John F. Kennedy
John Fitzgerald Kennedy | |
|---|---|
 | |
| 35th President of the United States | |
| In office January 20, 1961 – November 22, 1963 | |
| Vice President | Lyndon B. Johnson |
| Preceded by | Dwight D. Eisenhower |
| Succeeded by | Lyndon B. Johnson |
| Personal details | |
| Born | May 29, 1917 Brookline, Massachusetts |
| Died | November 22, 1963 Dallas, Texas |
| Nationality | american |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse | Jacqueline Lee Bouvier Kennedy Onassis |
John Fitzgerald Kennedy (May 29, 1917 – November 22, 1963), often referred to as John F. Kennedy, JFK or Jack Kennedy, was the 35th President of the United States. He served from 1961 until his assassination in 1963. A member of the politically prominent Irish-American Kennedy family, he is considered an icon of American liberalism. During World War II, he was cited for exceptional bravery and heroism while rescuing a fellow sailor in the South Pacific. Kennedy served his home state of Massachusetts in the U.S. Congress during 1947–1960, as both a member of the U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senate. He was elected President in 1960, in one of the closest elections in history.
Major events during his presidency included the Bay of Pigs invasion, the Cuban Missile Crisis, the building of the Berlin Wall, the Space Race, early events of the Vietnam War, and the American Civil Rights Movement. In rankings of U.S. presidents, historians usually grade Kennedy above average, but among the general public he is often regarded as among the greatest Presidents. Kennedy was assassinated on November 22, 1963. Official investigations later determined Lee Harvey Oswald to be the culprit. His assassination is considered to be a defining moment in U.S. history because of its traumatic impact on the nation, its impact on the political history of the ensuing decades, Kennedy's status as an icon for a new generation of Americans and American aspirations, and for the mystery and allegations of conspiracy that surround it.
Early life and education
Kennedy was born in Brookline, Massachusetts, the son of Joseph P. Kennedy, Sr. and Rose Fitzgerald. His father´s motto was, "A Kennedy never comes in second place". Years later, it was revealed that Kennedy had been diagnosed as a young man with Addison's Disease, a rare endocrine disorder. This and other medical disorders were kept from the press, and the public, throughout Kennedy's life.
Kennedy attended Edward Devotion School for four years (kindergarten in 1922 to third grade [1]) and then Choate(while it is called Choate Rosemary Hall today, Choate and Rosemary Hall were separate schools, one for boys and one for girls, while Kennedy was there) in Connecticut, one of the country's most elite private boarding schools, from which he graduated in 1935. That fall, on September 25, 1935, he sailed from New York City to London with his parents and his sister Kathleen. There he enrolled at the London School of Economics with the intention of studying political economy for a year under the tutelage of Professor Harold Laski, but an illness hospitalized him shortly after his enrollment. His father insisted he return to the US. He sailed from London for New York on October 26, 1935. Later that fall of 1935, he enrolled in Princeton University, but was forced to leave after contracting jaundice. The next fall, he began attending Harvard College. Kennedy traveled to Europe twice during his years at Harvard, visiting the United Kingdom, while his father was serving as ambassador to the Court of St. James's. In 1937, Kennedy was prescribed steroids to control his colitis, which only increased his medical problems causing him to develop osteoporosis of the lower lumbar spine [2]. After graduating Harvard, he attended Stanford University’s business school for a few months and then traveled to South America.
In 1940, Kennedy wrote his honors thesis, entitled "Why England Slept", about the British dealings concerning the Munich Agreement. He initially intended for his thesis to be for college use only, but his father encouraged him to publish it in a book. He graduated cum laude from Harvard with a degree in international affairs in June 1940. His thesis was published in 1940 and became a bestseller. [3]
Military service
In spring 1941, Kennedy volunteered for the U.S. Army but was rejected, mainly because of his troublesome back. However, the U.S. Navy accepted him in September of that year with the influence of the director of the Office of Naval Intelligence (ONI), a former naval attaché to Ambassador Joseph Kennedy. As an ensign, he served in the office that supplied bulletins and briefing information for the Secretary of the Navy. It was during this assignment that the attack on Pearl Harbor occurred. It was also during this time that he began a romantic relationship with Inga Arvad, a suspected Nazi spy. The relationship ended, however, when Kennedy was transferred to the ONI field office in South Carolina. He attended the Naval Reserve Officers Training School and Motor Torpedo Boat Squadron Training Center before being assigned for duty in Panama and eventually the Pacific theater. He participated in various commands in the Pacific theater and earned the rank of lieutenant, commanding a patrol torpedo (PT) boat.[4]
On August 2, 1943, Kennedy's boat, the PT-109, was taking part in a nighttime military raid near New Georgia (near the Solomon Islands) when it was rammed by a Japanese destroyer. Kennedy was thrown across the deck, injuring his already-troubled back. Still, Kennedy somehow towed a wounded man three miles (5 km) in the ocean, arriving at an island where his crew was subsequently rescued. Kennedy said that he blacked out for periods of time during the ordeal. For these actions, Kennedy received the Navy and Marine Corps Medal under the following citation:
- For heroism; the rescue of 3 men following the ramming and sinking of his motor torpedo boat while attempting a torpedo attack on a Japanese destroyer in the Solomon Islands area on the night of Aug 1–2, 1943. Lt. KENNEDY, Capt. of the boat, directed the rescue of the crew and personally rescued 3 men, one of whom was seriously injured. During the following 6 days, he succeeded in getting his crew ashore, and after swimming many hours attempting to secure aid and food, finally effected the rescue of the men. His courage, endurance and excellent leadership contributed to the saving of several lives and was in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service.
Kennedy's other decorations in World War II included the Purple Heart, Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal, and the World War II Victory Medal. He was honorably discharged in early 1945, just a few months before Japan surrendered.
In May 2002, a National Geographic expedition found what is believed to be the wreckage of the PT-109 in the Solomon Islands [5].
Early political career
After World War II, Kennedy entered politics, partly to fill the void of his popular brother, Joseph P. Kennedy, Jr., on whom his family had pinned many of their hopes but who was killed in the war. In 1946, Representative James Michael Curley vacated his seat in an overwhelmingly Democratic district to become mayor of Boston, and Kennedy ran for that seat, beating his Republican opponent by a large margin. He was a congressman for 6 years but had a mixed voting record, often diverging from President Harry S. Truman and the rest of the Democratic Party. In 1952, he ran for, and won, a Senate seat for the state of Massachusetts.
Kennedy married Jacqueline Lee Bouvier on September 12, 1953. He underwent several spinal operations in the two following years, nearly dying (receiving the Catholic faith's "last rites" four times during his life), and was often absent from the Senate. During this period, he published Profiles in Courage, highlighting eight instances in which U.S. Senators risked their careers by standing by their personal beliefs. The book was awarded the 1957 Pulitzer Prize for Biography.
1960 presidential election
In 1960, Kennedy declared his intent to run for President of the United States. In the Democratic primary election, he faced challenges from Senator Hubert H. Humphrey of Minnesota, Senator Lyndon B. Johnson of Texas, and Adlai Stevenson, the Democratic nominee in 1952 and 1956, who was not officially running but was a favorite "write-in" candidate. Kennedy won key primaries like Wisconsin and West Virginia. In the latter state, Kennedy made a visit to a coal mine, and talked to the mine workers to win their support; most people in that conservative, mostly Protestant state were deeply suspicious about Kennedy being a Catholic. Kennedy emerged as a universally acceptable candidate for the party after that victory.
On July 13, 1960, the Democratic Party nominated Kennedy as its candidate for President. Kennedy asked Johnson to be his Vice-Presidential candidate, despite clashes between the two during the primary elections. He needed Johnson's strength in the South to win what was considered likely to be the closest election since 1916. Major issues included how to get the economy moving again, Kennedy's Catholicism, Cuba, and whether both the Soviet space and missile programs had surpassed those of the U.S. To allay fears that his Roman Catholicism would impact his decision-making, he said in a famous speech in Houston, Texas (to the Greater Houston Ministerial Association), on September 12, 1960, "I am not the Catholic candidate for President. I am the Democratic Party's candidate for President who also happens to be a Catholic. I do not speak for my Church on public matters—and the Church does not speak for me." [6]
In September and October, Kennedy debated Republican candidate Vice President Richard Nixon in the first televised U.S. presidential debates. During the debates, Nixon looked tense, sweaty, and unshaven compared to Kennedy's composure and handsomeness, leading many to deem Kennedy the winner, although historians consider the two evenly matched as orators. Nixon was suffering with a painful leg problem during the TV debate, and he looked uncomfortable. He also refused make-up of any kind, unlike Kennedy, who knew that image was paramount. Interestingly, many who listened on radio thought Nixon more impressive in the debate. [7] The debates are considered a political landmark: the point at which the medium of television played an important role in politics and looking presentable on camera became one of the important considerations for presidential and other political candidates.
In the election on November 8, 1960, Kennedy beat Nixon in a very close race. There were serious allegations that vote fraud in Texas and Illinois had cost Nixon the presidency[8]. There were unusually large margins in Richard Daley's Chicago — which were announced after the rest of the vote in Illinois. The only change after the official recount was a win for Kennedy in Hawaii. Nixon refused to contest the election because he thought it would put the country in danger.
Presidency
Kennedy was sworn in as the 35th President on January 20, 1961. In his inaugural address he spoke of the need for all Americans to be active citizens. "Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country", he said. He also asked the nations of the world to join together to fight what he called the "common enemies of man: tyranny, poverty, disease, and war itself." [9]
Foreign policies
On April 17, 1961, Kennedy gave orders allowing a previously planned invasion of Cuba to proceed. With support from the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), in what is known as the Bay of Pigs Invasion, 1,500 U.S.-trained Cuban exiles, called "Brigade 2506", returned to the island in the hope of deposing Fidel Castro. However, the CIA underestimated popular support for Castro and made several mistakes in devising and carrying out the plan. By April 19, Castro's government had killed or captured most of the invading exiles and Kennedy was forced to negotiate for the release of the 1,189 survivors. After 20 months, Cuba released the captured exiles in exchange for $53 million worth of food and medicine. The incident was a major embarrassment for Kennedy[citation needed], but he took full personal responsibility for the debacle.[citation needed]
On August 13, 1961, the East German government began construction of the Berlin Wall, separating East Berlin from the Western sector of the city, because of the American military presence in West Berlin. Kennedy claimed this action was in violation of the "Four Powers" agreements. Kennedy initiated no action to have it dismantled and did little to reverse or halt the eventual extension of this barrier to a length of nearly 100 miles (155 km).
The Cuban Missile Crisis began on October 14, 1962, when American U-2 spy planes took photographs of a Soviet intermediate-range ballistic missile site under construction in Cuba. Here Kennedy faced a dilemma: if the U.S. attacked the sites it might have led to nuclear war with the U.S.S.R. If the U.S. did nothing, it would endure the perpetual threat of nuclear weapons within its region—in such close proximity that if launched pre-emptively, the U.S. may have been unable to retaliate. Another fear was that the U.S. would appear to the world as weak in its own hemisphere. Many military officials and cabinet members pressed for an air assault on the missile sites, but Kennedy ordered a naval blockade in which the U.S. Navy inspected all ships. He began negotiations with the Soviets and, a week later, he and Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev reached an agreement. Khrushchev agreed to remove the missiles while the U.S. publicly promised never to invade Cuba and also secretly promised to remove U.S. ballistic missiles from Turkey within six months. Following this incident, which brought the world closer to nuclear war than at any point before or since, Kennedy was more cautious in confronting the Soviet Union. [citation needed]
Arguing that "those who make peaceful revolution impossible, make violent revolution inevitable", Kennedy sought to contain communism in Latin America by establishing the Alliance for Progress, which sent aid to troubled countries in the region and sought greater human rights standards in the region. He worked closely with Puerto Rican Governor Luis Muñoz Marín for the development of the Alliance of Progress, as well as developments on the autonomy of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.
As one of his first presidential acts, Kennedy created the Peace Corps. This was a reinforcement of his belief that non-military power could improve the world.[citation needed] Through this program, Americans volunteered to help underdeveloped nations in areas such as education, farming, health care, and construction.
Kennedy used limited military action to contain the spread of communism. Determined to stand firm against the spread of communism, Kennedy continued the previous administration's policy of political, economic, and military support for the unstable South Vietnamese government, which included sending military advisors and U.S. Special Forces to the area. U.S. involvement in the area continually escalated until regular U.S. forces were directly fighting the Vietnam War in the next administration.
On June 26, 1963, Kennedy visited West Berlin and gave a public speech criticizing communism. While Kennedy was speaking, some people on the other side of the wall in East Berlin were applauding Kennedy and showing their distaste for Soviet control. Kennedy used the construction of the Berlin Wall as an example of the failures of communism: "Freedom has many difficulties and democracy is not perfect, but we have never had to put a wall up to keep our people in." The speech is known for its famous phrase "Ich bin ein Berliner".
Troubled by the longterm dangers of radioactive contamination and nuclear weapons proliferation, Kennedy pushed for the adoption of a Limited or Partial Test Ban Treaty, which prohibited atomic testing on the ground, in the atmosphere, or underwater, but did not prohibit testing underground. The United States, the United Kingdom and the Soviet Union were the initial signatories to the treaty. Kennedy signed the treaty into law in August 1963, and he believed it was one of the greatest accomplishments of his administration.[citation needed]
On the occasion of his visit to Ireland in 1963, President Kennedy joined with Irish President Eamon de Valera to form The American Irish Foundation. The mission of this organization was to foster connections between Americans of Irish descent and the country of their ancestry. Kennedy furthered these connections of cultural solidarity by accepting a grant of armorial bearings from the Chief Herald of Ireland.
He also visited the original cottage where previous Kennedys had lived before emigrating to America, and said, "This is where it all began..."
Domestic policies
Kennedy used the term "New Frontier" as a label for his domestic program. It ambitiously promised federal funding for education, medical care for the elderly, and government intervention to halt the recession. Kennedy also promised an end to racial discrimination.
In 1963, Kennedy proposed a tax reform that included income tax cuts, but this was not passed by the Congress until 1964, after his death. It is one of the largest tax cuts in modern U.S. history, even surpassing the Reagan tax cut of 1981.
Civil rights
The turbulent end of state-sanctioned racial discrimination was one of the most pressing domestic issues of Kennedy's era. The U.S. Supreme Court had ruled in 1954 that racial segregation in public schools would no longer be permitted. However, there were many schools, especially in southern states, that did not obey this decision. There also remained the practice of segregation on buses, in restaurants, movie theaters, and other public places.
Kennedy started his fight for civil rights when he appealed to black voters during his campaign in 1960. Kennedy supported racial integration and civil rights, and during the 1960 campaign he telephoned Coretta Scott King; wife of the jailed Reverend Martin Luther King Jr., which drew much black support to his candidacy.
In 1962, James Meredith tried to enroll at the University of Mississippi, but he was prevented from doing so by white students. Kennedy responded by sending some 400 federal marshals and 3,000 troops to ensure that Meredith could enroll in his first class. Kennedy also assigned federal marshals to protect Freedom Riders.
Thousands of Americans of all races and backgrounds joined Kennedy in protesting against racial discrimination. However, as President, Kennedy initially believed the grassroots movement for civil rights would only anger many Southern whites and make it even more difficult to pass civil rights laws through Congress, which was dominated by Southern Democrats, and he distanced himself from it. As a result, many civil rights leaders viewed Kennedy as unsupportive of their efforts.
On June 11, President Kennedy intervened when Alabama Governor George Wallace blocked the doorway to the University of Alabama to stop two black students, Vivian Malone and James Hood, from enrolling. George Wallace moved aside after being confronted by federal marshals, Deputy Attorney General Nicholas Katzenbach, and the Alabama National Guard. That evening Kennedy gave his famous civil rights address on national television and radio. [10] Kennedy proposed what would become the Civil Rights Act of 1964. [11] [12]
Space program
Kennedy was eager for the United States to lead the way in the space race. Sergei Krushchev says JFK approached his father twice about a "joint venture" in space exploration—in June 1961 and Autumn 1963. On the first occasion, Russia was far ahead of America in terms of space technology. JFK later made a speech at Rice University in September 1962, in which he said, "No nation which expects to be the leader of other nations can expect to stay behind in this race for space" and, "We choose to go to the moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard."[13]. On the second approach to Krushchev, the Russian was persuaded that cost-sharing was beneficial and American space technology was forging ahead. The U.S. had launched a geo-stationary satellite and Kennedy had asked Congress to approve more than $22 billion for the Apollo Project, which had the goal of landing an American man on the moon before the end of the decade. Krushchev agreed to a joint venture in Autumn 1963, but JFK died in November before the agreement could be formalized. In 1969, six years after Kennedy's death, the Project Apollo goal was finally realized when Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin became the first men to land on the moon.
Cabinet
| OFFICE | NAME | TERM |
| President | John F. Kennedy | 1961–1963 |
| Vice President | Lyndon B. Johnson | 1961–1963 |
| State | Dean Rusk | 1961–1963 |
| Treasury | C. Douglas Dillon | 1961–1963 |
| Defense | Robert S. McNamara | 1961–1963 |
| Justice | Robert F. Kennedy | 1961–1963 |
| Postmaster General | J. Edward Day | 1961–1963 |
| John A. Gronouski | 1963 | |
| Interior | Stewart L. Udall | 1961–1963 |
| Agriculture | Orville L. Freeman | 1961–1963 |
| Commerce | Luther H. Hodges | 1961–1963 |
| Labor | Arthur J. Goldberg | 1961–1962 |
| W. Willard Wirtz | 1962–1963 | |
| HEW | Abraham A. Ribicoff | 1961–1962 |
| Anthony J. Celebrezze | 1962–1963 | |
Supreme Court appointments
Kennedy appointed the following Justices to the Supreme Court of the United States:
Image, social life and family
Kennedy and his wife "Jackie" were very young in comparison to earlier Presidents and first ladies, and were both extraordinarily popular in ways more common to pop singers and movie stars than politicians, influencing fashion trends and becoming the subjects of numerous photo spreads in popular magazines.
The Kennedys brought new life and vigour to the atmosphere of the White House.{{fact} They believed that the White House should be a place to celebrate American history, culture, and achievement, and they invited artists, writers, scientists, poets, musicians, actors, Nobel Prize winners and athletes to visit.[citation needed] Jacqueline Kennedy also bought new art and furniture and eventually restored all the rooms in the White House.
The White House also seemed like a more fun, youthful place, because of the Kennedys' two young children, Caroline and John Jr. (who came to be known in the popular press as "John-John" though years later Jacqueline Kennedy denied that the family called him by that name).[citation needed] Outside the White House lawn, the Kennedy's established a preschool, swimming pool, and tree house. Jackie did not like the children to be photographed too much, so when she was away, Kennedy asked a photographer to come and photograph the kids in the Oval Office. Apparently, he said, "Jackie's not here, so you´d better come over right away."[citation needed] The resulting photos are probably the most famous of the children, and especially John Jr. in particular, after he was photographed playing underneath the President´s desk.
The President was closely tied to popular culture. Things such as "Twisting at the White House" and "Camelot" (the popular Broadway play) were part of the JFK culture. Vaughn Meader's "First Family" comedy album—an album parodying the President, First Lady, their family and administration—sold about 4 million copies.
Behind the glamorous facade, the Kennedy's also suffered many personal tragedies. Jacqueline suffered a miscarriage in 1955 and gave birth to a stillborn daughter in 1956. Although the daughter was unnamed, later reports indicated that the Kennedys had intended to call her Arabella. She is buried at Arlington National Cemetery next to her parents with a marker reading "Daughter". The death of their newborn son in August 1963, Patrick Bouvier Kennedy, was a great loss.
The charisma of Kennedy and his family led to the figurative designation of "Camelot" for his administration, credited by his widow to his affection for the contemporary Broadway musical of the same name. She gave an interview to William Manchester where she mentioned Camelot (the musical), and Manchester later said that he had "found the headline".
Assassination
President Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas, Texas, at 12:30 p.m. CST on Friday, November 22, 1963, while on a political trip through Texas. Lee Harvey Oswald was charged at 7:00 p.m. for killing a Dallas policeman by "murder with malice", and he was also charged at 11:30 p.m. for the murder of the President (there was no charge for the "assassination" of a President at that time). Oswald was fatally shot less than two days later in a Dallas police station by Jack Ruby. Texas Governor John Conally survived the bullet he received. Five days after Oswald was killed, President Lyndon B. Johnson, created the Warren Commission—chaired by Chief Justice Earl Warren—to investigate the assassination. It concluded that Oswald was the lone assassin. A later investigation in the 1970s by the House Select Committee on Assassinations (HSCA) also concluded that Oswald was the assassin. However it added that it was likely that he was part of a conspiracy to kill the President, and that it was likely one additional shot (that missed) was fired from another location. The HSCA did not find sufficient evidence to identify any other members of a conspiracy.
Historians have proposed several Kennedy assassination theories which contradict the various theories that have been proposed by the American government's official reports. There is no consensus among investigations carried out by the American government on the number of bullets fired at the President, the direction from which all the bullets were fired, and which of the bullets struck the President, and Governor John Connally, who was wounded in the attack.
Oswald denied shooting anyone, and he claimed that he was being set up as a "patsy". He claimed the photograph of him holding the alleged murder weapon was a fabrication. However, because of his own murder, Oswald's guilt or innocence was never determined in a court of law. Some critics contend that Oswald was not involved at all and that he was framed.
Among the supposed conspirators in the assassination are the CIA, the mafia, the KGB, Fidel Castro, Vice-President Lyndon B. Johnson, and the military-industrial complex. These conspiracy theories were first brought to public attention when New Orleans District Attorney Jim Garrison began an investigation into the murder and brought the only trial regarding the murder of John Kennedy.
Legacy and memorials
Television became the primary source by which people were kept informed of events surrounding John F. Kennedy's assassination. Newspapers were kept as souvenirs rather than sources of updated information. U.S. networks switched to 24-hour news coverage for the first time ever. Kennedy’s state funeral procession and the murder of Lee Harvey Oswald were all broadcast live in America and in other places around the world.
The assassination had an impact on nearly every American (not only in the U.S., but also the world population); many vividly remember where they were when first learning of the news that Kennedy was assassinated. U.N. Ambassador Adlai Stevenson said of the assassination that, "all of us...will bear the grief of his death until the day of ours."
Ultimately the death of President Kennedy and the ensuing confusion surrounding the facts of his assassination are of political and historical importance insofar as they marked a decline in the faith of the American people in the political establishment — a point made by commentators from Gore Vidal to Arthur Schlesinger, Jr.
Coupled with the murder of his own brother, Senator Robert F. Kennedy, and that of Martin Luther King, Jr. the five tumultous years from 1963 to 1968 signalled a growing disillusionment within the well of hope for political / social change that so defined the lives of those who lived through the decade of the 1960's. The Watergate scandal of President Richard Nixon's adminstration is widely recognised as being the final stroke in this process of diminishing trust in government.
On March 14, 1967, Kennedy's body was moved to a permanent burial place and memorial at Arlington National Cemetery. Kennedy is buried with his wife and their deceased children, and his brother Robert is also buried nearby. His grave is lit with an "Eternal Flame." Kennedy and William Howard Taft are the only two U.S. Presidents buried at Arlington.
Many of Kennedy's speeches (and especially his inaugural address) are considered iconic, and despite his relatively short term in office and lack of major legislative changes during his term, Americans regularly vote him as one of the best Presidents, in the same league as Abraham Lincoln, George Washington and Franklin D. Roosevelt. Some excerpts of Kennedy's inaugural address are engraved on a plaque at his grave at Arlington.
Memorials
Kennedy's legacy has been memorialized in various aspects of American culture. To name a few:
- New York International Airport was renamed John F. Kennedy International Airport on December 24, 1963. Short forms of this, particularly "JFK", have replaced its former commonly used nickname "Idlewild".
- NASA's Launch Operations Center at Cape Canaveral was renamed the John F. Kennedy Space Center. Cape Canaveral itself was likewise renamed Cape Kennedy, but reverted to its original name in 1973.
- The U.S. Navy aircraft carrier USS John F. Kennedy was named on April 30, 1964.
- The John F. Kennedy Presidential Library opened in 1979 as Kennedy's official presidential library.
- John F. Kennedy University opened in Pleasant Hill, California, in 1964 as a school for adult education.
- The John F. Kennedy National Historic Site preserves his home in Brookline, Massachusetts.
- The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts opened in 1971 in Washington, D.C., as a living memorial to him.
- A new, unnamed bridge spanning the Ohio River between Louisville, Kentucky, and Jeffersonville, Indiana, completed four days ahead of Kennedy's assassination, was afterwards quickly named the John F. Kennedy Memorial Bridge.
Hundreds of schools across the U.S were also renamed in his honor.
Posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1963, Kennedy's portrait now appears on the United States half dollar coin.
Criticism
Kennedy is among the most popular former Presidents of the United States; however, a number of critics argue that his reputation is undeserved. Although he was young and charismatic, he had little chance to achieve much of his vision during his presidency. Under this reasoning, his immense popularity was the result of the optimistic beginnings of many programs declared to be of great benefit to the United States, its people, and various global issues. The Civil Rights Act that he sent to Congress in June 1963 was, at least in part, conceived by his brother and Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy, and it was signed into law by his successor, Lyndon Johnson, in 1964.
It is suggested by Kennedy's critics that his failure to disclose the severity of his health concerns represented something of a failure of professional integrity; he was treated privately for Addison's disease. Kennedy was also known to have had a long history of extramarital affairs; there exists rumour of an involvement with Marilyn Monroe.
Seymour Hersh's The Dark Side of Camelot (1998) presents one such critical analysis of the Kennedy administration, stating that Kennedy "was probably one of the unhealthiest men ever to sit in the Oval Office," because of Addison's Disease (though neglecting to mention this was controlled by Cortisol), a bad back, as well as recurring childhood illnesses & infections. Robert Dallek's An Unfinished Life (2003) is a more traditional biography but contains a lot of detail about Kennedy's health issues. Thomas Reeves' A Question of Character: A Life of John F. Kennedy is a sharply critical research text for Kennedy´s "revisionism." Noam Chomsky, in his book Rethinking Camelot: JFK, the Vietnam War, and US Political Culture (1993), presents a thesis on the Kennedy administration in opposition to the one that lingers in the memory of many Americans.
(Source:http://www.opinionjournal.com/columnists/rbartley/?id=85000640)
Trivia
- Kennedy was the only Roman Catholic to serve as President
- He was a Fourth Degree Knight of Columbus.
- Kennedy was the last President to die while still in office, the last Democrat from the North to be elected, and the last to be elected while serving in the U.S. Senate.
- Kennedy was the first 20th-century born U.S. president (He was the person born in the 20th century to serve as U.S. president. However, LBJ was the first American President to born in the 20th century (chronologically))
- In 1963, Rangers FC fans, who are known for their anti-Catholic antics, jeered during a moment of silence for assassinated President Kennedy because he was a Roman Catholic.
- Kennedy and his assassination were both mentioned in Billy Joel's history themed song "We Didn't Start the Fire" ("Kennedy" and "JFK, blown away").
- One of JFK's favorite books was Ian Fleming's From Russia With Love. This helped increase the popularity of James Bond.
- Kennedy and President George Walker Bush were the only U.S. Presidents to have both of their parents in attendance for their inaugurations.
- Kennedy was a collector of scrimshaw carvings, the bone carvings made by sailors from whale bones and the bones of other marine mammals.
Kennedy in the movies
- PT 109 (1963): played by Cliff Robertson
- The Missiles of October (1974, TV): played by William Devane
- The Private Files of J. Edgar Hoover (1977): played by William Jordan
- Johnny, We Hardly Knew Ye (1977, TV): played by Paul Rudd
- Young Joe, the Forgotten Kennedy (1977, TV): played by Sam Chew Jr.
- King (1978, TV): played by William Jordan
- Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy (1981, TV): played by James Franciscus
- Blood Feud (1983, TV): played by Sam Groom
- Kennedy (1983, TV): played by Martin Sheen
- Prince Jack (1985): played by Robert Hogan
- Robert Kennedy & His Times (1985, TV): played by Cliff De Young
- J. Edgar Hoover (1987, TV): played by Art Hindle
- LBJ: The Early Years (1987, TV): played by Charles Frank
- Onassis: The Richest Man in the World (1988, TV): played by David Gillum
- The Kennedys of Massachusetts (1990, TV): played by Steven Weber
- JFK (1991): Film about the assassination; Kennedy played by Steve Reed
- Malcolm X (1992): played by Steve Reed
- Ruby (1992): played by Gérard David and Kevin Wiggins
- Sinatra (1992, TV): played by James F. Kelly
- J.F.K.: Reckless Youth (1993, TV): played by Patrick Dempsey
- Forrest Gump (1994): played by Jed Gillin
- Norma Jean & Marilyn (1996, TV): played by Perry Stephens
- The Rat Pack (1998, TV): played by William L. Petersen
- Bonanno: A Godfather's Story (1999, TV): played by Matt Norklun
- Thirteen Days (2000): played by Bruce Greenwood
- Jackie Bouvier Kennedy Onassis (2000, TV): played by Tim Matheson, who at the time was also playing a fictional vice-president on the series The West Wing.
- Jackie, Ethel, Joan: The Women of Camelot (2001, TV): played by Daniel Hugh Kelly
- Bubba Ho-Tep (2002): played by Ossie Davis
- Power and Beauty (2002, TV): played by Kevin Anderson
- RFK (2002, TV): played by Martin Donovan
- America's Prince: The John F. Kennedy Jr. Story (2003, TV): played by Randy Triggs
See also
- John F. Kennedy assassination
- Kennedy assassination theories
- State funeral of John F. Kennedy
- Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis
- John F. Kennedy, Jr.
- Robert F. Kennedy assassination
- Kennedy Compound
- John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts
- John Fitzgerald Kennedy Library in Boston, Massachusetts
- U.S. presidential election, 1960
- History of the United States (1945–1964)
- Jesuit Ivy
- Peace Corps
- John F. Kennedy Eternal Flame
- John F. Kennedy Memorial at Runnymede, England
- Kennedy Memorial Trust
- Five cents John Kennedy, postage stamp
- Whiz Kids
- Evelyn Lincoln, personal secretary to the President
- Kennedy Doctrine
- Lincoln/Kennedy Coincidences
- Coincidence theory
- Kennedy curse
- "Senator, you are no Jack Kennedy"
- List of people on stamps of Ireland
References
Secondary sources
- Brauer, Carl. John F. Kennedy and the Second Reconstruction (1977)
- Burner, David. John F. Kennedy and a New Generation (1988)
- Dallek, Robert (2003). An Unfinished Life : John F. Kennedy, 1917 - 1963. Brown, Little. ISBN 0316172383.
- Freedman, Lawrence. Kennedy's Wars: Berlin, Cuba, Laos, and Vietnam (2000)
- Fursenko, Aleksandr and Timothy Naftali. One Hell of a Gamble: Khrushchev, Castro, and Kennedy, 1958–1964 (1997)
- Giglio, James. The Presidency of John F. Kennedy (1991), standard scholarly overview of policies
- Harper, Paul, and Joann P. Krieg eds. John F. Kennedy: The Promise Revisited (1988) scholarly articles on presidency.
- Harris, Seymour E. The Economics of the Political Parties, with Special Attention to Presidents Eisenhower and Kennedy (1962)
- Hersh, Seymour (1997) The Dark Side of Camelot Highly negative assessment
- Heath, Jim F. Decade of Disillusionment: The Kennedy–Johnson Years (1976) general survey of decade
- Kunz; Diane B. The Diplomacy of the Crucial Decade: American Foreign Relations during the 1960s (1994)
- O'Brien, Michael. John F. Kennedy: A Biography (2005), the most detailed biography
- Parmet, Herbert. JFK: The Presidency of John F. Kennedy (1983)
- Piper, Michael Collins. " Final Judgment" 2004 (sixth edition). American Free Press.
- Reeves, Richard. President Kennedy: Profile of Power (1993) balanced assessment of policies
- Reeves, Thomas. A Question of Character: A Life of John F. Kennedy (1991) hostile assessment of his character flaws
- Schlesinger, Arthur, Jr. A Thousand Days: John F. Kennedy in the White House (1965) by a close advisor.
- Sorenson, Theodore. Kennedy (1966) by a close advisor.
Primary sources
- Goldzwig, Steven R. and George N. Dionisopoulos, eds. In a Perilous Hour: The Public Address of John F. Kennedy, text and analysis of key speeches (1995)
Media
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External links
- John F. Kennedy Library
- The White House Biography
- JFK at the Avalon Project
- JFK's Secret White House Recordings @ University of Virginia's Miller Center of Public Affairs
- Armigerous American Presidents Series
- The JFK Years And Popular Culture
- Audio clips of Kennedy's speeches and other commentary
- JFK Reloaded - Recreate the assassination of JFK
- Assassination of President Kennedy Encyclopaedia
- McAdams website about JFK
- article: Facts and Fiction in the Kennedy Assassination
- John F. Kennedy in United States Census Records
- Medical and Health history of John F. Kennedy
- Works by John F. Kennedy at Project Gutenberg
- St. John the Liberal?
- Biographical Directory of the U.S. Congress
- Gretchen Rubin radio interview. November 4, 2005 on Up To Date.
- See John F. Kennedy's inaugural address from the National Archives.
- [14] Presidents of the United States
- Archive.org collection of audio recordings.
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