February 10

The ancient Greek definition of happiness was the full use of your powers along the lines of excellence.

John F. Kennedy, 35^th President, 1961-1963

-from Remarks to a Group of Foreign Students at the Third Annual Reception for foreign graduates on May 8, 1963, from the South Lawn of The White House at 4:30 in the afternoon. On this Wednesday afternoon, President Kennedy had also spoken at a news conference which, in part, dealt with American students and the Civil Rights movement in the United States. On the previous Friday, May 5, a non-violent student march against segregation in Birmingham, Alabama, had been broken up by police with fire hoses and police dogs. Images had been broadcast around the world, depicting the turbulence of the times and one of the shortcomings of American society. Additionally, in April, Martin Luther King had been jailed in Birmingham for eleven days and from there wrote his now famous, "Letter from a Birmingham Jail". Towards the end of that busy Wednesday, Kennedy addresses the students with what may have been off the cuff remarks,(Kennedy's papers from May 10, 1962 seemed more prepared). Kennedy greets his audience, "I want to express a very warm welcome to all of you on behalf of Mrs. Kennedy and myself. We are very much honored that you have come to the United States to study." He goes on to state that the current leaders of many nations are younger and that these students would have the opportunity to contribute to their nations' service. At this point he gives his oft repeated quote, "The ancient Greek definition of happiness was the full use of your powers along lines of excellence."..."I can think of no area...where you can put your powers to more excellent use and produce more personal and general happiness than in the field of national service in government, either as politicians or as technicians, to help advance the welfare of your people." In perhaps a veiled reference to the recent events and civil conflicts, he concludes, "It (American society) is wide open, unfinished, with innumerable problems of our own. The image of America which is seen from abroad is in many ways inaccurate. Our problems in some ways are more serious, our riches are less, our hopes are greater than may be imagined from far away. You have been close to us. We hope that you are generous in your judgment, even charitable, and we hope that you will be welcomed back some years from now as either the president, the prime minister or, even more significant, the wife of a president or prime minister." Kennedy introduced Civil Rights legislation in June of 1963 but had only six months to live and would not see Lyndon B. Johnson lead the way for its passage in July of 1964.