Greenwich Auction will put  a collection of President John F. Kennedy memorabilia, formerly in the care of a long-time Greenwich resident, up for sale this weekend.
Items include Kennedy”™s personal golf ball tote bag, 23 individual golf balls owned and used prior to World War II and three signed letters written to a longtime Greenwich friend.
“This is a rare chance to own these incredibly personal items of President Kennedy’s,” said David Johnson, owner of Greenwich Auction. “Given the sales history of Kennedy estate items from prior auctions, these authentic personal objects will generate intense excitement for collectors, history buffs and golf enthusiasts interested in owning Kennedy family memorabilia. Kennedy estate items retain their high investment value because collectors are keenly aware of their rarity. We expect this to be a very lively auction.”
According to Greenwich Auction, the collection of Kennedy”™s items is the result of a 20-year friendship between President Kennedy and former Greenwich resident Elijah N. Jones, now deceased. Jones was  Kennedy’s mentor and then close friend while Kennedy was stationed at the Office of Naval Intelligence field office of the Sixth Naval District in Charleston, South Carolina. Jones, seven years older than Kennedy, was a Lieutenant JG (junior grade) and head of the ONI field office. He and Kennedy roomed together and became golf partners and close friends until Kennedy’s death in 1963. The collection has remained intact in the Jones family for more than 70 years.
Included at auction are three letters written to Mr. Jones by Kennedy prior to his presidency. The first is from 1946 before he entered politics, the second was written while Kennedy served as a Congressman from Massachusetts in 1952 and is on his congressional stationary and the third from Kennedy in 1957 after he had been elected to the United States Senate. Each are typed and include personal handwritten notes by Kennedy such as: “Hope to see you soon,” and “Best to your family.”
Mr. Jones’s son commented on the items: “My father was never a good golfer, Jack Kennedy was. His handicap was a 7, no other president had a handicap like that. When he shipped off for PT boat patrol in the Pacific, he left his much used golf ball bag and golf balls with my father. We hope that whoever ends up with these items will cherish them as our family has and hopefully display them for others to appreciate and admire.”
The collection will be sold in lots, with each lot receiving certified copies of the letters and certified letter of provenance
The collection of Kennedy items are available for public viewing beginning June 1. The auction itself will be held at 11 a.m. Sunday, June 5, at Greenwich Auction, located at 83 Harvard Ave. in Stamford.
