JFK's Personal Secretary Revealed Thoughts on His Assassination

Evelyn Lincoln's unpublished manuscript sheds new light on the president's death

Mar. 29, 2026 at 9:49pm

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Newly released documents from the personal papers of Evelyn Lincoln, President John F. Kennedy's longtime personal secretary, include a revealing addendum in which she expresses her belief that Kennedy's death in Dallas was a 'deliberate professional political murder' planned by a group within the government who wanted him removed from office.

Why it matters

Lincoln's position as Kennedy's closest personal aide for over a decade gave her unparalleled access to the president's private thoughts and inner circle. Her candid assessment of the assassination provides a rare firsthand perspective from someone intimately familiar with Kennedy and the workings of his administration.

The details

The addendum was part of an unpublished third book by Lincoln titled 'I Was There', which was not made public until April 2025. It was included in the collection of Lincoln's personal papers donated to the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum after her death. In contrast to her two published books, which only occasionally expressed her private views, the addendum contains Lincoln's blunt assessment that Kennedy's death was a planned political murder.

  • Evelyn Lincoln served as President Kennedy's personal secretary for 12 years, from 1953 to 1963.
  • Lincoln's personal papers, including the unpublished 'I Was There' manuscript, were donated to the JFK Library in 1993 and 1996.
  • The addendum revealing Lincoln's thoughts on the assassination was not made public until April 2025.

The players

Evelyn Lincoln

President Kennedy's longtime personal secretary who had unparalleled access to the president and his inner circle.

John F. Kennedy

The 35th President of the United States, who was assassinated in Dallas, Texas in 1963.

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What they’re saying

“From the catbird seat that I had during my 12 years as John F. Kennedy's Personal Secretary I would have to say that, in my opinion, President Kennedy's death in Dallas, Texas, was a deliberate professional political murder, planned by a group in government who wanted him removed from office.”

— Evelyn Lincoln, Personal Secretary to President John F. Kennedy

What’s next

The JFK Library plans to make Evelyn Lincoln's full unpublished manuscript, 'I Was There', available to researchers and the public in the coming months.

The takeaway

Evelyn Lincoln's candid assessment of President Kennedy's assassination, revealed in her previously unpublished writings, provides a rare firsthand perspective from someone with unmatched proximity to the president. Her belief that his death was a planned political murder challenges the official narrative and underscores the enduring mysteries surrounding one of the most pivotal events in modern American history.