Jon Kennedy
1918 - Born in Springfield, MO., Aug. 19th, 1918
1935 - Got part-time job with the Springfield, MO. Leader-Press as staff artist while in
high school.
1936 - Graduated from Springfield High School, Art Editor of yearbook. At age 17 began full-time
job at Leader-Press.
1941 - Accepted art position at Arkansas Democrat (now Arkansas Democrat Gazette) in Little Rock.
1943 - Enlisted in Army, limited duty due to eye injury. Served at Camp Robinson and Camp
Chaffee in Arkansas, Camp Leonard Wood in Missouri and Fort Belvoir, VA. Did training
posters, cartoons, topographical mapping, discharged as sergeant.
1946 - Returned to Arkansas Democrat, took studio downtown for part-time commercial and
political work.
1957 - Joined AAEC as Charter Member.
1960 - Met Walt Disney at Disneyland in Los Angeles during AAEC convention.
1963 - At White House met President John Kennedy and said, "I'm John Kennedy, who are
you?" and gained instant fame in AAEC. Launched poster business with "Dropout
Blues" which lasted 29 years.
1970 - AAEC convention in London, met Prime Minister Harold Wilson at cartoon exhibit at
British Museum with Princess Margaret in attendance.
1978 - Trip to Europe with fellow cartoonist and friend Al Liederman, visited six nations
via Eurorail. My book of cartoons, "Look Back and Laugh" is published.
1985 - Schools nationwide used my "Dropout Blues" posters. A library set "Listen to your
books" was a hit and sold in many foreign countries.
1988 - Won "Arkansas Journalist of The Year" award. Retired from the Arkansas
Democrat-Gazette after 47 years, retirement party attended by two former
governors. Began painting acrylics.
1992 - Discontinued poster business and began drawing weekly cartoons for Arkansas
Business in Little Rock.
Political cartoons on display in seven Presidential Libraries.
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