The Inauguration of John F. Kennedy
One of the most memorable inauguration days of modern times took place on January 20, 1961, when John Fitzgerald Kennedy took the oath of office as the 35th President of the United States.
A heavy snowstorm had hit Washington, D.C., the night before the inauguration. At noon on January 20, 1961, Kennedy's parents Joseph P. Kennedy and Rose Kennedy, his brother Robert F. Kennedy and first lady Jacqueline Kennedy were present on to the platform where Kennedy took the oath of office. Once all the dignitaries and guests had taken their seats, the president-elect arrived and took his seat between President Dwight Eisenhower and Vice-President Lyndon Johnson. After an eight-minute invocation by Boston's Cardinal Cushing, Marian Anderson led the singing of “The Star-Spangled Banner.”
During his blessing, Cardinal Cushing noticed smoke drifting up from underneath the platform and feared it might be a bomb. He bravely slowed his speech in the hope that he could stay at the podium long enough to absorb the bomb blast for Kennedy. The source of the smoke turned out to be a faulty wire, which was remedied without incident.
Anderson's stirring performance was part of an effort on Kennedy part to incorporate the arts into his inauguration. Kennedy invited poet Robert Frost to read a poem, and the Frost stepped up to the podium after Lyndon Johnson had taken the vice presidential oath of office. Frost had intended to read a new poem, “Dedication,” which he had written specifically for the occasion. After a few false starts, the eighty-six-year-old Frost realized he couldn't read the speech amid the glare of the sunlight on the snow. Instead he beautifully recited “The Gift Outright” from memory.
The oath of office was administered by Chief Justice Earl Warren. Kennedy's inaugural address was the second-shortest ever delivered, taking just under 14 minutes. He had had worked tirelessly on the speech for months, and cited Abraham Lincoln's Gettysburg Address as one of his inspirations for the speech.
Kennedy sought to achieve a tone of hope and optimism. He pledged to promote the cause of freedom and help eradicate poverty in the world. He extended an offer to the Soviet Union to “begin anew.” If the two superpowers could work through their differences, Kennedy reasoned, they could work together to accomplish positive goals, such as exploring space and promoting arts and commerce.
The end of the speech, Kennedy's call to civic duty, remains a memorable piece of oratory. He ended his inaugural address with a call to Americans to sacrifice for the greater good, saying:
“In the long history of the world, only a few generations have been granted the role of defending freedom in its hour of maximum danger. I do not shrink from this responsibility — I welcome it. I do not believe that any of us would exchange places with any other people or any other generation. The energy, the faith, the devotion which we bring to this endeavor will light our country and all who serve it — and the glow from that fire can truly light the world. And so, my fellow Americans: ask not what your country can do for you — ask what you can do for your country. My fellow citizens of the world: ask not what America can do for you, but what together we can do for the freedom of man.”
Following is a YouTube video of Kennedy's inauguration and portions of his inaugural address:
A heavy snowstorm had hit Washington, D.C., the night before the inauguration. At noon on January 20, 1961, Kennedy's parents Joseph P. Kennedy and Rose Kennedy, his brother Robert F. Kennedy and first lady Jacqueline Kennedy were present on to the platform where Kennedy took the oath of office. Once all the dignitaries and guests had taken their seats, the president-elect arrived and took his seat between President Dwight Eisenhower and Vice-President Lyndon Johnson. After an eight-minute invocation by Boston's Cardinal Cushing, Marian Anderson led the singing of “The Star-Spangled Banner.”
During his blessing, Cardinal Cushing noticed smoke drifting up from underneath the platform and feared it might be a bomb. He bravely slowed his speech in the hope that he could stay at the podium long enough to absorb the bomb blast for Kennedy. The source of the smoke turned out to be a faulty wire, which was remedied without incident.
Anderson's stirring performance was part of an effort on Kennedy part to incorporate the arts into his inauguration. Kennedy invited poet Robert Frost to read a poem, and the Frost stepped up to the podium after Lyndon Johnson had taken the vice presidential oath of office. Frost had intended to read a new poem, “Dedication,” which he had written specifically for the occasion. After a few false starts, the eighty-six-year-old Frost realized he couldn't read the speech amid the glare of the sunlight on the snow. Instead he beautifully recited “The Gift Outright” from memory.
The oath of office was administered by Chief Justice Earl Warren. Kennedy's inaugural address was the second-shortest ever delivered, taking just under 14 minutes. He had had worked tirelessly on the speech for months, and cited Abraham Lincoln's Gettysburg Address as one of his inspirations for the speech.
Kennedy sought to achieve a tone of hope and optimism. He pledged to promote the cause of freedom and help eradicate poverty in the world. He extended an offer to the Soviet Union to “begin anew.” If the two superpowers could work through their differences, Kennedy reasoned, they could work together to accomplish positive goals, such as exploring space and promoting arts and commerce.
The end of the speech, Kennedy's call to civic duty, remains a memorable piece of oratory. He ended his inaugural address with a call to Americans to sacrifice for the greater good, saying:
“In the long history of the world, only a few generations have been granted the role of defending freedom in its hour of maximum danger. I do not shrink from this responsibility — I welcome it. I do not believe that any of us would exchange places with any other people or any other generation. The energy, the faith, the devotion which we bring to this endeavor will light our country and all who serve it — and the glow from that fire can truly light the world. And so, my fellow Americans: ask not what your country can do for you — ask what you can do for your country. My fellow citizens of the world: ask not what America can do for you, but what together we can do for the freedom of man.”
Following is a YouTube video of Kennedy's inauguration and portions of his inaugural address: