Interview with Terry L. Birdwhistell, June 9, 2015

Interview Summary

Terry Birdwhistell discusses the beginning of the Louie B. Nunn Center for Oral History at the University of Kentucky in the 1970s. He talks about their early projects, which focused on the lives and careers of Kentucky politicians. He talks about oral history methods and equipment, as well as the philosophy of the Nunn Center in terms of experimenting with new ideas.

Birdwhistell talks about the oral history project the Nunn Center was conducting on the life and career of John Sherman Cooper. He talks about Cooper's relationship with John and Jackie Kennedy, which led Birdwhistell to consider interviewing Jackie Kennedy for the project. He talks about navigating his way through New York, and his nervousness prior to the interview. He talks about the equipment he used and the technical difficulties he experienced with the earpiece of his recorder. Birdwhistell discusses the interview itself and the types of questions he asked Jackie Kennedy. Birdwhistell talks about how Jackie Kennedy signed a release form for the interview with no questions, but says he received a call from her attorney later asking to renegotiate the terms of the release. He talks about why he chose not to publicize having conducted this interview. He talks about a biographer writing a book on Jackie Kennedy who came to the library to use the interview.

Interview Keyword

Kennedy, John F. (John Fitzgerald), 1917-1963 Kentucky--Politics and government Legislators--United States. New York (N.Y.) Oral history interview Oral history recordings Oral history--Methodology. Political campaigns--Kentucky Politicians--Kentucky

Interview LC Subject

Cooper, John Sherman, 1901-1991 Onassis, Jacqueline Kennedy, 1929-1994 Politicians--United States

Interview Rights

All rights to the interviews, including but not restricted to legal title, copyrights and literary property rights, have been transferred to the University of Kentucky Libraries.

Interview Usage

Interviews may be reproduced with permission from Louie B. Nunn Center for Oral History, Special Collections, University of Kentucky Libraries.