Friday, September 22, 2006

Biography Podcast 0006: Ronald Wilson Reagan - Part I

The sixth episode of the podcast - Ronald Wilson Reagan - Part I, 40th President, Actor and name sake of Regan Airport in Washington, DC. Enjoy!



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e-mail: biographypodcast [at] gmail.com
voicemail: 206-202-W00T (9008)
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God bless, now go out and do something amazing that will be in your biography!

Today's Text
==============
"If I could just make a personal statement of my own -- in these 3 1/2 years I have understood and known better than ever before the words of Lincoln, when he said that he would be the greatest fool on this footstool called Earth if he ever thought that for one moment he could perform the duties of that office without help from One who is stronger than all." - Ronald Reagan

If one quote can come close to capturing a man, then this quote by Ronald Reagan, the man known as the "Great Communicator," the President who called for the Soviet Union to tear down the Berlin wall, the Commander in Chief who without remorse understood that strength was the best negotiating chip, does so better than almost any other. This quote captures Ronald Reagan's awe and acknowledgment of the Supreme Being, his sense and his love for history, and his knowledge that above all things, he was nothing more than a servant of his office and of the people and country he so loved and loved serving.

A child of Irish and Scotch parents, Ronald Wilson Reagan, 40th President of the United States, was born in humble circumstances - an apartment above a small bakery - in Tampico, Illinois to John Reagan and Nellie Clyde Wilson on February 6, 1911. The second of two boys, Ron Reagan was an outgoing boy who loved life, loved his mother and worked for everything he had from a young age. In an oddity for his time, Regan never addressed his father as dad, daddy or father - but by his first name only. This could be because even though Jack was a hard worker, he had a hard time holding jobs, he was also prone to bouts of drinking that left him out of favor with Nellie, Ron and his older brother Neil. Reagan also wore glasses from early in his youth, discovering he needed them one day while riding in the car and playing by putting on his mother's glasses - and realizing he could see the cows and the trees in the fields and by the road side that he'd never been able to see before.

On July 21, 1922, at the age of 11, Ronald Reagan was baptized at the Christian Church of Dixon, IL, the town that he always referred to as his home town. And while this one incident may seem small or insignificant in passing, it's important to note that at age 11, the young Ronald Reagan was serious about his faith and that this event is included in his biography and his own autobiography, "An American Life."

The ever affable and optimistic Reagan grew up with the gift to tell a story and was popular even as a youth. He was athletic, played sports, and he earned his money for both high school and college, as a lifeguard where he was credited with saving 77 lives. The earliest indication of his dedication to being involved in participatory government is illustrated by his election as a senior as the student body President of Dixon High School.

In June of 1932, Dutch Reagan (his father Jack nicknamed Regan "Dutch" when he was a baby) Graduated from Eureka College with a BA in economics and sociology. At Eureka he participated in drama, football and swimming. He also served as student body president and helped organize a student strike. After his graduation, he started work in radio as a temporary, and stayed working as an announcer through 1937. It was during this time, in 1933, that he did the famous call of the baseball game when he lost his telegraph reports from Chicago. With his usual imagination, charm and style, Reagan had the batter record what would have been one of the longest at-bats in MLB history while waiting for the telegraph feed to be restored. It was also during this period, in 1935, that Reagan enlisted as a private in the Army Reserve.

Spring of 1937 found Dutch at Spring Training in California covering the Cubs where he also did a screen test for Warner Bros. He was shortly thereafter signed as a contract player and made his first film in June of the same year. And thus began Regan's 53 movie film career. In those B films, Regan was most often the easy going male lead. In fact, his one foray into another type of roll - a villain - was saved for his last film in 1964.

It was in the movies that Reagan met his first wife of 9 years, Jane Wyman, and where he started with his second and long time wife Nancy Davis. And while the movies provided a comfortable career for Reagan, evidenced by his million dollar contract with Warner in 1945 - and folks a million dollars back then actually meant something! - more importantly, it was in Hollywood that the ever activist Dutch got involved with the Screen Actor's Guild which gave him his first opportunities for public campaigning and politics. During the Hollywood years, Reagan testified for the FBI regarding communism, served in the Army Air Corp as a Lieutenant, then Captain where his unit made over 400 training films, served as President of the Screen Actors Guild, negotiated a strike settlement and started campaigning for others running for office, including Truman and Nixon - the latter of which he did still as a Democrat.

==================

Tuesday, September 19, 2006

Biography Podcast 0005: Update

The fifth episode of the podcast - Thea quick update. Enjoy!



Contact info:
e-mail: biographypodcast [at] gmail.com
voicemail: 206-202-W00T (9008)
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God bless, now go out and do something amazing that will be in your biography!

Friday, September 08, 2006

Biography Podcast 0004: Thedore F. Green

The fourth episode of the podcast - Theodore F. Green, Rhode Island Governor and Senetor and name sake of T.F. Green Airport in Warwick, RI. Enjoy!



Contact info:
e-mail: biographypodcast [at] gmail.com
voicemail: 206-202-W00T (9008)
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God bless, now go out and do something that will be great in your biography!

Today's Text
==============
"Ninety-five percent, it's been estimated, of the newspapers of the country are Republican, anti-Democrat, anti-administration."
Theodore F. Green

It is obvious from that quote, Theodore F. Green lived in a very different era.

Theodore Francis Green, also know as Theodore F. Green - which just shows that even in the 1800's any guy called Francis was going to take abuse - was born October 2, 1867 in Providence County, Providence, Rhode Island. Young Theodore was born into a family of politicians that go back as far as the War for Independence, including great-great-grandfather Jonathan Arnold who was a member of the Rhode Island General Assembly in 1776, served as a physician in the Revolutionary Army, and later served as a member to the Continental Congress in 1782. Also in the family was great-uncle Tristam Burges Arnold who was appointed Chief Justice of the RI Supreme Court and also served in Congress, great-uncle Lemuel Hastings Arnold who was a member of the US Congress and Governor of Rhode Island, great-grandfather James Burrill, Jr. who was Rhode Island Attorney General and a long time Congressman, and grand-uncle Samuel Greene Arnold who was Lt. Governor of Rhode Island, served in the War of Northern Aggression (which some call the Civil War) and was later elected Senator from the State of Rhode Island.

Ladies and gentlemen, if you think that you were under pressure to perform growing up, I submit that you didn't see ANYTHING next to young Theodore!

Green attended both public and private grammar and prep schools until he went to college, where he attended and graduated from Brown University. From Brown, young Theodore followed the more recent family propensity to practice law (rather than medicine which was the wish of great-great-grandfather Jonathan Arnold) and along with many other members of the family attended Harvard University Law School, and going one step further, also studied at the Universities of Bonn and Berlin in Germany, then was admitted to the bar in 1892. After passing the bar Green set up practice in Providence and also became an instructor in Roman Law at Brown University from 1894-1897.

Along with many of his contemporaries - including General Logan of Logan Airport fame - Green also served in the Spanish-American war, receiving a commission as Lieutenant. After the war, Green returned home to Rhode Island and started his political career in earnest, becoming a member of the Rhode Island House of Representatives in 1907 and was chairman of the city plan commission of Providence in 1917-1919. He was an unsuccessful Democratic candidate for Governor in 1912 and for Congress in 1918. Finally, in 1932 Green broke through in a bid to become Governor where he served until 1936. In 1936, Green was elected to the US Senate where he served until 1961.

T.F. Green was financially interested in numerous corporations and business enterprises and served as an officer and director, but it seems that not much else is recorded about him. At the time he retired from the Senate in 1961, he was - at 93 - the oldest person to serve in Congress. T.F. Green passed away in Providence on May 19, 1966.

T.F. Green airport was dedicated in 1931, though internet history does not record its original name. It was named, I assume, for the former Governor and long time Senator after his death.

Well folks, thats our biography for today. One of the things I found most interesting about T.F. Green was his family, even more than his own impressive service record. Next episode we will move back down the east coast to Reagan International Airport in Washington, DC. I'll do my best to keep that episode short - but there is a LOT of information about him available.

- podcamp promo -

Lastly, I've done several interviews with interesting folks such as Philip Torrone from Make Magazine, Mark Jeffrey author of the P&P, Matthew Wayne Selznick author of Brave Men Run and Cali Lewis of Geek Brief TV. Would anyone be interested in having some of those interviews played in this stream or would you prefer a different stream that is essentially biographical interviews? Let me know!

But, for now, don't just sit there and listen to podcasts all day, get out there and do something awesome that will be in your biography!

==============

Sunday, September 03, 2006

Biography Podcast 0003: John F. Kennedy - Repost

The third episode of the podcast - John F. Kennedy, 35th President and name sake of JFK Airport in New York City. Enjoy!



Contact info:
e-mail: biographypodcast [at] gmail.com
voicemail: 206-202-W00T (9008)
Skype, AIM/iChat, Yahoo!: PalmMagnate

Vote for us at Podcast Alley

God bless, now go out and do something that will be great in your biography!

Today's Text
--------------
John Kennedy is arguably one of the most legendary, of all the United States presidents. While not overly popular when elected or in office, or thought to be a particularly great President while he was alive, JFKs legend and charisma have only increased throughout the years since his tragic assassination.

John Fitzgerald Kennedy was born to the ambitious Irish-Catholic businessman Joseph Kennedy and Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy on May 29, 1917. Born the second of nine children, four boys and five girls, John, who was soon called Jack, would be both the sickliest and most famous of the Kennedy clan. A sickly child from infancy, often injured and bested by his older brother Joe, Jack Kennedy none-the-less possessed an affability and charm that made him a popular figure throughout his life.

As a boy, Jack went to Choate, a boarding school for boys, where he played tennis, basketball, football and golf. But, that wasn't the thing that made most noticable according to his friend Lem Billings who noted that young Jack had a daily subscription to the New York Times. This thirst for current events knowledge however, dovetailed in beautifully with his two favorite subjects - history and English.

After finishing school at Choate, Jack entered Harvard in 1936 where older brother Joe was already a student. And, like Joe, Jack played football there as well. Unfortunately, Harvard is where Jack ruptured a disk in his spine, an accident that continued to bother him through his Navy career, into politics and through his life.

While everyone remembers President Kennedy's charm, charisma and speaking ability now, it was not young Jack that was the one who was the apple of father Joseph Kennedy's eye. It was oldest brother Joe who was to be the first Catholic to become President - not Jack. Sure, he was handsome and intelligent, but the Jack Kennedy of Harvard was not that ambitious. However, while Kennedy was in college, his father was appointed US Ambassador to England, and that exposure to European politics and world affairs fired the younger Kennedy's interest in government and current events yet again.

Note: During the podcast so far I've mentioned both Joe's, father and son, several times. It is not without purpose. Both older Kennedy's played a pivotal role in Jack's life. One because he was there, the other because of his absence. Of the two, it was his father Joseph that was the driving force. The older Kennedy was born into both politics and money as the son of Patrick Kennedy, but was unhappy with his lot and the role of Irish-Americans in US Politics. No one can begrudge a person for wanting people of his ancestry to be more involved in the country they call home, but for Joseph P. Kennedy, Sr. it was not just a wish or a passion - it was an obsession. Throughout his life, the patrician of the Kennedy family craftily and often ruthlessly brought all his money, power and connections to bear on this obsession. Now, back to our story.

After college, both Joe, Jr. and Jack entered the Navy. Joe, a flyer was sent to Europe while Jack was made a Lieutenant, junior grade, and assigned to the now famous patrol torpedo boat, PT-109. Though many of you may know the story, there are few that would deny that any hearing of it brings chills to the spine. Assigned with 12 men to an 80 ft wooden boat, Kennedy was assigned to patrol the waters of the south Pacific to stop Japanese ships from delivering supplies. On the night of August 2, 1943 while on patrol with no running lights, which was a common war time maneuver, PT-109 suddenly saw a Japanese destroyer become visible traveling at full speed and heading straight towards them. With no time to maneuver out of the way, the destroyer crashed directly through PT-109 splitting it in half and killing two of Lt. Kennedy's men. During the collision, Kennedy was slammed hard against the cockpit, once again hurting his already injured back. Amazingly, the rest of his crew escaped and clung to a piece of the boat. At dawn, despite his injuries, Lt. Kennedy led them to an island several miles away - while towing an injured crew member by a strap held in his teeth. Six days later two native islanders found them and went for help, delivering a message Jack had carved into a piece of coconut shell. The next day, the PT-109 crew was rescued. Alas, Jack’s brother Joe was not so lucky. He died a year later when his plane blew up during a dangerous mission in Europe.

When he returned home, Jack was awarded the Navy and Marine Corps Medal for his leadership and courage. With the war finally coming to an end, it was time to choose the kind of work he wanted to do. Jack had considered becoming a teacher or a writer, but with Joe’s tragic death suddenly everything changed. After serious discussions with Jack about his future, Joseph Kennedy convinced him that he should run for Congress in Massachusetts' eleventh congressional district, where he won in 1946. This was the beginning of Jack’s political career. As the years went on, John F. Kennedy, a Democrat, served three terms (six years) in the House of Representatives, and in 1952 he was elected to the U.S. Senate.

On September 12, 1953, Kennedy married Jacqueline Bouvier. Shortly afterwards, his back started to trouble him again, and Senator Kennedy required two serious operations. In 1955, while recuperating from a back operation, he wrote Profiles in Courage, which won the 1957 Pulitzer Prize in history.

Note: This event, as well as brother Joe's untimely death in the war were to critical points in Jack Kennedy's life. Because the eldest and favored son Joe had passed away, Joe, Sr. directed all his attention to Jack, including directing him into politics. Joseph Kennedy, Sr. was the reason why Profiles in Courage won the Pulitzer. He was relentless in his promotion of the book, and especially at first JFK was reluctant to sign copies and promote the book. However, it was the release of this book that also brought the, then junior Senator from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, into prominence on the national stage. Back to our story.

After almost being picked to run for Vice President in 1956, Kennedy decided that he would run for President the next election. He began working long hours and traveling around the US on the weekends. In July of 1960, the Democratic party nominated him as candidate for President.

Many people did not believe that John F. Kennedy could win the Presidential election. He did not have a huge national following and in many ways he was still perceived as sickly. However, the benefit of his inactivity because of his back, was that the Senator gained some weight and took on more robust appearance. That overcame one issue.

The other issue, a national following, was then taken on by the Kennedy patriarch. Joe Kennedy, Sr. worked like a madman BUYING support for his son in the election. Where the Democratic party was week, Joe Sr.'s reserve of US Dollars proved to be the strength that Jack needed in key counties and states. The final piece of the puzzle was the live television debate with Richard Nixon where JFK's charm, newly robust appearance and compelling speech brought in enough voters to clinch the win. On November 8, 1960, John Fitzgerald Kennedy, scion of the Kennedy political machine and fortune was elected President of the United States. He was the youngest man elected at 43 years of age and the first Catholic.

John F. Kennedy was sworn in as the 35th President on January 20, 1961. In his inaugural speech he spoke of the need for all Americans to be active citizens and delivered the line for which he is most famous: "Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country." He also asked the nations of the world to join together to fight what he called the "common enemies of man: tyranny, poverty, disease, and war itself." His resolve to fight them all was soon sorely tested.

President Kennedy along with his wife Jacqueline brought a new era of youth and vitality to the White House. In the eyes of the nation, this was the age of Camelot in Washington, DC. President Kennedy created the Peace Corps and initiated the age of space travel. It would not be until many years later that many of the rumors about Kennedy's behavior would surface.

While President Kennedy brought youth and vigor to the office, he was also required to present more than image. The early 1960's were also a time of foment in the US. Responding to ever more urgent demands, he took vigorous action in the cause of equal rights, calling for new civil rights legislation. His vision of America extended to the quality of the national culture and the central role of the arts in a vital society.

He wished America to resume its old mission as the first nation dedicated to the revolution of human rights. With the Alliance for Progress and the Peace Corps, he brought American idealism to the aid of developing nations. But the hard reality of the Communist challenge remained.

Shortly after his inauguration, Kennedy permitted a band of Cuban exiles, already armed and trained, to invade their homeland. The attempt to overthrow the regime of Fidel Castro was a failure. Soon thereafter, the Soviet Union renewed its campaign against West Berlin. Kennedy replied by reinforcing the Berlin garrison and increasing the Nation's military strength. But, instead of Europe, the Russians now sought to install nuclear missiles in Cuba. When this was discovered by air reconnaissance in October 1962, Kennedy imposed a quarantine on all offensive weapons bound for Cuba. While the world trembled on the brink of nuclear war, the Russians backed down and agreed to take the missiles away. The American response to the Cuban crisis evidently persuaded Moscow of the futility of nuclear blackmail.

On November 21, 1963, President Kennedy flew to Texas to give several political speeches. The next day, as his car drove slowly past cheering crowds in Dallas, shots rang out. Kennedy was seriously wounded and died a short time later. Within a few hours of the shooting, police arrested Lee Harvey Oswald and charged him with the murder. On November 24, another man, Jack Ruby, shot and killed Oswald, thus silencing the only person who could have offered more information about this tragic event. The Warren Commission was organized to investigate the assassination and to clarify the many questions which remained. And thus was one of the events that has spawned almost more conspiracy theories than any other event.

After President Kennedy had been assassinated, the country mourned. This man of such relative youth who was so passionate for our country had been so quickly ripped from our lives, and the nation could not forget him. As the years have gone by and other Presidents have written their chapters in history, John Kennedy's brief time in office stands out in people's memories for his leadership, personality, and accomplishments. Many respect his coolness when faced with difficult decisions, and others admire his ability to inspire people with his eloquent speeches.

Regardless of how or why people remember John F. Kennedy, we all remember his story, his heroics and his passion. In the end, he did what we all wish we could do, he lived his life so that it changed and still changes history.

Well, that's our biography for this week and thanks for joining us. This biography has been interesting for me to do because I'm a native son of New England, born in Rhode Island and now a resident of the Commonwealth of MA. Though I was only 3 at the time and don't remember the original event, I do remember the years following and the sorrow of New Englanders each year when the tragedy would be reviewed.

Next week we'll move back up the coast a bit and look at the person for whom T.F Green airport was named.
============

Saturday, September 02, 2006

Biography Podcast 0003: John F. Kennedy

The third episode of the podcast - John F. Kennedy, 35th President and name sake of JFK Airport in New York City. Enjoy!



Contact info:
e-mail: biographypodcast [at] gmail.com
voicemail: 206-202-W00T (9008)
Skype, AIM/iChat, Yahoo!: PalmMagnate

Vote for us at Podcast Alley

God bless, now go out and do something that will be great in your biography!

Today's Text
--------------
John Kennedy is arguably one of the most legendary, of all the United States presidents. While not overly popular when elected or in office, or thought to be a particularly great President while he was alive, JFKs legend and charisma have only increased throughout the years since his tragic assassination.

John Fitzgerald Kennedy was born to the ambitious Irish-Catholic businessman Joseph Kennedy and Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy on May 29, 1917. Born the second of nine children, four boys and five girls, John, who was soon called Jack, would be both the sickliest and most famous of the Kennedy clan. A sickly child from infancy, often injured and bested by his older brother Joe, Jack Kennedy none-the-less possessed an affability and charm that made him a popular figure throughout his life.

As a boy, Jack went to Choate, a boarding school for boys, where he played tennis, basketball, football and golf. But, that wasn't the thing that made most noticable according to his friend Lem Billings who noted that young Jack had a daily subscription to the New York Times. This thirst for current events knowledge however, dovetailed in beautifully with his two favorite subjects - history and English.

After finishing school at Choate, Jack entered Harvard in 1936 where older brother Joe was already a student. And, like Joe, Jack played football there as well. Unfortunately, Harvard is where Jack ruptured a disk in his spine, an accident that continued to bother him through his Navy career, into politics and through his life.

While everyone remembers President Kennedy's charm, charisma and speaking ability now, it was not young Jack that was the one who was the apple of father Joseph Kennedy's eye. It was oldest brother Joe who was to be the first Catholic to become President - not Jack. Sure, he was handsome and intelligent, but the Jack Kennedy of Harvard was not that ambitious. However, while Kennedy was in college, his father was appointed US Ambassador to England, and that exposure to European politics and world affairs fired the younger Kennedy's interest in government and current events yet again.

Note: During the podcast so far I've mentioned both Joe's, father and son, several times. It is not without purpose. Both older Kennedy's played a pivotal role in Jack's life. One because he was there, the other because of his absence. Of the two, it was his father Joseph that was the driving force. The older Kennedy was born into both politics and money as the son of Patrick Kennedy, but was unhappy with his lot and the role of Irish-Americans in US Politics. No one can begrudge a person for wanting people of his ancestry to be more involved in the country they call home, but for Joseph P. Kennedy, Sr. it was not just a wish or a passion - it was an obsession. Throughout his life, the patrician of the Kennedy family craftily and often ruthlessly brought all his money, power and connections to bear on this obsession. Now, back to our story.

After college, both Joe, Jr. and Jack entered the Navy. Joe, a flyer was sent to Europe while Jack was made a Lieutenant, junior grade, and assigned to the now famous patrol torpedo boat, PT-109. Though many of you may know the story, there are few that would deny that any hearing of it brings chills to the spine. Assigned with 12 men to an 80 ft wooden boat, Kennedy was assigned to patrol the waters of the south Pacific to stop Japanese ships from delivering supplies. On the night of August 2, 1943 while on patrol with no running lights, which was a common war time maneuver, PT-109 suddenly saw a Japanese destroyer become visible traveling at full speed and heading straight towards them. With no time to maneuver out of the way, the destroyer crashed directly through PT-109 splitting it in half and killing two of Lt. Kennedy's men. During the collision, Kennedy was slammed hard against the cockpit, once again hurting his already injured back. Amazingly, the rest of his crew escaped and clung to a piece of the boat. At dawn, despite his injuries, Lt. Kennedy led them to an island several miles away - while towing an injured crew member by a strap held in his teeth. Six days later two native islanders found them and went for help, delivering a message Jack had carved into a piece of coconut shell. The next day, the PT-109 crew was rescued. Alas, Jack’s brother Joe was not so lucky. He died a year later when his plane blew up during a dangerous mission in Europe.

When he returned home, Jack was awarded the Navy and Marine Corps Medal for his leadership and courage. With the war finally coming to an end, it was time to choose the kind of work he wanted to do. Jack had considered becoming a teacher or a writer, but with Joe’s tragic death suddenly everything changed. After serious discussions with Jack about his future, Joseph Kennedy convinced him that he should run for Congress in Massachusetts' eleventh congressional district, where he won in 1946. This was the beginning of Jack’s political career. As the years went on, John F. Kennedy, a Democrat, served three terms (six years) in the House of Representatives, and in 1952 he was elected to the U.S. Senate.

On September 12, 1953, Kennedy married Jacqueline Bouvier. Shortly afterwards, his back started to trouble him again, and Senator Kennedy required two serious operations. In 1955, while recuperating from a back operation, he wrote Profiles in Courage, which won the 1957 Pulitzer Prize in history.

Note: This event, as well as brother Joe's untimely death in the war were to critical points in Jack Kennedy's life. Because the eldest and favored son Joe had passed away, Joe, Sr. directed all his attention to Jack, including directing him into politics. Joseph Kennedy, Sr. was the reason why Profiles in Courage won the Pulitzer. He was relentless in his promotion of the book, and especially at first JFK was reluctant to sign copies and promote the book. However, it was the release of this book that also brought the, then junior Senator from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, into prominence on the national stage. Back to our story.

After almost being picked to run for Vice President in 1956, Kennedy decided that he would run for President the next election. He began working long hours and traveling around the US on the weekends. In July of 1960, the Democratic party nominated him as candidate for President.

Many people did not believe that John F. Kennedy could win the Presidential election. He did not have a huge national following and in many ways he was still perceived as sickly. However, the benefit of his inactivity because of his back, was that the Senator gained some weight and took on more robust appearance. That overcame one issue.

The other issue, a national following, was then taken on by the Kennedy patriarch. Joe Kennedy, Sr. worked like a madman BUYING support for his son in the election. Where the Democratic party was week, Joe Sr.'s reserve of US Dollars proved to be the strength that Jack needed in key counties and states. The final piece of the puzzle was the live television debate with Richard Nixon where JFK's charm, newly robust appearance and compelling speech brought in enough voters to clinch the win. On November 8, 1960, John Fitzgerald Kennedy, scion of the Kennedy political machine and fortune was elected President of the United States. He was the youngest man elected at 43 years of age and the first Catholic.

John F. Kennedy was sworn in as the 35th President on January 20, 1961. In his inaugural speech he spoke of the need for all Americans to be active citizens and delivered the line for which he is most famous: "Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country." He also asked the nations of the world to join together to fight what he called the "common enemies of man: tyranny, poverty, disease, and war itself." His resolve to fight them all was soon sorely tested.

President Kennedy along with his wife Jacqueline brought a new era of youth and vitality to the White House. In the eyes of the nation, this was the age of Camelot in Washington, DC. President Kennedy created the Peace Corps and initiated the age of space travel. It would not be until many years later that many of the rumors about Kennedy's behavior would surface.

While President Kennedy brought youth and vigor to the office, he was also required to present more than image. The early 1960's were also a time of foment in the US. Responding to ever more urgent demands, he took vigorous action in the cause of equal rights, calling for new civil rights legislation. His vision of America extended to the quality of the national culture and the central role of the arts in a vital society.

He wished America to resume its old mission as the first nation dedicated to the revolution of human rights. With the Alliance for Progress and the Peace Corps, he brought American idealism to the aid of developing nations. But the hard reality of the Communist challenge remained.

Shortly after his inauguration, Kennedy permitted a band of Cuban exiles, already armed and trained, to invade their homeland. The attempt to overthrow the regime of Fidel Castro was a failure. Soon thereafter, the Soviet Union renewed its campaign against West Berlin. Kennedy replied by reinforcing the Berlin garrison and increasing the Nation's military strength. But, instead of Europe, the Russians now sought to install nuclear missiles in Cuba. When this was discovered by air reconnaissance in October 1962, Kennedy imposed a quarantine on all offensive weapons bound for Cuba. While the world trembled on the brink of nuclear war, the Russians backed down and agreed to take the missiles away. The American response to the Cuban crisis evidently persuaded Moscow of the futility of nuclear blackmail.

On November 21, 1963, President Kennedy flew to Texas to give several political speeches. The next day, as his car drove slowly past cheering crowds in Dallas, shots rang out. Kennedy was seriously wounded and died a short time later. Within a few hours of the shooting, police arrested Lee Harvey Oswald and charged him with the murder. On November 24, another man, Jack Ruby, shot and killed Oswald, thus silencing the only person who could have offered more information about this tragic event. The Warren Commission was organized to investigate the assassination and to clarify the many questions which remained. And thus was one of the events that has spawned almost more conspiracy theories than any other event.

After President Kennedy had been assassinated, the country mourned. This man of such relative youth who was so passionate for our country had been so quickly ripped from our lives, and the nation could not forget him. As the years have gone by and other Presidents have written their chapters in history, John Kennedy's brief time in office stands out in people's memories for his leadership, personality, and accomplishments. Many respect his coolness when faced with difficult decisions, and others admire his ability to inspire people with his eloquent speeches.

Regardless of how or why people remember John F. Kennedy, we all remember his story, his heroics and his passion. In the end, he did what we all wish we could do, he lived his life so that it changed and still changes history.

Well, that's our biography for this week and thanks for joining us. This biography has been interesting for me to do because I'm a native son of New England, born in Rhode Island and now a resident of the Commonwealth of MA. Though I was only 3 at the time and don't remember the original event, I do remember the years following and the sorrow of New Englanders each year when the tragedy would be reviewed.

Next week we'll move back up the coast a bit and look at the person for whom T.F Green airport was named.
============