In 1963 President John F. Kennedy gave a powerful speech on the arts in America. But what is less known is that Kennedy’s speech was heavily influenced by his wife Jacqueline Kennedy. David Huff explains.
Jacqueline Kennedy in May 1962.
Art and history
On Saturday, October 26, 1963, President Kennedy gave a speech to the students at Amherst College as he dedicated a library named for the American poet Robert Frost, who died on Tuesday, January 29, 1963. The speech was rich, eclectic, and moving as he galvanized a generation of Americans not only to lead lives of civic commitment, but also to challenge the conventional power structure that existed in America at that time.
The speech is well known for its stirring statements in which the late-President issued a clarion call about the hope and possibility for American society. Kennedy, who was ahead of his time, spoke eloquently when he declared:
"I look forward to a great future for America, a future in which our country will match its military strength with our moral restraint, its wealth with our wisdom, its power with our purpose. I look forward to an America which will not be afraid of grace and beauty, which will protect the beauty of our natural environment, which will preserve the great old American houses and squares and parks of our national past, and which will build handsome and balanced cities for our future"
"I look forward to an America which will reward achievement in the arts as we reward achievement in business or statecraft. I look forward to an America which will steadily raise the standards of artistic accomplishment and which will steadily enlarge cultural opportunities for all of our citizens. And I look forward to an America, which commands respect throughout the world not only for its strength but for its civilization as well. And I look forward to a world which will be safe not only for democracy and diversity but also for personal distinction."
Yet, Kennedy also issued a warning that is true today as it was in his time:
"And the nation which disdains the mission of art invites the fate of Robert Frost's hired man, the fate of having "nothing to look backward to with pride, and nothing to look forward to with hope."
Jacqueline Kennedy and the arts
In our contemporary society, we need to improve the growing differences that divide us as a civilization. The ongoing discussions and vitriolic debates regarding race, poverty, social unrest and economic disparity fail to provide a positive impetus for a consensus as to the course of action. Yet, many Americans do not realize that President Kennedy's innovative speech at Amherst was, in fact, influenced by the artistic mind-set of Mrs. Kennedy when she was first lady. Eclectic and forward thinking, she adopted as her mantra that successful civilizations can achieve a cultural renaissance by cultivating the reservoir of talent and individual ingenuity that resides within its people. Mrs. Kennedy understood that other parts of the world, such as Europe, had implemented cultural policies not only to preserve their unique cultural heritage, but also to broaden public participation in cultural life. For example, Belgium, France, Denmark, Germany, Greece, Luxembourg, Spain, Ireland, Italy, and Britain are countries that promote an active cultural policy in their respective countries. Mrs. Kennedy believed that if these Western civilizations engaged in the improvement of the cultural and artistic fabric of their modern-day societies, America had the power to create a Department of Culture that would provide the basis for an educated exchange on the improvement of our own unique culture.
The creation of a culture department could help oversee the National Endowments for the Arts and Humanities, assist colleges with instituting and preserving arts management programs; and assist in the coordination of complex and myriad tasks that confront major artistic American centers and symphonies. In addition, a Department of Culture could conduct arts and cultural economy studies, develop cultural plans for neighborhoods or cities or towns that elevate eclectic cultural communities and assets, and allocate workforce investment and small business administration, and community economic development funds to arts and culture organizations.
Furthermore, a culture department could work closely with major American music festival organizers - such as those at Aspen and Interlochen, the Tanglewood Music Festival, and the Wolftrap National Park for the Performing Arts - to encourage and assist young people, via corporate and privately sponsored scholarships, to study the performing arts.
The generous commitment of corporations, foundations, nonprofit groups, individual donors and others to invest time and resources in support of a department of culture would greatly benefit children and youth and provide the impetus for the kind of bold and creative synergy that the performing arts really need for continued growth and development in America. Prominent organizations, such as The Ford Foundation, The Catherine B. Reynolds Foundation, and The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation have demonstrated a keen interest in promoting and supporting arts organizations throughout the United States.
Lack of Artistic Willpower and It’s Consequences
Unless there is a concerted effort, however, on the part of government, corporations, private philanthropy, and grass-roots organizations, the political climate - and debate - concerning the arts is likely to get worse. Throughout our nation, politicians are cutting arts programs in the public schools and universities at both the state and federal level. In addition, artistic institutions, such as symphony orchestras, are struggling to survive due to a lack of corporate sponsorship and poor ticket sales. One might ask if poor ticket sales are a direct result of the decease in music and art programs in public education. As these programs have been the first to be cut in education over the past forty years, there goes any chance for children to gain knowledge and an appreciation for classical music and art.
Conclusion
The creation of a culture department in America is not quixotic, even in these turbulent times. In our multicultural society, the partnership between the government and corporations and individual philanthropy in sponsoring a department of culture would provide the engine for an infusion of creative, engaging and innovative ideas that will inspire people regardless of race, gender, and economic background to reach for something better. Artistic expressions would serve as a beacon of hope and promise in a world enveloped by skepticism and uncertainty. To those who suggest we cannot afford to implement a Department of Culture, I reply that America cannot afford not to do so. We have the funds to create a Department of Culture, we simply need to summon the will and self-discipline to raise the cultural bar in our country. The missing link, however, is the political willingness to embrace, to encourage a forward-thinking enterprise capable of creating a cultural renaissance in America. To that end, the American people - particularly the young - deserve a better society that benefits all of our citizens, not just a few.
What do you think of Jacqueline Kennedy and the arts? Let us know below.
David M. Huff was born in Wheeling, West Virginia in 1968. A violist, he studied with the Pittsburgh Youth Symphony Orchestra from 1983-1984. He attended the Interlochen Arts Festival and Interlochen Arts Academy from 1984-1986 and also participated in the Boston University Tanglewood Institute's Youth Program during the summer of 1986. He earned a B.A. in History from West Virginia University and an M.A. in History/Research from West Virginia University. He works in a Washington, DC International law firm as an Intellectual Property Trademark, Litigation, and Patent Specialist.
