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96-430: Ask Not is a phrase associated with John F. Kennedy's inaugural address : "And so, my fellow Americans: ask not what your country can do for you—ask what you can do for your country." Ask Not may also refer to: John F. Kennedy%27s inaugural address Kennedy had narrowly defeated Richard Nixon , the incumbent vice president, in the presidential election . Kennedy was the first Catholic to become president,

192-403: A homburg instead of a top hat to both of his inaugurations. Johnson, at his inauguration in 1965, was the first president to go completely hatless. Joseph Kennedy Joseph Patrick Kennedy Sr. (September 6, 1888 – November 18, 1969) was an American businessman, investor, philanthropist, and politician. He is known for his own political prominence as well as that of his children and

288-533: A pre-inaugural ball at the D.C. Armory on the eve of Inauguration day, January 19, 1961, considered one of the biggest parties ever held in the history of Washington, D.C. Sinatra recruited many Hollywood stars who performed and attended, and went as far as convincing Broadway theatres to suspend their shows for the night to accommodate some of their actors attending the gala. With tickets ranging from $ 100 per person to $ 10,000 per group, Sinatra hoped to raise $ 1.7 million ($ 17.3 million in today's dollars) for

384-572: A stereotypical Irish vice that he offered his sons $ 1,000 not to drink until they turned 21. Kennedy reinvested the proceeds he made from liquor importing into various residential and commercial real estate ventures, much of it concentrated in New York City, and the Hialeah Park Race Track in Hialeah, Florida . The most important purchase of his real estate investment career was marked by

480-957: A colleague, "Look at that bunch of pants pressers in Hollywood making themselves millionaires. I could take the whole business away from them." One small studio, Film Booking Offices of America (or FBO), specialized in Westerns produced cheaply. Its owner was in financial trouble, and asked Kennedy to help find a new owner. Kennedy formed his own group of investors and bought it for $ 1.5 million. In March 1926, Kennedy moved to Hollywood to focus on running film studios. At that time, film studios were permitted to own exhibition companies, which were necessary to get their films on local screens. With that in mind, he bought controlling shares in Keith-Albee-Orpheum Theaters Corporation (KAO), which had more than 700 vaudeville theaters across

576-542: A good seat." That night, O'Neill and his wife danced over to the president's box at the ball in the Mayflower Hotel to congratulate him, and sure enough, Kennedy asked, "Was that George Kara sitting beside you?" O'Neill told Kennedy what Kara had said, and J.F.K replied, "Tip, you'll never believe it. I had my left hand on the Bible and my right hand in the air, and I was about to take the oath of office, and I said to myself, 'How

672-962: 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. And so, my fellow Americans: ask not what your country can do for you—ask what you can do for your country. The speech was crafted by Kennedy and his speech writer Ted Sorensen . Kennedy had Sorensen study President Abraham Lincoln 's Gettysburg Address as well as other inaugural speeches. Kennedy began collecting thoughts and ideas for his inauguration speech in late November 1960. He took suggestions from various friends, aides and counselors, including suggestions from clergymen for biblical quotations. Kennedy then made several drafts using his own thoughts and some of those suggestions. Kennedy included in his speech several suggestions made by Harvard economist John Kenneth Galbraith and by

768-525: A list of recommended candidates for the SEC chairmanship. Kennedy headed the list, which stated he was "the best bet for Chairman because of executive ability, knowledge of habits and customs of business to be regulated and ability to moderate different points of view on Commission." Kennedy sought out the best lawyers available, giving him a hard-driving team with a mission for reform. They included William O. Douglas and Abe Fortas , both of whom were later named to

864-518: A long-time friend of Sinatra, supporter of the Democratic Party, and member of the Rat Pack , was asked by John F. Kennedy not to attend the gala at the behest of his father Joseph , fearing that his interracial marriage to Swedish actress May Britt was too controversial for the time and occasion, much to Sammy's and Sinatra's dismay. Davis had already postponed his wedding to Britt until after

960-620: A major in the Coldstream Guards , was killed in action in 1944. Kennedy rejected the belief of Winston Churchill that any compromise with Nazi Germany was impossible. Instead, he supported Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain 's policy of appeasement . Throughout 1938, while the Nazi persecution of the Jews in Germany intensified, Kennedy attempted to arrange a meeting with Adolf Hitler . Shortly before

1056-404: A man of culture, as a man interested in culture." The glory of a next Augustan age Of a power leading from its strength and pride, Of young ambition eager to be tried, Firm in our free beliefs without dismay, In any game the nations want to play. A golden age of poetry and power Of which this noonday's the beginning hour. Frost composed a new poem titled Dedication specifically for

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1152-1007: A marvelous sense of timing". During the Great Depression , Kennedy shrewdly increased his wealth by devoting most of it into investment-grade real estate. In 1929, Kennedy's fortune was estimated to be $ 4 million (equivalent to $ 71 million in 2023). By 1935, his wealth had increased to $ 180 million (equivalent to $ 4 billion in 2023). He also acquired enough capital to establish million-dollar trust funds for each of his nine children that guaranteed lifelong financial independence. Kennedy generated windfall profits from reorganizing and refinancing several Hollywood film studios . He began with film distribution in New England, buying first movie theaters in Massachusetts, but quickly moved on to industry-wide arrangements and production. While still at Hayden, Stone & Co., Kennedy boasted to

1248-611: A morning Mass at Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Georgetown . Cardinal Richard Cushing gave the invocation at the inaugural which lasted for 12 minutes. Additional prayers were recited by Archbishop Iakovos of the Greek Orthodox Church and Reverend Dr. John Barclay of the Central Christian Church of Austin, Texas , and a blessing was offered by Rabbi Nelson Glueck . The invocation and prayers lasted

1344-505: A prominent stock brokerage firm with offices in Boston and New York, where he became an expert dealing in the unregulated stock market of the day, engaging in tactics that were later considered to be insider trading and market manipulation violations. He happened to be on the corner of Wall and Broad Streets at the moment of the Wall Street bombing on September 16, 1920, and was thrown to

1440-531: A raid against the stock himself. In 1933, he helped establish a "stock pool" that bought large quantities of stock in Libbey-Owens-Ford (LOF), an auto-glass manufacturer, and wash-traded huge volumes of stock among themselves while promoting the outright fraud that their company was related to Owens-Illinois , a glassmaker that made bottles which presumably would have profited from the imminent repeal of Prohibition. Kennedy later claimed he understood that

1536-427: A run for Governor of Massachusetts in 1942. However, even during the darkest months of World War II, Kennedy remained "more wary of" prominent American Jews, such as Associate Justice Felix Frankfurter , than he was of Hitler. Kennedy told the reporter Joe Dinneen: It is true that I have a low opinion of some Jews in public office and in private life. That does not mean that I. ... believe they should be wiped off

1632-530: A significant business from scratch, his timing as both buyer and seller was excellent. Various criminals, such as Frank Costello , have boasted they worked with Kennedy in mysterious bootlegging operations during Prohibition . Although his father was in the whisky importation business, scholars dismiss the claims. The most recent and most thorough biographer David Nasaw asserts that no credible evidence has been found to link Kennedy to bootlegging activities. When Fortune magazine published its first list of

1728-615: A significant share, was under threat of takeover. Kennedy borrowed $ 45,000 (equivalent to $ 1.4 million in 2023) from family and friends and bought back control. At the age of 25, he was rewarded by being elected the bank's president. Kennedy told the press he was "the youngest" bank president in America. In May 1917, Kennedy was elected to the Board of Trustees of the Massachusetts Electric Company, New England's leading public utility at

1824-431: A third term, which began in 1941. Kennedy may have wanted to run for president himself in 1940 or later. Having effectively removed himself from the national stage, Joe Sr. sat out World War II on the sidelines. Kennedy stayed active in the smaller venues of rallying Irish-American and Roman Catholic Democrats to vote for Roosevelt's re-election for a fourth term in 1944 . Former Ambassador Kennedy claimed to be eager to help

1920-548: A total of 28 minutes. Marian Anderson sang " The Star-Spangled Banner ", and a composition by Leonard Bernstein titled "Fanfare for the Inauguration of John F. Kennedy" was played. The oath of office for vice president was administered by Speaker of the House of Representatives Sam Rayburn to Lyndon Johnson. This marked the first time a House speaker administered the oath, which had been given in previous inaugurations by either

2016-731: A wide range of privately controlled businesses across the United States. During World War I he was an assistant general manager of a Boston area Bethlehem Steel shipyard; through that position he became acquainted with Franklin D. Roosevelt , who was the Assistant Secretary of the Navy. In the 1920s Kennedy made huge profits by reorganizing and refinancing several Hollywood studios; several acquisitions were ultimately merged into Radio-Keith-Orpheum (RKO) studios. Kennedy increased his fortune with distribution rights for Scotch whisky . He owned

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2112-449: Is a helluva long way from East Boston, isn't it?" On May 6, 1944, Kennedy's daughter, Kathleen , married William "Billy" Cavendish , Marquess of Hartington, the elder son of the Duke of Devonshire . The union was disapproved by Rose Kennedy due to Hartington being an Anglican. Unable to reconcile their religious backgrounds, Hartington and Kathleen were married in a civil ceremony. Hartington,

2208-494: Is emphasized by the strong use of juxtaposition in the first part of the speech: "... Man holds in his mortal hands the power to abolish all forms of human poverty and all forms of human life". Similarly, in the fifth passage, he says: "United there is little we cannot do in a host of cooperative ventures. Divided there is little we can do." Both passages appeal to the idea of refocusing international values. Again, after exhorting "both sides" to action, he calls on all of "us" "to bear

2304-760: Is finished in England. It may be here [in the United States]", he stated in the Boston Sunday Globe of November 10, 1940. With German troops having overrun Poland , Denmark , Norway , Belgium , the Netherlands , Luxembourg , and France , and with daily bombings of Great Britain, Kennedy unambiguously and repeatedly stated that the war was not about saving democracy from National Socialism (Nazism) or from Fascism. In an interview with two newspaper journalists, Louis M. Lyons of The Boston Globe , and Ralph Coghlan of

2400-476: Is now the moment when by common consent we pause to become conscious of our national life and to rejoice in it, to recall what our country has done for each of us, and to ask ourselves what we can do for the country in return." Along with official presidential guests and honorees, including former presidents, vice presidents, cabinet members, and other Washington officials, the Kennedys invited famous men and women of

2496-554: The St. Louis Post-Dispatch , Kennedy said: It's all a question of what we do with the next six months. The whole reason for aiding England is to give us time ... As long as she is in there, we have time to prepare. It isn't that [Britain is] fighting for democracy. That's the bunk. She's fighting for self-preservation, just as we will if it comes to us. ... I know more about the European situation than anybody else, and it's up to me to see that

2592-496: The Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies was chaired by Senator John Sparkman , and included Senators Carl Hayden and Styles Bridges , and Representatives Sam Rayburn , John W. McCormack , and Charles A. Halleck . [Sinatra's ball] may have marked the moment when popular entertainment became an indispensable part of modern politics. Frank Sinatra and Peter Lawford organized and hosted

2688-537: The Nazi bombing of British cities began in September 1940, Kennedy once again sought a personal meeting with Hitler without the approval of the U.   S. Department of State, in order to "bring about a better understanding between the United States and Germany". When war came in September 1939, Kennedy's public support for American neutrality conflicted with Roosevelt's increasing efforts to provide aid to Britain. "Democracy

2784-680: The United States Ambassador to the United Kingdom from 1938 to late 1940. With the outbreak of World War II in September 1939, Kennedy was pessimistic about Britain's ability to survive attacks from Nazi Germany . During the Battle of Britain in November 1940, Kennedy publicly suggested, "Democracy is finished in England. It may be here [in the United States]." After a controversy regarding this statement, Kennedy resigned his position. Kennedy

2880-448: The president pro tempore of the Senate , the outgoing vice president, or a United States senator. Robert Frost , then 86 years old, recited his poem " The Gift Outright ". Kennedy requested Frost to read a poem at the inauguration, suggesting "The Gift Outright", considered an act of gratitude towards Frost for his help during the campaign. Kennedy would later state that he admired

2976-466: The richest people in the United States in 1957, it placed Kennedy in the $ 200–400 million group, which is equivalent to roughly 3.2 billion dollars in 2023. Kennedy's first job after graduating from Harvard was a position as a state-employed bank examiner, where the job allowed him to learn a great deal about the banking industry. In 1913, the Columbia Trust Bank, in which his father held

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3072-705: The "Jew media" in the United States to become a problem, that "Jewish pundits in New York and Los Angeles" were already making noises contrived to "set a match to the fuse of the world". By August 1940, Kennedy worried that a third term for President Roosevelt would mean war. Biographer Laurence Leamer in The Kennedy Men: 1901–1963 reports: "Joe believed that Roosevelt, Churchill, the Jews, and their allies would manipulate America into approaching Armageddon ." Nevertheless, Kennedy supported Roosevelt's third term in return for Roosevelt's promise to support Joseph Kennedy Jr. in

3168-410: The "courage, the towering skill and daring" of Frost, and adding that "I've never taken the view the world of politics and the world of poetry are so far apart. I think politicians and poets share at least one thing, and that is their greatness depends upon the courage with which they face the challenges of life." American poet William Meredith would say that the request "focused attention on Kennedy as

3264-585: The "shining star among the dim 'knights' in the [Roosevelt] Administration". In 1938, Roosevelt appointed Kennedy as the United States ambassador to the Court of St James's (United Kingdom). Kennedy hoped to succeed Roosevelt in the White House, telling a British reporter in late 1939 that he was confident that Roosevelt would "fall" in 1940 (that year's presidential election). Kennedy and his family retreated to

3360-545: The 1930s, with a radio audience that reached millions every week. Having been a strong supporter of Roosevelt since 1932, in 1934 Coughlin broke with the president, who became a bitter opponent and a target of Coughlin's weekly anti-communist, anti-Semitic , far-right, anti–Federal Reserve and isolationist radio talks. Roosevelt sent Kennedy and other prominent Irish Catholics to try to tone down Coughlin. Coughlin swung his support to Huey Long in 1935, and then to William Lemke 's Union Party in 1936. Kennedy strongly supported

3456-518: The 50th anniversary celebrations of Kennedy's inauguration. The oath of office of the president was administered to Kennedy by Chief Justice Earl Warren using a closed family Bible at 12:51 ( ET ) although he officially became president at the stroke of noon. Kennedy did not wear an overcoat when taking the oath of office and delivering the inaugural address, despite the cold conditions of 22 °F (−6 °C) with windchill at 7 °F (−14 °C) at noon. Immediately after reciting

3552-523: The American people's anxiety about the Cold War and chose an optimistic tone. He accomplishes this by talking about the future, and repeats the phrase "Let both sides ..." to indicate a way to deal with strained relations while appealing to the goal of international unity. He also phrases negative ideas as opportunities—a challenge, appealing to innately American ideals. In the fourth from last passage he states, "In

3648-461: The Democratic Party throughout his life and the 1960 campaign, adding "The happy relationship between the arts and politics which has characterized our long history I think reached culmination tonight." Jacqueline retired to the White House before the ball ended at 1:30 am (ET), and John went to a second pre-inaugural ball hosted by his father Joseph Kennedy , and would finally return to the White House at around 3:30 am. A major winter storm occurred

3744-631: The Democratic Party to eliminate its debt brought on by a hard-fought campaign. Many Hollywood stars gave brief speeches or performed acts, rehearsed by Kay Thompson and directed by Roger Edens , and stayed at the Statler-Hilton Hotel where preparations and rehearsals were photographed by Phil Stern . Performances and speeches included Fredric March , Sidney Poitier , Nat King Cole , Ella Fitzgerald , Gene Kelly , Tony Curtis , Janet Leigh , Bill Dana , Milton Berle , Jimmy Durante , Harry Belafonte , and Sinatra himself. Sammy Davis Jr. ,

3840-462: The German ambassador to the United Kingdom, who claimed upon his return to Berlin that Kennedy had told him that "it was not so much the fact that we want to get rid of the Jews that was so harmful to us, but rather the loud clamor with which we accompanied this purpose. [Kennedy] himself fully understood our Jewish policy." Kennedy's main concern with such violent acts against German Jews as Kristallnacht

3936-638: The Kennedy family's private fortune, including being a source of funding for financing his sons' future political campaigns. In 1932 , Kennedy supported Franklin D. Roosevelt in his bid for the presidency. This was his first major involvement in a national political campaign, and he donated, lent, and raised a substantial amount of money for the campaign. In 1934, Congress established the independent Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to end irresponsible market manipulations and dissemination of false information about securities. Roosevelt's brain trust drew up

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4032-570: The New Deal (Father Coughlin believed that the New Deal did not go far enough, and thought that Franklin Roosevelt was a tool of the rich) and reportedly believed as early as 1933 that Coughlin was "becoming a very dangerous proposition" as an opponent of Roosevelt and "an out and out demagogue". In 1936, Kennedy worked with Roosevelt, Bishop Francis Spellman and Cardinal Eugenio Pacelli (later Pope Pius XII ) to shut Coughlin down. When Coughlin returned to

4128-508: The SEC was protecting their interests. He resigned from the SEC in September 1935. In 1936 , Roosevelt sought Kennedy's help on the campaign, and Kennedy responded with his book I'm for Roosevelt , which he had published and made sure was widely distributed. The book presented arguments for why businessmen should support Roosevelt and the New Deal , told from the perspective of Kennedy's own personal endorsement. The book had significant impact in

4224-495: The Supreme Court. The SEC had four missions. First was to restore investor confidence in the securities market, which had collapsed on account of its questionability, and the external threats supposedly posed by anti-business elements in the Roosevelt administration. Second, the SEC had to get rid of penny-ante swindles based on false information, fraudulent devices, and get-rich-quick schemes . Thirdly, and much more important than

4320-584: The U.S. According to Harvey Klemmer, who served as one of Kennedy's embassy aides, Kennedy habitually referred to Jews as " kikes or sheenies". Kennedy allegedly told Klemmer that "[some] individual Jews are all right, Harvey, but as a race they stink. They spoil everything they touch." When Klemmer returned from a trip to Germany and reported the pattern of vandalism and assaults on Jews by Nazis, Kennedy responded, "Well, they brought it on themselves." On June 13, 1938, Kennedy met in London with Herbert von Dirksen ,

4416-414: The United States that had begun showing movies. In October 1928, he formally merged his film companies FBO and KAO to form Radio-Keith-Orpheum (RKO) and made a large amount of money in the process. Kennedy had no interest in vaudeville; he just wanted the theaters, which he planned to convert to movie houses for the film booking interests he ran in cooperation with Radio Corporation of America (RCA). As

4512-626: The United States. Although he was skeptical of American involvement in World War I , Kennedy sought to participate in wartime production as an assistant general manager of Fore River , a major Bethlehem Steel shipyard in Quincy, Massachusetts . There, he oversaw the production of transports and warships. Through this job, he became acquainted with Assistant Secretary of the Navy Franklin D. Roosevelt . In 1919, Kennedy joined Hayden, Stone & Co. ,

4608-400: The United States. Kennedy was the first Catholic inaugurated as commander-in-chief. At the inauguration, Kennedy, then 43, was the youngest elected president and was replacing the oldest president in American history at that time, Eisenhower. The age difference and visual impact of the turnover from Eisenhower's presence to Kennedy's was noticeable at the inauguration. In addition, Kennedy

4704-669: The accelerating arms race , making the point that a focus on firepower should be replaced with a focus on international relations and helping the impoverished of the world. According to speechwriter Ted Sorensen , the most important sentence in the speech, expressing the core of Kennedy's policy, was: "For only when our arms are sufficient beyond doubt can we be certain beyond doubt that they will never be employed." Sorensen revealed in 2007 that John F. Kennedy had five objectives in mind with his speech, all of which, according to Sorensen, were achieved. Sorensen called Kennedy's speech "wise and courageous" and concluded: "Kennedy's inaugural address

4800-442: The air in 1940, Kennedy continued to battle against his influence among Irish Americans. Despite his public disputes with Coughlin, it has also been acknowledged that Kennedy would also accompany Coughlin whenever the priest visited Roosevelt at Hyde Park. A historian with History News Network also stated that Coughlin was a friend of Kennedy as well. In a Boston Post article of August 16, 1936, Coughlin referred to Kennedy as

4896-470: The arts, including Carl Sandburg , John Steinbeck , Ernest Hemingway , Brendan Behan , Mark Rothko , and fashion icon and future Vogue editor Diana Vreeland . Congressman Tip O'Neill sat next to wealthy Boston businessman George Kara: O'Neill recalled that Kara had nudged him and said, "Years from now, historians will wonder what was on the young man's mind as he strode to take his oath of office. I bet he's asking himself how George Kara got such

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4992-588: The back of the frame: For Jack. First thing I had framed to be put in your office . First thing to be hung there. Frost officially presented the poem, retitled to For John F. Kennedy His Inauguration and expanded from 42 to 77 lines, to Kennedy in March 1962. The unread poem (published in 1962 as part of Frost's In the Clearing poetry collection) was finally recited at the U.S. Capitol by Chaplain Daniel P. Coughlin during

5088-456: The burden of a long twilight struggle ... against the common enemies of man: tyranny, poverty, disease, and war itself," though the phrase "long twilight struggle" came to be associated with the Cold War struggle against communism. Kairos – to say or do what is fitting in a given situation – is a main component of classical rhetoric and is used prominently in this address. Kennedy recognized

5184-539: The business community and after his re-election, Roosevelt appointed Kennedy as Chairman of the United States Maritime Commission , which built on his wartime experience in running a major shipyard. Kennedy spent only ten months at the Commission. Father Charles Coughlin , an Irish Canadian priest near Detroit , became the most prominent Roman Catholic spokesman on political and financial issues in

5280-510: The ceremony as a preface to the poem Kennedy suggested, to the surprise of Kennedy's friends. On the morning of the inauguration, Frost asked Stewart Udall , Kennedy's future Secretary of the Interior , to have his handwritten draft type scripted for easier reading, to which Udall obliged. Once at the presidential podium, however, the glare of the sun and snow prevented him from reading his papers. When Frost started reading, he stumbled on

5376-463: The conditions and lack of fuel had to be removed from the parade route along Pennsylvania Avenue . The snowstorm dropped visibility at Washington National Airport to less than half a mile, preventing former president Herbert Hoover from flying into Washington and attending the inauguration. Before proceeding to the Capitol in company with outgoing president Dwight D. Eisenhower , Kennedy went to

5472-453: The country gets it. Kennedy's views became inconsistent and increasingly isolationist . British MP Josiah Wedgwood IV , who had himself opposed the British government's earlier appeasement policy, said of Kennedy: We have a rich man, untrained in diplomacy, unlearned in history and politics, who is a great publicity seeker and who apparently is ambitious to be the first Catholic president of

5568-522: The countryside during the bombings of London by German aircraft in World War II. In so doing, he damaged his reputation with the British. This move prompted Randolph Churchill to say, "I thought my daffodils were yellow until I met Joe Kennedy". Kennedy developed a reputation as a defeatist . According to the U.S. National Archives: In London, the American Ambassador and his wife soared to

5664-473: The day before the inauguration, with temperatures at 20 °F (−7 °C) and snowfall at 1–2 inches (2.5–5.1 cm) per hour and a total of 8 inches (20 cm) during the night, causing transportation and logistical problems in Washington and serious concern for the inauguration. On inauguration day, January 20, 1961, the skies began to clear but the snow created chaos in Washington, almost canceling

5760-531: The developer of photophone , a sound system for the new " talkies ", RCA needed to forge a connection with Hollywood to sell its product. At the same time Kennedy knew that he needed to compete in the new market of sound films and to do so he would have to have access to a technology that was not proprietary. Keen to buy the Pantages Theatre chain, which had 63 profitable theaters, Kennedy made an offer of $ 8 million (equivalent to $ 142 million in 2023). It

5856-486: The election, also at the request of the Kennedy campaign via Sinatra. Davis eventually switched his support to the Republican Party and Richard Nixon in the early 1970s. Harry Belafonte expressed sadness at the controversy, stating "It was the ambassador, [but] we didn't know that until after. Sammy not being there was a loss." At the end of the ball, Kennedy spoke to thank Sinatra on the festivities and his support of

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5952-469: The exclusive American agent for Haig & Haig Scotch, Gordon's Dry Gin and Dewar's Scotch. Kennedy kept his Somerset company for years. In addition, Kennedy purchased spirits-importation rights from Schenley Industries , a Canadian distillery and liquor company. Though he possessed substantial investments in various shipping lines that imported significant shipments of liquor, Kennedy himself drank little alcohol. He so disapproved of what he considered

6048-475: The face of the Earth. ... Jews who take an unfair advantage of the fact that theirs is a persecuted race do not help much. ... Publicizing unjust attacks upon the Jews may help to cure the injustice, but continually publicizing the whole problem only serves to keep it alive in the public mind. When the White House read his quotes, it became clear that Kennedy was completely out of step with Roosevelt's policies. Kennedy

6144-417: The first three lines, squinting at his papers in view of the crowd and cameras. Vice President Johnson tried to assist by using his top hat as a shade, however Frost waved the offer aside, took the hat and jokingly said "I'll help you with that", sparking laughter and applause from the crowd and President Kennedy. Understanding the immediacy of the situation, Frost stated to the microphones that "this [the poem]

6240-402: The former Democratic presidential candidate Adlai Stevenson II . Kennedy's line "Let us never negotiate out of fear. But let us never fear to negotiate." is nearly identical to Galbraith's suggestion "We shall never negotiate out of fear. But we shall never fear to negotiate." Stevenson's suggestion "if the free way of life doesn't help the many poor of this world it will never save the few rich."

6336-464: The frauds, the SEC had to end the million-dollar maneuvers in major corporations, whereby insiders with access to high-quality information about the company knew when to buy or sell their own securities. A crackdown on insider trading was essential. Finally, the SEC had to set up a complex system of registration for all securities sold in America, with a clear set of rules, deadlines and guidelines that all companies had to follow. The main challenge faced by

6432-423: The ground by the force of the blast. In 1923, he established his own investment company. Kennedy subsequently became a multi-millionaire as a result of taking " short " positions following the 1929 stock market crash. Kennedy was enlisted in 1924 to help stabilize the stock of John D. Hertz 's Yellow Cab Company , a taxi cab operator, against a bear raid ; afterward, Hertz suspected Kennedy of carrying out such

6528-571: The heights of British society. In the spring of 1938...the couple luxuriated in the warmth of English hospitality, hobnobbing with aristocrats and royalty at the many balls, dinners, regattas, and derbies of the season. The highlight was surely the April weekend that they spent at Windsor Castle , guests of King George VI and his wife, Queen Elizabeth . While getting dressed for an evening at Windsor Castle soon after he arrived, Kennedy paused in momentary reflection and remarked to his wife, "Well, Rose, this

6624-459: The hell did Kara get that seat?'" Five first ladies, Edith Wilson , Eleanor Roosevelt , Bess Truman , Mamie Eisenhower and Jacqueline Kennedy attended the event, as did future first ladies Lady Bird Johnson , Pat Nixon , and Betty Ford . Former president Harry S Truman joined presidents Eisenhower and Kennedy on the platform, as did future presidents Lyndon B. Johnson , Richard M. Nixon and Gerald Ford , making this, retroactively,

6720-427: The inaugural parade. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers was put in charge of clearing the streets during the evening and morning before the inauguration, and were assisted by more than 1,000 District of Columbia employees and 1,700 Boy Scouts . This task force employed hundreds of dump trucks, front-end loaders, sanders, plows, rotaries, and flamethrowers to clear the route. Over 1,400 cars which had been stranded due to

6816-490: The land acquisition of the largest privately owned building in the country, Chicago's Merchandise Mart (the world's largest building at the time), which gave his family an important base in that city and an alliance with the Irish-American political leadership there to lay the groundwork for realizing his sons' future political ambitions. The Merchandise Mart's revenues became a principal source of wealth that formed much of

6912-560: The largest conclave of the "presidential fraternity" prior to the opening of the Reagan Library in 1991. A vast parade along Pennsylvania Avenue followed the inauguration ceremony, bearing the new president from Capitol Plaza to the White House. Upon his arrival, Kennedy mounted a reviewing stand shared with honored guests such as former president Harry Truman and former first ladies Edith Wilson and Eleanor Roosevelt . Throngs of onlookers and millions of television viewers also watched

7008-572: The largest privately owned building in the country, Chicago's Merchandise Mart . Kennedy was a leading member of the Democratic Party and of the Irish Catholic community. President Roosevelt appointed Kennedy to be the first chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), which he led from 1934 to 1935. Kennedy later directed the United States Maritime Commission . Kennedy served as

7104-400: The long history of the world, only a few generations have been granted the role of defending freedom in its hour of maximum danger". It was also in his inaugural address that John F. Kennedy spoke his famous words, "ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country." This use of antimetabole can be seen even as a thesis statement of his speech—a call to action for

7200-510: The oath of office, President Kennedy turned to address the crowd gathered at the Capitol. His 1366-word inaugural address, the first delivered to a televised audience in color, is considered one of the best presidential inaugural speeches in American history. 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

7296-528: The prestigious Hasty Pudding Club but was not invited to join the Porcellian Club . Kennedy graduated in 1912 with a bachelor's degree in economics. Kennedy set his future sights on embarking on a business career upon his graduation from Harvard. During his mid to late 20s, he made a large fortune as an active commodity and stock investor; he then reinvested much of his proceeds into film studios, real estate, and shipping lines. Although Kennedy never built

7392-506: The procession; it took three hours to pass by. Sixteen thousand members of the US armed forces marched with displays of modern weaponry like the Minuteman missile and the supersonic B-70 bomber . A further sixteen thousand marchers were civilians ranging from federal and state officials to high school bands and Boy Scouts , accompanied by forty floats . Kennedy's inauguration marked many firsts for

7488-450: The public to do what is right for the greater good. This may be an elegant rephrasing of Franklin D. Roosevelt 's acceptance speech at the 1936 Democratic National Convention : "To some generations much is given. Of other generations much is expected. This generation of Americans has a rendezvous with destiny." It is also similar to Supreme Court justice Oliver Wendell Holmes' 1884 Memorial Day speech, in which Holmes said, "[Memorial Day]

7584-431: The rampant stock speculation of the late 1920s would lead to a market crash . It is said that he knew it was time to get out of the market when he received stock tips from a shoe-shine boy, but no evidence has been found of the anecdote and the first known version of the same tale was associated to Bernard Baruch in 1957. Kennedy survived the crash "because he possessed a passion for facts, a complete lack of sentiment and

7680-399: The time. Kennedy emerged as an astute businessman who possessed an eye for value , both with regard to his shrewd entrepreneurial acumen and savvy investment foresight. For example, as an active real estate investor , he turned a handsome profit from his privately-controlled ownership of Old Colony Realty Associates, Inc., an investment company which bought distressed real estate throughout

7776-513: The type scripted version of the undelivered "Dedication" poem to Udall after the ceremony, who eventually donated the document to the Library of Congress where it is stored today. The original manuscript version, personally dedicated by Frost, was provided to the president and currently held by the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library . Kennedy's wife Jacqueline framed this manuscript version, writing on

7872-410: The young lawyers was drafting precise rules. The SEC succeeded in its four missions, as Kennedy reassured the American business community that they would no longer be deceived and taken advantage of by Wall Street. He trumpeted for ordinary investors to return to the market and enable the economy to grow again. Kennedy's reforming work as SEC Chairman was widely praised on all sides, as investors realized

7968-425: The youngest person elected to the office, and the first U.S. president to have been born in the 20th century. His inaugural address encompassed the major themes of his campaign and would define his presidency during a time of economic prosperity, emerging social changes, and diplomatic challenges. This inauguration was the first in which a poet, Robert Frost , participated in the program. For this inauguration,

8064-490: Was recalled from his diplomatic duties and returned to the United States. Roosevelt urgently needed his support to hold the Catholic vote and invited him to spend the night at the White House. Kennedy agreed to make a nationwide radio speech to advocate Roosevelt's reelection. Roosevelt was pleased with the speech because, Nasaw says, it successfully "rallied reluctant Irish Catholic voters to his side, buttressed his claims that he

8160-536: Was a patriarch of the Kennedy family , which included President John F. Kennedy , attorney general and senator Robert F. Kennedy , and longtime senator Ted Kennedy . Kennedy was born into a political family in East Boston , Massachusetts. He made a large fortune as a stock and commodity market investor, and later rolled over his proceeds by dedicating a substantial amount of his wealth into investment-grade real estate and

8256-471: Was born on September 6, 1888, at 151 Meridian Street in East Boston, Massachusetts . Kennedy was the elder son of Mary Augusta (née Hickey) Kennedy and businessman and politician Patrick Joseph "P.J." Kennedy . Kennedy attended Boston Latin School , where he excelled at baseball and was elected class president before graduating in 1908. Kennedy then attended Harvard College , where he gained admittance to

8352-506: Was declined. He then stopped distributing his movies to Pantages. Still, Alexander Pantages declined to sell. However, when Pantages was later charged and tried for rape, his reputation took a battering, and he accepted Kennedy's revised offer of $ 3.5 million (equivalent to $ 62.1 million in 2023). Pantages, who claimed that Kennedy had "set him up", was later found not guilty at a second trial. The girl who had accused Pantages of rape, Eunice Pringle , confessed on her deathbed that Kennedy

8448-490: Was involved in was the importation of large shipments of high-priced Scotch where he earned a handsome profit in the process. Various contradictory "bootlegging" stories surrounding Kennedy have circulated but historians have not accepted them. At the start of the Franklin Roosevelt administration in March 1933, Kennedy and future Congressman James Roosevelt II founded Somerset Importers, a business entity that acted as

8544-462: Was married to Rose Fitzgerald ; the couple had nine children. During his later life he was heavily involved in the political careers of his sons. Three of Kennedy's sons attained distinguished political positions: John served as a U.S. senator from Massachusetts and as the 35th president of the United States, Robert as the U.S. attorney general and as a U.S. senator from New York, and Ted as a U.S. senator from Massachusetts. Joseph Patrick Kennedy Sr.

8640-491: Was not going to take the nation into war, and emphasized that he alone had the experience to lead the nation in these difficult times." After Roosevelt was reelected, Kennedy submitted his resignation as ambassador. Throughout the rest of the war, relations between Kennedy and the Roosevelt administration remained tense, especially when Joe Jr., a Massachusetts delegate at the 1940 Democratic National Convention , vocally opposed President Roosevelt's unprecedented nomination for

8736-552: Was that they generated bad publicity in the West for the Nazi regime, a concern that he communicated in a letter to Charles Lindbergh . Kennedy had a close friendship with Viscountess Astor , and their correspondence is replete with anti-Semitic statements. According to Edward Renehan: As fiercely anti-Communist as they were anti-Semitic, Kennedy and Astor looked upon Adolf Hitler as a welcome solution to both of these "world problems" (Nancy's phrase). ... . Kennedy replied that he expected

8832-434: Was the basis for Kennedy's line "If a free society cannot help the many who are poor, it cannot save the few who are rich." Kennedy came into power at the height of the Cold War with the difficult goals of maintaining peaceful international relations and representing the United States as a strong global force. These themes dominated his inaugural address. Kennedy highlighted the newly discovered dangers of nuclear power and

8928-428: Was the first person born in the 20th century to have been inaugurated as president. The claim that Kennedy did not wear a hat to his inauguration, and so single-handedly killed the men's hat industry, is false. Kennedy wore a top hat to the inauguration and to the balls in the evening, removing it only to be sworn in and give his address. He in fact restored the tradition, after Eisenhower broke with it by wearing

9024-679: Was the mastermind of the plot to frame Pantages. Many estimate that Kennedy made over $ 5 million (equivalent to $ 88.7 million in 2023) from his investments in Hollywood. During his three-year affair with film star Gloria Swanson , he arranged the financing for her films The Love of Sunya (1927) and the ill-fated Queen Kelly (1928). The duo also used Hollywood's famous "body sculptor", masseuse Sylvia of Hollywood . Their relationship ended when Swanson discovered that an expensive gift from Kennedy had actually been charged to her account. As soon as it became legal to do so, Kennedy ventured into liquor importing. One of his shipping ventures he

9120-449: Was to have been a preface to a poem which I do not have to read", and began to recite "The Gift Outright" from memory before the "nearly one million people in the nation's capital". This marks the first time a poem was read at a presidential inauguration, a feature repeated by future presidents Bill Clinton ( 1993 and 1997 ), Barack Obama ( 2009 and 2013 ), and Joe Biden ( 2021 ) at their respective ceremonies. Frost gave

9216-496: Was world-changing, heralding the commencement of a new American administration and foreign policy determined upon a peaceful victory in the west's long cold war struggle with the Soviet Union over the world's future direction. [...] It was a statement of core values - his and the nation's at that time - that he very much believed needed to be conveyed." The central theme of the speech is the relationship between duty and power. This

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