35. John Kennedy
The first president born in the twentieth century, John F. Kennedy was born May 29, 1917, in the Kennedys’ home in Brookline, Massachusetts, a Boston suburb. The Kennedys were an Irish Catholic family of means. Kennedy’s father was a banker who amassed a fortune from stock market investments, real estate, and liquor distilleries. Kennedy was an active, competitive youth despite battling a variety of illnesses: scarlet fever, appendicitis, jaundice, and measles, among others. When Kennedy was still a small child, the family moved to a larger home in Brookline, and in 1927 they relocated to New York City and then to Bronxville, New York. The Kennedys also owned homes in Palm Springs, Florida, and Hyannis Port, Massachusetts, where they vacationed in winters and summers, respectively. Kennedy’s birthplace, a two-story Colonial Revival structure is now John F. Kennedy National Historic Site.
--Andrew B. Leiter
I visited the JFK site on a trip to Boston to photograph several birthplaces in the area. Both father-son presidents, the Adams and Bushes, were born near Boston, so it was an intense trip with lots of photographing. I made perhaps my favorite image from the entire project outside the JFK home. After touring the interior, I was framing up the side of the house--there was lovely morning light illuminating the texture of the original siding--when a bird flew into the frame. I pressed the shutter and knew I had the shot. I didn't need to check, but was nevertheless relieved when I viewed the image on the computer screen at home to find everything sharp and the bird perfectly positioned! I subsequently have chosen this image for the cover of our book mockup (find it on Blurb.com!). The experience at the JFK home spoke to me deeply as a father. I was especially struck by seeing the family dinner table and hearing the docent speak of the importance of family time to the Kennedys and how conversations around that table inspired three sons to dedicate their lives to public service. I had to reflect about my own family's conversations at dinner and the immense responsibility I have as a father to guide my three little girls into adulthood. I have felt this many times during the course of this project, but never more intensely than standing in front of that table. Inspired by these homes and the childhood stories associated with them, I have made a conscious effort to be more open with talking about the values I hold dear and want to instill in my children.