Teachable Moment: Is This JFK's Best Speech?

President Kennedy at the American University, June 10, 1963.

 John F. Kennedy's speech at the American University in June 1963, is considered by many to be the best speech ever given by an American president. We aren't in a position to listen to all speeches by American presidents--but through modern technology, we can listen to Kennedy's major speeches and ask students make a decision which speech they think is the best and why.

Here is a link to the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum for the video of the speech.
 
Commencement Address at American University, June 10, 1963 http://www.jfklibrary.org/Asset-Viewer/BWC7I4C9QUmLG9J6I8oy8w.aspx

Here is the text of the speech.

Primary Resources: American University Speech, 1963

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/primary-resources/jfk-university/ 

 

 Here are links to American Rhetoric to other of JFK's major speeches:

Ask not...

Inaugural Address

delivered 20 January 1961

http://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/jfkinaugural.htm

Address at Rice University on the Nation's Space Program

delivered 12 September 1962, Rice Stadium, Houston, Texas

http://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/jfkriceuniversity.htm

Good news, Jack, the Wall is down.

Ich bin ein Berliner ("I am a 'Berliner'")

http://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/jfkberliner.html

Civil Rights Address

delivered 11 June 1963

http://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/jfkcivilrights.htm

This last speech is concerning education, given at San Diego State University in June 1963. I would also like to mention that the state of California still supports education, as demonstrated by the Dream Act that this state's citizens voted for--voluntarily giving ourselves more taxes to develop our greatest resource: our young people.

 President John F. Kennedy's 1963 Commencement Speech at San Diego State 

http://library.sdsu.edu/scua/exhibits-and-events/online-exhibits/kennedy 

 "As a nation, we have no deeper concern, no older commitment and no higher interest than a strong, sound and free system of education for all. In fulfilling this obligation to ourselves and our children, we provide for the future of our nation-and for the future of freedom."

 

Listening to these speeches now, from the view of 2013, we must pause to consider what might be the products of JFK's rhetoric--peace did eventually break between the Soviet Union and the USA, astronouts did walk on the moon, the Berlin Wall did go down, Civil Rights continue to develop and we continue to develop our greatest resource: our young people. JFK mentioned Special Education in the San Diego speech, and Senator Edward Kennedy sponsored the American with Disabilities Act (IDEA) which funded and organized Special Education on a national level.