Q&A: Political memorabilia collector saw the real Bobby

By Phyllis Sides

Monday, December 4, 2006 12:23 AM CST

Last weekend's release of the movie "Bobby" - the story of the assassination of U.S. Sen. Robert F. Kennedy on June 6, 1968 - brings back memories to people of a certain age and history to people of another. For Racine resident John Henigan it meant rekindling positive memories of the era and revisiting the collection of RFK memorabilia that lines his basement walls.

Although the movie is set around Kennedy's assassination, Henigan said, "the movie is really about today. Many of the same things are happening today - like the war." Recently, Henigan talked with The Journal Times about his collection of presidential campaign memorabilia and his impressions of Kennedy.

How did you get started collecting RFK memorabilia? I began my interest in the Kennedy Family in 1960. I was very happy when John F. Kennedy was elected president because I was a 16-year-old Irish Catholic and was proud that an Irish Catholic had won. I had a few JFK buttons from 1960 and kept them in his memory. I never forgot his death on Nov. 22, 1963.

In 1966 I was a college student at Dominican College here in Racine. I heard that Robert Kennedy was going to speak at the Carthage College field house in Kenosha on Sept. 18, 1966. He came to speak in support of fellow Democrat Lynn Staubalm in the race for the 1st District congress seat. I was struck by Robert Kennedy's speech and his magnetic personality. I was close enough to notice his reddish chestnut colored hair.

After he spoke to the overflowing crowd he had great difficulty leaving the building. The crowd crushed around him. I forced my way out of the building and saw him climb onto a car to say a few more words to the screaming crowd. As people chanted a young man came up and pulled at his leg and took off one of his shoes in the process. RFK just kept on speaking until he was whisked away by his staff. It was then that I began searching for Robert Kennedy political items.

Why Bobby instead of John? I collect all the Kennedy brothers' political items. Including items from JFK's first congressional race in 1946, Senate in 1952 and the presidential race in 1960. There are hundreds of political items used by RFK in his 1964 New York Senate race - Hillary Clinton is the Senator now - and hundreds more buttons, posters and banners used in his 1968 campaign. He announced too late to run in Wisconsin's primary. He was killed after winning the 1968 California primary.

Did you ever meet RFK? I did not meet him, but I was a few yards from him at his speech at Carthage College. He sounded like his brother, President Kennedy, when he spoke.

What are some of the things in your collection? Some of the more interesting buttons I have are as follows: Two 1964 staff pins, one gold, one silver, in the shape of the state of New York that read "Kennedy '64".

A 3 -inch diameter blue and red on white button "I Like "Bobby" Kennedy Yeah! Yeah! Yeah!" A Beatles song influence.

A blue on white plastic piece a little more than an inch square shaped like three pigs with the names "Johnson/Humphrey/Kennedy" from 1964.

From 1968 a 2-inch white button with blue letters "Sock It To `Em Bobby."

Seven different colored 1-inch buttons "All The Way With RFK."

A 1968 1-inch button with yellow letters on red reading "Kennedy Si."

A 1968 anti-Kennedy button 2 " white button with red letters "RatFinK" - a play on the letters RFK.

A 1968 anti-Kennedy button 1-inch black on white "Trade Bobby for the Pueblo." (The USS Pueblo was a U.S. Navy ship on an intelligence mission off the coast of North Korea. On January 23, 1968, the Pueblo was attacked by North Korean naval vessels and MiG jets. One man was killed and several were wounded. The 82 surviving crew members were captured and held prisoner for 11 months.) A 1968 1-inch black on pink button "Bobby Kennedy is in real life actually the notorious Bugs Bunny".

A 1968 1-inch blue on white button "Warning RFK may be harmful to your health."

How large is your collection? Over a thousand items.

Why is it important? It gives me a chance to study political history. Over the years I have collected presidential items from 1856 through 2004 and these pieces bring back memories of the elections of the past. I appreciate the fact that we have the best political process in the world.

Have you seen the movie? Yes. It is very well done and does not cover Bobby Kennedy's last day of his life as much as it covers what effect it had on a number of people who were there in 1968. A number of them were shot, too. As I watched the movie I remembered the huge crowd in Kenosha when he spoke there in 1966 and pressed his way through that crowd, how easy it would have been for him to be shot like his brother, John. Another great loss.

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