Sold – Jackie Kennedy Powerfully Inscribes an Original Runnymede Dedication Program to Jack’s PT-109 War Buddy and Harvard Roommate: This is “The last thing we all do together for Jack”

On November 22, 1963, President John Kennedy was assassinated. The nation mourned, and this mourning was a chance for the nation to bid farewell to its leader.  The body of President Kennedy was brought back to Washington and placed on the East Room of the White House for 24 hours.  On the Sunday after the assassination, his flag-draped coffin was carried on a horse-drawn caisson to the U.S. Capitol to lie in state.  Hundreds of thousands lined up to view the guarded casket.  The late president was then buried at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia, and that spot became a place of pilgrimage.

Beyond the national dynamic, this was a deeply personal tragedy for the young President’s family and friends.  Jackie was left a widow to take care of young children, and she became reclusive.  

Nations around the world were deeply affected as well. The British were so moved that they decided to place a memorial to President Kennedy’s memory at Runnymede, the site of the signing of the Magna Carta, to be jointly dedicated by Queen Elizabeth II and Mrs. Kennedy. This was seen in the United States as an extraordinary and singular honor. The memorial text read: “Let every Nation know, whether it wishes us well or ill, that we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend or oppose any foe, in order to assure the survival and success of liberty.”  

The dedication took place on May 14, 1965. It was a time of healing for the President’s widow, who used it as a time to bring together close friends and family, for whom Jack’s memory was strong and powerful.  She brought the children, John Jr.  and Caroline.  “For everyone else Jack has receded…  but he has not receded for you or for me,” she said to a friend at the memorial.  

Among Jack’s closest friends was a man who had known him since childhood, had served with him on board his PT-109 boat (and been memorialized in the movie of that name), was an usher at his wedding to Jackie, and a pall bearer at his funeral. This man was Torbert “Torb” MacDonald.  The two had been roommates at Harvard and Torb had served under Jack when the President heroically saved his PT-109 crew.  Torb had been in politics along with Jack and known Jackie since the couple met.  He was close to the entire Kennedy family, and kept a lifelong friendship with Ted Kennedy. 

Torb was called to England to attend the ceremonies with Jackie at Runnymede.  After the ceremony, Jackie had a private printing done of the speeches that day.  Only 100 of these were created and they given out to close friends and family.  These contained the dedicatory remarks made by former Prime Minister Harold Macmillan, Prime Minister Harold Wilson, Queen Elizabeth II, and JFK’s secretary of state, Dean Rusk.  Inside this book, she tipped an original program of the ceremony.

Program signed with the entire book as Jackie had it printed, May 14, 1965, the day of the ceremony. The program reads “Inauguration of the British Memorial to President John F. Kennedy by Her Majesty the Queen in the presence of His Royal Highness the Duke of Edinburgh, Mrs. Kennedy, and members of the Kennedy family at Runnymede.” Jackie has powerfully inscribed the program to Torb, “Dear Torb, Thank you for coming. For the last thing we all do together for Jack – With love Jackie.  May 14, 1965.”

The book contains the Presidential Seal on the cover and is gilt-stamped with Torb’s initials.  Red morocco, marbled endpapers, and uncut.

Included is another Kennedy memento kept by Torb, an Autograph Note by Ted Kennedy, referring to a later incident in which he was honored: “Torby – that’s a pretty good trick – Get us all up here and gives himself an award.”

A real rarity – we were able to find only one other such book having been sold in at least the past 3 decades and only a handful of pieces relating to the event at Runnymede.