Of Kennedys and Kings. Making Sense of the Sixties

When former public servant and college president Harris Wofford soundly defeated former governor and U.S. Attorney General Dick Thornburgh for the U.S. Senate in a 1991 special Pennsylvania election, it made national and international news, but few Pennsylvanians or Americans recognized his name.

Yet Wofford had been a special assistant to President John F. Kennedy and was one of the founders of the Peace Corps. During the decade of struggle from Montgomery to Memphis, he was and advisor to Martin Luther King, Jr. With independent views of his own, Harris Wofford was witness from within the White House to the bright and the dark side of the Kennedy administration. Focusing on how the politics and ideas came together to shape critical decisions, Wofford’s memoir captures the personal drama of the Kennedys and Martin Luther King as their characters were tested. Of Kennedys and Kings not only makes sense of the sixties, but gives us a glimpse into the issues closest to the heart of one of America’s most interesting senators.

Wofford’s vivid recollections and reflections shed light on the sixties and on the dramatic domestic and international politics of the era. Of Kennedys and Kings provides a timely reminder of what can be accomplished with leaders who are, with all their human feelings, committed to public service and responsible political action.