Project. Busy people get things done, and we knew we were in for it when dr. Whittenberg talked about that. Jonathan white has to be the busiest young scholar in the field today. Hes not only a prolific historian, with more projects on the back burners than ive ever seen on the stove before. He won the outstanding faculty award for academic education. Hes a parent of young children, i dont know where john finds the time. Hes been very generous with what remaining time he has from all of that for this museum and our Education Programs for which were all very grateful. As you can see from your printed programs, the topics of johns work are his published work are many and varied with something of a focus Abraham Lincoln with the legal and constitution, as well and hes coauthor of a book entitled Civic Education and the work of citizenship and because he has news they wrote our little monitor, the greatest invention of this civil war. I asked him to put it on a topic, and it draws from oth
First director of the jfk library. He was a member of the Kennedy Administration. It is a special pride that he would share it would glow in him, in his advocacy for the importance of the Kennedy Administration and the many treasures we had inside our building. I love this photograph of the building, it is a nighttime vision. For those who have not yet come to see us, i believe the library is inspirational in and of itself and fitting for the life and times and ideas of an inspirational president , the 35th president , president kennedy. If you are able to come to visit us, you will see this building. We are right on Columbia Point facing towards Boston Harbor and it is a sight that will elevate your thoughts, and as you think about what the nation is all about and your role in it and whether you would answer president kennedys call to service, which he issued in his inaugural address, ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country. All of those words re
[laughter] guest i think we have so little perspective on this moment that it is quite impossible to say. I think the perception that many people in the United States and, of course, also around the world have that this is an extraordinary uni shall time is something that we are in a time out of time will be a curiosity in the future. People will look back and wonder about that very sense i think it is kind of an interesting phenomenon. I think that will be studied. Host when you think about today, do you compare it to any other period in history . Guest no, you know, as a historian, im interested in analogies. I think we have a cognitive tendency to enjoy analogies to find one thing to be like another, all the time, just in the same way, you know, im the kind of person that sees likenesses in family members. I look at a new baby and say oh that looks just like great grandma so and so. But at the same time, even as i say that, i recognize that a lot of that is my need for familiarity.
Provided the video. Alan one of the joys of my position is there is a heritage to president ial libraries and all of the prior directors of the jfk President Library and museum have been mentors to me, as i have taken on the role. We have announced to the community as a couple of days ago the passing of the very first director of the jfk library. Dan was a member of the Kennedy Administration. It is a special pride that he would share it would glow in him, his advocacy of the importance of the Kennedy Administration and the many treasures we had in our building. I love this photograph of the building, it is nighttime. For those who have not yet come to see us, i believe the library is inspirational in itself and fitting for the life and times and ideas of an inspirational president , the 35th president , president kennedy. Us, youre able to visit will see this building, it is facing toward boston harbor. It is a site that will elevate your thoughts, and as you think about what the nati
I think the perceptionce that many people in the United States and also around the worldhi that this is an extraordinary unusual time in a sense where we are out of time will be a curiosity in the future. People will look back and wonder about that wonderment. And he gets kind of an interesting phenomenon. When you think about today do you compare it to any other time in history . As a historian. Im interested in that. We have a cognitive tendency. In the same way im the kind of person that seems like this and family members. Our need for familiarity. For most of my career as a historian. What time is this like. It is an easy story to write. I think theres a whole crop of president ial biographers who go out on talk shows. I generally find them to be not i in this era. Its actually a way to kind of contain the chaos. It is a way to avoid what is truly strange about this. What do we mean when we talk about American History. How are we to reckon with the fact that our present day is so p