Dr. Stephen F. Knott Oral History

Object number2023.001.0058

Date08/31/2023

ClassificationsOral Histories

Oral history interview subject Dr. Stephen F. Knott

Oral history interviewer Stephen Fagin

ObjectOral history

Credit LineOral History Collection/The Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza

MediumBorn digital (.mp4 file), Born digital (.vtt file), Born digital (.m4a file)

DimensionsDuration: 67 Minutes

Terms

Collections

All Online Objects
Oral History Collection

DescriptionVideotaped oral history interview with Dr. Stephen F. Knott. The son of Kennedy supporters, Knott was a Massachusetts first grader at the time of the assassination. He was later an opening-day employee at the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum and interacted with several Kennedy family members as well as longtime curator David Powers. Knott, a professor at the U.S. Naval War College in Rhode Island, is author of "Coming to Terms with John F. Kennedy" (2022). Interview conducted via Zoom on August 31, 2023 by Stephen Fagin. The interview is sixty-seven minutes long.

Curatorial Commentary

I met Dr. Knott when he visited the Museum in July 2023 as lead scholar for a two-day Teaching American History seminar for educators. Though his Museum presentations were unfortunately not recorded, he kindly agreed to this Zoom interview the following month. - Stephen Fagin, Curator

Curatorial Commentary

Dr. Stephen F. Knott's prolific historical career can be traced back to his days working at the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum. He later became a professor of history and has authored or co-authored nine books discussing the American presidency and politics. These titles follow significant political figures such as Ronald Reagan, George. W. Bush, Alexander Hamilton and John F. Kennedy.

His book, Coming to Terms with John F. Kennedy (2022), dissects five critical issues of Kennedy's presidency and explores how these moments impacted the politics of the time. He has published multiple articles and presented programs that cover various topics on American history and presidency. Additional infomration on Dr. Knott's career, writings and lectures can be found on his website: Stephen F. Knott. - Riley Harris, Collections Cataloger

Curatorial Commentary

Dr. Knott is former co-chair of the Presidential Oral History Program at the Miller Center at the University of Virginia. His involvement in this program, along with his professional background, provides a thought-provoking interpretation of how personal reflections communicate history. The Presidential Oral History Program may be explored here: Presidential Oral Histories | Miller Center. - Riley Harris, Collections Cataloger