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Fade To White: The inauguration of John F. Kennedy

Fade To White: The inauguration of John F. Kennedy

It had snowed heavily the night before. Eight inches of frothy white covered the ground and the freezing temperature dropped 22 degrees.   The sun was shining..  The streets were unplowed as Washington was unaccustomed to even a light snowfall.  I had to park quite a distance and walk to a good view on the densely crowded streets.  Pushing past those gathered to view the future President; I shivered and stamped my feet to stave off frostbite as I trudged along.  Arriving just as the ceremony began, I found a vantage: a high bank of snow on a corner some 100 yards from the platform that allowed me to peer above the crowd.  I saw former President Eisenhower and Richard Nixon standing near the podium and then Robert Frost, who later read a poem. Chief Justice Earl Warren administered the oath of office   Most of the men wore hats, some formal top hats.  Kennedy was bare headed and the sun illuminated streaks of red in his chestnut hair, in contrast to the gray-headed men who surrounded him. Some say his hair helped him win the election.  He stood out among the older faces as a symbol of youth and energy, much like a black and white photo painted red in one spot.   As I huddled under the hood of my coat I wondered how he focused on the moment while his head was freezing.  Yet he looked comfortable, confident and assured while smiling and shaking hands after his swearing in.

 I listened intently to his inaugural address but the cold chilled my bones and at times I felt my concentration drifting.  Some words stood out though, those most remembered: "Ask not what you country can do for you but what you can do for your country; ask not what America will do for you but what together we can do for the freedom of man."  He talked about a renewal for the country and about a new generation, a generation of which I was a part. He spoke of liberty, relieving poverty and good deeds. He spoke of "struggling against the enemies of man: tyranny, poverty, disease and war itself."  As no president before had, he spoke of the wonders of space exploration.

I was caught up in the mood of my optimistic fellow onlookers.  I sensed John F. Kennedy was a man of my generation, even though he was 27 years my senior. Not a stuffy politico or a craggy congressman, he was a man who had new ideas and who would endow my generation with his enthusiasm and hope. And he did that in spades. Although he was the youngest president voted into office, I was not so aware of his age, but of his vibrancy and the penetrating way he expressed his ideas.

In January 1961, I was a sophomore at Mt. Vernon Jr. College living in a dorm room on Foxhall Road.   One of my suitemates was Barry Goldwater's daughter, but I had little interest in politics and more the earmarks of a self-absorbed 18 yr old; yet I knew this inauguration was special. Nothing else would have lured me from the warmth of my dorm room on that blustery winter day.  I had watched the debates on TV, while playing bridge, which too often took precedence over classes.  Kennedy appeared healthier and sounded more passionate than Nixon and he was easy on the eye. I liked him for all the wrong reasons.  He had sex appeal and it was contagious. On election night, we students stayed up late to listen to the results. By midnight, we gave up and went to bed.  Even my classmates, daughters of staunch Republicans and high-ranking military officials were surprised when Kennedy won.  They had been influenced by their fathers' rhetoric, and like my Republican father, were convinced he did not have a chance.  We were secretly delighted when we awoke the next morning to learn the results.  Well, nearly all of us, maybe not Peggy Goldwater, Jr.  

The message embedded in the inaugural address emphasized service to our fellow man and struck a chord that vibrated a new awareness. It was a paradigm shift. Perhaps it was there all along and he only sounded a key. Years later, after marriage, two children and young widowhood, I became serious about my education and entered the field of social work.  Had John F. Kennedy pointed the way? . Maybe he inspired an entire generation of young people who went out into the world with fresh enthusiasm for all the professions he influenced: astronauts, Peace Corps volunteers, social workers, and peacemakers.  
 
As I approach retirement living in Sarasota, Florida and look back 50 years, I realize we lost more than a President that fateful day in Dallas; we lost hope for the future. Many of us became disillusioned about the business of government. Cynicism seems as prevalent today as it was 50 years ago but for different reasons.  We lost our innocence when Jack was shot. Someone turned off the light in the oval office and the darkness engulfed us all. 

What I learned from the Kennedy years is that peace is a tenuous process.  Respect must be earned. It doesn't come with title.  Civility is a nearly lost art and perfection does not exist on this earthly plane but striving for it does. 

 

 
By Elissa Bentsen
elissa@foreversouls.com

http:www.barttleby.com/124/pres56.html

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