Notecard from Mrs. Kennedy thanking recipient for condolences offered

Object number2002.075.0009

Date11/23/1963 - 12/31/1963

ClassificationsDocuments

Creator Sanford L. Fox

ObjectNotecard

Credit LineThe Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza Collection

MediumPaper

Dimensions3 11/16 × 5 3/16 in. (9.4 × 13.2 cm)

Terms

Collections

DescriptionNotecard of cream-colored stationery with a thin black border, expressing appreciation for the sympathy being shown toward Mrs. Jacqueline Kennedy following the death of her husband, President John F. Kennedy. There is a small crest printed in the center near the top edge in black ink. The text is as follows: "Mrs. Kennedy is deeply appreciative of your sympathy and grateful for your thoughtfulness". The notecard is blank on the reverse.

Curatorial Commentary

Included in the Museum's temporary exhibit, "Mourning a President," about the funeral and mourning rites for President John F. Kennedy, this item will be on display on the Museum's seventh floor from November 17, 2017 to February 19, 2018. -- Lindsey Richardson, Curator of Collections

Curatorial Commentary

The crest at the top of this notecard represents the coat of arms that was formally granted to President Kennedy ("and the other descendants of his great-grandfather Patrick Kennedy") by the Chief Herald of Ireland on March 17, 1961.

The coat of arms represents a combination of the symbols traditionally associated with the family names O'Kennedy and Fitzgerald, both represented on President Kennedy's family tree. The armored arm at the top of the shield, holding four arrows, surrounded by olive branches, is a direct reference to part of Kennedy's inaugural speech, in which he said, "On the Presidential coat of arms, the American eagle holds in his right talon the olive branch, while in his left is held a bundle of arrows. We intend to give equal attention to both." The four arrows are often interpreted to refer to John F. Kennedy and his three brothers.

Prior to this, no American president had been awarded a coat of arms in this manner, although Americans of Irish descent had received them. -- Lindsey Richardson, Curator of Collections