Jack and Lem: John F. Kennedy and Lem Billings: The Untold Story of an Extraordinary Friendship (Hardcover)

~ (Author) "It was a friendship that took off from the start..." (more)
Key Phrases: White House, United States, New York (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Freelance journalist Pitts thoroughly documents the long, intimate association of JFK and Kirk LeMoyne "Lem" Billings. The son of a Pittsburgh physician, Billings first met JFK in the early 1930s at Choate, where they systematically set about violating every campus rule possible. Although Lem was gay, their relationship was evidently always platonic and continued through WWII and after, as Billings pursued a career in advertising while also devoting much energy to advancing Kennedy's political career. Lem became an adored member of the extended Kennedy clan and loomed large in the lives of the children of the martyred Jack and Bobby. Billings also became a much-sought-after source, courted by dozens of Kennedy biographers until his death in 1981—a devotee to the end and somehow incomplete as an individual separate from Jack. Gore Vidal, no friend of Lem's, belittled him, saying, "He's the guy who carries the coat.... He's the guy who runs errands.... To Jack, Lem was a kind of idiot friend." But Pitt, in a well-done first book, insists JFK had "absolute trust in Lem" though their friendship remained an enigma to others. (May)
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From Booklist

Those familiar with the life of John Kennedy have probably wondered about his lifelong best friend, Lem Billings. The duo met at Choate, traveled together, and corresponded copiously over the years (Lem had his own room at the White House). For years there was speculation that Lem was homosexual, but facts were scarce, as Billings' personal papers at the Kennedy Library were restricted—until Robert Kennedy Jr., Billings' executor, gave Pitts unprecedent access. Through interviews and some deductive reasoning based on the documents, Pitts reveals that Billings was not only gay but also in love with JFK, who did not reciprocate his friend's feelings. Still, it is remarkable that Kennedy would ignore the mores of the day and keep such a close association with a closeted gay man. Pitts explores the emotional reasons this should be so as he tells the story of the two friends. The account is sometimes repetitious, and Pitts (perhaps in deference to RFK Jr.) skirts the previously documented issue of Lem's relationship with the younger Kennedy generation, which purportedly included drug use. Still, this offers a fascinating look at an unexamined subject. Illustrated with rare photographs. Cooper, Ilene

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 384 pages
• Publisher: Da Capo Press; 1St Edition edition (April 25, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0786719893
• ISBN-13: 978-0786719891
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6.2 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #498,425 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars His own sun in the shadow of greatness, May 28, 2007

By	James Hiller (Beaverton, OR) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

Jack Kennedy, precocious squire, meets Lem Billings in Choate School, and a lifetime of friendship is born. While the two chums shared their lives together, what is not often publicly mentioned is that one of them, well Lem, was a gay man. What was JFK's reaction to learning of his friend's interests? A mere yawn, a gentle warning to not cross that bridge with him, and the two became incredible chums. Such is the story spun in the weirdly fantastic and not yet complete story "Jack and Lem".

Pitts chronicles that journey of friendship for nearly thirty years, through war, elections and a fateful assassination one sunny afternoon in Dallas. The two boys meet and become fast friends, and share a remarkable legacy of letters that are quoted throughout the beginning of the book. These letters at first are fun and amusing, the ramblings of adolescent teasing that formulated their friendship. You can see the connection between the two men, as one probably spends years yearning for JFK, and must settle for his close friendship. It must have been both heaven and hell for Lem, doomed to devote his life to Jack.

Soon, however, it becomes clear that there isn't much of story to tell between the two men. The aforementioned letters start to drag the book a bit, as it seems that irrelevant information is shared between the two writers. The author mentions that the letters stop as soon as Lem and Jack are reunited, and that is when the book becomes enjoyable again. Pitts description of Jack and Lem during the White House years is brief, but filled with a few funny stories, and the revelation that Lem had his own room at 1600 Penn Ave.

As soon as Jack dies in Dallas, Pitts claims that a bit of Lem dies too, and the story once again fizzles out a bit. As Lem struggles to find himself a place in the Kennedy clan, he mistakenly gets involved with some of the offspring on a booze and drugs juggernaut which really saddened me towards Lem, no matter how truthful it was. I guess I just preferred to see him engaging in pranks with Jack, or gossiping wih Jackie instead. Pitts chapter on the gay rights movement in general was ineresting, but seemed like an odd "add-in" to the book to make it longer. Perhaps that chapter would have better worked blended into the rest of the story, rather than as a stand alone.

Overall, Jack and Lem is an uneven book, but one that I think I will ultimately appreciate. The fact that JFK had a gay best friend, and the fact that he didn't give a hoot about it, is a resonating message that carries strongly today.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars JFK's Gay Best Friend, May 23, 2007

By	Amos Lassen (Little Rock, Arkansas) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)

Pitts, David. "Jack and Lem", Carroll & Graf, 2007.

JFK's Gay Best Friend

Amos Lassen and Literary Pride

There has been a great deal written about the Kennedy administration and it is still hard to believe that President Kennedy has been gone so long. One of the things that has just appeared in print is something new--Kennedy's oldest and most trusted friend was gay. In "Jack and Lem", author David Pitts looks at the relationship between the late president and Kirk LeMoyne Billings or "Lem". Lem profited from the friendship--he was an official member of the Kennedy clan, he went to fancy White House parties and even had his own friendship at the presidential mansion at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.
When Kennedy first took office, Lem flew to Washington almost every weekend from New York and was given his own room on the third floor which became known as Lem's room. He came and went as he pleased and many thought he was a Secret Service agent. Nothing was ever said about his being there--everyone knew he was the presidents best friend, a friendship that had begun when they were prep school students at Choate.
In all the literature about Kennedy, the only mention of Lem is that he was Kennedy's prep school roommate and that is it. This is very odd since Lem was at the White House every weekend of the Kennedy administration.
Lem was a big, good-looking guy who told wonderful stories and kept everyone happy but some presidential aides resented him as they no reason for him being at the White House. However, people knew better than to question his presence. He had come into Kennedy's life when they were high schoolers and he never left it. Some wondered if he was gay but t was never talked about.
Lem was discreet. Whatever he did, he did so privately. He was probably very careful because of the times and the general feeling toward homosexuals at the time--remember we are talking about the 60's. The Cold War was raging and times were not easy--especially for gay people.
To write this book, David Pitts examined hundreds of letters that had not been released before. He looked at telegrams and interviews. Lem was dead so everything in the book is based upon what was written and what others have said. What the book is the story of a true and enduring loving friendship between two men, one of whom controlled the power of the United States.
I loearned a great deal from this book and to me that makes it so valuable. It enhances the Kennedy myth of his being one of the people. This book proves just that.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A most remarkable story!, May 18, 2007

By	David W. McAllister (Minden, NV) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

The author has done a remarkable job of presenting the touching but implausible story of a 30-year friendship between President John F. Kennedy and a gay man who was his primary confidante and devoted source of support from age 16 until his untimely death. When I read about this new book in The Advocate magazine, I immediately ordered it, read it, and was not disappointed. Just when you think you've read everything there is to read about JFK, you discover the story of Lem Billings, whom I had never heard of. His devotion not only to JFK but to three generations of the Kennedy family is nothing short of amazing. This well-researched book also skillfully presents the context in which JFK grew up, became interested in politics, and was elected to the House, the Senate, and the Presidency. I learned a lot from this book about pre-WWII Europe, the war itself, the struggle for civil rights in the U.S., the early 50's McCarthy era, the relationship between JFK and Jackie Kennedy, other influential people in JFK's life, and his assassination and aftermath. A whole chapter about the history of public opinion toward gays and the rise of the gay rights movement in the U.S. is very moving and elucidating. I could go on, but suffice it to say that this is one book that I didn't want to see end. It's a real contribution to our understanding of 20th Century history.