KEMP ORAL HISTORY ARCHIVE
Welcome to the Jack Kemp Oral History Archive, an original collection of spoken recollections and reflections that illuminate Jack Kemp’s public life, his vocation, the ideas central to his commitment to public service, and the political world in which he moved.
In the space of four years, Mort Kondracke (lead interviewer) and Brien Williams (Kemp Oral History Project historian) interviewed over a hundred people who were central to Jack Kemp’s life and career. Our goal was to enable future generations to learn about the American democracy of our time directly from those entrusted with its governance. Along the way, we gathered some fascinating insights about our country’s recent past, including Presidential politics, competition on the playing field and in the halls of Congress, and the power of ideas.
As Jack said time and again, “history matters.” We hope that these wide-ranging personal experiences, judgments, and lessons learned will also serve as a resource for carrying on the cause about which he cared so much: the American Idea.
We are indebted to the support we received from the Conrad Hilton Foundation, the guidance provided by the Miller Center at the University of Virginia, and the generous contributions of the men and women listed below who graciously consented to be interviewed.
Michelle Van Cleave
Kemp Legacy Program Director
Bill Bennett
“Jack would say that ownership itself will transform, and I said it can’t transform character. He said when a guy has never had anything, and he gets something, he has a chance then. I’d say he has a chance, but if the right values haven’t in some ways been inculcated in him, it could happen, but it’s miraculous. And why can’t we just agree that you give people opportunity, but you also need instruction, habits, Aristotle. He’d say fine, but you can’t wait. So this was the argument that went on and on with us.”
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Eddie Abramoski
“Jack was one of the first players to lift weights, and in them days it was taboo for a pitcher or a quarterback or anybody to lift weights, and Jack, as the guys attested, he could throw the ball through a brick wall. He could throw it eighty yards. He was fantastic.”
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Wayne Berman
“So when he and I met in Russell, Kansas, and got the great Bob Dole introduction [imitating], ‘Jack, Berman’s going to run the campaign for ya.’ The look on Jack’s face was precious… Sort of like ‘This stranger, effectively, is going to run my campaign,’ and Jack had no ability to govern his body language or his facial language at all, and you could just tell his attitude was, ‘Oh, no he’s not’.”
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