Moments in American Catholic History "John F. Kennedy"

[00:00:10]When New York Governor Al Smith, a Catholic, ran for president [music] in 1928, his campaign was crippled by vicious anti-Catholic bigotry. He lost in a landslide to Herbert Hoover, and it was roundly believed that it was all but impossible for a Catholic to be elected president.

[00:00:27]By 1960, the country had changed in many ways, but there were still quite a few anti-Catholic obstacles. John F. Kennedy overcame them all.

[00:00:37]The 35th president of the United States, John Fitzgerald Kennedy, was the first Catholic in the history of the nation to hold that office.

[00:00:44]A member of the prominent Kennedy clan, John earned international fame during World War II for his heroism during combat, which served as a springboard for his election in 1952 to the U.S.

[00:00:56]Senate from Massachusetts.

[00:00:58]By 1960, John embarked upon a historic campaign for president that required him to overcome anti-Catholic sentiment in whole parts of the country.

[00:01:08]He made a series of campaign stops among the Protestants of America, assuring them of his loyalty, his qualifications, and his abilities. On November 8th, 1960, Kennedy very narrowly defeated Richard Nixon for the presidency.

[00:01:22]While the presidency of John F. Kennedy lasted a little under 3 years and ended tragically with his assassination in 1963, his run for the White House demonstrated the progress Catholics had made in finding acceptance in American public life.

[00:01:37]For this reason alone, Kennedy's presidency was a landmark moment in American Catholic history.