President John F. Kennedy

"Any man who may be asked in this century what he did to make his life worthwhile, I think can respond with a good deal of pride and satisfaction, 'I served in the United States Navy,'"

Official White House Portrait

President John F. Kennedy (1917-1963) served as the thirty-fifth President of the United States of America from January 20, 1961 until his assassination on November 22, 1963.  Prior to his political career, President Kennedy, in a sign of the times, used his father's connections during World War II to enlist in the Navy and be placed on active duty in the Pacific theatre despite ill health.  In an exemplary display of courage, then-Lieutenant Kennedy steered his remaining men to safety following the destruction of their ship, PT-109, by a Japanese destroyer.  As he led them on a swim to an island three miles away, Lieutenant Kennedy towed an injured shipmate, holding on to the man's life-vest strap in his teeth. 

Despite his short term in office, President Kennedy will always be remembered for his dedication to civil rights throughout the world, efforts to quell the Cold War, support of the space program, and impact our changing society.  The only president to be awarded a Pulitzer Prize, President Kennedy also received numerous military commendations including the Navy and Marine Corps Medal and, posthumously, the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

President Kennedy remains the most beloved United States president in modern history, recently voted in a Gallup poll as the third “most admired” person of the twentieth century behind only Mother Theresa and Martin Luther King, Jr.

We invite you to explore the links to further biographical information, photographs, and explorations of the legacy of this remarkable man.

President Kennedy Tributes