John Fitzgerald Kennedy
John F. Kennedy ( JFK ) was known throughout the world for
his heroic deeds. He has helped many Americans many different
ways from saving a mans life and keeping him from drowning, to
helping African Americans. He had come from a very political
family, and knowing that he felt that he had to carry on the tradition
of that after his brother Joe had past away. John Fitzgerald Kennedy was born in Brookline, Massachusetts
on May 29, 1917, the second oldest in a family of nine children.Although their families had not come to the United States with much
money, both of John Kennedy’s grandfathers became political leaders
in Boston. One of them, John Fitzgerald (for whom he was named),
was elected mayor in 1905. John Kennedy’s father, Joseph Patrick
Kennedy became a very wealthy businessman, an adviser to
President Franklin D. Roosevelt, and the United States Ambassador
to Great Britain from 1938 to 1940. John Kennedy (his family called
him “Jack”) moved to New York when he was ten years old. Since the
family spent the summer months at their home in Hyannis, Cape
Cod, Jack still lived a good part of his life in Massachusetts. As a boy
and a young man, he traveled to other parts of the United States and
to other countries. After graduating from the Choate School in
Connecticut in 1935, he went on to Harvard College and graduated in
1940. That same year he wrote a best-selling book, Why England Slept,
about some of the decisions which led to World War II.
Kennedy described himself as “ an idealist without illusion “.He considered his best quality to be curiosity, and he worst
irritability. Kennedy’s charm, grace, and wit were to a great extent
responsible for his immense popularity as president. He remained a
bit detached from things in order to counter his extremely sensitive
side, for the most part he controlled his temper. Kennedy met his future wife at a dinner party in
Washington, D.C. Jacqueline Lee Bouvier was the daughter of a
wealthy Wall Street broker, John V. Bouvier III. She had attended
Vassar College and the Sorbonne in Paris. When she met Kennedy,
she was a student at George Washington University in Washington.
Later, she worked as an…
…uals, like the African
Americans. He treated people equally, no matter who they
were or what color there skin was. As the years have gone by and other Presidents have written
their chapters in history, John Kennedy’s brief time in office stands
out in people’s memories–for his leadership, personality, and
accomplishments. Many respect his coolness when faced with
difficult decisions–like what to do about the missiles in Cuba. Others
admire his ability to inspire people with his eloquent speeches. Still
others think his compassion and his willingness to fight for new
government programs to help the poor, the elderly and the ill were
most important. Like all leaders, John Kennedy made mistakes, but
he was always optimistic about the future. He believed that people
could solve their common problems if they put their country’s
interests first and worked together.
Bibliography
Michael D. Cole John Kennedy President of New Frontier Springfield,1996
Andrew Langley John F. Kennedy New York, 1985
Zachary Kent Encyclopedia of Presidents John F. Kennedy Chicago,
1987
Scott Fetzer Company The World Book Encyclopedia Chicago,
London, Sydney Toronto, 1992