JOHN F. KENNEDY AND THE AMERICAN CITY: THE URBAN PROGRAMS OF THE NEW FRONTIER, 1961-1963

Abstract

Abstract William A. Foley, Jr. John F. Kennedy and the American City: The Urban Programs of the New Frontier, 1961-1963 Out of necessity in 1960, John Kennedy promised to find the "workable solution to urban problems." Yet he failed to do so, because his interests lay elsewhere. Balancing his 1963 budget for Congressional approval to gain a 1964 tax cut meant more than an effective urban program. Had Kennedy exercised leadership and emphasized implementing his promise through combining new and existing programs, he might have found the elusive workable solution. Contrasted against JFK's lackluster leadership in urban affairs, the hard work of Dr. Robert C. Weaver, his Housing and Home Finance Agency staff and later the "reformers" also becomes a focal point. Collectively, they came closest to finding the solution. They tried to reshape urban America using available programs without being able to fully implement their newer ideas, before the "fires" came. In addition, this dissertation highlights seven themes. In urban affairs, JFK remained an enigma, and he wanted it that way. Secondly, he used his office as a "modern" president, but thirdly, he presented many serious policy contradictions. Further, Kennedy had a tough time with Congress some due to his own making. Consequently, political tradeoffs undercut his own urban program. Last, blatant open racism also permeated the early 1960s and affected political choices everywhere. ix But lastly, in spite of this, Weaver plus JFK's "reformers" under Robert Kennedy fostered new ideas, that if combined, implemented and funded, could have led to the workable solution. This dissertation studies Kennedy's entire urban program: JFK's 1960 urban message; formation of his White House and urban team; the 1961 Housing Act; his failed effort to gain HHFA cabinet status; his urban budget and the tax cut maneuvering; Kennedy's vast suburban housing "boom;" public housing and urban renewal; his open housing executive order; and the early "war on poverty." Researched at the John F. Kennedy Library and the National Archives and Records Administration, this dissertation adds to the historical record in three ways. It traces JFK's level of involvement in urban affairs and clarifies his interest; it shows the effort made by many key members of his administration to achieve a workable solution to urban problems in spite of their leader; and it explains the overall importance of Kennedy's program in American urban history.