THIS week's TIME cover is a first.

In years past, there have been several members of a family on the cover, e.g., three sons of George V of Great Britain (Aug. 8. 1927); four Marx brothers--Groucho, Harpo, Chico and Zeppo (Aug. 15, 1932); and three of Edsel Ford's sons. Benson, William and Henry II (May 18, 1953). There have been couples, including Generalissimo and Madame Chiang Kai-shek (Oct. 26, 1931; Jan. 3, 1938), Ambassador to Russia and Mrs. Joseph Davies (March 15, 1937) and Stage Luminaries Alfred Lunt and Lynn Fontanne (Nov. 8. 1937). But never before has TIME'S cover been a full family portrait.

The eleven on this week's cover are Presidential Aspirant Jack Kennedy and his wife Jackie in front, flanked by his parents. Joseph and Rose, with the portrait gallery in the background showing Brother Robert--over his father's right shoulder--followed, in clockwise order, by Grandfather John ("Honey Fitz") Fitzgerald. Sisters Patricia Lawford, Jean Smith and Eunice Shriver. Brother Edward and Sister Rosemary.

This is by no means a first for Joe Kennedy and his son Jack; for each it is the third appearance on TIME'S cover. Joe was seen first as Securities and Exchange Commission chairman on July 22, 1935, and again on Sept. 18, 1939, when he was Ambassador to the Court of St. James's. Some 18 years later (Dec. 2, 1957), Jack made his bow as the leading campaigner for the 1960 presidential nomination; he appeared again on Nov. 24, 1958, front and center among five other Democratic hopefuls. Appropriately, this week's story on the Kennedy clan was written by another Irishman (and father of seven), Associate Editor Richard Oulahan Jr.

While rounding out preconvention coverage with this story of a political family with no exact precedent in U.S. history. TIME'S editors selected the line-up of correspondents to cover the big event in Los Angeles. The Washington Bureau's Hugh Sidey, who has been dogging Jack Kennedy for months, will be doing the same thing at the convention next week. He will be one of a team that will include bureau chiefs from Washington. San Francisco, Detroit. Chicago and Dallas, reporters from various bureaus, and the entire National Affairs staff.

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