Details:

Jacqueline Kennedy personally presented this exceptionally rare leather-bound commemorative volume to Benjamin A. Smith II, Harvard roommate of President John F. Kennedy, lifelong friend of the Kennedy family, and former United States Senator from Massachusetts, following the dedication of the British Memorial to President John F. Kennedy at Runnymede on May 14, 1965. Gilt-stamped with the Presidential Seal and Smith’s initials “B.A.S.” on the front cover, the volume contains the official printed addresses delivered during the dedication ceremony and includes an original ceremony program tipped into the book. Jacqueline Kennedy warmly inscribed the program in black ink:

“Dear Ben -

Thank you for coming - for
the last thing we all do together
for Jack -
with love
Jackie
May 14, 1965.”

Following President John F. Kennedy’s assassination on November 22, 1963, the United States entered a period of profound national mourning. While millions grieved the loss of their President, the tragedy was especially personal for Jacqueline Kennedy and the Kennedy family. In the months that followed, tributes to Kennedy emerged across the globe, none more significant than the British Memorial established at Runnymede, England - the historic meadow forever associated with the signing of the Magna Carta in 1215 and long regarded as a symbol of liberty and constitutional government.

The memorial was dedicated on May 14, 1965, in a ceremony attended by Queen Elizabeth II, Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, Jacqueline Kennedy, John F. Kennedy Jr., Caroline Kennedy, members of the Kennedy family, and numerous dignitaries from both nations. The permanent memorial features Kennedy’s own words from his 1961 Inaugural Address:

“Let every nation know… that we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship… to assure the survival and the success of liberty.”

For Jacqueline Kennedy, the ceremony represented far more than a state occasion. It was one of the final major public memorials dedicated to her late husband and brought together those closest to him in an atmosphere of remembrance and healing. Reflecting on the occasion, she remarked to a close friend that while President Kennedy’s memory had already begun to fade for much of the world, “he has not receded for you or for me.”

Following the ceremony, Jacqueline Kennedy privately commissioned approximately one hundred finely bound presentation copies of the official dedication speeches. These deluxe red morocco volumes contain the addresses delivered by former British Prime Minister Harold Macmillan, Prime Minister Harold Wilson, Queen Elizabeth II, and U.S. Secretary of State Dean Rusk. Each was reserved for members of the Kennedy family and a very small circle of President Kennedy’s closest friends and associates.

This example was prepared specifically for Benjamin A. Smith II, whose initials “B.A.S.” are gilt-stamped on the front cover. Smith was among John F. Kennedy’s closest lifelong friends, having roomed with him at Harvard University before maintaining a decades-long friendship with the entire Kennedy family. His attendance at the dedication reflects the deep personal bond he shared with President Kennedy and the family’s continued affection for him.

The tipped-in official ceremony program, personally inscribed by Jacqueline Kennedy on the day of the dedication, transforms this already exceptionally scarce presentation volume into an extraordinary association piece. Her heartfelt message - “Thank you for coming… for the last thing we all do together for Jack” - poignantly captures the emotional significance of the occasion and stands among the most moving personal inscriptions from the years following President Kennedy’s assassination.

Good condition overall with light expected wear from age. The red morocco binding remains attractive with moderate rubbing and scattered spotting and some light sunning to the covers. The interior is clean, with the original tipped-in program securely in place. An exceptionally rare presentation volume with impeccable Kennedy family provenance.

Provenance: From the estate of Benjamin A. Smith II, Harvard roommate and lifelong friend of President John F. Kennedy, former United States Senator from Massachusetts. Accompanied by a signed letter of provenance from Benjamin A. Smith III documenting direct family ownership.

Authentication:
Includes a full letter of authenticity from JG Autographs, Inc.

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Reference sku: 11691 1416407-1