Biography of John F. Kennedy

A young boy, just breaking into his adolescence, at Choate boarding school was living in the shadow of his older brother. Unlike his older sibling he had no spectacular athletic talent and was often plagued with many different illnesses. The fact that his grades stuck strictly in the average margin only cast the shade further over him. It also didn’t help the young boys case that he defied authority on campus on a regular basis. One day while sitting in chapel, he took comments about the undisciplined boys on campus, branded “muckers”, as a personal challenge and created a crew of “miscreants” and dubbed the clique “The Muckers Club”. Ultimately, as a result of his leader status in the group his father was summoned to speak with the headmaster directly. It may seem hard to believe but this young boy would become one of the most memorable and effective president’s in American history. John F. Kennedy would grow to posses an arsenal of leadership qualities that was wide in scope and used with the precision of clockwork. Jack, as he is also called, exhibited theses attributes simultaneously during his presidency in his speeches as well as dealing with foreign affairs, and through actions in and out of office.

The inaugural address is the first speech Americans hear from their newly elected President. Kennedy was a man of personal pride so he took much time to prepare for speeches. Between the election and his inauguration Kennedy worked side-by-side with his closest advisor and speechwriter Theodore Sorenson. While most presidents did not write their own speeches, especially during his time, Kennedy saw the advantages to preparing for his speeches to make them more effective.

“Let the word go forth from this time and place, to friend and foe alike, that the torch has been passed to a new generation of Americans—born in this century, tempered by war, disciplined by a hard and bitter peace, proud of our ancient heritage—and unwilling to witness or permit the slow undoing of those human rights to which this Nation has always been committed, and to which we are committed today at home and around the world.

Let every nation know, whether it wishes us well or ill, that we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe, in order to assure the survival and the success of liberty.