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WORK TITLE: The Dogs of Camelot: Stories of the Kennedy Canines
WORK NOTES:
PSEUDONYM(S):
BIRTHDATE:
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CITY: Naugatuck
STATE: CT
COUNTRY: United States
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LC control no.: n 2011034403
LCCN Permalink: https://lccn.loc.gov/n2011034403
HEADING: Lownds, Joan
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670 __ |a Man overboard, c2011: |b ECIP t.p. (Joan Lownds)
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PERSONAL
Female.
EDUCATION:Arizona State University, B.A.; Southern Connecticut State University, master’s degree, 1984.
ADDRESS
CAREER
Writer, journalist, and media and public relations specialist. Formica Law, media specialist, 2013–; Greenwich Post, Greenwich, CT, reporter; also writes for other Connecticut newspapers and magazines, including the Greenwich Citizen.
WRITINGS
Contributor to periodicals.
SIDELIGHTS
Joan Lownds is a reporter who has worked for and contributed to various publications in Connecticut. She is the first woman ever published in Baseball Digest. The 1981 article profiled pitcher Smokey Joe Wood, who played for the Boston Red Sox from 1908 to 1915.
Man Overboard
In her first book, Man Overboard: Inside the Honeymoon Cruise Murder, Lownds tells the story of a notorious case involving the death of George Allen Smith IV, a native of Greenwich, Connecticut. Smith, from a noted Greenwich family, married Jennifer Hagel, who came from a blue collar family. While they were on their Royal Caribbean honeymoon cruise in 2005, Smith vanished. There were reports of booze-fueled fights, and the only trace of Smith was a blood stain on the awning below the couples’ cabin.
Lownds chronicles a four year legal wrangling of both families that forced Royal Caribbean to give its files to the FBI, which continued to investigate Smith’s murder. By the time of the book’s publication no definitive answer had been found concerning Smith’s death. In an interview for the Greenwich Time Online, Lownds noted: “I used the word ‘murder’ in the book title based on several facts and sources.” Lownds recounts the suspicious circumstances surrounding Smith’s death in her book and provides a look at the unregulated cruise industry. Following the book’s publication, the FBI eventually ruled the death “accidental.” A Cruise Bruise website contributor called the book “an interesting read.”
The Dogs of Camelot
Lownds is also coauthor with Margaret Reed of The Dogs of Camelot: Stories of the Kennedy Canines. Reed is nationally recognized animal training professional who met President John F. Kennedy and his dogs while on vacationing as a little girl in Hyannis Port. In their book, the authors provide a look at the Kennedys’ lifelong love of dogs and the numerous dogs they had while President Kennedy occupied the White House before he was assassinated on November 22, 1963. Drawing from access to rare and previously unpublished photos and stories accessed via the Kennedy Library, Lownds and Reed provide insight to the Kennedys’ close relationship with their dogs, reflecting the Kennedys’ character and compassion.
For example, Lownds and Reed write that President Kennedy had a special belief in the purity of a friendship with a dog. The emotional support dogs provided him in crisis was evidenced by the fact that, during the Cuban Missile Crisis, Kennedy asked for his Welsh Terrier, Charlie, to be by his side when he made his decisions. The dogs were such an integral part of the family and family events and outings that they rode on Air Force One, Marie One, and the Kennedy’s private place, traveling with the family to nearly all Kennedy family events. The Kennedys eventually had nine dogs in the White House, including Pushinka, a gift from Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev and the pup of one of the dogs that was sent into space by the Russian space program. Photographs are included. “This lighthearted book finds an irresistible mix of two popular subjects–the Kennedys and dogs,” wrote a Publishers Weekly contributor.
BIOCRIT
PERIODICALS
Publishers Weekly, April 9, 2018, review of The Dogs of Camelot: Stories of the Kennedy Canines, p. 71.
ONLINE
Cruise Bruise, http://www.cruisebruise.com/ (September 3, 2018), review of Man Overboard: Inside the Honeymoon Cruise Murder.
Daily Mail Online, http://www.dailymail.co.uk/ (May 9, 2018), Caroline Howe,”Welcome to President Kennedy’s Dog House! How Charlie the Welsh Terrier Comforted JFK during the Cuban Missile Crisis, Clipper the German Shepherd Wouldn’t leave Jackie’s Side and the Russians gifted ‘Nervous’ Pup Pushinka.”
Greenwich Time Online, https://www.greenwichtime.com/ (September 16, 2011), “Was It Murder? Author of New Book on Disappearance of George Smith Says ‘Yes.'”
EXCLUSIVE: Welcome to President Kennedy's Dog House! How Charlie the Welsh Terrier comforted JFK during the Cuban Missile Crisis, Clipper the German Shepherd wouldn't leave Jackie's side and the Russians gifted 'nervous' pup Pushinka
The Kennedys' beloved canine pack grew from just one dog to nine as the family moved into the White House in 1961
Kennedy believed the friendship of a dog often put his friendship with humans to shame - and that he was free to say what he wanted in the company of canines
While contemplating what to do with the Cuban missile, Kennedy called for Charlie, his Welsh Terrier, for comfort as he made his decisions
The dogs were considered an integral part of family events and outings, riding on Air Force One, Marine One and the Kennedy's private plane, the Caroline
When Kennedy and Jackie moved to the White House, the multitude of pets was no surprise to anyone who know the couple
The Kennedys also had seven horses, hamsters, a canary, a chubby beer drinking Rabbit named Zsa Zsa and a mischievous cat named Tom Kitten who escaped and was picked up by the Georgetown police
They received a puppy from the Russians, a pony, deer and dogs from Ireland and tiger cubs and a horse from the Indian government
By CAROLINE HOWE FOR DAILYMAIL.COM
PUBLISHED: 14:08 EDT, 9 May 2018 | UPDATED: 17:31 EDT, 9 May 2018
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The menagerie of animals that followed the Kennedy family into the White House in 1961 included seven horses, a mischievous cat, two parakeets, hamsters, a canary, and a chubby beer drinking Rabbit named Zsa Zsa who could play the trumpet.
But it was John F. Kennedy's special love of dogs that played a key role in his family and in the White House.
The Kennedy's canine pack grew from just one dog to nine as the president, First Lady Jackie, and children John Jr. and Caroline, settled into Washington, DC in 1961.
Kennedy observed that the friendship of a dog often put his friendship with humans to shame - and that he was free to say what he wanted in the company of canines.
'He could actually be himself and not worry if what he said would be reported in the press the following day,' Margaret Reed and Joan Lownds write in The Dogs of Camelot: Stories of the Kennedy Canines, published by Lyons Press.
The Kennedys' beloved canine pack grew from just one dog to nine as the president, First Lady Jackie, and children John Jr and Caroline, settled in to Washington, DC in 1961. Pictured above, John Jr (left), Kennedy, his secretary Evelyn Lincoln and dogs Wolfie (the gray dog to the left of Kennedy) and Shannon (the black and white dog in front of Kennedy) in the Oval Office in 1963 +30
The Kennedys' beloved canine pack grew from just one dog to nine as the president, First Lady Jackie, and children John Jr and Caroline, settled in to Washington, DC in 1961. Pictured above, John Jr (left), Kennedy, his secretary Evelyn Lincoln and dogs Wolfie (the gray dog to the left of Kennedy) and Shannon (the black and white dog in front of Kennedy) in the Oval Office in 1963
Jackie Kennedy poses her dog, Clipper, as her niece Christina Radziwell looks on outside the West Wing in January 1963 +30
Jackie Kennedy poses her dog, Clipper, as her niece Christina Radziwell looks on outside the West Wing in January 1963
JFK and Jackie are seen petting the first lady's beloved dog, Clipper +30
Kennedy dog Charlie sits on the White House's South Lawn +30
JFK and Jackie are seen petting the first lady's beloved dog, Clipper, left. Pictured right, Kennedy dog Charlie sits on the White House's South Lawn
President Kennedy giving Wolfie, the Irish Wolfhound a treat while he and John Jr play with the Wolfhound and their other dog, Shannon (next to John Jr), outside the White House at an unknown date +30
President Kennedy giving Wolfie, the Irish Wolfhound a treat while he and John Jr play with the Wolfhound and their other dog, Shannon (next to John Jr), outside the White House at an unknown date
When Kennedy and Jackie moved to the White House, the multitude of pets was no surprise to anyone who know the couple. Pictured above, Evelyn Lincoln, personal secretary to Kennedy and others greet Clipper in the Lincoln Office in December 1962 +30
When Kennedy and Jackie moved to the White House, the multitude of pets was no surprise to anyone who know the couple. Pictured above, Evelyn Lincoln, personal secretary to Kennedy and others greet Clipper in the Lincoln Office in December 1962
While assessing what actions to take during the Cuban missile crisis and a Russian fleet poised to enter into what looked like imminent war with the United States, Kennedy called for Charlie, his Welsh Terrier.
'Charlie was regarded as a cherished family member and in some cases, he was treated better than the men in the president's administration,' Reed and Lownds write.
'After petting his Welsh Terrier for a while, President Kennedy relaxed, returned Charlie to the kennel keeper and calmly said, 'I suppose that it's time to make some decisions',' the authors quote the White House kennel keeper, Traphes Bryant, as saying.
When the dogs weren't comforting Kennedy during tough decision-making moments, they were considered an integral part of family events and outings.
One or more dog always accompanied the family to their Virginia country home in Atoka, or to their residences in Palm Beach, Florida, and Hyannis Port, Massachusetts.
The dogs rode on Air Force One, Marine One and the Kennedy's private plane, the Caroline.
'Some of the happiest times I observed President Kennedy were when he was with his wife, children, and their pets, away from the White House,' Clint Hill, who was assistant director of the Secret Service, assigned to the White House at the time of Kennedy's presidency, told Reed and Lownds. 'It is rare for a president to have such a relaxing time'.
Senator Ted Kennedy confided to the authors in May 2008 that the Kennedy brothers 'were crazy about dogs because they have a hopeful spirit; they're smart, resilient, determined and optimistic'.
Jackie Kennedy, John Jr and Clipper greet JFK after a day of sledding on the White House grounds in 1962. Clipper rarely left Jackie's side while at the White House +30
Jackie Kennedy, John Jr and Clipper greet JFK after a day of sledding on the White House grounds in 1962. Clipper rarely left Jackie's side while at the White House
John Jr and Caroline are seen laying with Charlie near a parking lot in March 1963. Charlie was gifted to Caroline in the summer of 1960 at the Kennedy Compound in Hyannis Port and was the first canine to call the Kennedy White House home +30
John Jr and Caroline are seen laying with Charlie near a parking lot in March 1963. Charlie was gifted to Caroline in the summer of 1960 at the Kennedy Compound in Hyannis Port and was the first canine to call the Kennedy White House home
John Jr and Jackie Kennedy play with puppies as Caroline relaxes with the family's wolfhound, Wolfie, during a visit to Squaw Island in Hyannisport, Massachusetts in August 1963 +30
John Jr and Jackie Kennedy play with puppies as Caroline relaxes with the family's wolfhound, Wolfie, during a visit to Squaw Island in Hyannisport, Massachusetts in August 1963
John Jr hugs the family's cherished dog Shannon, while Jackie and David Powers pet Wolfie at Squaw Island in Hyannisport, Massachusetts, in August 1963. Shannon was the only dog the Kennedys kept after the president was assassinated +30
John Jr hugs the family's cherished dog Shannon, while Jackie and David Powers pet Wolfie at Squaw Island in Hyannisport, Massachusetts, in August 1963. Shannon was the only dog the Kennedys kept after the president was assassinated
Senator Ted Kennedy confided to the authors in May 2008 that the Kennedy brothers 'were crazy about dogs because they have a hopeful spirit'. Caroline Kennedy is pictured above with a puppy in Hyannisport, Massachusetts +30
Senator Ted Kennedy confided to the authors in May 2008 that the Kennedy brothers 'were crazy about dogs because they have a hopeful spirit'. Caroline Kennedy is pictured above with a puppy in Hyannisport, Massachusetts
Kennedy and his siblings always had dogs in the house growing up.
It all began with Buddy, a Newfoundland dog that grew up to be 'a huge black creature' weighing some 130lb or more.
Buddy was John F Kennedy's dog until the family moved from Brookline, Massachusetts ,to Riverdale, New York - he was just too big for the confines of the new suburb and was re-homed to a family living on a farm near Cape Cod where he could run free.
That didn't stop the Kennedys from frequently visiting Buddy, who would stand on his hind legs and throw his front paws on the shoulders of John and Joe Jr.
In the summer of 1937, the future president took a three month tour of Europe with his friend Lem Billings and in Germany, he found a Dachshund puppy that he bought as a present for a girlfriend named Olive.
'Offie', as they called the puppy, was 'the nicest German they had ever met, but John was forced to leave the dog behind because it wasn't allowed to cross the border.
Kennedy delayed parting as long as he could, until allergy test results came back as positive. For the remainder of his life, Kennedy needed to be treated by an allergist because of his allergic reaction to dog dander - but that didn't keep him from traveling with the beloved animals.
'Wherever the future president traveled, a dog was never far behind,' write the authors.
A Doberman Pinscher named Moe accompanied Kennedy on a working vacation in Arizona he headed off to Harvard for college.
After that summer, Moe was shipped back to Hyannis Port, where he once escaped from his crate and bit Teddy. Moe was eventually moved to Boston to be with Kennedy at the Bellevue Hotel.
In the summer of 1937, the future president took a three month tour of Europe with his friend Lem Billings and in Germany, he found a Dachshund puppy, named Offie (pictured above with Kennedy), that he bought as a present for a girlfriend named Olive. But Kennedy was forced to leave the dog behind because it wasn't allowed to cross the border +30
In the summer of 1937, the future president took a three month tour of Europe with his friend Lem Billings and in Germany, he found a Dachshund puppy, named Offie (pictured above with Kennedy), that he bought as a present for a girlfriend named Olive. But Kennedy was forced to leave the dog behind because it wasn't allowed to cross the border
John F Kennedy, left, sits with brother, Robert Kennedy, right, and his dog, Mo, at their home in Hyannis Port, Massachusetts, in 1946 +30
John F Kennedy, left, sits with brother, Robert Kennedy, right, and his dog, Mo, at their home in Hyannis Port, Massachusetts, in 1946
The Kennedy and Radziwill families celebrate Christmas with their dogs Clipper (front) and Charlie (in Jackie's arms) in Palm Beach, Florida, in December 1962 +30
The Kennedy and Radziwill families celebrate Christmas with their dogs Clipper (front) and Charlie (in Jackie's arms) in Palm Beach, Florida, in December 1962
Caroline, John Jr and First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy's dog, Clipper, admire a Christmas tree in the Entrance Hall of the White House in December 1962 +30
Caroline, John Jr and First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy's dog, Clipper, admire a Christmas tree in the Entrance Hall of the White House in December 1962
Kennedy married Jackie in 1953 and the couple moved from their residence in Georgetown to Hickory Hill in Virginia and an exuberant Golden Retriever named Tippy joined the family.
Two years later, the young Senator Kennedy and his wife moved back to Georgetown.
Tippy was too wired for living in such close inner city quarters and went to live with Jackie's mother, Janet Bouvier Auchincloss, in nearby McLean, Virginia, where Kennedy would often visit.
'He would come out and not even tell us he was there. He just wanted to pet his dog and talk to him. He really loved animals desperately,' Auchincloss once said.
When Kennedy and Jackie moved to the White House, the multitude of pets was no surprise to anyone who know the couple.
Along with the dogs, the Kennedys also had a pony, seven horses and a mischievous cat named Tom Kitten who escaped and was finally picked up by the Georgetown police.
There was also a yellow canary who perched on the president's head, two parakeets, hamsters that got out of their cage and hid under the president's bed before one found his way into his bathtub where he met his demise, and a chubby beer drinking white Rabbit named Zsa Zsa.
The family's love of animals spread quickly in diplomatic circles and gifts from foreign dignitaries suddenly became contagious.
The Indian government presented Jackie with two tiger cubs when she visited in 1962. She envisioned they would be able to roam the White House grounds, but they were gifted to the National Zoo.
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Kennedy dogs Charlie (left) and Pushinka (right), pictured on the White House's South Lawn in 1961, mated and had four puppies +30
Kennedy dogs Charlie (left) and Pushinka (right), pictured on the White House's South Lawn in 1961, mated and had four puppies
Then Soviet Union Premier Nikita Khrushchev gifted the family with Pushinka, a puppy from Strelka, who rocketed into space on Sputnik V in August 1960. Pushinka is pictured above with her puppies on the White House lawn in 1963 +30
Then Soviet Union Premier Nikita Khrushchev gifted the family with Pushinka, a puppy from Strelka, who rocketed into space on Sputnik V in August 1960. Pushinka is pictured above with her puppies on the White House lawn in 1963
ushinka ended up mating with Charlie, the Welsh Terrier, and made headlines when four puppies arrived in June 1963. Newspapers reported on the birth of the 'pupniks' and over 5,000 letters arrived requesting one of the puppies. Kennedy and Caroline are pictured above with one of the puppies on the family yacht, the Honey Fitz in 1963 +30
Caroline are pictured above one of Pushinka's puppies on the family yacht, the Honey Fitz in 1963 +30
Pushinka ended up mating with Charlie, the Welsh Terrier, and made headlines when four puppies arrived in June 1963. Newspapers reported on the birth of the 'pupniks' and over 5,000 letters arrived requesting one of the puppies. Kennedy and Caroline are pictured above with the puppies on the family yacht, the Honey Fitz in 1963
Newspapers reported on the birth of the 'pupniks' and over 5,000 letters arrived requesting one of the puppies. Pictured above, two of Pushinka's puppies in August 19 +30
Newspapers reported on the birth of the 'pupniks' and over 5,000 letters arrived requesting one of the puppies. Pictured above, two of Pushinka's puppies in August 19
White House electrician and "dog wrangler" Traphes Bryant sits with Pushinka and her puppies - Butterfly, White Tips, Blackie and Streaker - on the South Lawn in July 1963 +30
White House electrician and "dog wrangler" Traphes Bryant sits with Pushinka and her puppies - Butterfly, White Tips, Blackie and Streaker - on the South Lawn in July 1963
On the same trip, Indian President Ayub Khan presented Jackie with a horse named Sardar. She adored him and sent the animal to her and Kennedy's home in Middleburg, Virginia, where she often escaped alone and rode Sandar.
Ireland's president, Eamon de Valera, jumped in on the animal parade with a Connemara pony named Leprechaun, a black and white Cocker Spaniel named Shannon and two spotted deer that ended up at the National Zoo.
A priest in Ireland sent an Irish Wolfhound named Wolfie to the Kennedys, and, Joseph P Kennedy gifted Jackie with a German Shepherd named Clipper.
Caroline already had a pony named Macaroni, and then-Vice President Lyndon Johnson gave her a second - a Yucatan Bay pony named Tex as a nod to his home state of Texas.
Then Soviet Union Premier Nikita Khrushchev gifted the family with Pushinka, a puppy from Strelka, who rocketed into space on Sputnik V in August 1960.
The dog was gifted after the Soviet Premier and the President met in Vienna in 1961, at the height of the Cold War.
At the time, the CIA suspected the puppy might have been implanted with listening devices, and before taking up residence in the White House she was thoroughly inspected, poked and prodded, at Walter Reed Army Hospital.
Pushinka was a 'nervous dog who bit everyone,' Caroline remembered.
Kennedy and First Lady Jackie watch as Italian Prime Minister Amintore Fanfani gifts John Jr with a stuffed dog in January 1963 +30
Kennedy and First Lady Jackie watch as Italian Prime Minister Amintore Fanfani gifts John Jr with a stuffed dog in January 1963
Pushinka is pictured playing on a slide on the White House's South Lawn. The dogs often roamed the property while JFK was president +30
Pushinka is pictured playing on a slide on the White House's South Lawn. The dogs often roamed the property while JFK was president
Dogs regularly traveled to Hyannisport, Massachusetts with the family. JFK is seen in his younger years with his dog Bobby +30
JFK's son, John Jr, carries a turtle as he walks toward Clipper and Wolfie in Atoka, Virginia, in October 1963 +30
Dogs regularly traveled to Hyannisport, Massachusetts, and on other vacations with the Kennedy family. JFK is seen in his younger years, left, with his dog Bobby. Right, JFK's son, John Jr, carries a turtle as he walks toward Clipper and Wolfie in Atoka, Virginia, in October 1963
Dogs weren't the only pets the Kennedy's had. Among their myriad of animals was a mischievous cat named Tom Kitten (pictured in Caroline's arms in October 1963), who once escaped and was picked up by the Georgetown police +30
Dogs weren't the only pets the Kennedy's had. Among their myriad of animals was a mischievous cat named Tom Kitten (pictured in Caroline's arms in October 1963), who once escaped and was picked up by the Georgetown police
Once when the little girl reached down to pet her and Pushinka growled, 'Caroline walked behind the dog and gave her a kick in the rear'.
When nanny Maud Shaw told the story to the president, he responded, 'That's giving it to those damn Russians'.
Pushinka learned how to the climb the ladder of Caroline's tree house and walk over to the slide and head down.
In an interview in 1995, John Jr. said Pushinka's slide trick was his only recollection of those early childhood days at the White House.
Pushinka ended up mating with Charlie, the Welsh Terrier, and made headlines when four puppies arrived in June 1963.
Newspapers reported on the birth of the 'pupniks' and over 5,000 letters arrived requesting one of the puppies.
Meanwhile, Clipper, the family's German Shepherd, became Jackie's loyal companion.
He was allowed in the family's White House quarters when the president was traveling or in the West Wing and was often by Jackie's side.
Shannon, the family's cocker spaniel, was presented to Caroline but adored by John Jr, and she was the only dog to stay with the family after Kennedy was assassinated.
JFK plays with one of Pushinka's four puppies on Squaw Island in Hyannisport, Massachusetts, in August 1963 +30
JFK plays with one of Pushinka's four puppies on Squaw Island in Hyannisport, Massachusetts, in August 1963
Kennedy, First Lady Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy, and Caroline Bouvier Kennedy with Clipper, Wolfie, and Pushinka's puppies, on Squaw Island, Hyannis Port in August 1963 +30
Kennedy, First Lady Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy, and Caroline Bouvier Kennedy with Clipper, Wolfie, and Pushinka's puppies, on Squaw Island, Hyannis Port in August 1963
John Jr climbs down the ladder on the White House's South Lawn as Nurse Maude Shaw, an unidentified White House worker, and the family dog, Charlie stand nearby +30
John Jr climbs down the ladder on the White House's South Lawn as Nurse Maude Shaw, an unidentified White House worker, and the family dog, Charlie stand nearby
Their Welsh Terrier, Charlie, was the Kennedys' to dog and a cherished family member.
Charlie was gifted to Caroline in the summer of 1960 at the Kennedy Compound in Hyannis Port and was the first canine to call the Kennedy White House home.
He had a stellar pedigree, appeared on magazine covers and in news stories and became the president's most beloved dog.
The Dogs of Camelot, Stories of the Kennedy Canines, written by Margaret Reed and Joan Lownds, will be released on May 15 +30
The Dogs of Camelot, Stories of the Kennedy Canines, written by Margaret Reed and Joan Lownds, will be released on May 15
When Jackie was asked by White House social secretary Letitia Baldrige which men in the administration she wanted to send a Valentine, she said the only one was Charlie.
Sadly, Charlie was never house trained and as much as he was adored, he had to take up residence in a doghouse under a magnolia tree behind the White House.
He had been raised at the Kennedy's Georgetown house and Hyannis Port where he easily ran in and out of the house to the yard to do his duty.
As smart as Charlie was, he never mastered the elevator needed to get to the family's residence on the second floor in the White House.
He was gifted to Secret Service agent Bob Foster when Jackie and the children left the White House and eventually moved back to Ohio to live with the Foster family. Eventually, Charlie was given to a farm in Ohio where he could run free.
White House Kennel Keeper Traphes Bryant recalled that Kennedy was very involved in the health of all of his dogs.
'Every time [the president would see me he would ask me questions about the dogs' health, if they were giving me a hard time, or if they were eating well,' Bryant recalled. 'Sometimes I saw him once a day.'
Knowing how much Kennedy loved the dogs, Bryant had trained them all to line up on the White House lawn to pay their respect when the president stepped out of Marine One'.
It was 'like a reception of distinguished heads of state'.
'The president would break into a broad grin, go through the line, salute and pat each canine,' write the authors of The Dogs of Camelot, Stories of the Kennedy Canines, which hits shelves on May 15.
Read more:
The Dogs of Camelot: Stories of the Kennedy Canines: Margaret Reed, Joan Lownds, Clint Hill: 9781493031610: Amazon.com: Books
Was it murder? Author of new book on disappearance of George Smith says 'Yes'
Updated 12:19 pm EDT, Friday, September 16, 2011
Joan Lownds is the author of the new book "Man Overboard: Inside The Honeymoon Cruise Murder," which examines the disappearance of George Smith IV of Greenwich on his honeymoon cruise in the Mediterranean six years ago. Photo: Contributed Photo / Greenwich Citizen
Photo: Contributed Photo
IMAGE 1 OF 5 Joan Lownds is the author of the new book "Man Overboard: Inside The Honeymoon Cruise Murder," which examines the disappearance of George Smith IV of Greenwich on his honeymoon cruise in the Mediterranean six ... more
The disappearance of George Smith IV of Greenwich on his honeymoon cruise in the Mediterranean six years ago is the subject of a new book, "Man Overboard -- Inside the Honeymoon Cruise Murder (Lyons Press, $14.95)," by author Joan Lownds of Naugatuck, a former reporter for Greenwich Citizen.
To learn more about the author's book, her opinions about Smith's disappearance and her final conclusions about the case, the Citizen asked Lownds a few questions.
What were the major determining factors in your decision to state in your book title that George Smith IV was murdered?
I used the word "murder" in the book title based on several facts and sources. First of all, I don't believe that the FBI would have spent millions investigating the case throughout the world if they didn't believe foul play was involved. Also, Kevin O'Connor, the U.S. attorney, speaking for the New Haven FBI, described the case as "suspicious." Vito Colucci, the private investigator and former Stamford detective said he "believed right from the start that it's a murder case."
And there are simply and logically the facts of the case: there was a loud commotion in George Smith's cabin just before he went missing and then "a horrific thud" -- as reported by the neighboring passengers, Clete Hyman and Pat and Greg Lawyer. And then there was a huge bloody stain on the awning below. Walter Zalisko, the vacationing former police chief of Jersey City, N. J., looked at the blood stain and concluded it was most likely a homicide. As Brett Rivkind, the lawyer for the Smith family said, "It doesn't take Sherlock Holmes to figure out there was crime there that night."
In your book, there is mention that Smith was carrying a good deal of money with him. Was this true to your knowledge and, if so, is there some thinking that money might have led to foul play?
More Information
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This was rumor on the ship, that Walter Zalisko and other passengers had heard. But there is no proof of this.
What do you think is the most inexplicable or even outrageous aspect of this honeymoon cruise disappearance story?
I think it is both inexplicable and outrageous that passengers such as Walter Zalisko and Sheldon Sandler reported that George Smith's cabin was not "sealed off and contained;" and that the ship was reportedly not locked down when it docked in the next port of Kusadasi. This allowed passengers and crew to disembark, perhaps taking critical evidence with them. Brett Rivkind said Turkish police conducted a brief investigation that did not include the key ear witnesses, including Hyman and the Lawyers.
How many interviews did you do with family members who had lost someone on a cruise ship? Did you see any common threads in those cases?
I have done countless interviews with family members who lost loved ones on cruises, and also several with women who were allegedly raped on cruises. There was definitely a common thread. To quote Son Michael Pham, whose parents, Hue Pham and Hue Tran, went missing from a Carnival ship in May, 2004: "All of us had lost loved ones from cruise ships and all of us had no answers and the same story -- no witnesses, no surveillance tape, no motive and no help from the cruise line."
This was why the Smiths and the other families decided to from International Cruise Victims (ICV). As the Smiths said in their written testimony at Chris Shays' first Congressional hearing in Dec., 2005, "Please don't let George die in vain."
From the vantage point of those family experiences and what you have learned from the Smith case, how do you see the new Cruise Vessel Security and Safety Act best protecting passengers on cruise ships?
This new law, which takes effect Jan. 1, 2012, will protect passengers, I believe. The bill provides heightened transparency in crime reporting on cruise ships by establishing a "structure" between the cruise industry, the FBI and the Coast Guard, requiring each ship to maintain a log book recording all deaths, missing passengers, alleged crimes, and complaints about theft, sexual harassment, and assault.
The bill also mandates shipboard rape kits and that a trained forensic sexual assault specialist be assigned to each ship; and the establishment of a program by the U.S. Department of Transportation which provides FBI training for crew members in crime prevention and crime scene preservation, among other safety measures.
I think this will help make cruising safer, and I hope that the passage of this bill brings some solace to the Smith family and the other families of the victims. Maureen Smith has said that they have to be George's voice now, and I think they have made his voice heard, and in the process have truly helped others.
Bottom line question -- do you believe George Smith was murdered?
Yes, I believe George Smith was murdered, or I would not have chosen the title I did. As I mentioned, I do not believe the FBI would have spent millions investigating the case all over the world if they didn't believe foul play was involved. And the circumstances of the case seem "suspicious," as U.S. Attorney Kevin O'Connor said.
"Man Overboard -- Inside the Honeymoon Cruise Murder (Lyons Press, $14.95)," is available at www.amazon.com.
Joan Lownds
Joan Lownds
Writer and Media Specialist
Greater New York City Area
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Formica Law
Master's degree in English from Southern Connecticut State University
Master's degree in English from Southern Connecticut State University
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Experienced journalist and author of the book, "Man Overboard: Inside the Honeymoon Cruise Murder." Media and Public Relations specialist.
Experience
Formica Law
Media Specialist
Company NameFormica Law
Dates EmployedFeb 2013 – Present Employment Duration5 yrs 8 mos
Write press releases, media liaison
Education
Master's degree in English from Southern Connecticut State University
Master's degree in English from Southern Connecticut State University
Degree NameEnglish Field Of StudyEnglish Language and Literature, General GradeA+
Dates attended or expected graduation 1982 – 1984
Arizona State University
Arizona State University
Degree NameBachelor of Arts (B.A.) Field Of StudyEnglish, Journalism, Education
Activities and Societies: Education Honor Society
Accomplishments
Joan has 1 publication1
Expand publications section
Publication
"Man Overboard: Inside the Honeymoon Cruise Murder," book published by Lyons/Globe Pequot Press in 2011
Interests
Arizona State University
Arizona State University
478,099 followers
7/31/2018 General OneFile - Saved Articles
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Print Marked Items
The Dogs of Camelot: Stories of the
Kennedy Canines
Publishers Weekly.
265.15 (Apr. 9, 2018): p71+.
COPYRIGHT 2018 PWxyz, LLC
http://www.publishersweekly.com/
Full Text:
The Dogs of Camelot: Stories of the Kennedy Canines
Margaret Reed and Joan Lownds. Lyons,
$19.95 (208p) ISBN 978-1-4930-3161-0
Animal trainer Reed and coauthor Lownds (Man Overboard) explore a lighter side of Camelot in this
charming, photo-filled account of the pets that occupied the Kennedy White House. During that brief time,
the first family hosted an assortment of pets that included "nine dogs at one time, a cat, parakeets, hamsters,
rabbits, deer, and seven horses." The family's fondness for dogs even played a role in foreign diplomacy: in
1961, the Kennedys received a puppy named Pushinka (which in Russian means "little bit of fluff') as a gift
from Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev. Pushinka, whose mother was one of the dogs sent into space as
part of the Russian space program, proved wildly popular in the United States, and her celebrity provided a
brief respite from Cold War tensions in the months leading up to the Cuban Missile Crisis. Later, Pushinka
had a litter sired by Charlie, the Kennedys' Welsh terrier. The book offers a glimpse into the family's quieter
moments with snapshots of a young Caroline playing with Pushinka's offspring; Jackie Kennedy running
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with Clipper, the German Shepherd, on the White House lawn; and JohnJr. with Shannon, the cocker
spaniel, in the Oval Office. This lighthearted book finds an irresistible mix of two popular subjects--the
Kennedys and dogs. Photos. (May)
Caption: Before Marlon Bundo, there was Charlie, one of nine dogs that lived with the Kennedys during
JFK's presidency, as seen in The Dogs of Camelot (reviewed on p. 71).
Source Citation (MLA 8th
Edition)
"The Dogs of Camelot: Stories of the Kennedy Canines." Publishers Weekly, 9 Apr. 2018, p. 71+. General
OneFile, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A535100009/ITOF?
u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=61309ec8. Accessed 31 July 2018.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A535100009
Man Overboard
Inside The Honeymoon Cruise Murder
The Overboard Case of George Allen Smith IV
Man Overboard Man Overboard - Inside The Honeymoon Cruise Murder
By Joan Lownds
Printed: September 1, 2011
Lyons Press; Original edition
ISBN: 978-0762773824
Paperback, Kindle
Pages:224
$10.49 - Buy it at Amazon
Amazon Description:
Man Overboard tells the inside story of one of America’s most notorious murder cases in decades, providing unprecedented insight into the death of Greenwich native George Allen Smith IV on his honeymoon. He married Jennifer Hagel in June 2005. Both of them were young and beautiful. He came from an old-line Greenwich family; she, from blue-collar Cromwell and with a reputation for being a flirt.
Just eight days after their wedding, their new life together disintegrated on their Royal Caribbean honeymoon cruise. The morning after several booze-fueled melees, a gruesome blood stain traced the awning below their cabin, and George had vanished. After four years of bitter legal wrangling with both families, Royal Caribbean recently handed over its files to he FBI, which announced that Smith’s murder is "very active and open.". ..
Our Review: Man Overboard: Inside The Honeymoon Cruise Murder was written before the FBI closed the case, reopened it and closed it again, with the cause of death being ruled "accidental" Still, it's an interesting read for a small paperback.
Amazon Author Biography: Joan Lownds, an award-winning reporter for the Greenwich Post and other Connecticut newspapers and magazines, has covered the honeymoon cruise murder since it broke. She was a reporter for the Greenwich Citizen when George Smith was murdered in July, 2005, and his homicide led her to investigate the unregulated, $40-billion a year cruise industry in a series of newspaper articles. These formed the basis of her book. Ms. Lownds has also worked for the New Haven Advocate and other Connecticut newspapers. She was the first woman ever published in Baseball Digest, with a profile of legendary pitcher, Smokey Joe Wood, in 1981.
Our George Allen Smith IV case file on the case. More Cruise Ship Deaths, cruise ship overboards, suicide and real cruise ship murders are on our Cruise Ship Deaths website.