Inside the JFK White House

Dan Snow's History Hit

History Hit

History

4.7 • 12.9K Ratings

🗓️ 6 January 2023

⏱️ 35 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

November 22nd marks 59 years since the assassination of US President John F. Kennedy. One of the most famous assassinations in history, JFK's death sent shockwaves not only through the United States but across the world. However, before that fateful day in history, JFK was a journalist, a Senator, and finally President - but what do we know about his early political career? And what actually went on behind the closed doors of the Oval office?

James Rogers from the Warfare Podcast is joined by Deirdre Henderson, a former colleague and friend of JFK. Deirdre had worked with JFK when he was a senator, and played a significant role in helping to form a group of key advisors to secure his Presidential election. Not only that, but Deirdre went on to work in matters of defence and security for the state - and in the early years of their friendship, was gifted JFK's personal diary. Together, Deirdre and James talk about how Deirdre came to work for the then Senator, her experience at the 1961 Inauguration, and her final moments with JFK. Deirdre offers an unprecedented look inside JFK's White House, allowing for a new side of John F. Kennedy to be seen.

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Transcript

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0:00.0	Everyone, welcome to Dan Snow's History. I've got an episode of Warfare for you today.
0:04.9	It's a special military history podcast and subscribe wherever you get your pods presented by Dr. James Rogers.
0:11.0	It covers, well, Warfare from the early modern period, but particularly first and second
0:16.2	of the war. So recently we've been in a lot on Ukraine as well. It's fascinating stuff.
0:20.1	He gets great guests. Enjoy this episode. It's an eye opener.
0:23.2	On November 22nd, 1963, President John F. Kennedy was assassinated as he rode in a
0:32.0	motocade through downtown Dallas, Texas. Tomorrow marks 59 years since that faithful day, a day
0:37.4	that changed the history of the United States and the lives of those around him forever.
0:41.4	One of those people was a young researcher named Deirdre Henderson. Now, Deirdre had been working
0:46.7	for JFK since he'd been a senator. Should help to develop his famous brain trust of key advisors,
0:52.0	that in turn had helped him to get elected. In fact, Deirdre would go on to work for the Kennedy
0:56.5	administration on defence, security and matters of state. I'm your host James Rogers. This is the
1:02.2	Warfare podcast and over many years now I've become good friends with Deirdre and I've never failed
1:07.1	to be astonished by her insights into that period. And so as we mark the anniversary of JFK's death,
1:12.7	I asked Deirdre if she wanted to come onto the podcast and she said yes. So I traveled to her house
1:18.2	not far from Kennedy's old stomping ground in Boston, Massachusetts where Deirdre kindly gave
1:23.2	us personal insights into key moments from the Kennedy years, from Kennedy's famous inauguration
1:29.1	which she attended through to the lows of the Cuban Missile Crisis, the Vietnam War, and the day
1:34.2	that Kennedy was killed. These are truly rare and unique insights. And so here is Deirdre Henderson
1:40.4	on life inside the JFK White House. Deirdre thank you so much for taking the time to talk with
1:57.4	us today. It is wonderful to be in your new England home. I've got a book in my hand with a
2:04.4	president himself JFK on the front. This was your book. We have a glass of wine in hand. You are
	...

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