Harvard unveils 1937 recording of JFK

Harvard University has released what it believes to be the earliest recording of President John F. Kennedy. Then a 20-year-old college student, Kennedy can be heard giving a speech about Supreme Court Justice Hugo Black, who later turned out to have ties to the Ku Klux Klan. Black was appointed to the high court by then-President Franklin D. Roosevelt. Kennedy gave the address during a public speaking class, and although the beginnings of his trademark style come through, the scratchy recording includes verbal fillers and awkward pauses that show the future politician had yet to develop the polish and confidence he was known for. His professor, Clifton Packard, recorded students in Harvard’s Holden Chapel beginning in the 1920s. He made Kennedy’s recording in 1937 on an aluminum disk. An archivist restored the recording, which is part of an exhibit showcasing the former president’s ties to the university.