Did John F. Kennedy really write his Pulitzer Prize-winning book, Profiles in Courage?
In short: Published in 1956, this bestseller profiles eight U.S. senators who risked their careers for their principles. While John F. Kennedy accepted the Pulitzer Prize for the work, the extent of his authorship remains a subject of intense historical debate, involving ghostwriters, political strategy, and accusations of historical inaccuracy.
Profiles in Courage was conceived while John F. Kennedy was bedridden with back surgery in 1954 and 1955. Inspired by a passage in Herbert Agar's 1950 book The Price of Union, Kennedy tasked his speechwriter, Ted Sorensen, with finding examples of senatorial bravery. What began as a potential magazine article evolved into a full-length book. While Kennedy provided the architectural vision and wrote the first and last chapters, Sorensen performed the bulk of the research and drafted most of the middle chapters. Historian Fredrick Logevall argues that Kennedy's role was essential in defining the book's themes, specifically the balance between political compromise and personal integrity.
The book's historical accuracy has faced significant scrutiny. Author David O. Stewart challenged the narrative regarding the seven Republicans who voted to acquit Andrew Johnson during his 1868 impeachment. Kennedy claimed these men suffered severe post-impeachment retribution, but Stewart characterizes this as a myth, noting their careers were not significantly different from those who voted to convict. Furthermore, evidence suggests Edmund Ross, one of the profiled senators, may have been bribed to cast his acquittal vote—a detail omitted from the book. Similarly, Kennedy's portrayal of Lucius Lamar as a reconciler between North and South ignored claims that Lamar privately stoked racial agitation.
The controversy surrounding the book's authorship reached a boiling point in 1957 when journalist Drew Pearson claimed on television that Kennedy had not written the book himself. This led to a heated confrontation involving Robert F. Kennedy and lawyer Clark Clifford, who threatened a lawsuit against the network. Despite the public defense, later revelations from Sorensen's 2008 autobiography and research by Craig Fehrman confirmed that Sorensen's contributions were extensive. Kennedy's pursuit of the Pulitzer was intense; he even had his father, Joseph, lobby board members to ensure the book's success. Ultimately, the work served both as a historical reflection and a calculated effort to bolster Kennedy's national reputation.
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Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: Profiles in Courage
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