Lot 48

JFK Appoints Advisor For Future John F. Kennedy Center, Trump Later Added His Name But it Was Removed

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JFK Appoints Advisor For Future John F. Kennedy Center, Trump Later Added His Name But it Was Removed

Estimate: $4,000 - $6,000

Current Bid: $1,900

(6 Bids)

by University Archives
July 28, 2026 10:00 AM EDT
Live Auction
88 Danbury Road
Suite 2A
Wilton, CT, US 06897

John F. Kennedy
Washington, DC, November 14, 1961
JFK Appoints Advisor For Future John F. Kennedy Center, Trump Later Added His Name But it Was Removed
DS

John F. Kennedy Appointment Signed as President. Single oversized partially printed sheet, 17.75" x 12.875"; Washington, D.C.; November 14, 1961. Document appointing Carl Haverlin of New York "a Member of the Advisory Committee on the Arts (National Cultural Center)," which would later be renamed the John F. Kennedy Center for Performing Arts. Boldly signed, "John F. Kennedy" and countersigned by Dean Rusk as Secretary of State. Gently toned, uneven at left margin.

Authorized by Congress under the Eisenhower Administration in 1958, the National Cultural Center languished in planning until the transformative influence of the Kennedys. During the Kennedy administration the arts were elevated to become the center of American identity and Cold War cultural diplomacy. Following the President's assassination in 1963, Congress renamed the project the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts as a living memorial. Jacqueline Kennedy was the driving force: championing its design, leading fundraising efforts, and lending her prestige to secure public and private support. When the Kennedy Center formally opened in 1971, it stood as a permanent embodiment of the enduring legacy of Camelot. The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, which opened in Washington, D.C. in 1971 and was designated by Congress in 1964 as a living memorial to President Kennedy following his assassination, became the subject of a significant naming controversy during President Trump's second term. Shortly after beginning his second term, Trump announced plans to "make the Kennedy Center great again," appointing himself chairman and replacing the existing board with conservative supporters. In December 2025, the board of trustees voted unanimously to rename the institution "The Donald J. Trump and The John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts," citing Trump's contributions to the center since taking over. Critics, including some Kennedy family members, pointed out that the 1964 law explicitly prohibits the board from making the center a memorial to anyone else or placing another person's name on the building's exterior. A lawsuit was filed by Democratic Representative Joyce Beatty of Ohio, a member of the Kennedy Center's Board of Trustees, who argued the renaming was illegal and that Congress alone has the authority to change the center's name. A federal judge agreed, ruling the board had exceeded its authority, and after the Kennedy Center's last-minute legal bids to delay or block the order were rejected by two courts, construction workers began removing Trump's name from the building's facade early on the morning of June 13, 2026 — six months after the board had voted to add it — and a Kennedy Center official confirmed to a federal judge that all references to President Trump inside, outside, and on the center's website had been removed

Carl Haverlin (1899–1985) was a visionary pioneer in American radio broadcasting and music licensing who shaped the entertainment industry for more than four decades. Beginning his career in radio during the medium's formative years in the 1920s, Haverlin recognized the transformative power of broadcasting to connect audiences with music and culture on an unprecedented scale. In 1940, he became one of the founding executives of Broadcast Music, Inc. (BMI), an organization created to provide an alternative to ASCAP and to champion a broader range of American music. He remained president of BMI until 1963.

This item comes with a Certificate from John Reznikoff, a premier authenticator for both major 3rd party authentication services, PSA and JSA (James Spence Authentications), as well as numerous auction houses.

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  • Dimensions: 17.75" x 12.875"
  • Medium: DS

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Bid Increments
From: To: Increments:
$0 $99 $10
$100 $299 $20
$300 $499 $25
$500 $999 $50
$1,000 $1,999 $100
$2,000 $2,999 $200
$3,000 $4,999 $250
$5,000 $9,999 $500
$10,000 $19,999 $1,000
$20,000 $49,999 $2,500
$50,000 + $5,000