By Tara Sims, Archivist and Special Collections Librarian
Among the John P. McGovern, MD Papers are a small group of handmade Valentine’s Day cards created by John P. McGovern when he was a child. Cut from colored paper, carefully assembled, and signed simply “Jack,” these valentines were made for his mother, Lottie Brown McGovern.
Their simplicity is part of their power: a red paper heart, a boy’s careful handwriting, and a message that needs no embellishment— “Dear Mother, You are good.” Another card features a delicate, handmade paper snowflake affixed to construction paper, with “Valentine Greetings, From Jack” written on the reverse. In a child’s unguarded handwriting, there is a purity that feels both vulnerable and sincere— an early, unfiltered expression of affection and love for his mother.
Handcrafted Valentines Day card by young McGovern: Dear Mother, You are good. Jack. Box 9, MS115 John P. McGovern, MD Papers, McGovern Historical Center, Texas Medical Center Library.
An additional McGovern Valentines Day creation for his mother: Valentine Greetings, From Jack. Box 9, MS115 John P. McGovern, MD Papers, McGovern Historical Center, Texas Medical Center Library.
The affection visible in these early valentines echoes throughout McGovern’s personal correspondence, where expressions of gratitude, admiration, and deep respect for his mother appear again and again across decades. Together, these childhood cards and later letters trace a lifelong bond rooted in love and care—one expressed not only in words, but in thoughtful acts.
Photograph of young “Jack” and his mother, Lottie Brown McGovern. Box 10, MS115 John P. McGovern, MD Papers, McGovern Historical Center, Texas Medical Center Library.
These small keepsakes remind us that some of the most meaningful expressions of love are also the simplest.
Happy Valentines Day from the McGovern Historical Collection!