John F. Kennedy

==Early life and education==
[[File:John F. Kennedy home, Brookline, Massachusetts LCCN2011630152.tif|thumb|upright=1.1|Kennedy's birthplace in [[Brookline, Massachusetts]]]]

John Fitzgerald Kennedy was born outside [[Boston]] in [[Brookline, Massachusetts]], on May 29, 1917,<ref>{{cite web |title=A History of 83 Beals Street, Brookline, Massachusetts: Birthplace of John Fitzgerald Kennedy |url=https://www.nps.gov/articles/000/a-history-of-83-beals-street-birthplace-of-john-fitzgerald-kennedy.htm |website=[[National Park Service]] |access-date=29 January 2024 |archive-date=January 29, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240129231206/https://www.nps.gov/articles/000/a-history-of-83-beals-street-birthplace-of-john-fitzgerald-kennedy.htm |url-status=live }}</ref> to [[Joseph P. Kennedy Sr.]], a businessman and politician, and [[Rose Kennedy]] ([[née]] Fitzgerald), a philanthropist and socialite.{{sfn|Dallek|2003|p=20}} His paternal grandfather, [[P. J. Kennedy]], was an East Boston [[political boss|ward boss]] and [[Massachusetts Senate|Massachusetts state legislator]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Patrick Joseph Kennedy Personal Papers |url=https://www.jfklibrary.org/asset-viewer/archives/pjkpp |website=John F. Kennedy Presidential Library & Museum |access-date=January 29, 2024 |archive-date=January 29, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240129231207/https://www.jfklibrary.org/asset-viewer/archives/pjkpp |url-status=live }}</ref> Kennedy's maternal grandfather and namesake, [[John F. Fitzgerald]], was a U.S. Congressman and two-term [[Mayor of Boston]].{{sfn|Dallek|2003|pp=8−13}} All four of his grandparents were children of Irish immigrants.<ref name="JFKlibrary.org misc"/> Kennedy had an older brother, [[Joseph P. Kennedy Jr.|Joseph Jr.]], and seven younger siblings: [[Rosemary Kennedy|Rosemary]], [[Kathleen Kennedy Cavendish|Kathleen]], [[Eunice Kennedy Shriver|Eunice]], [[Patricia Kennedy Lawford|Patricia]], [[Robert F. Kennedy|Robert]], [[Jean Kennedy Smith|Jean]], and [[Ted Kennedy|Edward]].

Kennedy's father amassed a private fortune and established [[trust funds]] for his nine children that guaranteed lifelong financial independence.<ref>{{cite web |title=John F. Kennedy |url=https://www.britannica.com/biography/John-F-Kennedy |website=Encyclopedia Britannica |date=November 22, 2023 |access-date=January 16, 2017 |archive-date=January 18, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170118183301/https://www.britannica.com/biography/John-F-Kennedy |url-status=live }}</ref> His business kept him away from home for long stretches, but Joe Sr. was a formidable presence in his children's lives. He encouraged them to be ambitious, emphasized political discussions at the dinner table, and demanded a high level of academic achievement. John's first exposure to politics was touring the [[Neighborhoods in Boston|Boston wards]] with his grandfather Fitzgerald during his [[1922 Massachusetts gubernatorial election|1922]] failed gubernatorial campaign.<ref>{{cite book |last1=MacGregor Burns |first1=James |title=John Kennedy: A Political Profile |date=1960 |pages=22–23}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last1=Logevall |first1=Fredrik |title=JFK Coming of Age in the American Century, 1917-1956 |date=2020 |publisher=Random House |isbn=978-0-8129-9713-2 |pages=50–51}}</ref> With Joe Sr.'s business ventures concentrated on [[Wall Street]] and [[Cinema of the United States|Hollywood]] and an outbreak of [[polio]] in [[Massachusetts]], the family decided to move from Boston to the [[Riverdale, Bronx|Riverdale]] neighborhood of New York City in September 1927.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Logevall |first1=Fredrik |title=JFK Coming of Age in the American Century, 1917-1956 |date=2020 |publisher=Random House |isbn=978-0-8129-9713-2 |page=57}}</ref><ref name="John F. Kennedy: Early Years">{{cite web | title = John F. Kennedy: Early Years | access-date = April 17, 2017 | url = http://www.sparknotes.com/biography/jfk/section1.rhtml | archive-date = April 29, 2017 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20170429161744/http://www.sparknotes.com/biography/jfk/section1.rhtml | url-status = live }}</ref> Several years later, his brother Robert told ''Look'' magazine that his father left Boston because of job signs that read: "[[No Irish Need Apply]]."<ref>{{cite book |last1=Thomas |first1=Evan |title=Robert Kennedy: His Life |publisher=Simon & Schuster |page=33}}</ref> The Kennedys spent summers and early autumns at [[Kennedy Compound|their home]] in [[Hyannis Port, Massachusetts]], a village on [[Cape Cod]],<ref name=Kennedy37>{{cite book|title=True Compass: A Memoir|first=Edward M.|last=Kennedy|page=[https://archive.org/details/truecompassmemoi00kenn/page/37 37]|year=2009|isbn=978-0-446-53925-8|publisher=Twelve; First edition|url=https://archive.org/details/truecompassmemoi00kenn/page/37}}</ref> where they enjoyed swimming, sailing, and touch football.<ref name="jfklibrary.org">{{cite web|url=https://www.jfklibrary.org/learn/about-jfk/life-of-john-f-kennedy|title=Life of John F. Kennedy|website=jfklibrary.org|access-date=February 7, 2019|archive-date=February 6, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190206235232/http://www.jfklibrary.org/learn/about-jfk/life-of-john-f-kennedy|url-status=live}}{{PD-notice}}</ref> Christmas and Easter holidays were spent at their [[Addison Mizner#Selected buildings|winter retreat]] in [[Palm Beach, Florida]].{{sfn|O'Brien|2005|p=31}} In September 1930, Kennedy, then 13 years old, was sent to the [[Canterbury School (Connecticut)|Canterbury School]] in [[New Milford, Connecticut]], for 8th grade. In April 1931, he had an [[appendectomy]], after which he withdrew from Canterbury and recuperated at home.{{sfn|Dallek|2003|p=34}}

In September 1931, Kennedy started attending [[Choate Rosemary Hall|Choate]], a preparatory boarding school in [[Wallingford, Connecticut]].{{sfn|Dallek|2003|p=33}} Rose had wanted John and Joe Jr. to attend [[Catholic school|Catholic]] school, but Joe Sr. thought that if they were to compete in the political world, they needed to be with boys from prominent [[Protestantism|Protestant]] families.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Logevall |first=Fredrik |title=JFK - Volume One |publisher=[[Penguin (publisher)|Penguin]] |year=2020 |isbn=978-0-241-97201-4 |pages=81 |language=en}}</ref> John spent his first years at Choate in his older brother's shadow and compensated with rebellious behavior that attracted a clique. Their most notorious stunt was exploding a toilet seat with a firecracker. In the next chapel assembly, the headmaster, George St. John, brandished the toilet seat and spoke of "muckers" who would "spit in our sea," leading Kennedy to name his group "The Muckers Club," which included roommate and lifelong friend [[Lem Billings]].{{sfn|Kenney|2000|p=11}}<ref>{{Cite book |last=Logevall |first=Fredrik |title=JFK - Volume One |publisher=[[Penguin (publisher)|Penguin]] |year=2020 |isbn=978-0-241-97201-4 |pages=112 |language=en}}</ref> Kennedy graduated from Choate in June 1935, finishing 64th of 112 students.<ref name="John F. Kennedy: Early Years"/> He had been the business manager of the school yearbook and was voted the "most likely to succeed."{{sfn|Kenney|2000|p=11}}
[[File:TheKennedyFamily1.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|The Kennedy family in [[Hyannis Port, Massachusetts]], with JFK at top left in the white shirt, {{ca|1931}}]]

Kennedy intended to study under [[Harold Laski]] at the [[London School of Economics]], as his older brother had done. Ill health forced his return to the U.S. in October 1935, when he enrolled late at [[Princeton University]] but had to leave after two months due to gastrointestinal illness.<ref>{{cite web|title=John F. Kennedy's Princeton University undergraduate alumni file|url=https://blogs.princeton.edu/mudd/2013/11/john-f-kennedys-princeton-university-undergraduate-alumni-file/|website=Mudd Manuscript Library Blog|access-date=December 21, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160801185334/https://blogs.princeton.edu/mudd/2013/11/john-f-kennedys-princeton-university-undergraduate-alumni-file/|archive-date=August 1, 2016 |date=November 22, 2013}}</ref> 

In September 1936, Kennedy enrolled at [[Harvard College]].<ref>{{Cite book |last=Logevall |first=Fredrik |title=JFK - Volume One |publisher=[[Penguin (publisher)|Penguin]] |year=2020 |isbn=978-0-241-97201-4 |page=131 |language=en}}</ref> He wrote occasionally for ''[[The Harvard Crimson]]'', the campus newspaper, but had little involvement with campus politics, preferring to concentrate on athletics and his social life. Kennedy played football and was on the JV squad during his sophomore year, but an injury forced him off the team, and left him with back problems that would plague him for the rest of his life. He won membership in the [[Hasty Pudding Club]] and the [[Spee Club (Harvard)|Spee Club]], one of Harvard's elite "[[Harvard College social clubs#Origins|final clubs]]".{{sfn|Brinkley|2012|pp=14}}<ref>{{cite book |last1=Wills |first1=Chuck |title=Jack Kennedy: The Illustrated Life of a President |date=2009 |publisher=Chronicle Books LLC |page=25}}</ref>

In July 1938, Kennedy sailed overseas with his older brother to work at the [[U.S. Embassy, London|American embassy in London]], where his father was serving as President [[Franklin D. Roosevelt]]'s ambassador to the [[Court of St. James's]].{{sfn|Dallek|2003|p=54}} The following year, Kennedy traveled throughout Europe, the [[Soviet Union]], the [[Balkans]], and the Middle East in preparation for his Harvard senior honors thesis.{{sfn|O'Brien|2005|p=93}} He then went to Berlin, where a U.S. diplomatic representative gave him a secret message about war breaking out soon to pass on to his father, and to [[Czechoslovakia]] before returning to London on September 1, 1939, the day that [[Invasion of Poland|Germany invaded Poland]] and [[World War II]] began.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Logevall |first=Fredrik |title=JFK - Volume One |publisher=[[Penguin (publisher)|Penguin]] |year=2020 |isbn=978-0-241-97201-4 |pages=220 |language=en}}</ref> Two days later, the family was in the [[British House of Commons|House of Commons]] for speeches endorsing the United Kingdom's declaration of war on Germany. Kennedy was sent as his father's representative to help with arrangements for American survivors of {{SS|Athenia|1922|6}} before flying back to the U.S. on his first transatlantic flight.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Logevall |first=Fredrik |title=JFK - Volume One |publisher=[[Penguin (publisher)|Penguin]] |year=2020 |isbn=978-0-241-97201-4 |pages=225–226 |language=en}}</ref>{{sfn|Dallek|2003|p=58}}

While Kennedy was an upperclassman at Harvard, he began to take his studies more seriously and developed an interest in [[political philosophy]]. He made the [[Dean's List|dean's list]] in his junior year.<ref name="Harvard Presidents">{{cite web | url = http://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2008/11/obama-joins-list-of-seven-presidents-with-harvard-degrees/ | title = Obama joins list of seven presidents with Harvard degrees | work = Harvard Gazette | publisher = [[Harvard University]] | date = November 6, 2008 | access-date =February 24, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160801190338/http://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2008/11/obama-joins-list-of-seven-presidents-with-harvard-degrees/|archive-date=August 1, 2016 }}</ref> In 1940, Kennedy completed his thesis, "Appeasement in Munich", about British negotiations during the [[Munich Agreement]]. The thesis was released on July 24, under the title ''[[Why England Slept]]''.{{sfn|Dallek|2003|pp=61–66}} The book was one of the first to offer information about the war and its origins, and quickly became a bestseller.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Logevall |first=Fredrik |title=JFK - Volume One |publisher=[[Penguin (publisher)|Penguin]] |year=2020 |isbn=978-0-241-97201-4 |pages=269–270 |language=en}}</ref> In addition to addressing Britain's unwillingness to strengthen its military in the lead-up to the war, the book called for an [[Anglo-American alliance]] against the rising totalitarian powers. Kennedy became increasingly supportive of U.S. intervention in World War II, and his father's isolationist beliefs resulted in the latter's dismissal as ambassador.{{sfn|Brinkley|2012|pp=15–17}}

In 1940, Kennedy graduated ''[[cum laude]]'' from Harvard with a Bachelor of Arts in government, concentrating on [[international affairs]].{{sfn|Brinkley|2012|pp=183}} That fall, he enrolled at the [[Stanford Graduate School of Business]] and audited classes,{{sfn|Kenney|2000|p=18}} but he left after a semester to help his father complete his memoirs as an American ambassador. In early 1941, Kennedy toured South America.{{sfn|Dallek|2003|p=68}}{{sfn|Kenney|2000|p=21}}