Though America's thirty-fifth President served fewer than three
years in office, his hold on the American popular imagination is
more powerful than perhaps any other's. John F. Kennedy remains
an iconic figure—emblematic of a golden era of hopefulness that
was ushered in when he ascended to the presidency in 1961 and
that died with him when he was assassinated. America's visceral,
wistful response to Kennedy's brief presidency seems to have at
least as much to do with images and impressions as it does with
concrete facts about what he accomplished in office. To many
Americans, he was elegance and style personified. He was the
dashing young politician with the glamorous wife and beautiful
children; the war hero who had saved men's lives in the South
Pacific and received the Navy and Marine Corps Medal; the well-
bred graduate of an exclusive New England prep school and
Harvard college; and the skilled athlete who played tennis,
sailed, engaged in vigorous games of touch football, and
roughhoused picturesquely w