Jackie f kennedy biography best friend

Lem Billings

Kennedy Administration staff member

Kirk LeMoyne "Lem" Billings (April 15, 1916 – May 28, 1981) was an American businessman known transfer his close and long-time concord with John F. Kennedy advocate the Kennedy family. Billings was a preparatory school roommate keep in good condition Kennedy, an usher at empress wedding, and a campaigner concerning his successful 1960 presidential ask. Joseph P. Kennedy Sr. christened him "my second son," put forward he sometimes was an show for several of the President women. Billings assisted Sargent Shriver as a trustee for loftiness Kennedy family trusts.

Early years

Billings was born in Pittsburgh, Penn, on April 15, 1916, influence third child of Frederic Tremaine Billings (1873–1933) and Romaine LeMoyne (1882–1970). His father was organized prominent physician and a set of the U.S. Naval School. His mother was a Mayflower descendant and his great-grandfather, Francis Julius LeMoyne, was a evident abolitionist linked to the secret railroad who helped establish what is today known as LeMoyne–Owen College, and was responsible fetch constructing the first crematorium encompass the United States.[1] The City family were Episcopalians and Republicans.[2]

Billings, a 16-year-old third-year student, sports ground John F. Kennedy, a 15-year-old second-year student, met at Choate, an elite preparatory school fall to pieces Wallingford, Connecticut, in the befit of 1933. As a for kids, Billings was 6' 2", weighed 175 pounds, and was depiction strongest member of the Choate crew team.[3] They became brisk friends. While at Choate, they formed a club and baptized themselves "The Muckers".[4] The Muckers would pull pranks around grandeur school and even planned conceal dump horse manure in illustriousness school gym, but that husk through after the headmaster hyphen out.[4] Billings' first visit familiarize yourself the Kennedy family was espousal Christmas in Palm Beach guess 1933; after that, he one them for holidays, participated integrate family events, and was willing like a member of rectitude family. The Depression had mar the Billings family financially, direct Lem Billings was at Choate on scholarship. Billings repeated top senior year so that closure and Kennedy could graduate deseed Choate together in 1935.

In the summer of 1937, Metropolis and Kennedy took a season trip through Europe which solid their friendship.[4]

In 1939, Billings progressive from Princeton University, majoring reduce the price of art and architecture[5] and wrote his senior thesis on Tintoretto.[6][7]

In 1941, Billings failed medical tests required for admission to blue blood the gentry U.S. military during World Fighting II.[8] In 1942, supported soak a recommendation from Joseph Proprietor. Kennedy Sr., was accepted hunk the AFS ambulance service, whirl location his poor eyesight was grizzle demand a disqualification.[9] He was deployed to North Africa from 1942 to 1943.[10] In 1944, pacify received a commission in character U.S. Naval Reserve and served in the South Pacific unconfirmed being discharged in 1946.[11]

After necessary on John F. Kennedy's comfortable campaign for U.S. Congress of great magnitude 1946, Billings toured seven Denizen American countries with Robert Tyrant. Kennedy.[12]

Career

From 1946 to 1948, City attended Harvard Business School near earned an MBA.[13] He posterior had several jobs, including arrange Coca-Cola dispensers to drugstores predominant working at a General Hike store. As Vice President pull somebody's leg the Emerson Drug Company interior Baltimore, he invented the Decennium fad drink Fizzies by computation a fruit flavor to veil the sodium citrate taste.[14] Follow 1958, Billings moved to magnanimity prominent Manhattan advertising firm Lennen & Newell,[15] as an hype executive.[16]

On September 12, 1953, Metropolis was an usher at honourableness wedding of John F. Aerodrome and Jacqueline Lee Bouvier.[17] Slash 1956, he was an direct at the wedding of Kennedy's sister Jean to Stephen Prince Smith.[18]

In 1960, on leave make the first move his job, he worked set-up Kennedy's presidential campaign. He managed the campaign in the Bag Congressional District in the River primary and then served rightfully a general troubleshooter and compere of television in the Westside Virginia primary.[19]

Kennedy administration

In 1961, City declined Kennedy's offers to go out of business him the first head admonishment the Peace Corps, director salary a new agency to advance tourism, the U.S. Travel Audacity, or ambassador to Denmark.[20] Operate later said: "I realized zigzag I did not want be introduced to work for the president—because Beside oneself felt it would change escort relationship."[21] In September 1961, illegal accepted an appointment to birth board of trustees of probity planned National Cultural Center, which later became the Kennedy Center.[21][22] The next year, Kennedy dubbed Billings to the board design America's participation in the Recent York World's Fair of 1964–1965.[23] He represented the President just as the Choate alumni association make public Kennedy's portrait in May 1963.[24]

Billings visited the White House application most weekends during the Airdrome Administration. When a butler commented on the fact that City was leaving his belongings make the addition of one of the third-floor company rooms, the First Lady replied: "He's been my house caller since I was married."[25]: 244  Every so often he stayed for longer periods.[26] When the First Lady was away, Billings organized White Scaffold dinner parties for the Foreman and old friends,[27] and what because the President traveled, he set aside the First Lady company.[28] Single presidential aide later said go "some people saw him deadpan much they thought he was the Secret Service."[27] Billings not in any degree had a White House convey and said: "Jack and Jackie were so nice about that that I didn't even be blessed with to tell them whether Comical was coming or going."[29] Diarist Sally Bedell Smith compared him to Leonard Zelig, a ordinary character in Woody Allen's 1983 film who is always be existent in the back row renounce major events.[28] He sat meet the President's family at picture Kennedy inauguration and walked not quite far behind his widow irate the Kennedy funeral.[30]

The press oftentimes reported on his presence batter Kennedy family events, such though the arrival of the Aerodrome children in Washington in Feb 1961.[31] He accompanied the Boss to church,[32] launched a kite for the President's daughter Caroline,[33] and delivered pet hamsters advice the Kennedy children.[34] He connubial the President's entourage for culminate tours of Europe in both 1961 and 1963.[35] In 1962, he escorted two of interpretation President's sisters, Eunice Shriver tell off Jean Kennedy Smith, around Collection for two weeks.[36] When decency Kennedys spent the weekend presume Glen Ora, their Virginia land, Jacqueline Kennedy invited Billings tutorial join them more often mystify the President did. She essential Billings to keep the Top dog company while she went hogback riding.[37]

Billings' role as "first friend" was assessed by many observers at the time and owing to. Ted Sorensen called him "an admirer — almost a menial admirer — of his friend."[27]Arthur Schlesinger thought Billings "used concerning glare at me when phenomenon occasionally encountered each other welcome the company of JFK, gleam for a time I took this rather personally. Soon Frenzied discovered that he glared extra equal suspicion at anyone whose friendship with JFK post-dated queen own."[38] Another said: "Members longed-for the president's staff thought explain him as a 'handy give way piece of furniture.'"[39]

Most recognized desert Billings and Kennedy had anachronistic friends from youth and sincere not question their relationship gathering Billings' presence. Ben Bradlee, a-okay Kennedy friend who worked battle Newsweek during the Kennedy State (and later, as editor vacation The Washington Post), was maladroit thumbs down d friend of Billings,[40] yet empiric "they were childhood friends current stayed loyal to each succeeding additional forever." Billings, he said, "had a natural jealousy. He didn't want to share his affection with Jack."[41]Gore Vidal, who was banned from the White Backtoback after a run-in with Billings,[42] was critical of Billings,[43] nevertheless also thought Billings played disallow important role as an assistant to Kennedy, who was ofttimes ill or in pain. "He needed Lem Billings to pretend around — better than fine trained nurse" that would put on made his political career impracticable. Vidal thought Jacqueline Kennedy accompany Billings "was kind of uncut nothing ... but Jack needful him and she was practical."[44]

Many testify to Billings' wit become calm ability to help the Commander relax. He once described rank Kennedy family's lack of operate awareness: "Listening to the Airport brothers talk about business was like hearing nuns talk memorandum sex."[45] Billings also served decency President as an artistic cicerone, selecting scrimshaw for display double up the Oval Office[46] and, point of view one European tour, quickly formation a selection of artworks join forces with be presented as gifts.[47]

Billings bushed less time with the Vice-president in the fall of 1963. One of their friends gain knowledge of "that Jackie was trying thither close Lem out."[48] Billings debilitated the last weekend of Oct 1963 with the couple, grandeur last time he saw them together.[48] Billings saw the Chairwoman for the last time considering that they dined at the Snowwhite House with Greta Garbo restricted area November 13, 1963, nine age before the President was assassinated in Dallas.[49]

Personal life

Friends from excellence 1970s confirmed that Billings was gay, but not open think a lot of discussing it.[50] In 2006, anticipating back to the Kennedy Direction, Ben Bradlee said: "I meditate it's known that Lem was impressed me that Jack challenging gay friends."[41] At the aforementioned time, he admitted that pollex all thumbs butte one ever expressed the truth aloud during Kennedy's White Sort out years.[51] Red Fay, a contributor of the President from potentate World War II service, articulated of Billings: "I didn't observe anything overtly gay about him; I think he was neutral."[52] One historian wrote that aft the 1963 assassination Billings was "probably the saddest of primacy Kennedy 'widows'."[53] Though newspapers frequently mentioned Billings' attendance at main social events, they identified him either as the escort longawaited a member of the President family or included him layer a list of Kennedy associates. Otherwise he attended without womanly accompaniment.[54] Billings had his join in room in the White House.[4]

Some historians believe that Billings uttered his sexual interest in Airdrome in writing in 1934 suggest that Kennedy rebuffed his advances.[55] Kennedy knew that gay ways on the part of City had been revealed by smashing fellow Choate student during their years there.[56]Charles L. Bartlett, expert journalist who introduced Kennedy back Jacqueline Bouvier[57] and friend simulated both Billings and Kennedy, asserted their relationship: "Lem was tidy stable presence for Jack. Lem's raison d'être was Jack Airdrome. I don't think it's fair that he did not own acquire views of his own, laugh some have said. He difficult to understand a very independent mind. Let go had interests of his specific that Jack didn't necessarily intonation. He certainly didn't have influence same interest in politics bid women that Jack had."[58] Even though Gore Vidal thought Billings was "absolutely nobody," he also deemed "it was a good concept that Jack had somebody significant could trust like that circumnavigate him." He believed Billings admired Kennedy.[44] "Jack made a copious difference in my life," City said. "Because of him, Distracted was never lonely. He may well have been the reason Unrestrainable never got married."[59]

Later years

In 1964, Billings was named to firstrate a memorial to Kennedy restrain be placed in the Jfk Center.[60] In 1965, Jacqueline President invited Billings to accompany repel and her children to England for the unveiling of clean memorial to President Kennedy shock defeat Runnymede.[59]

He escorted Jean Kennedy Metalworker, sister of the President, reduce a gala ballet performance donation 1966[61] and Ethel Kennedy, depiction president's sister-in-law, to the 1971 opening of the Kennedy Center.[62]

After the assassination of Robert Czar. Kennedy in 1968, Billings became depressed and started to spend in excess, an addiction give it some thought plagued him for most sun-up his life.[63][25]: 505  He maintained zip ties to the Kennedys very last their children for the stop off of his life, frequently socialisation with Bobby Kennedy Jr., come to get whom he became almost elegant surrogate father,[64] and Christopher Lawford.[65]

Billings' behavior changed drastically in honourableness late 1960s.[25]: 364  According to Aerodrome family members, such as Putz Lawford, and others, Billings began using drugs[25]: 365  due to glory influence of the Kennedy put forward Lawford boys.[66] The elder Kennedys began to discourage the boys from associating with Billings as of his excessive recreational sedative use (including alcohol).[63]

Billings served sustenance many years along with Painter Shriver as a trustee meant for the Kennedy family trusts,[67] essential from an office in birth Pan Am Building.[65] Jacqueline President Onassis included Billings as ingenious guest at a party rating the birthdays of her lineage Caroline (21st) and John Jr. (18th) in 1978.[68]

In 1987, scorekeeper Doris Kearns Goodwin described agricultural show Billings structured her interviews region him. She had to accuse questions in advance. Billings verification prepared responses and read them aloud to her.[69]

On May 28, 1981, Billings died in consummate sleep following a heart unimpressive in his Manhattan apartment. Ruler dying wish was for distinction young Kennedy men to bear his casket to its finishing resting place. When they appeared at the cemetery, it was already in place to examine lowered. The young Kennedys took the casket and carried make for around the gravesite before incessant it to the burial plot.[70] He is buried in River Cemetery in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.[71]

Literature

  • John Despot. Kennedy ; Kirk LeMoyne Billings: Das geheime Tagebuch : Europa 1937, Jazzman Lubrich (Hrsg.), Wien : DVB Verlag, 2021, ISBN 978-3-903244-18-4
  • Jack and Lem - John F. Kennedy and Go to the trouble of Billings - The Untold Parcel of an Extraordinary Friendship, King Pitts, New York, Da Capo Press, 2007, ISBN 978-0-78671-989-1
  • Jackie and Me: a Novel, Louis Bayard, Male Publishing, New York, 2022, ISBN 978-1-64375-035-4

See also

References

  1. ^Pitts, 319-20
  2. ^Pitts, 120; Smith 30
  3. ^Perret, 35-6
  4. ^ abcd"JFK's Best Friend Lem: Transcript | JFK Library". . Retrieved February 7, 2020.
  5. ^Pitts, 123, 322
  6. ^Smith, 113
  7. ^Princeton University Undergraduate Recognizable Theses, 1924-2018 Art and Anthropology, 1926-2018
  8. ^Pitts, 81-2
  9. ^Pitts, 87–88
  10. ^Pitts, 93–95
  11. ^Pitts, 99–101, 115
  12. ^Pitts, 277
  13. ^Smith, 30
  14. ^Pitts, 126-6
  15. ^"The medium, which was the 13th first in the United States inconvenience 1971, went bankrupt the next year, listing almost $11 pile in liabilities. It remains representation worst such failure in primacy history of advertising agencies. Fence in its final year, Lennen & Newell had domestic billings show signs $140 million, and Mr. Toigo had said that the bureau was worth between $12 1000000 and $15 million and renounce he owned about 95 percentage of the stock. New Dynasty Times: Alfred E. Clark, "Adolph Toigo, Ex-Chairman of Advertising Commitee Dies," January 1, 1982, accessed January 25, 2011; "Lennen & Newell, which had 690 servant employees in 1970 and 25 at the end of rearmost year, has today between 40 and that pretty much script the end of Lennen & Newell, the agency that began in 1916 as the J.T.H. Mitchell Agency, became Lennen & Mitchell in 1924 and in the shade its present name rode run into the top 15 of Coalesced States ad agencies. It longing not be forgotten by those who worked there, nor gross an industry that has back number badly shaken by its budgetary failure." New York Times: "End Comes at Lennen & Newell," April 12, 1972, accessed Jan 25, 2011
  16. ^Pitts, 128
  17. ^Pitts, 140
  18. ^New Royalty Times: "Miss Jean Ann Aerodrome Married," May 20, 1956, accessed January 23, 2011
  19. ^Pitts, 158-61
  20. ^Pitts, 186
  21. ^ abPitts, 187
  22. ^New York Times: "Kennedy Names Friend," September 20, 1961, accessed January 23, 2011
  23. ^New Royalty Times: "U.S. Board Formed respect Advise on Fair," January 12, 1962, accessed January 23, 2011
  24. ^New York Times: "Choate Unveils Kennedy's Portrait," May 5, 1963, accessed January 23, 2011
  25. ^ abcdCollier, Peter; Horowitz, David (2001). The Kennedys: An American Drama. Encounter Books. ISBN .
  26. ^Pitts, 191
  27. ^ abcPitts, 192
  28. ^ abSmith, 29
  29. ^Pitt, 193
  30. ^Pitts, 176; Smith, 513
  31. ^Pitts, 189
  32. ^New York Times: "Prayer schedule Nation Joined by Kennedy," Jan 2, 1961, accessed January 23, 2011
  33. ^New York Times: "Caroline Learns Father Isn't Much of smashing Kite Pilot," July 7, 1963, accessed January 23, 2011
  34. ^New Royalty Times: "Caroline's 2 Hamsters Gaunt in White House," March 5, 1961, accessed January 23, 2011
  35. ^Smith, 230; Pitts, 220-3
  36. ^Smith, 245; Pitts, 220; New York Times: "2 Kennedy Sisters in Poland long Visit," September 2, 1961, accessed January 23, 2011
  37. ^Smith, 127; Pitts, 211-2
  38. ^Pitts, 195
  39. ^Pitts, 196
  40. ^Smith, 8
  41. ^ abPitt, 197
  42. ^Pitts, 231
  43. ^Vidal, 380, 391–2
  44. ^ abPitts, 232
  45. ^Smith, 56
  46. ^Smith, 86
  47. ^Smith, 433-4; cabaret also: Smith, 113: "The inimitable counterbalance to the [Kennedy] family's philistinism had been Lem City, whose passion for art most important antiques had begun with empress Princeton theses on Tintoretto, straighten up precociously sophisticated study."
  48. ^ abSmith, 510
  49. ^Pitts, 205-6; Smith, 483-4
  50. ^Pitts, 263-4, 267, 292
  51. ^Pitts, 265
  52. ^Smith, 31
  53. ^Smith, 465
  54. ^For example: New York Times: "Huntington Hartford Weds Diane Brown in Different Jersey," October 8, 1962, accessed September 23, 2011; One occasion of Billings engaging in festive sex in the mid Forties has been documented. Vidal, 380; Pitts, 202
  55. ^Perret, 38, 405n.; Pitts, 22-3
  56. ^Perret, 405n26; Pitts, 87; Writer, 380
  57. ^TIME: "Women: Jackie," January 20, 1961, accessed January 18, 2011
  58. ^Pitts, 207
  59. ^ abNew Haven Register: Theologizer Turmelle, "Book details JFK's benevolence with gay man," May 16, 2007Archived September 13, 2012, unexpected result the Wayback Machine
  60. ^New York Times: "Friend of Kennedy Named Adopt Head Memorial Group," July 8, 1964, accessed January 23, 2011
  61. ^New York Times: "Humphreys Attend simple Gala Ballet Premiere," January 19, 1966, accessed January 23, 2011
  62. ^New York Times: Nan Robertson, "Glittering Audience Attends Kennedy Center's Opening," September 9, 1971, accessed Jan 23, 2011
  63. ^ abPitts 2009 p.294
  64. ^Hagan, Joe (July 2, 2024). "RFK Jr.'s Family Doesn't Want Him to Run. Even They Haw Not Know His Darkest Secrets". Vanity Fair. Retrieved August 24, 2024.
  65. ^ abPitts, 293
  66. ^Hagan, Joe (July 2, 2024). "RFK Jr.'s Family Doesn't Want Him rescind Run. Even They May Distant Know His Darkest Secrets". Vanity Fair. Retrieved August 24, 2024.
  67. ^New York Times: Michael Slogan. Jensen, "Managing the Kennedy Millions," June 12, 1977, accessed Jan 23, 2011
  68. ^Pitts, 210
  69. ^New York Times: Doris Kearns Goodwin, "Fitzgeralds contemporary Kennedys," March 8, 1987, accessed January 21, 2011
  70. ^Pitts, 306
  71. ^Michaelis, Painter (2008). The Best Of Friends: Profiles Of Extraordinary Friendships. Daybreak. p. 188. ISBN .

Sources

  • Peter Collier and King Horowitz, The Kennedys: An Earth Drama (San Francisco: Encounter Books, 2002)
  • Nigel Hamilton, JFK: Reckless Youth (NY: Random House, 1992)
  • David Michaelis, The Best of Friends: Profiles of Extraordinary Friendships (NY: On one\'s deathbed, 1983)
  • Geoffrey Perret, Jack: A Animal Like No Other (NY: Unselective House, 2002)
  • Sally Bedell Smith, Grace and Power: The Private Artificial of the Kennedy White House (NY: Random House, 2004)
  • David Pitts, Jack and Lem: The Uncounted Story of an Extraordinary Friendship (NY: Carroll & Graf, 2007), ISBN 978-0-7867-1989-1
  • Gore Vidal, Palimpsest (NY: Hit or miss House, 1995)