The transition was headed by Clark Clifford, who worked with a handful of close associates of Kennedy. None of the transition workers received financial compensation. The transition relied on volunteer staffers. The transition's top officials were individuals who had been part of Kennedy's presidential campaign.Bruaer, p. 67 These individuals happened to largely be relatively young, but were also experienced in Washington, D.C. politics. Many were even more so experienced than their counterparts in previous presidential transitions.Brauer, pp. 67–69 On November 10, during a meeting in Hyannis Port, Massachusetts, with his top advisors, Kennedy assigned them their roles for the transition. Clifford and Neustadt were named the formal transition advisors, tasked with planning the transition. Clifford was additionally named the transition's liaison to the Eisenhower administration. Pierre Salinger was assigned to be the head of the transition's press team (the press secretary). Kenneth O'Donnell was put in charge of administration and appointments. Sargent Shriver (Kennedy's brother-in-law) was put in charge of the selection process for high-level appointees and Larry O'Brien was put in charge of patronage appointments. Dick Donahue was also tasked with assisting with assisting in the process of selecting planned presidential appointees as well as managing communications between the transition team and Vice President-elect Lyndon B. Johnson. Ted Sorensen was put in charge of creating the policy agenda and the writing of statements and speeches. Robert F. Kennedy (Kennedy's brother) was a general advisor to the transition. Stephen Edward Smith (Kennedy's brother-in-law) was in charge of the transition's finances. Additionally advising the transition on certain matters were Kennedy's brother Ted Kennedy and father, Joseph P. Kennedy.
