by Marcia Rudin
The recent controversy surrounding the John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts, which has led to multiple resignations and cancellations of performances, has stirred memories of being present at a program introducing plans for the Center over 63 years ago.
A prominent Sociologist of Leisure and the Arts, my father, Dr. Max Kaplan, served on a national committee convened to plan the cultural mission of the new arts center to be built in Washington, D.C. As a member of this special commission, he was invited to The Elms, a beautiful mansion in Newport, Rhode Island, that had just been purchased by the government, for the official “unveiling” of architectural and cultural plans. The event likely also served as a fund-raising occasion, with many wealthy potential donors undoubtedly present, given the extensive fund-raising efforts that had preceded the actual construction.
I perused the Internet and found an entry about the event. It took place on September 11, 1962. Note the irony of the 9/11 date! I recall that it was shortly before I left my parents’ home in Newton Centre, MA, after my graduation from Boston University in June, to attend Columbia University in the fall to pursue an MA in Religion.
The planned complex was originally to be called the National Cultural Center. It was renamed John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts after the President’s assassination in November 1963. Although it did not open until 1971, plans for it began in President Eisenhower’s administration when he signed legislation in 1958 declaring the development of a national cultural center.
My father must have been told he could bring a guest, or else decided on his own he could bring one, so he asked me to go with him. My mother was probably working that day, or else just didn’t want to bother (celebrities and fancy events never impressed her).
I wore my best summer dressy “date” dress, a grey linen sheath with a matching jacket. My very handsome father was always beautifully dressed, even while working at his study in our home, so he looked dapper.
As we entered the mansion, we saw famous comedian Danny Kaye being interviewed by the press. We also observed serious actress Geraldine Paige, who carried a large scarf, as she appeared to be suffering from some sort of terrible summer allergy, being interviewed.
Oh my God! There was Paul Newman with Joanne Woodward! I don’t remember what other celebrities were there, but who could top movie stars, gorgeous young Paul Newman, and beautiful young Joanne!
Our beautiful, elegant first lady, Jackie Kennedy, who served alongside former first lady Mamie Eisenhower as an honorary chair of the Center, sat quietly in a bright yellow dress next to her mother in the front of the room, near the large, covered model of the building. She smiled and posed as the press photographed her as we took our seats.
World-famous architect Edward Durrell Stone, who replaced Frank Lloyd Wright as the project’s architect after Wright died, uncovered the model and described it. I don’t remember anything else about the actual program. I was probably too busy staring at Jackie, Paul, Joanne, and the other celebrities to be listening. The photos online show actress Geraldine Paige speaking at the podium and Paul and Joanne sitting next to Jackie. There must have been refreshments, but I don’t remember that either.
I do remember walking back to our car, parked a few blocks away on that beautiful summer day, and seeing Paul and Joanne walking to their car, their hands clasped together, swinging, and smiling at each other.
How was I to predict that summer day in 1962, the controversy that would envelope this beloved arts center in the Trump administration in 2025?
Marcia Rudin graduated from Boston University and earned a joint MA degree in religion from Columbia University and Union Theological Seminary. She studied for a PhD at the New School for Social Research and taught the history of religion. She was a resident in screenwriting at the MacDowell Colony of the Arts. Her plays have received productions in Manhattan, New Jersey, California, West Virginia, and Michigan. Marcia is the author of the novel Hear My Voice and coauthor of Why Not Me? and Prison or Paradise? The New Religious Cults. Her articles have appeared in such publications as The New York Times and The New York Daily News. An expert on destructive cults, she was quoted in Newsweek and The New York Times and appeared on “Dateline NBC”, “CBS Evening News”, and “CBS Morning News”. She and her husband, Rabbi James Rudin, live in Manhattan and Florida. For additional information, visit www.marciarudin.com
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