President John F. Kennedy at the ground breaking of the Robert Frost Library at Amherst College, Massachusetts, October 26, 1963
“We must never forget that art is not a form of propaganda; it is a form of truth.”
Remarks at Amherst College upon receiving an Honorary Degree (439),” October 26, 1963, Public Papers of the Presidents: John F. Kennedy, 1963. Via JFK Library
More:
- Full text of Kennedy’s remarks, from the JFK Library and audio recording of the speech as it was delivered
- Amherst College Library Archives material on the occasion, including images of the invitations, program, and more; photos of the groundbreaking from the exhibition on the 50th anniversary, 2013
- Presidential History Geeks post on the event and its meaning
Audio of the speech at Youtube:
Amherst student newspaper report on the event, image:
The Amherst Student, front page, special convocation edition, October 23, 1963. Headline, “Kennedy given honorary LLD, envisions a future America.”
Please click through to a text of the speech, or listen to the audio. There’s a good quote on art, or poetry, or poets, about every paragraph.
Kennedy well understood that art is both a symbol of good civilization, and art drives peace and the civilizing of the more brutish nature of a people. In short, all arts contribute to the cohesiveness of a nation, and to peace.
This speech was one of the foundation stones of Kennedy’s campaign for art, poetry, civilization and peace.
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Good quote! I don’t think I have ever heard it.
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