TLS signed “John,” one page, 6.25 x 9, personal Congress of the United States letterhead, November 29, 1951. Letter to fellow Massachusetts Representative John O'Rourke, in full: "I want to thank you for taking the time to attend the Boston Chamber of Commerce Luncheon. Your being there certainly added a great deal to the success of the affair, and I certainly appreciate the interest." Kennedy adds a handwritten postscript: "John: Hope to see you soon." In fine condition, with a slight brush to the postscript.
Kennedy first met O'Rourke in 1951 after his father, Joseph P. Kennedy, Sr., told Department of Labor lawyer Ray O'Connell—the cousin of O'Rourke's wife—that John was going to need help in the district in order to win it in the 1952 Senate election. His first official appearance in Northampton was at a Knights of Columbus communion breakfast on March 18, 1951. The two Massachusetts politicians became fast friends, and O'Rourke used his political sway to arrange several campaign stops in the district throughout Kennedy's career in Congress. The 1952 Senate election was especially important, as Kennedy hoped to unseat Henry Cabot Lodge, Jr., and put an end to the Lodge family dynasty that had dominated politics in Massachusetts. It was indeed a tough race, but Kennedy won the election with just 51% of the votes. Kennedy supported O'Rourke in return, most notably when he ran for the Massachusetts Senate; despite the strong endorsement from Senator Kennedy, O'Rourke did not win.
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