J

John F. Kennedy

77 quotes

John F. Kennedy (1917–1963) was the 35th President of the United States, serving from 1961 until his assassination in 1963. His presidency was marked by the Cuban Missile Crisis, the Space Race, and the early stages of the Civil Rights Movement. Kennedy's speeches are among the most quoted in American political history.

“Let us never negotiate out of fear. But let us never fear to negotiate.”

— John F. Kennedy

Fear

All Quotes by John F. Kennedy

“My brother Bob doesn't want to be in government - he promised Dad he'd go straight.”

— John F. Kennedy

Dad

“The path we have chosen for the present is full of hazards, as all paths are. The cost of freedom is always high, but Americans have always paid it. And one path we shall never choose, and that is the path of surrender, or submission.”

— John F. Kennedy

Freedom

“The best road to progress is freedom's road.”

— John F. Kennedy

Best

“Our growing softness, our increasing lack of physical fitness, is a menace to our security.”

— John F. Kennedy

Fitness

“Change is the law of life. And those who look only to the past or present are certain to miss the future.”

— John F. Kennedy

Change

“In a very real sense, it will not be one man going to the moon it will be an entire nation. For all of us must work to put him there.”

— John F. Kennedy

Work

“The cost of freedom is always high, but Americans have always paid it. And one path we shall never choose, and that is the path of surrender, or submission.”

— John F. Kennedy

Freedom

“A nation which has forgotten the quality of courage which in the past has been brought to public life is not as likely to insist upon or regard that quality in its chosen leaders today - and in fact we have forgotten.”

— John F. Kennedy

Courage

“Efforts and courage are not enough without purpose and direction.”

— John F. Kennedy

Courage

“If we cannot now end our differences, at least we can help make the world safe for diversity.”

— John F. Kennedy

History

“Now we have a problem in making our power credible, and Vietnam is the place.”

— John F. Kennedy

Power

“Unconditional war can no longer lead to unconditional victory. It can no longer serve to settle disputes... can no longer be of concern to great powers alone.”

— John F. Kennedy

Alone

“Those who dare to fail miserably can achieve greatly.”

— John F. Kennedy

Great

“Forgive your enemies, but never forget their names.”

— John F. Kennedy

Forgiveness

“The time to repair the roof is when the sun is shining.”

— John F. Kennedy

Time

“Let every nation know, whether it wishes us well or ill, that we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe to assure the survival and the success of liberty.”

— John F. Kennedy

Patriotism

“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.”

— John F. Kennedy

Freedom

“The goal of education is the advancement of knowledge and the dissemination of truth.”

— John F. Kennedy

Education

“It might be said now that I have the best of both worlds. A Harvard education and a Yale degree.”

— John F. Kennedy

Best

“I'm always rather nervous about how you talk about women who are active in politics, whether they want to be talked about as women or as politicians.”

— John F. Kennedy

Politics