“Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country." On the day he spoke these words, neither the threat of nuclear disaster, ongoing tensions with one of the world’s largest superpowers, nor his election by nail-biting margins seemed to intimidate our 35th President. When John F. Kennedy took the stand at his inauguration in 1961, fear did not overwhelm his prayer. Instead, despite the troubling conditions that faced him as a leader, he inspired the American people to look inward, toward their personal power, and asked them to be hopeful, resourceful, and unified. Having served as the Massachusetts delegate in the House of Reps and the Senate for a total of 13 years, John F. Kennedy was not an inexperienced politician when he took his oath, though he was the youngest elected President in our history. And though there was much controversy around some of his earliest official actions, the Bay of Pigs especially, he took personal responsibility for failure and learned quickly from his administration’s mistakes. Above all, John was a broker in peace. Just as he took personally the lives of the men he’d lost in war as a naval captain, so was his utmost concern for the lives of the American people he served. When the Cuban Missile Crisis reached its height, John showed powerful prudence in negotiations with the Soviet Union and convinced them to stand down for the good of the world entire. He preached worldwide peace when he established the Peace Corps and inspired American youth to build the world they wanted to live in with their own two hands by performing acts of service across the globe. The institution has continued its work, a lasting legacy of John’s benevolent goals. And the passing and enforcement of the 1964 Civil Rights Act, brought about by the great sacrifices and leadership of activists like Martin Luther King Jr, were bolstered by John’s statements about equal rights in his 1963 address to the nation, that “the rights of every man are diminished when the rights of one man are threatened.” JFK, our 35th President, is remembered today for many things. His dedication to ending war, violence, and inequality are among his most cherished qualities and greatest legacy. He challenged the American public to broaden our minds and hearts, to become greater as a nation and as individuals, and to, quite literally, reach for the stars. As a public servant, he has gone down in history throughout the world as a hero, icon, and friend. Stay tuned for the next chapter in this Miles Standish-designed, 7k exclusive series, An American Life, featuring JFK… An American Icon… An American Hero… An American Life. Only from 7k