Years in Office: 1961 to 1963

John F. Kennedy was the youngest man elected to office of President, 43 years old. (Theodore Roosevelt was 42 when he became President on death of McKinley.) Kennedy was the wealthiest man to ever take office. Most of his early education took place in exclusive private schools. He attended Harvard Law School to obtain his law degree.

During World War II he served as a commander on a P.T. boat in the Navy. Kennedy is best remembered for hi statement, "Ask not what your country can do for you, but what can you do for your country."

While Kennedy was President, he avoided an atomic bomb war with Russia and forced them to withdraw their missiles from Communist Cuba, the civil rights demonstrations and protests by Negroes and other minority groups broke out in the large cities of our country and U.S. troops were sent to Vietnam. Kennedy was assassinated on Nov. 22, 1963, by Lee Harvey Oswald while riding in a motorcade in Dallas, Texas.

Quote: Together let us explore the starts, conquer the deserts, eradicate disease, tap the ocean depths and encourage the arts and commerce. — Inaugural Address, January 20, 1961