In the first episode of our Staff Picks series, Library Director Alan Price highlights three artifacts that capture pivotal moments that shaped President John F. Kennedy’s life. The coconut shell that carried his rescue message during World War II tells a story of courage and resilience, a letter from the surviving members of the Amagiri show how two bitter enemies can make peace, while Jacqueline Bouvier’s wedding dress symbolizes a new chapter for the future president. Together, these pieces reveal how personal experiences shaped the leader we know today.
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Lessons on Democracy - A More Perfect Union
In this episode, we take a closer look at how President Kennedy viewed the social contract between the president and the American people with historian Fredrik Logevall. In particular, we’ll look at how that played out for four segments of the population who had been historically marginalized in varying ways: African Americans, women, people with intellectual disabilities, and immigrants. This episode is the last of a four-part series taking a closer look at what made President John F. Kennedy a strong democratic leader, not as a leader of the Democratic Party, but as the leader of a modern democracy.
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Lessons on Democracy: A Call to Public Service
In this episode, we explore how President Kennedy’s call to public service helped shape a generation of dedicated government leaders. His vision for a professional and expert-driven public sector laid the foundation for decades of democratic progress. Historian Fredrik Logevall joins us to reflect on the lasting impact of JFK’s New Frontier. This episode is part three of a four-part series taking a closer look at what made President John F. Kennedy a strong democratic leader, not as a leader of the Democratic Party, but as the leader of a modern democracy.
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Lessons on Democracy: The Art of Diplomacy
In this episode, we look back at how President Kennedy understood the needs of his roles as a diplomat abroad and a strong negotiator at home. Historian Fredrik Logevall joins a conversation as we look at events that tested Kennnedy’s skills as a negotiator. This episode is part two of a four-part series taking a closer look at what made President John F. Kennedy a strong democratic leader, not as a leader of the Democratic Party, but as the leader of a modern democracy.
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Lessons on Democracy: Qualities of Leadership
Democracy requires leaders who understand the responsibility they hold as elected leaders. In this episode, we will return to the speech President Kennedy made in Massachusetts, now referred to as the “City on a Hill” speech. Historian Fredrik Logevall joins a conversation that will look at the four specific qualities of leadership Kennedy highlighted as essential for a healthy democracy. This episode is part one of a four-part series taking a closer look at what made President John F. Kennedy a strong democratic leader, not as a leader of the Democratic Party, but as the leader of a modern democracy.
About JFK35 - A podcast by the JFK Library Foundation
John F. Kennedy, the 35th President of the United States, inspired a generation that transformed America. But not everyone knows the stories behind the man - his experiences as a young serviceman in World War II, how he wrote some of his most memorable speeches, what sparked him to set the country on a path to the moon. Join Matt Porter and Jamie Richardson of the JFK Library Foundation as they dig into the archives at the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum in Boston and interview their colleagues to get a behind-the-scenes look at JFK’s life, legacy, and the era he lived in.
JFK35 is a production of the JFK Library Foundation. The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed are the guests own and do not represent the views, thoughts, and opinions of the JFK Library Foundation staff, board or donors or the JFK Library. The material and information presented here is for general historical and educational information purposes only. The views expressed in the podcast are not meant to imply any endorsement of or opposition to any organization or political party.
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