The Making of “Jack Kennedy Fans,” 1960

Join Kathryn Cramer Brownell, Assistant Professor of History at Purdue University, for a look at how John F. Kennedy became the first 'celebrity president. To assert his political credibility, Kennedy capitalized on connections between visual and print culture, and his successful presidential bid convinced subsequent presidential contenders—from Nixon to Reagan to Obama—to do the same, ultimately making the Hollywood star system an integral component of modern American political life.