President Kennedy’s impact on the world is still being felt today as the world remembers one of the most charismatic figures in the history of the United States. Provident Metals is proud to honor his memory and celebrate his legacy on the 50th anniversary of his death.
On Jan. 20, 1961, Kennedy expressed the values held dear to the collective American heart in his inaugural address:
“Let every nation know, whether it wishes us well or ill, that we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe, in order to assure the survival and the success of liberty.”
Kennedy’s calm and level-headed approach proved him a man of his word. He deftly maneuvered the nation away from a nuclear war with the Soviet Union and laid the groundwork for a burgeoning shift in civil rights.
With his dashing good looks — and the most beautiful First Lady the world had ever seen at his side — the 35th president turned into an international celebrity. The flawless faces of the First Family began gracing the covers of magazines and newspapers all across the globe as their fame grew.
Yet the president’s most enduring legacy was his steadfast commitment to service. Establishing the Peace Corps in March of 1961, Kennedy ignited a fire in the souls of millions of Americans: an abiding drive to serve our fellow man.
Based in Dallas, Texas — where a great man’s life was cut short just five decades ago — the team at Provident Metals thought it would be fitting to share the final paragraph of Kennedy’s undelivered Dallas speech, where he once again sought to inspire the country:
“We in this country, in this generation, are — by destiny rather than choice — the watchmen on the walls of world freedom. We ask, therefore, that we may be worthy of our power and responsibility — that we may exercise our strength with wisdom and restraint — and that we may achieve in our time and for all time the ancient vision of ‘peace on earth, good will toward men.’ That must always be our goal, and the righteousness of our cause must always underlie our strength. For as was written long ago: ‘except the Lord keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain.”
Click here to read the full speech
— President John F. Kennedy
Remarks Prepared for Delivery at the Trade Mart in Dallas, November 22, 1963
[Undelivered]
