to get to work staffing his new administration.
The President-Elect’s top priority was to get his national security team assembled. His father, Joseph P. Kennedy, played an instrumental role in the campaign and the transition. His influence was seen in many picks.
The patriarch of the Kennedy family had spent years waiting for this moment. He wasn’t going to let it go to waste.
He implored his son to offer Robert A. Lovett, the former Secretary of Defense in the Truman Administration, any job he might desire. The two men had served together on the President’s Board of Consultants. Joseph knew an elder statesman would help create an aura of legitimacy for his son’s administration.
Lovett graciously refused the offer, citing health issues. However, he provided a list of potential candidates he saw as suitable for an appointment that included:
- Dean Rusk for Secretary of State
- Robert McNamara for Secretary of Defense
- C. Douglas Dillion for Secretary of Treasury
Kennedy obliged and nominated Dillion to the position of Treasury Secretary, seeing a golden opportunity to name a Republican to a high-level position. He hoped this would earn some good graces with Congress.
McNamara proved much more difficult to convince. Known as one of the “Whiz Kids,” he had just recently become the president of the Ford Motor Company. After a lengthy interview with Jack and Bobby Kennedy, he turned the position down. The Ford President cited a lack of knowledge in government, his $3,000,000 salary, and felt he still had more to accomplish at Ford.
After consulting Lovett again, Kennedy nominated Paul Nitze for Secretary of Defense. As a State Department official from the Roosevelt and Truman administrations, he proved to be an experienced and non-controversial pick.
Rusk, while experienced, was viewed by many in the Kennedy inner circle to be incompetent. Ted Sorensen, a longtime aide, and friend to the Kennedy family saw this as an opportunity.
“Mr. President-Elect, I believe I have a solution that may benefit your administration.”
“What is it, Ted?” Kennedy asked, rubbing his hands to his temple. He hadn’t even stepped foot into the Oval Office yet, but the stress of the presidency was beginning to weigh down on him.
“We want to have an experienced and reputable name. But what if we could get two?” Stevenson asked.
“How the hell would we do that? I can’t even get one to agree! If you’re not going to take this seriously, then you can leave for the day, Ted.” The President-Elect pointed at the door.
“Look, Adlai Stevenson is rather prissy. But we need him to get the progressives in ‘64. He also brings that credibility we need. Offer him U.N. Ambassador over Secretary of State. It makes us look serious to the rest of the world, we keep progressives happy, and it keeps State open,” he looked as though a lightbulb had come on. “Put Rusk in the number two spot at State to make Secretary Lovett happy. It’ll make him feel heard and seen even more.”
“So who do we put in at the number one spot?” Jack asked while raising an eyebrow.
“McGeorge Bundy. His dad and Lovett had a solid working relationship. He’s young, talented, qualified, and was a friend to the campaign.”
“But who’s our second name?”
“We tried offering Secretary Lovett Defense and State. It’s very reasonable that his health issues could prevent him from assuming those roles. What about National Security Advisor? It’s a less stressful job. We can let him pick his staff. And we’ve shown him that we value his opinion.”
The President-Elect pondered for a moment before replying, “it’s bold, but I like it.”
And so did Robert Lovett. He agreed to come on to help the young leader steer his ship through a tumultuous sea.
The pick for Attorney General proved to be quite controversial. Kennedy nominated his younger brother, Robert Kennedy. He had no experience in any state or federal court. The President-Elect joked in public, “I can't see that it's wrong to give him a little legal experience before he goes out to practice law.”
In private, Jack did not want to name his brother for the post, but his father overruled him.
The other appointments proved to be non-controversial for the most part. Stewart Udall would lead the Interior Department, while Orville Freeman would lead Agriculture. The Governor of North Carolina, Luther H. Hodges, was chosen to lead Commerce. Labor lawyer Arthur Goldberg was tapped for Secretary of Labor. Finally, Connecticut Governor Abraham Ribicoff was brought in to lead Health, Education, and Welfare.
Kennedy brought in his inner circle to staff the West Wing. Ted Sorenson would serve as Counselor to the President. Pierre Salinger was hired as Press Secretary. Finally, Larry O’Brien was to serve as a special advisor, and Kenneth O’Donnell would serve as Appointments Secretary. They, essentially, would be splitting the role of Chief of Staff.
Only one position remained: Postmaster General. Bobby Kennedy pushed his brother to select a black man for the position. He explained that this would serve as an example that Kennedy remained serious about providing opportunities for the Black community. There were initial reservations, but they finally found the right candidate.
William L. Dawson was a World War I veteran serving as a Congressman from Illinois since 1943. He was active in the civil rights movement and served as a mentor for many black men in politics. He was also closely aligned with the Democratic political machine in Chicago. This helped Kennedy on two fronts.
Dawson initially refused, citing that he felt he could accomplish more in the House. Kennedy, however, was able to talk him into the role after personally meeting with the Congressman. If approved by the Senate, Dawson would serve as the first black man to serve in a cabinet position.
There would be some challenges in getting certain appointments through. The President-Elect knew he had to make a trip to Texas.
The Vice President-Elect, Lyndon B. Johnson, and Kennedy had an icy personal relationship. But Johnson knew Congress in ways he didn’t. Johnson assured him that he would see to it that they would get through the Senate, so long as he had a seat at the table.
With his cabinet assembled, it was time to focus on the inauguration.
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