Faculty Bibliography

The records are largely from Dr. [Janet G. Travell], a specialist in internal medicine and pain management who treated Kennedy for years before ultimately being eased aside after bitter arguments with other doctors about his care. She gathered files from before and after he became president in 1961. Kennedy's widow and brothers, Robert and Edward, donated them in 1965 to the Kennedy Library, Deborah Leff, the library's director, said, and a half-dozen scholars who sought permission to see them over the years were rebuffed. Dr. [Jeffrey A. Kelman] and Mr. [Robert Dallek] said the records suggested at least two hypotheses about Kennedy's illnesses. One is that he developed a number of medical conditions independently early in life, including colitis and osteoporosis. If so, he had ''markedly washed-out bones at an early age,'' Dr. Kelman said. X-rays in the new files showed the spinal fractures and metal screws in the vertebrae. This is especially intriguing because Kennedy's autopsy report found ''no significant gross skeletal abnormalities,'' aside from the bullet wounds in the skull. Many experts have criticized the report, and Mr. Dallek's findings raise new questions. President [John F. Kennedy] had to be hoisted aboard Air Force One in 1961. He was known to have back pain, but his ills were more extensive. (Lynn Pelham/Timepix)(pg. 1); The biographer Robert Dallek, above, was granted rare access to the medical records of John F. Kennedy. What Mr. Dallek found portrays a man more ill and in more pain than he let the world know. The records came largely from the White House physician Janet G. Travell, right, who treated Kennedy for years. Kennedy, whose back pain was known but who led an active life despite it, used crutches en route to cruise on the Potomac. (Associated Press, 1961); (Doug Mills/The New York Times); (Associated Press, 1961)(pg. 26)

Yet for all of Kennedy's suffering, the ailments did not incapacitate him, [Robert Dallek] concluded. In fact, he said, while Kennedy sometimes complained of grogginess, detailed transcripts of tape- recorded conversations during the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962 and other times show the president as lucid and in firm command

At times the president took as many as eight medications a day, says the historian, Robert Dallek. A committee of three longtime Kennedy family associates, who for decades refused all requests to look at the records, granted Dallek's request, in part because of his 'tremendous reputation,' said one of them, Theodore C. Sorensen, who was the president's special counsel. Yet for all of Kennedy's suffering, the ailments did not incapacitate him, Dallek concluded. In fact, he said, while Kennedy sometimes complained of grogginess, detailed transcripts of tape- recorded conversations during the Cuban missile crisis in 1962 and other times show the president as lucid and in firm command. For many years, Kennedy's back problems were largely attributed to injuries suffered when his Navy patrol boat, PT-109, was sunk in World War II. In fact, he had back pain before that. Dallek said his vertebrae may have begun degenerating as a result of the steroids he may have taken for intestinal problems in the late 1930s

Yet for all of Kennedy's suffering, the ailments did not incapacitate him, [Robert Dallek] concluded. In fact, he said, while Kennedy sometimes complained of grogginess, detailed transcripts of tape- recorded conversations during the Cuban missile crisis in 1962 and other times show the president as lucid and in firm command. The records are largely from [Janet Travell], a specialist in internal medicine and pain management who treated Kennedy for years before being eased aside after arguments with other doctors about his care. She gathered files from before and after he became president in 1961. Kennedy's widow and brothers, Robert and Edward, donated them in 1965 to the Kennedy Library, said Deborah Leff, the library's director. [Jeffrey Kelman] and Dallek said the records suggested at least two hypotheses about Kennedy's illnesses. One is that he developed a number of medical conditions early in life, including colitis and osteoporosis. X-rays in the new files showed the spinal fractures and metal screws in the vertebrae. This is especially intriguing because Kennedy's autopsy report found 'no significant gross skeletal abnormalities,' aside from bullet wounds in the skull

Yet for all of [John F. Kennedy]'s suffering, the ailments did not incapacitate him, [Robert Dallek] concluded. In fact, he said, while Kennedy sometimes complained of grogginess, detailed transcripts of tape- recorded conversations during the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis and other times show the president as lucid and in firm command

Yet for all of Kennedy's suffering, the ailments did not incapacitate him, [Robert Dallek] concluded. He said that while Kennedy sometimes complained of grogginess, detailed transcripts of tape- recorded conversations during the Cuban missile crisis in 1962 and other times show the president as lucid and in command. The records show that Kennedy had 'a tremendous proclivity for infections,' [Jeffrey A. Kelman] said, contradicting [Janet G. Travell]'s assertion in 1960 that Kennedy had 'a better than average resistance to infection' and 'astounding vitality.' 2 PICS; 1. [John F. Kennedy]'s medical records reveal he suffered from far greater pain than was ever made public. 2. Historian Robert Dallek, shown in his Washington office, was granted rare access to the medical records of John F. Kennedy and found that Kennedy suffered from more ailments and was taking many more medications than the public knew at the time. Dallek is writing a biography, 'An Unfinished Life: John F. Kennedy, 1917-1963.' (A-12); Credit: 1. Associated Press 2. Doug Mills / New York Times News Service

At times the president took as many as eight medications a day, says the historian, Robert Dallek. A committee of three longtime [John F. Kennedy] family associates, who for decades refused all requests to look at the records, granted Dallek's request, in part because of his 'tremendous reputation,' said one of them, Theodore C. Sorensen, who was the president's special counsel. In The Atlantic, Dallek writes that while Kennedy's secrecy can be taken as 'another stain on his oft-criticized character,' the records also reveal the 'quiet stoicism of a man struggling to endure extraordinary pain and distress.'

The first thorough examination of President John F. Kennedy's medical records, conducted by an independent presidential historian with a medical consultant, has found that Kennedy suffered from more ailments, was in far greater pain and was taking many more medications than the public knew at the time or biographers have since described. At times the president took as many as eight medications a day, says the historian, Robert Dallek. A committee of three longtime Kennedy family associates, who for decades refused all requests to look at the records, granted Dallek's request, in part because of his 'tremendous reputation,' said one of them, Theodore C. Sorensen, who was the president's special counsel

Cangene, by contrast, has a bigger contract but a less urgent time frame. It is to produce up to 100,000 doses for the United States civilian population over five years. Lacking a pool of frozen plasma, it is seeking about 10,000 volunteers like Mr. [Michael Kuring] to be inoculated for smallpox and then bled twice a week for two months. Plasma is spun off their blood and their red cells are returned to them. Each is paid $100 a week, but four donors interviewed in Marietta said money was not a factor. Mr. Kuring, Ralph McKinstry, Albert Casanova, all veterans, and Kathy Eagye, who has a master's degree in public health, said they wanted to help protect others. Ms. Eagye, however, did confess that she so feared a smallpox attack that she volunteered partly to get revaccinated. Ralph McKinstry, recently immunized for smallpox, gives blood to help create a treatment for people who have serious reactions to the vaccine. (Photographs by Erik S. Lesser for The New York Times)(pg. F1); Jacke Grayson, left, gives a smallpox vaccine to Karl Fivecoat, who has provided blood to help create an antidote to the vaccine's side effects. (Erik S. Lesser for The New York Times)(pg. F2)