John F. Kennedy

John F. Kennedy (1917-1963), a Democrat from Massachusetts, served in the U.S. House and Senate before narrowly winning the 1960 presidential election, becoming the youngest person elected president and the first Roman Catholic to hold the office. His New Frontier program called for federal action on education, health care for the elderly, economic growth and civil rights, though much of it stalled in Congress during his lifetime. His foreign policy centered on the Cold War, including crises over Cuba and Berlin. He was assassinated in Dallas in November 1963.

Kennedy remains one of the most popular presidents in public opinion, and admirers credit his rhetoric, the peaceful resolution of the Cuban Missile Crisis, the space program and his civil rights commitment with inspiring a generation of public service. Critics and many historians note that his legislative record was modest, that the Bay of Pigs was a costly failure and that his administration deepened U.S. involvement in Vietnam. Conservatives later cited his tax-cut proposals and anticommunism, while liberals emphasize his civil rights and social-policy goals, so both sides claim parts of his record.