John F. Kennedy

When discussing former Presidents of the United States and the topic of greatness, there should not be a single breath wasted before the name Kennedy name is mentioned, for John F. Kennedy was a man of greatness. A man should be judged not by where he is, but by where he’s been. That is to say, what a man has done to achieve his status should be celebrated more than the status itself. Kennedy was born into a rich family, raised in a comfortable environment, and schooled by only the best of educators. He served his country in the Navy, and represented his country with honor whenever he left the United States. John F. Kennedy, the 35th president of the United States, was a great president because of his education and numerous experiences in life, his charm and charisma, and his strong family background.

The first years in the life of a young person can be quite overwhelming. Nothing was special or different for future president John F. Kennedy. He faced trying times in his younger days, most notably the ones before graduating from Harvard University. His time there will be remembered fondly, although some experiences he had are none too fond of memories. His first year of school was almost deadly; John fell ill with jaundice, and had to withdraw from school for a year to rehabilitate. Harvard was never John’s first choice; he attended Princeton the first few months of his academic life. But once he fell ill with the jaundice, he never returned. After recuperating from his illness, his first year at Harvard was almost another disaster. John’s grades were poor; he didn’t make any varsity athletic teams; he received only a few votes in the running for freshman class president. John’s first year was one that would send many a rich boy running home to his parents. But John was resilient, and refused to let up, although his second year was barely any better. His grades didn’t improve, and he lost once again in the race for class president, and still failed to make any varsity sporting teams. But the one bright spot in his entire second year came at the end: on the day of his older brother’s graduation. John was now able to live free from his brother, to be known as more than Joe Kennedy’s younger brother. In his junior year, John became more and more involved. He joined a club known as “Hasty Pudding.” He was participating in sporting activities, although none were varsity sports. His grades began to improve, and he was taking the mold of a true student. The transformation was now complete: John F. Kennedy had become an all-around good student in the three years he had spent at Harvard. In the late spring of his junior year, John took a leave of absence from his education to travel Europe, another experience that would mold a young future president. After having experienced Europe firsthand, he returned to Harvard prepared to work hard and close the book on his college life. He was making B grades in his government and economics courses and had become eligible for a degree in political science. Kennedy was well on his way. He graduated in 1940 with honors in political science. His father was unable to make it to his commencement, but he sent him a letter. In it, it read: “Two things I always knew about you. One, that you are smart; two, that you are a swell guy.”

A man’s life can based on what he learns, be it through study or simply through his own experiences. In fact, John F. Kennedy spent his time abroad listening, learning, and observing everything in order to acquire the political knowledge necessary to be on the same level as his father, as well as his brother Joe. Part of his time spent in Europe was in London at the U.S. Embassy, where his father was an ambassador. The rest was in Paris, at the U.S. Embassy, under the watchful eye of William C. Bullitt, an acquaintance of John’s father. After his time in both Paris and London, John then went wild on the continent of Europe. He visited places like Danzig, Poland, Warsaw, Poland and Riga, Latvia. On he went to Leningrad, Russia and Palestine, from the Balkans to Berlin, and then to Paris. Kennedy’s time abroad was critical in shaping him, molding him to be a well-rounded person who can see the world from different perspectives. The world would soon come to know the name John F. Kennedy.

This is a preview of the whole essay

During a period in his life, John F. Kennedy was in the United States Naval Forces. The time he spent there was critical in shaping the person he would soon become as president of the United States. Much of his time in the Navy has undoubtably influenced him in a positive way, but one incident stands out among the rest, during the second World War. It was on the night of August 2, 1943 that Lieutenant John F. Kennedy and his crew of twelve were aboard PT. 109 in the Solomon Islands, east of New Guinea. The small PT. boat was spotted in the dead of night by a Japanese destroyer, who rammed the boat, splitting it in half. Fire. Wreckage. But fortunately, only two deaths. The rest of the crew survived the attack, and John F. Kennedy’s back was badly injured. Regardless, he gathered all of the survivors together, and they swam to the nearby wreckage. All around them were Japanese Islands, so they were not able to swim to any of them. They decided to swim to what seemed to be a deserted island some three miles away. One man was unable to swim; Kennedy towed him by a life belt in his mouth. For days, the men swam from island to island, hoping to spot an American ship to rescue them. One day, the men met up with some natives on an island. They had a canoe, and Kennedy carved some words onto a cocoanut shell, and handed it to one of the natives, in hope that somehow it would reach someone who could help them. Inside it read: “NAURO ISL COMMANDER . . . NATIVE KNOWS POS’IT . . . HE CAN PILOT . . . 11 ALIVE . . . NEED SMALL BOAT . . . KENNEDY.” That note saved their lives, because the next day two natives returned with a message, and it wasn’t long before the men were all back to civilization. “Kennedy survived, and because of his heroism he saved the lives of his crew.” Kennedy himself is very proud of his time spent in the Navy. "I can imagine a no more rewarding career. And any man who may be asked in this century what he did to make his life worthwhile, I think can respond with a good deal of pride and satisfaction: 'I served in the United States Navy."

John F. Kennedy was one to spend much of his time going out on dates during his time in Washington. When he was elected to congress, he moved into a city where there are many women, “because the large number of women employed in government offices creates an imbalance between the sexes.” John was quite popular with the ladies, and he went on frequent dates, often doubling with his friend George Smathers of Washington, another bachelor from the House of Representatives. He went on frequent dates, and often with different girls each time. John was a very handsome man, and he was quite popular with the ladies, and not just the young ladies either. John was adored by all kinds of women, young and old. And as a president, nothing would change. He had the charm, and the good looks to match. Without question, people would rather look at a handsome man rather than a man who lacks the many handsome features possessed by John F. Kennedy. The athletic physique; the strong jawbone; his boyish smile; his clean-cut image; the fact that he was young, only forty-three when he was elected president helped too. John F. Kennedy was a very attractive man. It helped him throughout his presidency, seeing as how few presidents possessed the good looks that he did.

During the 1950s, the world was changing, and America was leading the way. The second World War had come to an end, and countries around the world were ready to start anew. America was ready to assume the role as the most powerful country in the world, as its ways began to change as well as its attitudes. Women were entering the work force in full force, families were moving from the cities into the suburbs, men were working nine to five, while their wives were taking care of the children and their home. Yes, the country was changing, and so were the attitudes of Americans. They were in need of a new man as their head of state. They were in need of some fresh, new ideas and some new blood. The man to do the job was John F. Kennedy. Kennedy came in and changed the way a man presides over a country. Kennedy won the presidency by the most narrow of margins-one tenth of 1 percent. He was the first Catholic president in the history of the United States. He was the youngest man ever elected to the presidency. The 35th, first Catholic, president ended his inaugural address on January 20 in 1961 with the following words: "My fellow citizens of the world: ask not what America will do for you, but what together we can do for the freedom of man.” Kennedy was looking for change, to shake things up. During his inauguration, he said: “Those nations who would make themselves our adversary, let us begin anew the quest for peace.” He provided the outlook of America necessary for it to become the nation it could one day become. An elder statesman could arguably have done a better job as president, but who’s to argue? The simple fact that John F. Kennedy was a young man with a fresh, new perspective on America could stand as a reason to elect him as president.

Family is arguably the most important factor in shaping a person. For John F. Kennedy, it was a very important part of his rise to the presidency. If not for his family, there would likely never have been a president Kennedy. His family was tight-knit, a group who stuck together and supported each other through good times and bad. Born and raised in East Boston, Joseph Kennedy, John’s father, was a successful bank manager by the age of 25. Banking led to other profitable ventures, like working with the stock market, real estate, and the infant movie business. Soon, Joseph Kennedy had built himself a $500 million fortune. He provided for his children’s future, no matter what they chose to go into. He became an American ambassador to Great Britain as well. John’s older brother, Joe Kennedy Jr., also possessed a great deal of influence in John’s life. Joe Jr. was always doing one better than John; Joe was older by 22 months; he was taller, was better in school, more charismatic, a better athlete. Joe was always accomplishing more than John was, no matter what the endeavour. And John always tried to better himself to keep up with Joe. A concrete example of the competition between the two would be when John chose Princeton over Harvard. It was widely known by his family and those close to him that he wanted to avoid direct competition with his older brother. But, in the end, John found himself graduating from Harvard in 1940, soon after Joe in1938. Joe talked openly about one day becoming president. It was assumed that Joe was the politician in the family, and that he truly would become president sometime down the road. Joe was outspoken; John was shy. Joe enjoyed shaking hands; John hated it. Joe was the family politician by nature; John had to become the family politician by nurture. John would have to assume that role; Joe was killed during the second world war during air combat. John then became the family politician. John explained why he entered politics soon after his brothers death. “Just as I went into politics because Joe dies, if anything happened to me tomorrow, my brother Bobby would run for my seat in the Senate. And if Bobby died, Teddy would take over for him.” So John took over for Joe, and John ran for president of the United States, just like Joe Jr. said he would do one day.

John F. Kennedy’s run for the presidency in 1960 was nothing short of challenging. Everything that had to be done for him to achieve the presidency was done; the money was there, many public rallies were held, his parents did everything they could to ensure his victory, his image was polished, his wife was willing to accept the campaign and everything that comes along with it, and much more. In 1960, John said he wanted to be President simply because “That is the center of action, the mainspring, the wellspring of the American system.” John campaigned all across America for the race in 1960, and his opponent, a young Richard Nixon, was not one who would settle for second place. There was going to be a battle, no doubt about it. Either Kennedy or Nixon would come out as president; the other would go home and hope for another chance. Kennedy said many things about Richard Nixon. For instance, Kennedy once referred to him as “mentally unsound.” Another time he said that Nixon was “sick, sick, sick.” And one remark that really says something is when he commented on the person that is Richard Nixon. He said “Anyone who cannot beat Nixon doesn’t deserve to be President.” Richard Nixon had been Vice President already, already giving him the upper hand on Kennedy. But Kennedy was prepared, and it showed. During television debates, Kennedy had the upper hand, looking vibrant and confident, whereas Nixon seemed uneasy and lacked interest. Kennedy promised tougher defense policies and progressive health, housing, and civil rights programs. His New Frontier, he pledged, would bring the nation out of its economic slump. During his campaign of 1960, Kennedy averaged about four hours of sleep a night. It was a grueling time, but Kennedy came out on top by the slimmest margin for President. Kennedy won by a margin of 2/10 of 1 percent with 49.75 percent of the votes. Nixon receives 49.55 percent. It was now time for John F. Kennedy to assume the role his family name was destined to be associated with. It was John’s time as President of the United States.

America did not know it was involved in a crisis for a while during Kennedy’s term in office. The Cuban Missile Crisis was potentially a nuclear war if it had been handled with less care than Kennedy took with it. In October 1962, an American spy plane secretly flew over Cuba and took photos of several military construction sites. The photos showed that the Soviets were building nuclear missile launchers in Cuba. Cuba's communist government, led by Fidel Castro, was very friendly with the Soviet Union. President Kennedy faced a very difficult decision. Should he ignore the missiles even though they were very close to the United States? Should he use force to remove the missiles--even at the risk of starting a nuclear war? Because he did not want to let Cuba and the Soviet Union know that he knew about the missiles, Kennedy met in secret with his advisers for several days to discuss the problem. After many long and difficult meetings, he decided to place a naval blockade around Cuba to prevent the Soviets from bringing in more military supplies. Several days later, Khrushchev, the Soviet leader, agreed to remove the missiles and bring them back to the Soviet Union. In exchange, the United States promised not to invade Cuba. The Cuban missile crisis had nearly caused a nuclear war. Many people around the world were impressed with John Kennedy's leadership during these tense thirteen days. The one in the world had any idea what was going on in the War Room at the time but Kennedy’s closest advisors and military personnel. But, “More and more government officials were brought into the discussions, and finally word began to seep through to the press that a serious crisis was imminent.”His brother Robert, a former Senator, later wrote a book recounting the events and describing Kennedy’s ability to make wise, intelligent decisions during the time of crisis. Kennedy remained poised throughout; he never lost confidence in himself or his decisions.

John F. Kennedy was ready. Every day of his life he had been living to the fullest, expecting to die one day. His oldest brother had died young, and so had his sister, Kick. John knew how precious life was, and not for one minute did he believe he could escape it. Barely through one thousand days in office, John F. Kennedy was assassinated. On November 22, 1963 in Dallas, Texas, Lee Harvey Oswald shot President Kennedy as he was being chauffeured through uptown Dallas, along with his wife Jacqueline and Vice President Lyndon Johnson and Mrs. Johnson, as well as Senator Ralph Yarborough. The nation mourned for days. Kennedy was the fourth President to be assassinated in American history. An investigation was held, and it was determined that Oswald acted alone in assassinating the President. And still, the nation mourned. He was a great man, and he will not soon be forgotten, even today. Kennedy and his legacy live on.

John F. Kennedy, the 35th president of the United States, was a great president because of his education and numerous experiences in life, his charm and charisma, and his strong family background. Great men are remembered long after they pass on. The 35th president of the United States was a man of greatness. Kennedy was a perfect fit for America at the time, and his death could not have been any more tragic, demonstrating how important he really was. If it wasn’t for Kennedy, who knows what sort of state America would be in today? The issue is worth debating, but one issue that is not up for debate is how important a man John F. Kennedy was to the United States of America.

Bibliography

Bikker, Barbera & George M. Welling. “Bio John F. Kennedy”, June 9th, 1997, Vakgroep AlfaInformatica, February 28th, 2001 <http://www.let.rug.nl/~usa/P/jfk35/about/ bio/jfkbio.htm>

Bradley, Benjamin C.. “Conversations With Kennedy”. New York, NY: Pocket Books, May, 1976

Carr, William H.A.. “JFK: A Complete Biography”. New York, NY: Lancer Books, 1964

Kennedy, Robert F.. “Thirteen Days”. New York, NY: W.W. Norton & Company, 1969

Kunhardt, Philip Jr.. “Life In Camelot”. Toronto: Little, Brown and Company, Date Not Given

Shea, Ellen. “Biography of John F. Kennedy for Young People”, May 2nd, 1996, John F. Kennedy Library, February 28th, 2001

<http://www.nara.gov>

Sorensen, Theodore C. “Kennedy”. Toronto: Bantam Books, January, 1966

Whelan, Ronald E. “John Fitzgerald Kennedy Library Home Page”. May 15, 1996, National Archives and Records Administration, February 27th, 2001 <http://www.cs.umb.edu/jfklibrary/index.htm>

William H. Carr, JFK: A Complete Biography. (New York: Lancer Books, 1964). p. 50.

Ibid, p. 53

Ibid, p. 64-65

Carr, p. 61

Ibid, p. 60

Ronald E Whelan. John Fitzgerald Kennedy Library Home Page. (May 15, 1996, National Archives and Records Administration). <http://www.cs.umb.edu/jfklibrary/index.htm>

Ellen Shea. Biography of John F. Kennedy for Young People. (May 2nd, 1996, John F. Kennedy Library). <http://www.nara.gov>

Whelan, <http://www.cs.umb.edu/jfklibrary/index.htm>

Bikker, Barbera & George M. Welling. Bio John F. Kennedy. (June 9, 1997, Vakgroep AlfaInformatica). <http://www.let.rug.nl/~usa/P/jfk35/about/ bio/jfkbio.htm>

Whelan, <http://www.cs.umb.edu/jfklibrary/index.htm>

Carr, p. 85

Ibid.

Ibid, p. 129

Shea, <http://www.nara.gov>

Bikker, <http://www.let.rug.nl/~usa/P/jfk35/about/ bio/jfkbio.htm>

Carr, p. 134

Philip Kunhardt Jr., Life in Camelot. (Toronto: Little, Brown and Company, date not given). p. 21

Theodore Sorensen, Kennedy. (Toronto: Bantam Books, 1966). p. 37

Whelan, <http://www.cs.umb.edu/jfklibrary/index.htm>

Carr, p. 79

Sorensen, p. 36

Ibid, p. 107

Benjamin C. Bradlee, Conversations With Kennedy. (New York, NY: Pocket Books, 1976). p. 32

Carr, p. 123

Ibid, p. 124

Shea, <http://www.nara.gov>

Robert F. Kennedy, Thirteen Days. (New York, NY: W.W. Norton and Company, 1969). p. 50

John F. Kennedy

This is a preview of the whole essay

Document Details

Related Essays

John F. Kennedy

John F Kennedy

Theories on the John F. Kennedy Assassination

John F. Kennedy Assassination Sources Questions