American Legion
"The leadership of the American Legion has not had a constructive thought for the benefit of this country since 1918." (Spring, 1949, during House debate on housing bill to provide federal funds for slum clearance and low income public housing. See John F. Kennedy : A Political Profile, Burns, J. M., Harcourt, Brace: New York, 1960, page 75)
Arms Control and Disarmament
"With all of the history of war, and the human race's history unfortunately has been a good deal more war than peace, with nuclear weapons distributed all through the world, and available, and the strong reluctance of any people to accept defeat, I see the possibility in the 1970's of the President of the United States having to face a world in which 15 or 20 or 25 nations may have these weapons." President's News Conference 3/21/63
"My fellow Americans, let us take that first step. Let us...step back from the shadow of war and seek out the way of peace. And if that journey is a thousand miles, or even more, let history record that we, in this land, at this time, took the first step." Radio and TV Address on Nuclear Test Ban Treaty, 1963
"Control of arms is a mission that we undertake particularly for our children and our grandchildren...they have no lobby in Washington." Statement on securing world peace, 1963
The Arts
"If more politicians knew poetry, and more poets knew politics, I am convinced the world would be a little better place in which to live." Address at Harvard University, June 14, 1956
"There is a connection, hard to explain logically but easy to feel, between achievement in public life and progress in the arts. The age of Pericles was also the age of Phidias. The age of Lorenzo de Medici was also the age of Leonardo da Vinci. The age Elizabeth also the age of Shakespeare. And the New Frontier for which I campaign in public life, can also be a New Frontier for American art." (Response to letter sent by Miss Theodate Johnson, Publisher of Musical America to the two presidential candidates requesting their views on music in relation to the Federal Government and domestic world affairs. Answer from then Senator John Kennedy was dated September 13, 1960.)
"...I am certain that after the dust of centuries has passed over our cities, we, too, will be remembered not for victories or defeats in battle or in politics, but for our contribution to the human spirit." Closed-circuit television broadcast on behalf of the National Cultural Center from the National Guard Armory in Washington, D.C., November 29, 1962
"To further the appreciation of culture among all the people, to increase respect for the creative individual, to widen participation by all the processes and fulfillments of art - this is one of the fascinating challenges of these days." Magazine article "The Arts in America" printed in the December 8, 1962 issue of Look. (This was part of a special adaptation of Creative America The Ridge Press, Inc., 1962.)
"Too often in the past, we have thought of the artist as an idler and dilettante and of the lover of arts as somehow sissy and effete. We have done both an injustice. The life of the artist is, in relation to his work, stern and lonely. He has labored hard, often amid deprivation, to perfect his skill. He has turned aside from quick success in order to strip his vision of everything secondary or cheapening. His working life is marked by intense application and intense discipline." "The Arts in America," 1962 article by John F. Kennedy
"We must never forget that art is not a form of propaganda; it is a form of truth." Amherst College, 10/26/63
"I look forward to an America which will not be afraid of grace and beauty...an America which will reward achievement in the arts as we reward achievement in business or statecraft." Remarks at Amherst College, 1963
"In serving his vision of the truth, the artist best serves his nation." Remarks at Amherst College, 1963
"It may be different elsewhere. But democratic society- in it, the highest duty of the writer, the composer, the artist is to remain true to himself and to let the chips fall where they may." Amherst College, 10/26/63
"I look forward to an America which will reward achievement in the arts as we reward achievement in business or statecraft." Amherst College, 10/26/63
"The life of the arts, far from being an interruption, a distraction, in the life of a nation, is very close to the center of a nation's purpose...and is a test of the quality of a nation's civilization." Statement prepared for Creative America, 1963 (Inscribed at the Kennedy Center for the performing Arts)
Bismarck
See President's Charter Day Address
Bullfight poem
Bullfight critics ranked in rows
Crowd the enormous Plaza full
But only one is there who knows
And he's the man who fights the bull.
President Kennedy (mis)quoted this bit of doggerel by the torero Domingo Ortega in remarks during a 16 October 1962 Presidential Backgrounder before the National Foreign Policy Conference for Editors and Radio-TV Public Affairs Broadcasters. The rhyme as President Kennedy gave it was:
Bullfight critics row on row
Fill the enormous Plaza de toros
But only one is there who knows
And he is the one who fights the bull.
Change "But Goethe tells us in his greatest poem that Faust lost the liberty of his soul when he said to the passing moment: "Stay, thou art so fair." And our liberty, too, is endangered if we pause for the passing moment, if we rest on our achievements, if we resist the pace of progress. For time and the world do not stand still. Change is the law of life. And those who look only to the past or the present are certain to miss the future." (Address in the Assembly Hall at Paulskirche in Frankfurt. June 25, 1963)
Children "Children are the world's most valuable resource and its best hope for the future." 7/25/63 re: UNICEF's appeal
"We can say with some assurance that, although children may be the victims of fate, they will not be the victims of our neglect." Remarks upon signing the Maternal and Child Health and Mental Retardation Planning Bill, 10/24/63
Civil Service "I have pledged myself and my colleagues in the cabinet to a continuous encouragement of initiative, responsibility and energy in serving the public interest. Let every public servant know, whether his post is high or low, that a man's rank and reputation in this Administration will be determined by the size of the job he does, and not by the size of his staff, his office or his budget. Let it be clear that this Administration recognizes the value of dissent and daring -- that we greet healthy controversy as the hallmark of healthy change. Let the public service be a proud and lively career. And let every man and woman who works in any area of our national government, in any branch, at any level, be able to say with pride and with honor in future years: 'I served the United States Government in that hour of our nation's need.'" (Excerpt from President Kennedy's State of the Union Message, January 30, 1961)
"Today we move along the knife-edged path which requires a Government service more highly skilled than ever before. It can only respond to the challenges of the future if there is a working relationship between agency and department heads and the career service that allows each full scope for imaginative and creative effort. This will be the inevitable by-product of mutual respect, recognition of the need for teamwork of the highest order, and the free flow of ideas and information.
"Government service must be attractive enough to lure our most talented people. It must be challenging enough to call forth our greatest efforts. It must be interesting enough to retain their services. It must be satisfying enough to inspire single-minded loyalty and dedication. It must be important enough to each individual to call forth reserves of energy and enthusiasm.
"During my fourteen years in Congress I have had an opportunity to observe and to admire the high quality of our Career Civil Service. In meeting the grave problems confronting us at home and abroad it is my intention that the Career Civil Service be a full partner. Together we can lead our Nation to new peaks of achievement." (Excerpt from President Kennedy's Message to the Federal service published in the Civil Service Journal, January-March 1961)
"When I called, at the very outset of my administration, for initiative, responsibility and energy in serving the public interest, the response from the career service was enthusiastic and eager. Federal career managers and employees have proved in the past 12 months that they are not wedded to static methods, that they welcome constructive change, and that they can contribute in full measure to the reshaping of our organizations and processes in the interest of greater effectiveness.
"Much has already been accomplished and many things are in the process of change as we move toward the lean, fit and efficient establishment which I have set as a goal....
"Today our concern with man's environment ranges from the ocean floor to the stars. Since there are virtually no limits to the physical dimensions of the tasks set for us, we must identify and unshackle limitless creativity in the Government's career service. In every phase of Government operations we must be certain that we provide today's solution to today's problem.
"Let me express my personal appreciation to the men and women of the Government's career work force as one eventful year ends and we enter upon a new year of challenge and opportunity...'' (Excerpt from President Kennedy's Message to the Federal service published in the Civil Service Journal, January-March 1962)
"The success of this Government, and thus the success of our Nation, depends in the last analysis upon the quality.of our career services. The legislation enacted by the Congress, as well as the decisions made by me and by the department and agency heads, must all be implemented by the career men and women in the Federal service. In foreign affairs, national defense, science and technology, and a host of other fields, they face problems of unprecedented importance and perplexity. We are all dependent on their sense of loyalty and responsibility as well as their competence and energy." (Quoted from President Kennedy's Message on Federal Pay Reform to Congress, February 20, 1962)
"You, the Federal employee, provide the mind and muscle for carrying out national and international policies, commitments, and programs. You have done exceedingly well, but the days ahead will be more demanding -- and, I hope, richer in the personal satisfactions of high achievement.
"Increased productivity can come from an increased sense of purpose. I urge you to seek a fuller understanding of your job in relationship to our total national endeavor. Our country counts on you to meet the special challenge with a special effort." (Quoted from CSC poster series of Presidential messages to Federal Employee)
Conscientious Objectors "War will exist until that distant day when the conscientious objector enjoys the same reputation and prestige that the warrior does today." (Letter to Navy friend)
Crisis, Meaning of "In the Chinese language, the word "crisis" is composed of two characters, one representing danger and the other, opportunity." (4/12/59 in Indianapolis, IN and 10/29/60 campaign address is Valley Forge, PA)
Economics "Rising tide lifts all boats". 10/15/60, 8/17/62 (In Pueblo, Colorado following approval of the Frying Pan-Arkansas Project), 5/18/63 and 6/25/63
"The Federal Budget can and should be made an instrument of prosperity and stability, not a deterrent to recovery." Special message to Congress: Program for Economic Recovery and Growth, 2/2/61
"The time to repair the roof is when the sun is shining - by filling three basic gaps in our anti-recession protection." 87th State of the Union Address 1/11/62
"It is increasingly clear that no matter what party is in power, so long as our national security needs keep rising, an economy hampered by restrictive tax rates will never produce enough jobs or enough profits." Address to Economic Club of New York, 12/14/62
"If the economy of today were operating close to capacity levels with little unemployment, or if a sudden change in our military requirements should cause a scramble for men and resources, then I would oppose tax reductions as irresponsible and inflationary; and I would not hesitate to recommend a tax increase if that were necessary." Address to Economic Club of New York, 12/14/62
Being First "Now let me make it clear that I believe there can only be one defense policy for the United States and that is summed up in the word 'first.' I do not mean first, but. I do not mean first, when. I do not mean first, if. I mean first --period." 8/26/60
Gettysburg "From the past man obtains the insights, wisdom and hope to face with confidence the uncertainties of the future. Abraham Lincoln was keenly aware of this when, a century ago, he journeyed to Gettysburg to make "a few appropriate remarks." Today, as we honor Lincoln's immortal eulogy to the dead on Cemetery Ridge, let us remember as well those thousands of American patriots whose graves at home, beneath the sea and in distant lands are silent sentries of our heritage. Lincoln and others did indeed give us "a new birth of freedom;" but the goals of liberty and freedom, the obligations of keeping ours a government of and by the people are never-ending. On this solemn occasion let us all re`dedicate ourselves to the perpetuation of those ideals of which Lincoln spoke so luminously. As Americans, we can do no less." (Statement for the Centennial of Lincoln's Gettysburg Address Ceremonies 11/19/63)
"Five score years ago the ground on which we here stand shuddered under the clash of arms and was consecrated for all time by the blood of American manhood. Abraham Lincoln, in dedicating this great battlefield, has expressed, in words too eloquent for paraphrase or summary, why this sacrifice was necessary. Today, we meet not to add to his words nor to amend his sentiment but to recapture the feeling of awe that comes when contemplating a memorial to so many who placed their lives at hazard for right, as God gave them to see right. Among those who fought here were young men who but a short time before were pursuing truth in the peaceful halls of the then new University of Notre Dame. Since that time men of Notre Dame have proven, on a hundred battlefields, that the words, "For God, For Country, and For Notre Dame," are full of meaning. Let us pray that God may grant us the wisdom to find and to follow a path that will enable the men of Notre Dame and all of our young men to seek truth in the halls of study rather than on the field of battle." (Message from the President on the Occasion of Field Mass at Gettysburg, June 29, 1963 [delivered by John S. Gleason, Jr.])
Goals, National "For one true measure of a nation is its success in fulfilling the promise of a better life for each of its members. Let this be the measure of our nation." Message to Congress, 87th 2nd Spec. Health 2/27/62
"Our deep spiritual confidence that this nation will survive the perils of today - which may well be with us for decades to come - compels us to invest in our nation's future, to consider and meet our obligations to our children and the numberless generations that will follow." Special Message to Congress on Conservation, 3/1/62
"I have seen in many places housing which has been developed under government influences, but I have never seen any projects in which governments have played their part which have fountains and statues and grass and trees, which are as important to the concept of the home as the roof itself." Remarks at the Unidad Independencia Housing Project, City of Mexico 6/30/62
"It's only when they join together in a forward movement that this country moves ahead..." Remarks at Los Banos, CA at groundbreaking ceremony for San Luis Dam, 8/18/62
"Our goal is not the victory of might but the vindication of right...not peace at the expense of freedom, but both peace and freedom, here in this hemisphere, and, we hope, around the world. God willing, that goal will be achieved." Report on the Soviet Arms Build-up in Cuba, 1962
"This country cannot afford to be materially rich and spiritually poor." Annual Message to the Congress on the State of the Union, January 14, 1963
"We can help make the world safe for diversity. For, in the final analysis, our most basic common link is that we all inhabit this small planet. We all breathe the same air. We all cherish our children's future. And we are all mortal." Commencement Address at American University, 1963
Green Beret "'The green beret' is again becoming a symbol of excellence, a badge of courage, a mark of distinction in the fight for freedom. I know the United States Army will live up to its reputation for imagination, resourcefulness, and spirit as we meet this challenge." (Letter to the United States Army regarding Army Special Warfare 4/11/62)
History "We celebrate the past to awaken the future", (8/14/60 at the FDR Birthplace in Hyde Park, NY at the 25th anniversary of the signing of the Social Security Act)
"A nation reveals itself not only by the men it produces but also by the men it honors, the men it remembers." Amherst College, 10/26/63
Idealism "...that we shall be as a city upon a hill - the eyes of all people are upon us." (Winthrop) Remarks as President-Elect to Massachusetts State Legislature, 1/9/61
"A man may die, nations may rise and fall, but an idea lives on". (2/8/63 Recorded remarks for the opening of a USIA Transmitter, Greenville, N.C. This quote is near the end of the Museum exhibit, before the Legacy room)
"This state, this city, this campus, have stood long for both human rights and human enlightenment, and let that forever be true." Remarks at Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tenn., 5/18/63
Inaugural Address (full speech)"Ask not what your country can do for you...ask what you can do for your country." Derivation
"All this will not be finished in the first one hundred days. Nor will it be finished in the first one thousand days, not in the life of this Administration, nor even perhaps in our lifetime on this planet. But let us begin."
"Let us never negotiate out of fear. But let us never fear to negotiate."
Insurance "In our system of free enterprise, insurance holds a place of special importance. This is a segment of American industry with which a high percentage of our citizens are associated. In a very real sense insurance sets standards of performance and responsibility for all American business. Surely Americans derive their image of business most often from the relations which they establish with insurance agents. The varied services performed by American insurance can do much to carry forward our traditions of freedom."
Jefferson "I think this is the most extraordinary collection of talent, of human knowledge, that has ever been gathered together at the White House, with the possible exception of when Thomas Jefferson dined alone." Remarks at dinner honoring Nobel Prize winners of the Western Hemisphere. 4/29/62
Joseph P. Kennedy "telegram" in 1958 "I have just received the following wire from my generous daddy: 'Dear Jack -- Don't buy a single vote more than is necessary -- I'll be damned if I'm going to pay for a landslide.'" (Address by Senator Kennedy before the Gridion Club, Washington, D.C., March 15, 1958.)
Laughter "There are three things which are real; God, Human Folly and Laughter. The first two are beyond our comprehension so we must do what we can with the third." (from Tales of the Ramayana, as told by Aubrey Menon, Scribners, 1954, p. 276)
"Minutemen" "Today we need a nation of minute men; citizens who are not only prepared to take up arms, but citizens who regard the preservation of freedom as a basic purpose of their daily life and who are willing to consciously work and sacrifice for that freedom." (From President Kennedy's message to Roosevelt Day commemoration, 29 January 1961.)
"Missile Gap" "I think we're going to have to do better. Mr. Nixon talks about our being the strongest country in the world. I think we are today, but we were far stronger relative to the Communists 5 years ago. And what is of great concern is that the balance of power is in danger of moving with them. They made a breakthrough in missiles and by 1961, '2, and '3, they will be outnumbering us in missiles." (4th Debate, October 21, 1960)
Native Americans (American Indians) "For a subject worked and reworked so often in novels, motion pictures, and television, American Indians remain probably the least understood and most misunderstood Americans of us all." Introduction to The American Heritage Book of Indians, William Brandon and Alvin Josephy eds.
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 worth while, I think can respond with a good deal of pride and satisfaction: 'I served in the United States Navy.'" Remarks at the U.S. Naval Academy, 8/1/63 PPP 1963, p. 620
"New Frontier" (First mentioned: 7/15/60 when accepting nomination for Presidency. Also mentioned 10/29/60)
Perseverance "...what really counts is not the immediate act of courage or of valor, but those who bear the struggle day in and day out - not the sunshine patriots but those who are willing to stand for a long period of time." Remarks at the White House to members of the American Legion, 3/1/62
"Theodore Roosevelt once said, 'The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena - whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood...who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions - and spends himself in a worthy cause - who at best if he wins knows the thrills of high achievement - and if he fails at least fails while daring greatly - so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory or defeat.'" Remarks at National Football Foundation and Hall of Fame banquet, 12/5/61. (PPP 1961, p. 773) (TR Speech "Citizenship in a Republic" Paris, The Sorbonne, 4/23/1910)
Physical Fitness "We have become more and more not a nation of athletes but a nation of spectators." Remarks at National Football Foundation and Hall of Fame banquet, 12/5/61
Politics "Just as I went into politics because Joe died, 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." Said while a Senator (Joe McCarthy, The Remarkable Kennedys, p. 114)
Post-Presidential Years "Whether I serve one or two terms in the Presidency, I will find myself at the end of that period at what might be called the awkward age--too old to begin a new career and too young to write my memoirs." (Schlesinger's 1000 Days, page 1017. According to AMS's footnote (1st draft, pg. 1378) this was said on February 13, 1961.)
Presidency "I have a nice home, the office is close by, and the pay is good." (O'Donnell, Powers, and McCarthy, Johnny We Hardly Knew Ye, p. 262)
"If all of you had voted the other way - there's about 5500 of you here tonight - I would not be the President of the United States." Chicago, April 28, 1961
"When I ran for Presidency of the United States, I knew that this country faced serious challenges, but I could not realize - nor could any man realize who does not bear the burdens of this office - how heavy and constant would be those burdens." Radio and TV Report on the Berlin Crisis, 1961
"Harry Truman once said, 'There are 14 or 15 million Americans who have the resources to have representatives in Washington to protect their interests, and that the interests of the great mass of the other people - the 150 or 160 million - is the responsibility of the president of the United States, and I propose to fulfill it.'" (Address in Atlantic City at the Convention of the United Auto Workers on May 8, 1962. This passage was featured in the Charles Guggenheim documentary that was until recently shown to visitors to the John F. Kennedy museum.)
Profiles in Courage Quotations
Robert F. Kennedy as Attorney General "I don't see anything wrong with giving him a little legal experience before he goes out to practice law." (Speech at Alfalfa Club program, 1/21/61)
Republicans "We have all seen these circus elephants complete with tusks, ivory in their head and thick skins, who move around the circus ring and grab the tail of the elephant ahead of them." 11/2/60, Cow Palace, San Francisco, CA.
Responsibility, Collective "Let us not despair but act. Let us not seek the Republican answer or the Democratic answer but the right answer. Let us not seek to fix the blame for the past - let us accept our own responsibility for the future." Loyola College Alumni Banquet, Baltimore, Maryland, February 18, 1958
"But I think the American people expect more from us than cries of indignation and attack. The times are too grave, the challenge too urgent, and the stakes too high to permit the customary passions of political debate. We are not here to curse the darkness, but to light the candle that can guide us through that darkness to a safe and sane future. As Winston Churchill said on taking office some twenty years ago: if we open a quarrel between the present and the past, we shall be in danger of losing the future." (The Chinese proverb is "It is better to light a candle than curse the darkness.") Democratic Nomination Acceptance Speech, July 15, 1960
"And we must face the fact that the United States is neither omnipotent or omniscient - that we are only six percent of the world's population - that we cannot impose our will upon the other ninety-four percent of mankind - that we cannot right every wrong or reverse each adversity - and that therefore there cannot be an American solution to every world problem." (November 16, 1961, Address at the University of Washington's 100th Anniversary Program, Edmundson Pavilion, Seattle, Washington)
"We love our country, not for what it was, though it has always been great...not for what it is, though of this we are deeply proud...but for what it someday can, and, through the effort of us all, someday will be." Address to the National Industrial Conference Board, 1961
"But however close we sometimes seem to that dark and final abyss, let no man of peace and freedom despair. For he does not stand alone." Address to the U.N. General Assembly, 9/25/61
"Never before has man had such capacity to control his own environment, to end thirst and hunger, to conquer poverty and disease, to banish illiteracy and massive human misery. We have the power to make this the best generation of mankind in the history of the world - or make it the last." Address to the U.N. General Assembly, 9/20/63
"In seeking the help of the Congress and our countrymen, I pledged no easy answers. I pledged, and asked, only toil and dedication. These the Congress and the people have given in good measure." 88th State of the Union Address 1/14/63
Responsibility, Personal "When at some future date the high court of history sits in judgment on each of us...our success or failure...will be measured by the answers to four questions: First, were we truly men of courage...? Secondly, were we truly men of judgment...? Third, were we truly men of integrity...? Finally, were we truly men of dedication...?" Address to the Massachusetts State Legislature, 1961
"...victory has 100 fathers and defeat is an orphan..." Answer to question by Sandor Vanocour about Bay of Pigs at press conference of 4/21/61. PPP 1961 p. 312-313, question #17
"We must use time as a tool, not as a couch" See 12/6/61 Address in New York City to the National Association of Manufacturers
"...we must think and act not only for the moment but for our time. I am reminded of the story of the great French Marshal Lyautey, who once asked his gardener to plant a tree. The gardener objected that the tree was slow-growing and would not reach maturity for a hundred years. The Marshal replied, 'In that case, there is no time to lose, plant it this afternoon.'" Address at UC Berkeley, 3/23/62
"...to whom much is given, much is required". From 5/16/63 address; it is actually a quotation from the Bible, Gospel of Luke, Chapter 12, verse 48
"Dante once said that the hottest places in hell are reserved for those who in periods of moral crisis maintain their neutrality." Bonn W. Germany on establishing W. German Peace Corps, 6/24/63. [In fact, President Kennedy got his facts wrong. Dante never said anything of the sort. The closest to what Kennedy means are the souls in the ante-room of hell who "lived without disgrace and without praise" and, together with the coward angels (who did not rebel but did not resist the cohorts of Lucifer), are condemned to being whirled through the air by great winds while being stung by wasps and horseflies. Heat does not enter into it.]
The Sea "I really don't know why it is that all of us are so committed to the sea, except I think it's because in addition to the fact that the sea changes, and the light changes, and ships change, it's because we all came from the sea. And it is an interesting biological fact that all of us have, in our veins the exact same percentage of salt in our blood that exists in the ocean, and, therefore, we have salt in our blood, in our sweat, in our tears. We are tied to the ocean. And when we go back to the sea - whether it is to sail or to watch it - we are going back from whence we came." 9/14/62 Remarks in Newport, RI at a dinner for America's Cup Crews
"'O God, thy sea is so great and my boat is so small'" (Old Breton prayer inscribed on plaques given to new submarine captains by Admiral Rickover) Remarks at dedication of the East Coast Memorial to the Missing at Sea , 5/23/63
Seven Days in May When discussing the possibility of a complete military takeover in the country after reading Seven Days in May, President Kennedy said, "...if there were a third Bay of Pigs, it could happen." He paused and then said "But it won't happen on my watch." (from The Pleasure of His Company by Paul Fay, Jr.)
Space "We set sail on this new sea because there is new knowledge to be gained, and new rights to be won, and they must be won and used for the progress of all people. For space science, like nuclear science and technology, has no conscience of its own. Whether it will become a force for good or ill depends on man, and only if the United States occupies a position of preeminence can we help decide whether this new ocean will be a sea of peace or a new terrifying theater of war." Address at Rice University in Houston, 9/12/62
"We go into space because whatever mankind must undertake, free men must fully share...I believe that this nation should commit itself to achieving the goal, before this decade is out, of landing a man on the moon and returning him safely to the earth." Special Message to the Congress on Urgent National Needs, 5/22/61
"This nation has tossed its cap over the wall of space, and we have no choice but to follow it." Remarks at San Antonio at dedication of the Aerospace Medical Health Center, 11/21/63. (The original anecdote from whence Kennedy derived this comparison is in An Only Child, Frank O'Connor, London: MacMillan & Co. Ltd., 1961; p. 180.)
Students "No country can possibly move ahead, no free society can possibly be sustained, unless it has an educated citizenry whose qualities of mind and heart permit it to take part in the complicated and increasingly sophisticated decisions that pour not only upon the President and upon the Congress, but upon all the citizens who exercise the ultimate power...Quite obviously, there is a higher purpose, and that is the hope that you will turn to the service of the State the scholarship, the education, the qualities which society has helped develop in you; that you will render on the community level, or on the state level, or on the national level, or render on the community level, or on the state level, or on the national level, or the international level a contribution to the maintenance of freedom and peace and the security of our country and those associated with it in a most critical time." Commencement Address at San Diego State College, June 6, 1963
"This is a great country and requires a good deal of all of us, so I can imagine nothing more important than for all of you to continue to work in public affairs and be interested in them, not only to bring up a family, but also give part of your time to your community, your state, and your country." Remarks to the Delegates of Girls Nation, August 2, 1963
"I can assure you that there is no career which you will adopt when you leave college that will bring you a more and greater sense of satisfaction and a greater feeling of participation in a great effort than will your work here or in your state or in your community...this generation of Americans - you here who will be in positions of responsibility for the rest of this century - will deal with the most difficult, sensitive, and dangerous problems that any society of people has ever dealt with at any age...The Greeks defined happiness as the full use of your powers along the lines of excellence, and I can imagine no place where you can use your powers more fully along lines more excellent in the 1960's than to be in the service of the United States." Remarks to Student Participants in the White House Seminar in Government, August 27, 1963
"What we seek to advance, what we seek to develop in all of our colleges and universities, are educated men and women who can bear the burdens of responsible citizenship, who can make judgments about life as it is, and as it must be, and encourage the people to make those decisions which can bring not only prosperity and security, but happiness to the people of the United Sates and those who depend upon it." Address at the University of North Dakota, September 25, 1963
"I hope that all of you who are students here will recognize the great opportunity that lies before you in this decade, and in the decades to come, to be of service to our country. The Greeks once defined happiness as full use of your powers along lines of excellence, and I can assure you that there is no area of life where you will have an opportunity to use whatever powers you have, and to use them along more excellent lines, bringing ultimately, I think, happiness to you and those whom you serve." Address at the University of Wyoming, September 25, 1963
"I ask particularly that those of you who are now in school will prepare yourselves to bear the burden of leadership over the next 40 years here in the United States, and make sure that the United States - which I believe almost alone has maintained watch and ward for freedom - that the United States meet its responsibility. That is a wonderful challenge for us as a people." Remarks at the Cheney Stadium in Tacoma, Washington, September 27, 1963
"...I come here today...not just because you are doing well and because you are outstanding students, but because we expect something of you. And unless in this free country of ours we are able to demonstrate that we are able to make this society work and progress, unless we can hope that from you we are going to get back all of the talents which society has helped develop in you, then, quite obviously, all the hopes of all of us that freedom will not only endure but prevail, of course, will be disappointed. So we ask the best of you...I congratulate you on what you have done, and most of all I congratulate you on what you are going to do." Remarks in New York City to the National Convention of the Catholic Youth Organization, November 15, 1963
Truth "Truth is a tyrant - the only tyrant to whom we can give our allegiance. The service of truth is a matter of heroism." (Letter to Monsignor Schieder regarding Catholic Youth Week)
Unfairness "...there is always inequity in life. Some men are killed in a war and some men are wounded, and some men never leave the country, and some men are stationed in the Antarctic and some are stationed in San Francisco. It's very hard in the military or personal life to assure complete equality. Life is unfair." Press conference, 3/21/62