John Fitzgerald Kennedy National Historic Site

John F. Kennedy

On May 29, 1917, John Fitzgerald Kennedy was born in the master bedroom of this modest home in Brookline, Massachusetts. The great grandson of Irish immigrants, and the second son of Joseph P. and Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy, this bright, spirited boy was filled with promise.

JFK Accomplishments

JFK is remembered as the man who led the United States to a New Frontier: the youngest individual and first Catholic elected to the American Presidency, he molded a sweeping Civil Rights Bill, launched the Peace Corps, promoted the space race, and negotiated a Nuclear Test Ban treaty during the hottest years of the Cold War. Also memorable were his successes in promoting arts and education, confronting corporate power, and expanding health insurance and public welfare legislation.

As the witty and energetic "media President," JFK inspired the nation with his eloquent speeches and endless drive. His wife, Jacqueline, embodied elegance and verve. Together they captured the heart and imagination of a new generation. When he challenged Americans to "Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country," they responded with enthusiasm and activism.

Camelot

Behind that public career, behind the romance and mythology of what came to be known as "Camelot," lay John F Kennedy the private man. It was no coincidence that this son of a powerful, politically minded father, surrounded by bright and talented siblings, became an ambitious man, with a sense of family loyalty and commitment to public service. Nor was it surprising that his attentive, highly educated mother developed in Jack a quest for knowledge, an appreciation of history and the arts, and the willingness to accept the consequences of his deeds. Clearly, the character behind Kennedy’s public actions was influenced by his childhood in Brookline, Massachusetts.

Though his life ended tragically on November 22, 1963, leaving the man and the vision in midstream, John F. Kennedy left an enduring legacy: "All this will not be finished in the first one hundred days. Nor will it be finished in the first one thousand days…nor even perhaps in our lifetime on this planet. But let us begin. In your hands, my fellow citizens, more than mine, will rest the final success or failure of our course."

"Let the word go forth from this time and place…that the torch has been passed to a new generation of Americans."

The Brookline Years

In 1914, when Rose and Joseph Kennedy moved into their first home at 83 Beals Street in Brookline, the birthplace of JFK, they were breaking – and making – tradition. Both members of this newly wedded couple were grandchildren of immigrants and children of politically prominent fathers who had risen through the ranks of Irish Catholic Boston.

While many young couples of their era settled into their parents’ home or a rented apartment, Joseph Kennedy insisted on owning a house in the largely middle class, street-car suburb of Brookline. Mrs. Kennedy later explained that her husband "had a strong need for privacy, for independence, for being able to choose the people he wanted to be with in close association." She herself valued a healthful environment in which to raise her family, and recalled "a sense of openness in the neighborhood, with a vacant lot on one side of us and another across the street, and fine big shade trees lining the sidewalks." Both Kennedys appreciated that the Beals Street home, where they lived from 1914 to 1920, was close to playgrounds, a Catholic church, good schools, Coolidge Corner retail stores, and trolleys to Boston. When they outgrew the Beals Street house, the family moved just two blocks away to Abbottsford Road, where they lived until 1927.

Jack enjoyed many privileges while growing up in Brookline, but he also faced many challenges which helped to shape him. From his parents he learned loyalty to family, love of knowledge and reading, pride in his Irish Catholic heritage, and a desire for social acceptance and position. Witnessing the frustrations experienced by his mentally retarded sister, Rosemary, and grappling with his own childhood illnesses taught him the value of perseverance, determination, and compassion for others. And his older brother Joe – bright, competitive, and willful – challenged Jack to develop, master, and have confidence in his own strengths and talents.

Though he left Boston on his road to the White House, Kennedy fondly recalled his family’s ties to Massachusetts. "There is within each man a very special affection for the place of his birth," he wrote. Later he said, "The enduring qualities of Massachusetts…are an indelible part of my life, my convictions, my view of the past, and my hopes for the future."

"I believe the times demand new invention, innovation, imagination, decision….My call is to the young in heart, regardless of age…."