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125 John F. Kennedy Essay Topic Ideas & Examples

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John F. Kennedy, the 35th President of the United States, is a figure that continues to captivate the hearts and minds of people around the world. His charisma, leadership, and tragic assassination have solidified his place in history as one of the most beloved and iconic presidents in American history.

If you are tasked with writing an essay on John F. Kennedy, you may be wondering where to start. To help you get started, we have compiled a list of 125 essay topic ideas and examples that you can use as inspiration for your writing. Whether you are writing a research paper, a biography, or a persuasive essay, there is sure to be a topic on this list that will spark your interest.

• The early life and upbringing of John F. Kennedy
• The political career of John F. Kennedy before becoming President
• The key events of John F. Kennedy's presidency
• The Cuban Missile Crisis and its impact on Kennedy's presidency
• The civil rights movement and Kennedy's role in advancing civil rights
• John F. Kennedy's inaugural address and its significance
• The space race and Kennedy's commitment to landing a man on the moon
• The Bay of Pigs invasion and its implications for Kennedy's foreign policy
• The Berlin Wall and Kennedy's response to its construction
• The impact of Kennedy's assassination on American society
• Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis and her role as First Lady
• The legacy of John F. Kennedy and his lasting impact on American politics
• The Kennedy family and their influence on American history
• The conspiracy theories surrounding Kennedy's assassination
• Kennedy's foreign policy initiatives and their impact on world events
• The Peace Corps and Kennedy's commitment to public service
• Kennedy's economic policies and their impact on the American economy
• The Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Kennedy's role in its passage
• Kennedy's relationship with the media and how it shaped his presidency
• The relationship between Kennedy and his advisors, including Robert F. Kennedy
• Kennedy's views on nuclear disarmament and his efforts to prevent nuclear war
• The legacy of Kennedy's New Frontier program and its impact on American society
• Kennedy's handling of the Vietnam War and its consequences
• The impact of Kennedy's assassination on the civil rights movement
• Kennedy's stance on healthcare reform and the push for universal healthcare
• The impact of Kennedy's assassination on the American psyche
• Kennedy's legacy as a champion for social justice and equality
• The impact of Kennedy's assassination on the Civil Rights Movement
• Kennedy's stance on environmental conservation and his efforts to protect natural resources
• The impact of Kennedy's assassination on the Cold War
• Kennedy's efforts to promote peace and diplomacy in international relations
• Kennedy's relationship with the Soviet Union and his efforts to ease tensions between the two superpowers
• Kennedy's approach to diplomacy and conflict resolution
• The impact of Kennedy's assassination on the American political landscape
• Kennedy's legacy as a symbol of hope and inspiration

With these 125 essay topic ideas and examples, you should have more than enough inspiration to get started on your essay about John F. Kennedy. Whether you are exploring his early life, his presidency, his legacy, or his impact on American society, there is a wealth of material to draw from when writing about this iconic figure. Good luck with your essay,

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JFK Research Paper Topics

This page provides a comprehensive guide to intriguing JFK research paper topics that will captivate your readers and deepen your understanding of John F. Kennedy’s life, presidency, and historical significance. From exploring his leadership style to analyzing his foreign policy decisions, these research paper topics offer a wide range of opportunities for in-depth study. Embark on a journey through JFK’s legacy and uncover unique aspects of his life that shaped American history. Whether you’re a history enthusiast or a student seeking inspiration, this page is your gateway to engaging and thought-provoking JFK research paper topics.

100 JFK Research Paper Topics

John F. Kennedy (JFK) was a prominent figure in American history, known for his charisma, leadership, and enduring legacy. To help students delve into the fascinating world of JFK’s life and presidency, we have compiled a comprehensive list of JFK research paper topics. Spanning various aspects of his personal and political life, these topics offer a wealth of opportunities for exploration and analysis. Let’s dive into the world of JFK and discover the rich tapestry of research paper topics that await.

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• JFK’s Family Background: Exploring the Kennedy family’s political dynasty and influence.
• JFK’s Childhood and Upbringing: Investigating the formative years of John F. Kennedy.
• JFK’s Education and Academic Achievements: Analyzing his educational journey and intellectual pursuits.
• JFK’s Military Service: Examining his experiences in the Navy during World War II.
• JFK’s PT-109 Incident: Assessing the events surrounding the sinking of PT-109 and its impact on JFK’s political career.
• JFK’s Senior Thesis: Exploring the topic and arguments of his undergraduate thesis at Harvard.
• JFK’s Early Political Career: Investigating his rise in politics and early political accomplishments.
• JFK’s Senate Years: Analyzing his tenure as a U.S. Senator and the legislative initiatives he championed.
• JFK’s Profiles in Courage: Evaluating the significance and impact of his Pulitzer Prize-winning book.
• JFK’s Election to the Presidency: Exploring his presidential campaign and victory in the 1960 election.
• JFK’s Inaugural Address: Analyzing the themes and rhetoric of his famous inaugural speech.
• JFK’s New Frontier: Investigating his domestic policy initiatives and their impact on American society.
• JFK and the Cold War: Examining his approach to foreign policy and his interactions with the Soviet Union.
• JFK’s Space Program: Assessing his commitment to the Apollo program and the goal of landing a man on the moon.
• JFK’s Nuclear Test Ban Treaty: Analyzing his efforts to reduce nuclear tensions through the signing of the treaty.
• JFK and Civil Rights: Investigating his role in advancing civil rights legislation and addressing racial inequality.
• JFK’s Alliance for Progress: Exploring his initiatives to improve relations with Latin American countries.
• JFK and the Peace Corps: Analyzing the establishment and impact of the volunteer program.
• JFK’s Economic Policies: Evaluating his economic agenda and the initiatives aimed at stimulating growth.
• JFK’s Foreign Policy Crises: Investigating his responses to the Bay of Pigs invasion, the Berlin Wall, and the Cuban Missile Crisis.
• The JFK Assassination: Analyzing the events, theories, and investigations surrounding his assassination.
• The Warren Commission Report: Investigating the findings and conclusions of the official investigation.
• Conspiracy Theories: Assessing the various conspiracy theories surrounding JFK’s assassination.
• JFK’s Legacy: Exploring his enduring impact on American politics, culture, and society.
• JFK’s Influence on Future Presidents: Analyzing how his presidency shaped the role of the presidency itself.
• JFK’s Popularity and Mythology: Investigating the development of the “Camelot” image and public perception of JFK.
• JFK’s Family Legacy: Assessing the contributions and influence of the Kennedy family in American politics.
• JFK and the Media: Analyzing his relationship with the press and his skill in utilizing media to shape public opinion.
• JFK Memorials and Monuments: Exploring the various tributes and memorials dedicated to JFK’s memory.
• JFK’s Impact on Civil Rights Movement: Investigating how his assassination impacted the civil rights movement.
• JFK’s Latin American Policy: Analyzing his approach to the region and the impact of the Bay of Pigs invasion.
• JFK and the Berlin Wall: Investigating his response to the construction of the Berlin Wall and its implications.
• JFK and the Space Race: Assessing his commitment to the space program and its role in the Cold War.
• JFK and the Cuban Missile Crisis: Analyzing his handling of the crisis and its impact on U.S.-Soviet relations.
• JFK and Vietnam: Investigating his involvement in the early stages of the Vietnam War.
• JFK and the Alliance for Progress: Evaluating his efforts to improve relations with Latin American countries.
• JFK’s Nuclear Policies: Analyzing his approach to nuclear weapons and arms control.
• JFK and the Bay of Pigs Invasion: Investigating the failed U.S. attempt to overthrow Fidel Castro’s regime in Cuba.
• JFK and the Test Ban Treaty: Assessing his role in negotiating the treaty and its impact on nuclear disarmament.
• JFK’s Relationship with World Leaders: Analyzing his interactions with international figures such as Nikita Khrushchev and Charles de Gaulle.
• JFK’s Civil Rights Speeches: Exploring the significance and impact of his speeches on civil rights issues.
• JFK and the March on Washington: Investigating his support for the historic civil rights event.
• JFK’s Civil Rights Legislation: Analyzing his efforts to pass landmark civil rights laws.
• JFK and the Freedom Rides: Evaluating his response to the civil rights activists challenging racial segregation.
• JFK and the Birmingham Campaign: Investigating his involvement in the civil rights movement in Birmingham.
• JFK and Voting Rights: Assessing his stance and actions to protect voting rights for African Americans.
• JFK’s Relationship with Civil Rights Leaders: Analyzing his interactions with figures such as Martin Luther King Jr.
• JFK and the Civil Rights Act of 1964: Investigating his role in the passage of the legislation.
• JFK’s Legacy in the Civil Rights Movement: Evaluating his impact on advancing racial equality in the United States.
• JFK’s Unfinished Civil Rights Agenda: Assessing the initiatives he planned but could not fulfill due to his assassination.
• JFK’s Presidential Debates: Analyzing the televised debates between JFK and Richard Nixon in the 1960 election.
• JFK and the Press: Investigating his relationship with the media and the role of the press in shaping public opinion.
• JFK and the Kennedy-Nixon Debates: Assessing the impact of the debates on the outcome of the election.
• JFK and the White House Press Corps: Exploring his interactions and strategies with journalists covering the presidency.
• JFK’s Use of Television: Analyzing how JFK utilized television as a medium for political communication.
• JFK’s Press Conferences: Investigating his approach to press conferences and the topics discussed.
• JFK and Photojournalism: Assessing the iconic photographs that captured key moments of his presidency.
• JFK and the Kennedy Family Image: Analyzing the role of the media in constructing the image of the Kennedy family.
• JFK and Public Opinion: Investigating how his media presence and public speeches influenced public perception.
• JFK and the News Cycle: Evaluating the coverage of JFK’s presidency in the media and its impact on public opinion.
• JFK’s Tax Policy: Analyzing his proposed tax cuts and their impact on the economy.
• JFK’s Economic Advisory Team: Investigating the experts and economists who shaped his economic policies.
• JFK’s Keynesian Approach: Assessing his adoption of Keynesian economics to stimulate economic growth.
• JFK’s Trade Policies: Exploring his stance on international trade and its impact on the U.S. economy.
• JFK and the Steel Crisis: Analyzing his response to the steel industry’s price increase and its economic implications.
• JFK’s Investment in Infrastructure: Investigating his initiatives to improve the nation’s infrastructure.
• JFK’s Consumer Protection Policies: Assessing his efforts to protect consumer rights and promote fair competition.
• JFK’s Economic Legacy: Exploring the long-term impact of his economic policies on the U.S. economy.
• JFK and the Federal Reserve: Analyzing his relationship with the Federal Reserve and monetary policy decisions.
• JFK and the Stock Market: Investigating the performance of the stock market during his presidency and its economic significance.
• JFK and Popular Culture: Analyzing his influence on music, film, fashion, and popular trends of the 1960s.
• JFK’s Youth Appeal: Investigating his ability to connect with younger generations and inspire political engagement.
• JFK and the Peace Corps: Assessing the cultural significance and impact of his establishment of the volunteer program.
• JFK and the Arts: Exploring his support for the arts and his relationship with artists and intellectuals.
• JFK and the Space Program in Popular Culture: Analyzing the representation of JFK and the space program in films, literature, and other media.
• JFK and the Civil Rights Movement in Popular Culture: Investigating the portrayal of JFK’s involvement in the civil rights movement in movies and TV shows.
• JFK and the Kennedy Mystique: Assessing the enduring fascination and mythology surrounding JFK’s life and presidency.
• JFK and American Identity: Exploring how JFK’s presidency shaped the American identity and national pride.
• JFK and Political Symbolism: Analyzing the use of JFK as a symbol of political ideals and aspirations.
• JFK’s Assassination in Popular Culture: Investigating the representation of JFK’s assassination in literature, film, and other artistic mediums.
• JFK and the Cold War: Analyzing his approach to the Cold War and his interactions with the Soviet Union.
• JFK’s Nuclear Weapons Policy: Investigating his stance on nuclear arms control and disarmament.
• JFK and the Space Race: Assessing his efforts to advance American space exploration and competition with the Soviet Union.
• JFK’s Peace Corps and Global Engagement: Investigating his efforts to promote peace and development around the world.
• JFK’s Approach to International Diplomacy: Assessing his diplomatic strategies and negotiations with world leaders.
• JFK’s Foreign Aid Policies: Exploring his programs and policies aimed at providing economic and military assistance to other nations.
• JFK’s Role in the Bay of Pigs Invasion: Analyzing his involvement in the failed attempt to overthrow Fidel Castro’s regime in Cuba.
• JFK’s Impact on U.S. Foreign Relations: Evaluating the long-term consequences of his foreign policy decisions and actions.
• JFK and Jacqueline Kennedy: Analyzing their relationship and the role of Jacqueline Kennedy as First Lady.
• JFK’s Health and Medical History: Investigating his medical conditions and their impact on his presidency.
• JFK and the Kennedy Family: Assessing the dynamics and influence of the Kennedy family on JFK’s life and career.
• JFK’s Assassination: Analyzing the events, investigations, and conspiracy theories surrounding his assassination.
• JFK’s Funeral and Legacy: Exploring the national mourning and the enduring legacy of JFK’s presidency.
• JFK and Civil Rights: Investigating his stance and actions on civil rights issues throughout his life.
• JFK and the Press: Analyzing his relationship with the media and the role of the press in shaping his public image.
• JFK’s Personal Interests: Exploring his hobbies, interests, and personal pursuits outside of politics.
• JFK’s Intellectual Influences: Investigating the thinkers, writers, and ideas that shaped JFK’s worldview.
• JFK’s Historical Significance: Assessing the lasting impact and historical evaluation of JFK’s presidency.

These comprehensive lists of JFK research paper topics provide a wide array of opportunities for students to delve into the life, presidency, and legacy of John F. Kennedy. From his domestic and foreign policies to his personal life and cultural impact, JFK’s story offers a rich tapestry of themes and subjects for exploration. Students can select a topic that aligns with their interests and embark on an engaging journey of research, analysis, and critical thinking. Let the captivating world of JFK’s history inspire your research paper and unlock new insights into this influential figure in American history.

JFK: Exploring the Range of Research Paper Topics

John F. Kennedy, commonly known as JFK, was a charismatic and influential figure in American history. As the 35th President of the United States, he left an indelible mark on the nation through his policies, speeches, and tragic assassination. The study of JFK and his era offers a fascinating and vast array of research paper topics that allow students to delve into various aspects of his life, presidency, and the broader historical context. By exploring these topics, students can gain a deeper understanding of JFK’s impact on American society and the significant events that shaped his presidency.

One area of exploration within JFK research paper topics is his early life and political journey. Students can analyze the influences of JFK’s upbringing on his political career and the role his family played in shaping his ambitions. They can investigate his naval service during World War II and its impact on his leadership style. Furthermore, students can explore JFK’s years in Congress, assessing his achievements, challenges, and the lessons he learned during this period. The road to the presidency is also a compelling topic, where students can study the strategies and key moments that contributed to his election as President. Additionally, analyzing JFK’s inaugural address provides valuable insights into his vision and leadership style.

Another captivating avenue of research is JFK’s role in the civil rights movement. Students can examine his stance on civil rights, including his actions, policies, and the impact they had on advancing racial equality. Investigating JFK’s support for key events such as the March on Washington, his interactions with civil rights leaders like Martin Luther King Jr., and his contributions to the Civil Rights Act of 1964 offers a deeper understanding of his legacy in promoting social justice.

JFK’s foreign policy is another rich area for exploration. Students can analyze his approach to the Cold War, his handling of the Cuban Missile Crisis, and his initiatives such as the Peace Corps and the Alliance for Progress. They can investigate his efforts in nuclear arms control, his commitment to the space program, and his diplomatic strategies with world leaders. Understanding JFK’s foreign policy decisions and their implications provides valuable insights into the global challenges he faced during his presidency.

The assassination of JFK remains a topic of great interest and intrigue. Students can delve into the events, investigations, and controversies surrounding his assassination. They can explore the findings and criticisms of the Warren Commission, as well as alternative conspiracy theories that challenge the official explanation. Analyzing the impact of JFK’s assassination on public perception, national security, and the media offers valuable insights into its historical significance.

Moreover, students can examine JFK’s enduring legacy and its representation in popular culture. The influence of his presidency on subsequent leaders, his contributions to space exploration, and his impact on the arts provide ample avenues for research. Furthermore, investigating JFK’s connection to the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, his relationship with artists and intellectuals, and his portrayal in literature and film deepen our understanding of his cultural significance.

When choosing a research paper topic on JFK, students should consider their interests, available resources, and the potential for contributing to existing scholarship. Conducting thorough preliminary research is essential to identify a unique and engaging research question. It is also important to narrow down the scope of the topic and establish a clear thesis statement that will guide the research and analysis.

To ensure a successful research paper, students should utilize a variety of primary and secondary sources. Primary sources can include JFK’s speeches, official documents, personal correspondence, and archival materials. Secondary sources, such as books, scholarly articles, and documentaries, provide analysis and historical context. It is crucial to critically evaluate and analyze the sources to present a well-rounded and balanced argument.

Organizing the research paper effectively is key to presenting a coherent and persuasive argument. A logical structure, clear subheadings, and a strong introduction and conclusion are essential. Students should also pay attention to proper citation and formatting styles, such as APA, MLA, Chicago/Turabian, or Harvard, depending on their instructor’s requirements.

In conclusion, exploring JFK research paper topics offers students a unique opportunity to delve into the life, presidency, and historical context of one of America’s most iconic figures. Whether examining JFK’s early life, civil rights contributions, foreign policy decisions, or his enduring legacy, each topic provides a fascinating lens through which to understand the complexities of his era. By engaging in thorough research, critically analyzing sources, and presenting a well-structured argument, students can contribute to the ongoing scholarship and deepen our understanding of JFK’s significance in American history.

How to Choose JFK Research Paper Topics

Choosing the right research paper topic on JFK is crucial to ensure an engaging and insightful project. With such a vast array of possibilities, students may feel overwhelmed by the options available. However, by following a systematic approach and considering key factors, students can select a JFK research paper topic that aligns with their interests, meets academic requirements, and contributes to the existing scholarship. Here are ten tips to guide students in choosing compelling JFK research paper topics:

• Identify your interests : Start by reflecting on your personal interests and areas of curiosity within JFK’s life, presidency, or the historical context of his era. Consider the aspects that captivate your attention, whether it’s his early life, political career, civil rights involvement, or foreign policy decisions.
• Conduct preliminary research : Familiarize yourself with the existing literature on JFK to gain an overview of the available topics and identify gaps in the scholarship. Explore books, scholarly articles, documentaries, and reputable online sources to deepen your understanding and discover potential research avenues.
• Narrow down the scope : JFK’s life and presidency spanned a broad range of topics. To ensure a focused and manageable research paper, narrow down your topic by choosing a specific aspect or event to explore. For example, you might focus on JFK’s response to the Cuban Missile Crisis, his civil rights initiatives, or his space exploration policies.
• Consider available resources : Assess the availability of primary and secondary sources related to your chosen topic. Ensure that you can access sufficient materials, such as speeches, documents, archival materials, and scholarly works, to support your research.
• Evaluate research potential : Evaluate the research potential of your chosen topic. Ask yourself whether it provides an opportunity to contribute new insights, challenge existing interpretations, or explore lesser-known aspects of JFK’s life or presidency. Aim to select a topic that offers intellectual value and engages with ongoing debates or gaps in the literature.
• Formulate a research question : Once you have narrowed down your topic, formulate a clear and concise research question. This question will guide your investigation and provide a specific focus for your research paper. Make sure the question is answerable within the scope of your research and allows for analysis and critical evaluation.
• Consider interdisciplinary approaches : JFK’s presidency intersects with various fields, such as politics, civil rights, foreign policy, and culture. Consider adopting an interdisciplinary approach to your research by incorporating perspectives from history, political science, sociology, or other relevant disciplines. This can enrich your analysis and provide a broader understanding of JFK’s impact.
• Consult with your instructor or advisor : Seek guidance from your instructor or research advisor. Discuss your topic ideas, research question, and potential sources to receive feedback and ensure that your chosen topic aligns with the requirements of the assignment or academic program.
• Balance familiarity and novelty : Strive for a balance between a topic that interests you and one that contributes to the existing scholarship. While it is essential to choose a topic that ignites your passion, also consider the significance of your research within the broader academic community.
• Stay flexible : Finally, remain open to adjustments and refinements throughout the research process. As you delve deeper into your topic, you may discover new angles, primary sources, or areas of focus that can enhance the quality and impact of your research paper.

By following these tips, students can navigate the process of choosing a compelling JFK research paper topic with confidence. Remember to be thorough in your research, critically analyze sources, and maintain a clear focus throughout the writing process. With careful selection and dedicated exploration, your JFK research paper has the potential to shed new light on the life, presidency, and historical significance of this iconic figure.

How to Write a JFK Research Paper

Writing a research paper on JFK requires a thoughtful and systematic approach to ensure a comprehensive and well-structured analysis. From conducting in-depth research to crafting a compelling argument, here are ten tips to guide students in writing an outstanding JFK research paper:

• Define your research objective : Start by clearly defining the objective of your research paper. Are you aiming to analyze JFK’s presidency, delve into a specific event, or examine his policy decisions? Establishing a clear focus will help you structure your paper and guide your research.
• Conduct thorough research : Begin by gathering a wide range of primary and secondary sources relevant to your research topic. Explore scholarly articles, books, archival documents, speeches, interviews, and reputable online sources. Take meticulous notes, ensuring you attribute sources properly for future reference.
• Develop a strong thesis statement : Craft a concise and focused thesis statement that encapsulates the main argument or claim of your research paper. Your thesis should be specific, arguable, and supported by evidence from your research. It will serve as the foundation for your entire paper.
• Organize your research : Organize your research materials and notes systematically to facilitate efficient referencing and easy retrieval of information. Create an annotated bibliography or utilize digital tools to manage your sources effectively.
• Outline your paper : Create a detailed outline that outlines the structure of your research paper. Include sections such as introduction, background/context, literature review, methodology, analysis, findings, and conclusion. This framework will provide a roadmap for your writing process.
• Craft a compelling introduction : Begin your paper with an engaging introduction that provides background information on JFK and establishes the significance of your research topic. Hook the reader’s attention with an intriguing anecdote, quote, or historical context that sets the stage for your analysis.
• Analyze primary and secondary sources : Use a combination of primary and secondary sources to support your argument. Analyze JFK’s speeches, letters, policy documents, and other primary materials, along with scholarly works and historical analyses. Critically evaluate the sources, assess their reliability, and identify any biases or limitations.
• Structure your argument : Organize your paper around a coherent argument that supports your thesis statement. Present evidence from your research to support each point, providing clear and logical connections between ideas. Use proper citations and adhere to academic writing conventions.
• Engage with historiography : Situate your research within the existing historiography of JFK and related topics. Engage with scholarly debates, conflicting interpretations, and varying perspectives to demonstrate your understanding of the broader academic discourse.
• Craft a compelling conclusion : Summarize your main findings, restate your thesis statement, and offer a concise synthesis of your research. Reflect on the significance of your research in the context of JFK’s legacy, and suggest potential avenues for future research.

Throughout the writing process, revise and edit your work to enhance clarity, coherence, and readability. Proofread for grammar, spelling, and punctuation errors. Seek feedback from your instructor, peers, or writing center to gain valuable insights and improve your paper.

Writing a JFK research paper allows you to explore the life, presidency, and historical significance of this influential figure. By conducting rigorous research, developing a strong argument, and presenting your findings effectively, you can contribute to the ongoing scholarship on JFK and deepen our understanding of this pivotal period in American history.

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• Expert degree-holding writers : Our team consists of highly qualified writers with advanced degrees in history and related disciplines. They possess extensive knowledge of JFK’s life, presidency, and the broader historical context, ensuring that your research paper is in capable hands.
• Custom written works : We understand the importance of originality and authenticity in academic writing. Our writers create custom-written research papers tailored to your specific instructions and requirements. Each paper is crafted from scratch, ensuring uniqueness and originality.
• In-depth research : Our writers are skilled in conducting thorough research on JFK and related topics. They have access to a wide range of scholarly databases, digital archives, and reputable sources, enabling them to gather comprehensive and relevant information for your research paper.
• Custom formatting : Our writers are proficient in different formatting styles and will ensure that your JFK research paper adheres to the specified guidelines. From citations to references, your paper will meet the highest standards of formatting.
• Top quality : We prioritize quality in every aspect of our writing services. Our writers pay attention to detail, ensuring that your research paper is well-structured, coherent, and effectively presents your arguments. We aim for excellence in every paper we deliver.
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Take the first step towards academic success by entrusting your JFK research paper to iResearchNet. Our team of skilled writers, commitment to excellence, and dedication to your satisfaction set us apart as the leading provider of JFK writing services. Let us help you uncover the captivating world of JFK’s legacy and make your mark in the realm of American history.

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66 John F. Kennedy Essay Topics

🏆 best essay topics on john f. kennedy, ✍️ john f. kennedy essay topics for college, 👍 good john f. kennedy research topics & essay examples, 🎓 most interesting john f. kennedy research titles.

• John F. Kennedy’s Inaugural Speech Analysis
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• Inaugural Speech of John Fitzgerald Kennedy Speeches by Kennedy are often considered iconic due to their simple magnificence and orientation to the wide variety of American population.
• Kennedy’s Inaugural Speech Analysis: The Main Message The citizens of the world, for Kennedy, are people who are open to interaction with every other person in the name of the prosperity of humankind as a whole.
• John F. Kennedy as the First Modern President John F. Kennedy is perceived by many as the first modern president in the history of the United States of America and the whole world.
• The Role Kennedy in the Policy of Vietnam President John F. Kennedy was opposed to Communist expansion and even before he became president he took a hard line on containment.
• Kennedy Assassination in Zapruder’s Film vs. Conner’s Report This paper compares two forms of narration or documentation using Alexander Zapruder’s film and Bruce Conner’s A Report on the John F. Kennedy assassination.
• Transformation of the America’s Future: Dwight David Eisenhower, John F. Kennedy, Jimmy Carter, and Ronald Reagan The American Constitution is a powerful document that guides presidents and politicians to meet the needs of the people and protect them against any form of attack.
• Five Presidents: My Extraordinary Journey With Eisenhower, Kennedy, Johnson, Nixon, and Ford Carter pushed through the Crude Oil Windfall Profits Tax, a domestic energy package meant to fund the energy sector and make the U.S. more self-reliable.
• John Fitzgerald Kennedy’s Effective Rhetoric John Frederick Kennedy’s inaugural address is one of the most rhetorically effective speeches performed by a United States president.
• John Kennedy’s Assassination: Theories and Facts This essay explores theories explaining the assassination of John F. Kennedy and compares them with the findings of the commission presented in the Warren report.
• 1960 Presidential Election and the Victory of John F. Kennedy
• Abraham Lincoln, Martin Luther King, and John F. Kennedy: What Do They All Have in Common?
• The Success and Failures of President Kennedy’s Foreign Policies Towards Latin America Between 1961 and 1963
• John F. Kennedy and Luis Muñoz Marín: Shared Dreams
• Why Americans Loved the Politics of John F. Kennedy
• Development Policy Under Eisenhower and Kennedy
• Facts and Fiction Regarding John F. Kennedy
• How Did Kennedy and His Administration Affect the Civil Rights Movement?
• The Election Campaign and Presidency of John F. Kennedy
• Single Bullet Theory and the Assassination of President John F. Kennedy
• John F. Kennedy and Civil Rights: Thoughts on Developing a Visual Representation
• Rewinding the Kennedy-Nixon Debates: Did JFK Really Win Because He Looked Better on Television?
• Comparing the Life Aspects of Abraham Lincoln and John F. Kennedy
• John F. Kennedy’s Courting of African Nationalism
• How Successful Was Kennedy in Dealing With the Problem of the Soviet Missiles in Cuba
• American Government Distrust and the Assassination of President John F. Kennedy
• Did John F. Kennedy Admire Hitler?
• The Kennedy Administration’s Involvement in the Diem Regime
• Conspiracy Behind the Assassination of John F. Kennedy
• Rhetorical Patterns in President Kennedy’s Major Speeches
• John F. Kennedy and U.S.-Middle East Relations
• How Kennedy and Khrushchev Avoided Nuclear Disaster
• The Most Heinous Acts by John F. Kennedy
• Negotiation Style Comparisons Between John F. Kennedy and Richard M. Nixon
• The Role and Presidency of John F. Kennedy in America
• Changing American Ideology and the John F. Kennedy Assassination
• Stereotypes: Race and John F. Kennedy
• The Life and Career of John F. Kennedy and His Assassination
• How President Kennedy Fulfilled His Campaign Promises
• War, Politics, and Realism in the Inaugural Address of John F. Kennedy
• Kennedy and the Cuban Crisis vs. Johnson and Vietnam
• The Future Starts Today, and Not Tomorrow by John F. Kennedy
• Historical Misconceptions About Abraham Lincoln and John F. Kennedy
• Truman, Eisenhower, and Kennedy’s Varying Cold War Policies
• The Life and Legacy of John F. Kennedy
• Uncovering the Lies Behind the John Kennedy Assassination
• How Did Truman, McCarthy, and Kennedy Try to Get the American’s Attention About the War?
• Politics and the 1960 Presidential Debates Between Sen. John F. Kennedy and Vice President Richard M. Nixon
• The Early Life, Achievements, and Times of John F. Kennedy
• Civil Rights and the Kennedy Administration
• Presidents Dwight Eisenhower and John Kennedy and the Vietnam War
• The Charisma and Charm of President John F. Kennedy
• John F. Kennedy’s Address on Civil Rights
• Human Greatness and Cruelty in the Lives of John Kennedy and Adolf Hitler
• Executive Action and the Death of John F. Kennedy
• Comparing Leadership Styles: Eisenhower and Kennedy
• Presidential Assassinations From Lincoln to Kennedy: The Details and the Controversy
• Evaluating President Kennedy’s Handling of the Cuban Missile Crisis
• The Man Behind John F. Kennedy Assassination
• Why the Civil Rights Become a Big Question During the Kennedy Administration

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These essay examples and topics on John F. Kennedy were carefully selected by the StudyCorgi editorial team. They meet our highest standards in terms of grammar, punctuation, style, and fact accuracy. Please ensure you properly reference the materials if you’re using them to write your assignment.

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Home — Essay Samples — Government & Politics — Presidents of the United States — John F. Kennedy

Essays on John F. Kennedy

The choice of john f. kennedy essay topics.

When it comes to writing an essay about John F. Kennedy, there are countless topics to choose from. Whether you're interested in his presidency, his policies, or his personal life, there's no shortage of material to explore. In this article, we'll discuss the importance of the topic, provide advice on choosing a topic, and list recommended essay topics, divided by category.

John F. Kennedy was a pivotal figure in American history. As the 35th President of the United States, he faced a number of significant challenges, from the Cuban Missile Crisis to the Civil Rights Movement. His presidency was marked by both triumph and tragedy, and his legacy continues to influence politics and society to this day. By studying and writing about Kennedy, students can gain a deeper understanding of the complexities of leadership, the impact of historical events, and the enduring power of charisma and vision.

When choosing a topic for your essay, it's important to consider your interests and the specific aspects of Kennedy's life and presidency that you find most compelling. Are you interested in his foreign policy, his domestic agenda, or his personal life? Are there specific events or decisions that you find particularly intriguing? By choosing a topic that resonates with you, you'll be more motivated to conduct thorough research and produce a thoughtful and engaging essay.

Recommended John F. Kennedy Essay Topics

Presidential leadership.

• The Cuban Missile Crisis: Kennedy's handling of the standoff with the Soviet Union
• The Bay of Pigs Invasion: Assessing the success and failures of the operation
• The Civil Rights Movement: Kennedy's role in advancing civil rights legislation
• The Space Race: Kennedy's commitment to landing a man on the moon

Domestic Policy

• The New Frontier: Evaluating Kennedy's legislative priorities and accomplishments
• Economic Policy: Analyzing Kennedy's approach to taxes, spending, and economic growth
• Healthcare Reform: Exploring Kennedy's efforts to expand access to healthcare
• Education Initiatives: Assessing Kennedy's impact on education policy

Foreign Policy

• The Vietnam War: Examining Kennedy's decisions and strategy in Southeast Asia
• The Alliance for Progress: Assessing Kennedy's efforts to promote economic development in Latin America
• The Berlin Crisis: Kennedy's response to the construction of the Berlin Wall
• The Nuclear Test Ban Treaty: Evaluating Kennedy's pursuit of nuclear disarmament

Personal Life and Legacy

• The Kennedy Family: Exploring the dynamics and influence of the Kennedy family
• Assassination Conspiracy Theories: Investigating the various theories surrounding Kennedy's assassination
• Public Perception: Analyzing how Kennedy's image and legacy have evolved over time
• Impact on American Culture: Examining Kennedy's influence on art, literature, and popular culture

These are just a few examples of the many possible essay topics related to John F. Kennedy. Whether you're interested in his presidency, his policies, or his personal life, there's no shortage of material to explore. By choosing a topic that resonates with you, conducting thorough research, and crafting a well-structured and thoughtful essay, you can gain a deeper understanding of this influential figure in American history.

Rhetorical Analysis of Kennedy's Inaugural Address

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The John F. Kennedy Assassination: Who Fired The Shots

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Rhetorical and Literary Devices of John F. Kennedy's Speech

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Analysis of Rhetorical Strategies Used by John F. Kennedy in His Inaugural Speech

A literary analysis of an inaugural speech by john f. kennedy, the united states of america and why it is not on the tiger's back, john f. kennedy: biography, presidency and african americans, the postwar u.s. presidents: dwight eisenhower, john f. kennedy, and lyndon b. johnson, profiles in lee's 'to kill a mockingbird' as examples of courage, presidential debate of john f. kennedy and richard m. nixon: analysis of body language, presidential debate analysis: john f. kennedy vs richard nixon, similarities between lincoln and kennedy, kennedy vs. lincoln: parallel lives examined, rhetorical mastery: an analysis of john f. kennedy's inaugural address, relevant topics.

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David Talbot has suffered another health crisis

[David Talbot has served on the Board of Directors for the AARC. He is a respected author and journalist who has devoted great energy and courage to progressive and challenging issues throughout his distinguished career. His Amazon Author’s Page may be found HERE] The Following was posted to David Talbot’s Facebook homepage today, 10 June, […]

Remembering 1968: The loss of RFK

56 years ago this week, Senator Robert F. Kennedy won the California democratic presidential primary and lost his life. Coming just two months after the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., these losses disrupted our political history and indelibly marked 1968 as a year of irreversible tragedy. The following segment was broadcast by CBS […]

26 May, 2024 update on the Byrd, von Alvensleben, Doolittle Report FOIA case

CURRENT FOIA LITIGATION Filed with the Supreme Court of the United States As of 8 May 2024, a new docket entry, “Petition for a writ of certiorari filed. (Response due June 10, 2024)” has been added for Assassination Archives and Research Center, et al., Petitioners v. Central Intelligence Agency. CLICK HERE to read the entire […]

A look at assassinations and assassination attempts this century

Story by The Associated Press Slovakia’s Prime Minister Robert Fico was seriously wounded in an apparent assassination attempt just weeks before a Europe-wide election that has been deeply divisive. He was shot multiple times in an attack in the town of Handlova that authorities described as politically motivated, although they said the suspect did not belong to […]

Book Corner: Board Selections

We begin a series of new posts by AARC Board members and associates designed to provide a basic introduction to essential books and learning materials associated with the continuing investigation of President Kennedy's assassination.

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[David Talbot has served on the Board of Directors for the AARC. He is a respected author and journalist who has devoted great energy and courage to progressive and challenging issues throughout his distinguished career. His Amazon Author's … [Read More...]

An Important Announcement:

The Mary Ferrell Foundation announces the launch of an invaluable new research tool: The JFK Database Explorer. This is a new tool to aid researchers delving into the large body of JFK assassination-related documents known as the "JFK Collection", a substantial portion of which is viewable on this website.

The JFK Database Explorer, utilizing a copy of the National Archives' database of metadata known as "RIF sheets", allows for browsing, searching, and filtering of the entire set of records processed under the JFK Records Act.

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The Assassination Archives and Research Center is the largest private archives in the world which is dedicated to acquiring, preserving, and disseminating information on political assassinations.

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Articles on JFK

Displaying 1 - 20 of 34 articles.

RFK Jr could act as a disrupter in the presidential election – taking votes from both sides

Thomas Gift , UCL

JFK’s unfinished legacy of peacemaking, a dream during the Cold War

Philip A. Goduti, Jr. , Quinnipiac University

Did Biden really steal the election? Students learn how to debunk conspiracy theories in this course

David Cason , University of North Dakota

JFK’s death 60 years on: what Australian condolence letters reveal about us

Jennifer Clark , University of Adelaide

JFK assassination 60 years on: seven experts on what to watch, see and read to understand the event and its consequences

Mark White , Queen Mary University of London ; Adam Koper , Cardiff University ; Emma Long , University of East Anglia ; Kaeten Mistry , University of East Anglia ; Oliver Gruner , University of Portsmouth ; Peter Ling , University of Nottingham , and Robert Cook , University of Sussex

JFK 60 years on: his leadership style and the reality behind the myths

Leo McCann , University of York and Simon Mollan , University of York

Good profits from bad news: How the Kennedy assassination helped make network TV news wealthy

Michael J. Socolow , University of Maine

The luck of the Irish might surface on St. Patrick’s Day, but it evades the Kennedy family, America’s best-known Irish dynasty

Mary Burke , University of Connecticut

JFK conspiracy theory is debunked in Mexico 57 years after Kennedy assassination

Gonzalo Soltero , Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM)

The great movie scenes: in JFK’s opening montage, Oliver Stone gets creative with history

Bruce Isaacs , University of Sydney

Don’t blame social media for conspiracy theories – they would still flourish without it

Joseph E Uscinski , University of Miami and Adam M Enders , University of Louisville

How the US government sold the Peace Corps to the American public

Wendy Melillo , American University School of Communication

Five films that explore what it feels like to truly grieve

Jimmy Hay , University of Bristol

Bob Dylan brings links between JFK assassination and coronavirus into stark relief

Aniko Bodroghkozy , University of Virginia

Consumer rights are worthless without enforcement

Anne Fleming , Georgetown University

Why women still earn a lot less than men

Michele Gilman , University of Baltimore

Invoking noble coal miners is a mainstay of American politics

Lou Martin , Chatham University

What better forensic science can reveal about the JFK assassination

Clifford Spiegelman , Texas A&M University

Can withering public trust in government be traced back to the JFK assassination?

Ryan Kellus Turner , St. Edward's University

Final JFK assassination files due for release – it will be a bumper year for conspiracy theorists

Ken Drinkwater , Manchester Metropolitan University and Neil Dagnall , Manchester Metropolitan University

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Teaching the 50th Anniversary of JFK’s Assassination

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This Friday, Nov. 22, marks the 5 0th anniversary of the assassination of President John F. Kennedy . Because Kennedy’s life and death remain such a deep source of public fascination—and because he was such a central figure in 20th-century political history—many educators are viewing this as a significant teaching moment .

“Sometimes these opportunities are moments that can suddenly spark a student’s deep interest in learning about the historical past,” Gorman Lee, the social studies director in the Braintree, Mass., school district , told a local news service.

Some schools are going to impressive lengths to commemorate the historical significance of the day. Easton Middle School in Brockton, Mass., for example, is planning to start the school day with a moment of silence —after which students will read from some of Kennedy’s speeches over the school intercom. The Fort Worth school district in Texas, meanwhile, has already produced its own short documentary on the assassination featuring the recollections of former students, teachers, and administrators. (Kennedy had made a stop in Fort Worth on the day he was killed.)

Other, perhaps less elaborate teaching ideas include having students take a virtual tour of the Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza in Dallas (the site from which Lee Harvey Oswald is said to have fired the shots that killed Kennedy) or watch portions of PBS’s recent American Experience documentary on Kennedy .

Some high school teachers say showing students the famous raw footage of the shooting can have a powerful impact. “It’s so graphic you can see the kids almost express anger,” Londaryl Perry, a history teacher at Northeast Academy for Health Sciences and Engineering in Oklahoma City, Okla., told NewsOK . “They’re trying to grasp why someone would do that to the president. ... They become more sensitive to what really has taken place and knowing that it’s real.”

Having students examine the evidence and various conspiracy theories surrounding Kennedy’s death can also generate engagement and critical thinking about the historical record. A history teacher at Bismark High School in North Dakota, for example, told the Bismark Tribune that he has his students write research papers defending their own theories on what happened .

Another teacher at the same school recommended the idea of posing “what if” scenarios about Kennedy’s presidency. For example, would the United States have become so deeply embroiled in Vietnam if Kennedy had lived? (That question remains hotly debated among historians .)

Teachers looking to give students a more personal sense of the historical moment might point to the reflections of Americans who were themselves in school on the day of the assassination , which took place right around lunch time on a Friday. One example from a 62-year-old Central New York man who was in 7th grade in a Catholic school at the time: “I remember kids crying. Not just quiet sobs kept to oneself, but weeping. I saw Dominican nuns break into tears. It deeply unnerved me. ... It felt as if the world had turned upside down.”

Photo: President Kennedy and the first lady Jacqueline Kennedy receive an enthusiastic welcome as they arrive at Love Field in Dallas, Texas, on Nov. 22, 1963. Later that day the president was assassinated as his motorcade moved through the city. —AP-File

A version of this news article first appeared in the Teaching Now blog.

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John F Kennedy - List of Free Essay Examples And Topic Ideas

John F. Kennedy, the 35th President of the United States, is often remembered for his charismatic leadership during a tumultuous period in American history. Essays could delve into Kennedy’s political career, exploring his stances on key issues like civil rights, the space race, and international relations during the Cold War era. They might also discuss the impact of his assassination on the nation and how his legacy continues to shape American politics. Discussions might extend to a critical analysis of Kennedy’s policies and leadership style, exploring both the successes and controversies of his presidency. The discourse may also touch on how Kennedy’s image has been constructed and mythologized over the decades, and how it reflects broader societal attitudes towards political leadership and the presidency. A vast selection of complimentary essay illustrations pertaining to John F Kennedy you can find at PapersOwl Website. You can use our samples for inspiration to write your own essay, research paper, or just to explore a new topic for yourself.

John F Kennedy’s Life

John F. Kennedy grew up in Brookline, Massachusetts with nine siblings. He was the second child born to Rose Fitzgerald and Joseph Kennedy Sr. He attended a catholic all boys school but didn't really care about his academics. John F. Kennedy was also a very sick child having suffered severe colds, flu, scarlet fever, and many more severe undiagnosed diseases. Due to the many illnesses he had it caused him to have to miss months of school. Kennedy graduated and […]

John F Kennedy as the most Memorable Presidents

John F. Kennedy is one of the most memorable presidents in United States history. He is remembered as a president who was on the verge of reaching his full potential to lead the country in the right direction. Even though he came from a wealthy background, he carried himself to be very humble and seemed to have a close connection with his people. He used his charismatic personality to demonstrate his abilities as a leader of a country. Being only […]

John F. Kennedy’s Legacy

President John F. Kennedy had one of the longest lasting legacies out of the United States presidents. Kennedy was elected as the president in 1960 as the 35th president. He was born into one of the wealthiest families which out such a strong expectation on him. Kennedy had a successful run for Congress in 1946 and for senate in 1952. JFK announced that he was going to run for president on January 2, 1960, where he defeated Richard Nixon in […]

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The Inaugural Address of John F. Kennedy

On January 20, 1961, President John F. Kennedy gave his influential Inaugural Address. The American people including President Eisenhower were there to witness this eye-opening speech. Kennedy shared his general goals and set an inspiring tone for the members of his administration both at home and abroad. Kennedy uses a balanced structure that consists of effective words and phrases in order to impact the audience and highlight peace between countries, abolish poverty, and remind the American people of the freedom […]

John F. Kennedy the Presidency and the Policies

John F. Kennedy, the 35th president of the United States, was born May 29th, 1917 and died November 22nd, 1963. Kennedy being the youngest president elected, his wife and himself gave a youthful energy to the White House. Although he lived a short life he was able to accomplish much, especially during his presidency. In the 1960 election, John F. Kennedy won over Richard Nixon. During his inaugural speech one of his main points was when he said, "Ask not […]

The 35th President John F. Kennedy

I decided to pick the 35th president John F. Kennedy because i saw him on video games. My President's name is John Fitzgerald Kennedy. A legacy he is known for is the Nuclear Ban-Test Treaty.another legacy he had was the alliance for process. He was born on May 29, 1917 and he was born in Brookline, Massachusetts. He has 8 siblings and he was the second oldest. He has three brothers and five sisters. His mom is named Rose and […]

Who was John F. Kennedy?

On May 29, 1917 John Fitzgerald Kennedy was born, in Brookline Massachusetts. He comes from a wealthy and well-known irish Boston family. His paternal grandfather P.J Kennedy was a wealthy banker and liquor trader and his maternal grandfather John E. Fitzgerald was a politician who served as a congressman and the mayor of Boston. J.F.K was nicknamed jack and was the second oldest of nine siblings. His mother Elizabeth Fitzgerald was a Boston debutante, His father Joseph Kennedy sr. was […]

Short Biography of John F. Kennedy

John Fitzgerald Kennedy was born on May 29th, 1917 in Brookline Massachusetts. JFK was born the second son of nine children from Joseph Kennedy and Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy. Joseph Kennedy was very wealthy business executive and financier. Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy on the other hand was never involved in politics but her father was. John Francis Fitzgerald was a state legislator, a Mayor of Boston, and a U.S. Congressmen. This explains how the Kennedys' were involved in politics and wealthy at […]

The Assassination of John F. Kennedy

John Fitzgerald Kennedy was the thirty-fifth President of the United States. He was assassinated on November 22nd, 1963 at approximately 12:30 p.m. as he rode in his presidential motorcade through the Dealey Plaza, Texas. At the time of his assassination, Kennedy was accompanied by his wife, John Connally, the Governor of Texas as well as his wife. Kennedy was shot by former United States Marine, Lee Harvey Oswald, who fired from a nearby building. While the Governor was seriously wounded […]

African-American Representation in Hollywood

As the 1960s rolled around the United States became highly unstable in terms of social justice. Forms of racism and discrimination skyrocketed, while social class placement became the new hot topic for gossip. This all took place during the time known as the civil rights era. The beginning of this eventful decade with the presidential election of John F. Kennedy. Kennedy provided the United States with a heart of hope until he was assassinated. This tragic moment in history soon […]

About John F. Kennedy’s Assassination

John Fitzgerald Kennedy was the 35th President of the United States from 1961 until 1963. He was very popular, because he was youthful, hopeful, and different from the past presidents. He even tried to help the African Americans with civil rights and desegregation. On November 22, 1963, Americans were devastated after watching the Presidential parade on live television or in person. During the parade, Governor John Connally, Nellie Connally, President Kennedy, and Jackie Kennedy was riding in SS-100-X, the presidential […]

President John F. Kennedy’s Speechs

On January 20th, 1961 in Washington D.C., President John F. Kennedy delivered one of the most vital speeches after being sworn in as President of the United States. His speech was so influential, that it's still remember today as one of the best from any President. It presented a powerful use of logos, ethos, and pathos. He was inspirational, and spoke to his audiences heart. He accomplished what most speakers wish they could today and that was gaining his audiences […]

The Captivating Conspiracy of President John F. Kennedy

A conspiracy theory is "a theory that explains an event or set of circumstances as the result of a secret plot by usually powerful conspirators" ("Conspiracy Theory"). One of the most renowned conspiracy theories involves the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. The President was shot by a man named Lee Harvey Oswald. Contrary to the widely accepted belief that Lee Harvey Oswald planned this alone, conspiracy theorists believe that he planned the assassination as part of a larger group […]

John F. Kennedy’s Assassination in American History

There have been several events in American history where people can recall the exact moment in time. John F. Kennedy's assassination is one of them. After the assassination, most people around the nation felt that John F. Kennedy's death was unfair and tragic. People felt this way because he was a popular president that fought for civil rights, was a World War II naval hero, and instilled great values in everyone he encountered. In the 46 years before his assassination, […]

John F. Kennedy Speech Analysis

John Fitzgerald Kennedy delivered this speech from Rice University in Houston, Texas, on September 12, 1962. He had not yet ascended to the presidency; instead, he was a mere professor. He was asked to deliver this speech as an honorary visiting professor. As he spoke to a crowd of 40,000 people, many of whom were still school children, he discussed the space race, why he chose to join, and the vast amounts of technological progress that had occurred over the […]

John Kennedy’s Using Persuasion in his Speech

John Fitzgerald Kennedy,often called John F. Kennedy, JFK, or Jack Kennedy, also translated as Kennedy, is the 35th president of the United States. She is a member of the influential Kennedy political family and was considered a representative of the American liberal.During the Second World War, he served as an US military officer. He had rescued the drowning naval crew heroically in the South Pacific. He was awarded the Purple Heart, and later became a member of the House of […]

John Fitzgerald Kennedy in History

Surrounded by admiration, controversy, and legacy, John Fitzgerald Kennedy was the 35th president of the United States. Fifth of nine children, John was born May 29, 1917 in Boston, Massachusetts. The Kennedy children enjoyed a comfortable childhood, Patrick Joseph Kennedy their father, was a successful business man ensuring his children were well provided for. Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy, mother to the nine Kennedy children, ensured that they were well taken care of. Rose documented various aspects of her children's lives, such […]

President John F. Kennedy’s Assassination

Friday morning on November 22, 1963, President John Fitzgerald Kennedy was parading through the Dallas, Texas streets with his wife, and the Vice President and his wife in the car behind, in opened convertible limousins on their way to the Trade Mark, so he could give a speech. However, the President did not make it to his destination. Around 12:30 p.m. shots were fired from the Texas School Book Depository hitting the thirty-fifth President in the neck and head. President […]

John Fitzgerald Kennedy’s Biography

John Fitzgerald Kennedy was born on May 29, 1917, in Brookline, Massachusetts. He had 5 sisters, 2 brothers, and his parents were named Rose and Joseph P. Kennedy Sr. JFK had a very interesting childhood. In the first six months after his birth, he was in and out of the hospital many times due to various illnesses such as whooping cough, measles, and chickenpox. Before he was even three years old he contracted scarlet fever, a life-threatening disease. When he […]

13 Days Movie Review: a Gripping Journey through the Cuban Missile Crisis

Alright, movie buffs and curious cats, let's dive deep into "13 Days," a cinematic treat just as nerve-wracking as it sounds. Spoiler alert: It isn’t about two weeks of vacation. Nope, it’s way weightier than that. Heart of the Matter: The Cuban Missile Crisis Remember hearing about the Cuban Missile Crisis in history class and thinking, "Dang, things got real!"? "13 Days" brings that intensity to your screen, showcasing how close the world came to an all-out nuclear showdown. We're […]

Inaugural Insights: John F. Kennedy’s Vision for America

John F. Kennedy’s inaugural address, delivered on January 20, 1961, stands as a pivotal moment in American history. It marked not only the commencement of his presidency but also encapsulated his vision for the nation amidst a backdrop of Cold War tensions and societal change. Kennedy’s speech resonated with a call to unity and a shared responsibility for the future, setting a tone that would define his administration. One of the defining characteristics of Kennedy’s inaugural address was its rhetorical […]

The Motive Behind Lee Harvey Oswald’s Assassination of JFK: a Complex Puzzle

The assassination of President John F. Kennedy on November 22, 1963, remains one of the most controversial and studied events in American history. Lee Harvey Oswald, the man accused of pulling the trigger, has become an enigmatic figure shrouded in mystery and speculation. Despite numerous investigations and theories, the true motive behind Oswald’s decision to kill JFK remains a topic of intense debate. While various factors likely influenced Oswald, a combination of personal discontent, political ideology, and psychological instability appears […]

The Assassination of JFK: a Pivotal Moment in American History

On November 22, 1963, the United States experienced a tragedy that would reverberate through the corridors of power and the annals of history: the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. This pivotal moment not only marked the abrupt end of a promising political career but also plunged the nation into a state of shock and mourning, while sparking decades of speculation and conspiracy theories. The events of that fateful day unfolded in Dallas, Texas, as President Kennedy's motorcade made its […]

The Complex Puzzle of John F Kennedy Assassination

In the annals of American history, few events have captured the public imagination and fueled conspiracy theories quite like the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. On that fateful day in November 1963, the nation was plunged into shock and grief as the beloved leader's life was tragically cut short in Dallas, Texas. Yet, more than half a century later, the question still lingers: why was JFK killed? One prevailing theory suggests a conspiracy orchestrated by powerful entities within the […]

The Enduring Legacy of JFK’s Inaugural Address

On a cold January day in 1961, John F. Kennedy delivered an inaugural address that would echo through the corridors of time, not just for its eloquent delivery but for the powerful vision it articulated for America and the world. This speech, steeped in the challenges and aspirations of its time, continues to resonate because of its timeless appeal to the better angels of our nature and its call to action that transcends generations. Kennedy's address is best remembered for […]

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From Our Library: Books on JFK

Below are just some examples of the library's materials on President John F. Kennedy.

From Our Library: Articles on JFK

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Sources Elsewhere: John F. Kennedy

• JFK Assassination Reports (The Assassination Archives and Research Center) Electronic holdings related to the 1963 murder of President Kennedy and the subsequent investigations of that crime from the investigative bodies and from agencies of the federal government, including the FBI, CIA, Secret Service, State Department, and others
• John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum Collections of John F. Kennedy, Robert F. Kennedy, Joseph P. Kennedy and Rose Kennedy, as well as over 600 other collections (textual documents, audiovisual items, and museum artifacts), several of which have been digitized in full
• Presidential Speech Archive (Miller Center, U. of VA) Selected speeches of the presidents
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Primary Sources: The 1960s: J.F.K. Assassination (1963)

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Online Sources: John F. Kennedy Assassination

• Castro Fidel Speeches on JFK Assassination
• Eyewitness - Lady Bird Johnson more... less... Excerpt from Lady Bird Johnson's diary about the assassination of JFK
• JFK Assassination Air Force One Flight Deck Recording more... less... "This audio recording was donated by the Raab Collection to the National Archives and Records Administration. It is a recording of the Air Force One in-flight radio traffic following the assassination of John F. Kennedy on November 22, 1963. "
• JFK Assassination Documents

• The Assassination Archives and Research Center Library (AARC) more... less... "The Assassination Archives and Research Center is the largest private archives in the world which is dedicated to acquiring, preserving, and disseminating information on political assassinations. It includes more than 35,000 pages of scanned documents. Most of these relate to the 1963 assassination of President Kennedy, and include a mixture of long-published reports and newly declassified transcripts and other documents. Also contained in the Public Library are the reports of the Church Committee and the Rockefeller Commission, which in the 1970s studied abuses of the intelligence agencies. The collection also contains relevant material from federal agencies such as the FBI and CIA. Reports, transcripts, and other documents are constantly being added to the AARC Public Library." Description provided by the Library of Congress https://www.loc.gov/item/2004540211/
• New Orleans reacts to John F. Kennedy's Assassination more... less... "President John F. Kennedy was shot and killed on November 22, 1963. Moments after the shots were fired, a local reporter went to Canal Street to record interviews with pedestrians. This raw and uncut video footage shows the raw emotion and sense of disbelief from many of the interview subjects."
• President John F. Kennedy Assassination Records Collection more... less... ... consists of more than 5 million pages of assassination-related records, photographs, motion pictures, sound recordings and artifacts (approximately 2,000 cubic feet of records). Most of the records are open for research. Description from siteSome items have been digitized.
• Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza more... less... Includes oral histories, the Zapruder film, documents etc.
• Universal Newsreels, Release 78, September 28, 1964 more... less... "President Johnson receives the Warren Commission's Report on the assassination of John Fitzgerald Kennedy; New scenic trail in Canada; football: Army vs. Boston College."
• Warren Commission Report more... less... Web version based on Report of the President's Commission on the Assassination of President John F. Kennedy, Washington, DC: United States Government Printing Office, 1964. 1 volume, 888 pages. The formatting of this Web version may differ from the original.Description from site
• Weisberg Collection on the JFK Assassination more... less... "Harold Weisberg was an Office of Strategic Services officer during World War II, U.S. Senate staff member, an investigator for the Senate Committee on Civil Liberties, a U.S. State Department intelligence analyst, and an investigative reporter. He devoted 40 years of his life to researching and writing about the Kennedy and King assassinations."

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The Assassination of John F. Kennedy: Conspiracy Theories Analytical Essay

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Following the assassination of President John F. Kennedy in 1963, the warren commission was setup to investigate the case. The team came to a conclusion that the assassination was carried out by a lone gunman. However, the house select committee on assassinations carried out fresh investigations in the period between 1976 and 1979 concluding that the assassination was a conspiracy, essentially denouncing the earlier findings that suggested a one man effort.

The conspiracy theories developed in the latter years implicated a number of public figures including former Cuban leader Fidel Castro, the mafia, the FBI, Lyndon Johnson, the CIA amongst many others. These groups and individuals were named in several conspiracy theories namely, the organized crime theory, the secret service, the federal reserve conspiracy and the new Orleans conspiracy among others.

From personal opinion, the theory that seems to hold most water in this particular case is the organized crime conspiracy which basically implicates the mafia, Cuban exiles and Fidel Castro’s supporters. Mob involvement has been well presented in David Kaiser’s book, The road to Dallas .

When President John F. Kennedy took over office from Dwight Eisenhower, he made it a point to ensure that criminals were incarcerated in numbers that were unprecedented (Kaiser, 11). Under his watch the number of persecutions increased by upto 12 times the number recorded during his predecessor’s tenure. Members of mafia formed a big number of the criminals he had sent to jail and this gave them a reason to retaliate.

The Mafioso considered Fidel Castro their biggest enemy and most of them built strong relationships with anti-Castro Cubans. Some of the documents that were allegedly not consulted by the Warren commission indicate that some of the Mafiosi had been involved in plotting conspiracies directed at assassinating Fidel Castro.

The Mafia felt short changed when President Kennedy failed to support their efforts in the invasion. The mafia in this cause was under the support of Cuban exiles in the USA who wanted to go back to Cuba and carry out an invasion Castro’s communist government (Kaiser, 123). It has also been suggested that anti-Castro Cubans were angered by Kennedy’s failure to destroy Cuba during the 1962 missile crisis.

Giving the mafia and the Cuban exiles even more reason to hate him, President Kennedy had been at the forefront of leading charges against organized crime as a young and idealistic lawyer. Further, the president’s younger brother Bobby also followed in his footsteps leading the administration in protests against the mafia.

The mafia had helped John F. Kennedy win the elections and therefore they felt betrayed when he started prosecuting them when he got the office. The polls ended in dispute with allegations of the elections being marred with irregularities.

Investigations that were carried out by to the CIA revealed that Carlos Marcello, a suspected member of the mafia could have organized and implemented the conspiracy. The investigations also realized that Marcello had the motive, the opportunity and the resources necessary to carry out the assassination.

The most popular organized crime conspiracy involving the Cubans suggests that Kennedy could have been assassinated by Fidel Castro. According to this theory, Castro was fully aware that the mafia aided by some Cubans was baying for his blood. These two groups were purported to be under CIA’s command (Kaiser, 53). As a result, the only two choices available to Castro were to kill or be killed.

Aside from the Mafia and the Cubans, other organized groups that could have committed the crime include the KGB. This argument suggests that Oswald was possibly a member of the KGB and his work was to handle such “dirty” missions. Individuals who are pro this line of thought such as Professor Revilo Oliver believe that JFK was assassinated because he did not serve the soviet and related communist groups as effectively as he had promised prior to the election.

Kennedy had been seen as the one who could turn America to communism but once he got into office he appeared to soften his stand and in a move described as ‘turning American’ (Kaiser, 293). From readings, it has been discovered that this conspiracy could have been covered up to avoid the eruption of the third world war; a war which was imminent were it to be revealed that the KGB controlled Oswald.

Of all the conspiracy theories that have been fronted to explain the assassination of John F. Kennedy, the theory suggesting that organized crime could have been the major involvement appears to be more credible.

In the book The Road to Dallas , David Kaiser has clearly provided in-depth explanations supporting the argument that organized crime groups were the major plotters and developers of the plot to kill JFK.

As much various discussions have arisen in regards to who could have been involved and the particular reasons for their involvement, it is definitely clear from Kaiser’s book that Oswald could not have been the sole mastermind of the attack. The Mafioso, the Cuban exiles, the KGB and probably even Fidel Castro’s henchmen could have contributed to the development of the plot.

It is however clear as has been presented earlier in this essay that whichever group was involved had to have some agreeable amount of inside help. It is definitely ridiculous to try and purport that a single individual in the name of Oswald could have bypassed all the security systems around the president of a super power without either outside or inside help, or both.

By the standards of those days JFK must have been the most well protected individual on earth yet he went down by a bullet from a sniper’s gun; a sniper who was not immediately traced. His evasion from security forces around the president and all over the country could be telling of the fact that he had enlisted a definite level of inside support.

This is the kind of support that could only be negotiated for by a well connected group of individuals. The level of organization in the execution of the assassination was clearly a team effort, and though Oswald came to take most of the credit, it is evident that there were many people counting on his success.

In conclusion, it is worth noting that the assassination of JFK is a mystery that has puzzled many. The way it happened and the subsequent events have been some of the discussions that have generated heated debates especially among analysts and historians. Unfortunately, with every re-analysis of the story come new findings serving to thicken the plot.

However, readers of the theories fronted by scholars are free to choose the one that makes most sense and in the above discussion it has been argued that the conspiracy theory involving organized crime groups is the most credible.

Works Cited

Kaiser, David. The Road to Dallas . Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 2008. Print.

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IvyPanda. (2018, July 9). The Assassination of John F. Kennedy: Conspiracy Theories. https://ivypanda.com/essays/the-assassination-of-john-f-kennedy-conspiracy-theories/

"The Assassination of John F. Kennedy: Conspiracy Theories." IvyPanda , 9 July 2018, ivypanda.com/essays/the-assassination-of-john-f-kennedy-conspiracy-theories/.

IvyPanda . (2018) 'The Assassination of John F. Kennedy: Conspiracy Theories'. 9 July.

IvyPanda . 2018. "The Assassination of John F. Kennedy: Conspiracy Theories." July 9, 2018. https://ivypanda.com/essays/the-assassination-of-john-f-kennedy-conspiracy-theories/.

1. IvyPanda . "The Assassination of John F. Kennedy: Conspiracy Theories." July 9, 2018. https://ivypanda.com/essays/the-assassination-of-john-f-kennedy-conspiracy-theories/.

Bibliography

IvyPanda . "The Assassination of John F. Kennedy: Conspiracy Theories." July 9, 2018. https://ivypanda.com/essays/the-assassination-of-john-f-kennedy-conspiracy-theories/.

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We thank Brent Ambrose, Andy Glover, and participants at the AREUEA National Conference (Washington D.C.), Conference on Housing Affordability (Kelley School of Business and Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago), and NYC Metro Real Estate Conference (NYU) for comments. The views expressed herein are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Bureau of Economic Research.

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The Solar System May Have Passed through Dense Interstellar Cloud 2 Million Years Ago, Altering Earth’s Climate

In a new bu-led paper, astrophysicists calculate the likelihood that earth was exposed to cold, harsh interstellar clouds, a phenomenon not previously considered in geologic climate models.

For a brief period of time millions of years ago, Earth may have been plunged out of the sun’s protective plasma shield, called the heliosphere, which is depicted here as the dark gray bubble over the backdrop of interstellar space. According to new research, this could have exposed Earth to high levels of radiation and influenced the climate. Photo courtesy of Opher, et al., Nature Astronomy

Jessica Colarossi

Around two million years ago, Earth was a very different place, with our early human ancestors living alongside saber-toothed tigers, mastodons, and enormous rodents . And they may have been cold: Earth had fallen into a deep freeze , with multiple ice ages coming and going until about 12,000 years ago. Scientists theorize that ice ages occur for a number of reasons , including the planet’s tilt and rotation, shifting plate tectonics, volcanic eruptions, and carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere. But what if drastic changes like these are not only a result of Earth’s environment, but also the sun’s location in the galaxy?

In a new paper published in Nature Astronomy , BU-led researchers find evidence that some two million years ago, the solar system encountered an interstellar cloud so dense that it could have interfered with the sun’s solar wind. They believe it shows that the sun’s location in space might shape Earth’s history more than previously considered. 

Our whole solar system is swathed in a protective plasma shield that emanates from the sun, known as the heliosphere. It’s made from a constant flow of charged particles, called solar wind, that stretch well past Pluto, wrapping the planets in what NASA calls a “a giant bubble.” It protects us from radiation and galactic rays that could alter DNA, and scientists believe it’s part of the reason life evolved on Earth as it did. According to the latest paper, the cold cloud compressed the heliosphere in such a way that it briefly placed Earth and the other planets in the solar system outside of its influence. 

“This paper is the first to quantitatively show there was an encounter between the sun and something outside of the solar system that would have affected Earth’s climate,” says BU space physicist Merav Opher , an expert on the heliosphere and lead author of the paper.

Her models have quite literally shaped our scientific understanding of the heliosphere, and how the bubble is structured by the solar wind pushing up against the interstellar medium— the space in our galaxy between stars and beyond the heliosphere. Her theory is that the heliosphere is shaped like a puffy croissant , an idea that shook the space physics community. Now, she’s shedding new light on how the heliosphere, and where the sun moves through space, could affect Earth’s atmospheric chemistry. 

“Stars move, and now this paper is showing not only that they move, but they encounter drastic changes,” says Opher, a BU College of Arts & Sciences professor of astronomy and member of the University’s Center for Space Physics. She worked on the study during a yearlong Harvard Radcliffe Institute fellowship. 

Opher and her collaborators essentially looked back in time, using sophisticated computer models to visualize where the sun was positioned two million years in the past—and, with it, the heliosphere and the rest of the solar system. They also mapped the path of the Local Ribbon of Cold Clouds system, a string of large, dense, very cold clouds mostly made of hydrogen atoms. Their simulations showed that one of the clouds close to the end of that ribbon, named the Local Lynx of Cold Cloud, could have collided with the heliosphere. 

If that had happened, says Opher, Earth would have been fully exposed to the interstellar medium, where gas and dust mix with the leftover atomic elements of exploded stars, including iron and plutonium. Normally, the heliosphere filters out most of these radioactive particles. But without protection, they can easily reach Earth. According to the paper, this aligns with geological evidence that shows increased 60Fe (iron 60) and 244Pu (plutonium 244) isotopes in the ocean, Antarctic snow, and ice cores—and on the moon—from the same time period. The timing also matches with temperature records that indicate a cooling period.

“Only rarely does our cosmic neighborhood beyond the solar system affect life on Earth,” says Avi Loeb , director of Harvard University’s Institute for Theory and Computation and coauthor on the paper. “It is exciting to discover that our passage through dense clouds a few million years ago could have exposed the Earth to a much larger flux of cosmic rays and hydrogen atoms. Our results open a new window into the relationship between the evolution of life on Earth and our cosmic neighborhood.”

The outside pressure from the Local Lynx of Cold Cloud could have continually blocked out the heliosphere for a couple of hundred years to a million years, Opher says—depending on the size of the cloud. “But as soon as the Earth was away from the cold cloud, the heliosphere engulfed all the planets, including Earth,” she says. And that’s how it is today. 

It’s impossible to know the exact effect the cold cloud had on Earth—like if it could have spurred an ice age. But there are a couple of other cold clouds in the interstellar medium that the sun has likely encountered in the billions of years since it was born, Opher says. And it will probably stumble across more in another million years or so.

Opher and her collaborators are now working to trace where the sun was seven million years ago, and even further back. Pinpointing the location of the sun millions of years in the past, as well as the cold cloud system, is possible with data collected by the European Space Agency’s Gaia mission , which is building the largest 3D map of the galaxy and giving an unprecedented look at the speed stars move. 

“This cloud was indeed in our past, and if we crossed something that massive, we were exposed to the interstellar medium,” Opher says. The effect of crossing paths with so much hydrogen and radioactive material is unclear, so Opher and her team at BU’s NASA-funded SHIELD (Solar wind with Hydrogen Ion Exchange and Large-scale Dynamics) DRIVE Science Center are now exploring the effect it could have had on Earth’s radiation, as well as the atmosphere and climate. 

“This is only the beginning,” Opher says. She hopes that this paper will open the door to much more exploration of how the solar system was influenced by outside forces in the deep past. 

This research was supported by NASA.

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Jessica Colarossi is a science writer for The Brink . She graduated with a BS in journalism from Emerson College in 2016, with focuses on environmental studies and publishing. While a student, she interned at ThinkProgress in Washington, D.C., where she wrote over 30 stories, most of them relating to climate change, coral reefs, and women’s health. Profile

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There is 1 comment on The Solar System May Have Passed through Dense Interstellar Cloud 2 Million Years Ago, Altering Earth’s Climate

Hi Jessica, this paper was extremely incredible with lots of sense. I always love to explore space and very convinced that life somewhere outside of our solar system exists. I know that the nearest solar system is 4 light years away from us. All the time I think that how we can make it possible to get there within our lifetime span. I know it is impossible but we can still keep thinking about it.

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Greening the food supply chain: Developing sustainable food systems through interdisciplinary collaboration

by University of Connecticut

Sustainability is a hot topic in just about every field that engages with the environment, including agriculture. An interdisciplinary group of researchers in UConn's College of Agriculture, Health and Natural Resources has published a paper outlining the current state of sustainable food production research in the Journal of Agriculture and Food Research .

The group includes Yangchao Luo, associate professor of nutritional sciences; Zhenlei Xiao, associate professor-in-residence of nutritional sciences; and Abhinav Upadhyay, assistant professor of animal science. Bai Qu, Luo's Ph.D. student, is the lead author on the paper.

Sustainable food production focuses on creating food systems that are environmentally sound, economically viable, and socially equitable.

"It focuses on the entire food supply chain, from farm to table, ensuring that each step is sustainable, minimizes waste, and reduces the carbon footprint," Luo says.

The paper outlines the key features of sustainable food production including environmental stewardship , economic vitality, innovation and adaptation, and social responsibility.

The paper also reviews green technologies like urban agriculture , food nanotechnology, and plant-based foods, all of which play a role in reducing the negative impacts of food production.

"This is not a new concept, but I think with the development of emergent technology, a lot of things are going on now, it is very important to revisit this concept," Luo says.

This publication provides a holistic and interdisciplinary perspective on the topic.

"Sustainable food production is a very collaborative topic," Luo says. "You cannot do everything on your own."

Sustainable food production encompasses the concept of a circular economy in which the waste from one process or product can be reused elsewhere.

"People have not cared about the waste generated, the impact to the environment, whether it's sustainable or not," Luo says. "People are pretty much profit driven. Now we have to change the whole concept or else the entire agricultural industry cannot be sustainable."

This paper reflects the College and UConn's broader commitment to sustainability, Luo explains.

"There's many things in the College and at the University, campus-wide, that flow into this area that really inspire me to dive deeper into this topic," Luo says.

Luo, co-chair for CAHNR's committee for sustainable agriculture and food production, is currently working with a group of students to develop an organic poultry feed additive made from microalgae.

"You cannot think about sustainable agriculture from a single discipline," Luo says. "It has to be highly collective and collaborative from all three areas—society, environment, and community health. You have to connect all three angles together."

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A technique for more effective multipurpose robots

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Let’s say you want to train a robot so it understands how to use tools and can then quickly learn to make repairs around your house with a hammer, wrench, and screwdriver. To do that, you would need an enormous amount of data demonstrating tool use.

Existing robotic datasets vary widely in modality — some include color images while others are composed of tactile imprints, for instance. Data could also be collected in different domains, like simulation or human demos. And each dataset may capture a unique task and environment.

It is difficult to efficiently incorporate data from so many sources in one machine-learning model, so many methods use just one type of data to train a robot. But robots trained this way, with a relatively small amount of task-specific data, are often unable to perform new tasks in unfamiliar environments.

In an effort to train better multipurpose robots, MIT researchers developed a technique to combine multiple sources of data across domains, modalities, and tasks using a type of generative AI known as diffusion models.

They train a separate diffusion model to learn a strategy, or policy, for completing one task using one specific dataset. Then they combine the policies learned by the diffusion models into a general policy that enables a robot to perform multiple tasks in various settings.

In simulations and real-world experiments, this training approach enabled a robot to perform multiple tool-use tasks and adapt to new tasks it did not see during training. The method, known as Policy Composition (PoCo), led to a 20 percent improvement in task performance when compared to baseline techniques.

“Addressing heterogeneity in robotic datasets is like a chicken-egg problem. If we want to use a lot of data to train general robot policies, then we first need deployable robots to get all this data. I think that leveraging all the heterogeneous data available, similar to what researchers have done with ChatGPT, is an important step for the robotics field,” says Lirui Wang, an electrical engineering and computer science (EECS) graduate student and lead author of a paper on PoCo .      

Wang’s coauthors include Jialiang Zhao, a mechanical engineering graduate student; Yilun Du, an EECS graduate student; Edward Adelson, the John and Dorothy Wilson Professor of Vision Science in the Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences and a member of the Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL); and senior author Russ Tedrake, the Toyota Professor of EECS, Aeronautics and Astronautics, and Mechanical Engineering, and a member of CSAIL. The research will be presented at the Robotics: Science and Systems Conference.

Combining disparate datasets

A robotic policy is a machine-learning model that takes inputs and uses them to perform an action. One way to think about a policy is as a strategy. In the case of a robotic arm, that strategy might be a trajectory, or a series of poses that move the arm so it picks up a hammer and uses it to pound a nail.

Datasets used to learn robotic policies are typically small and focused on one particular task and environment, like packing items into boxes in a warehouse.

“Every single robotic warehouse is generating terabytes of data, but it only belongs to that specific robot installation working on those packages. It is not ideal if you want to use all of these data to train a general machine,” Wang says.

The MIT researchers developed a technique that can take a series of smaller datasets, like those gathered from many robotic warehouses, learn separate policies from each one, and combine the policies in a way that enables a robot to generalize to many tasks.

They represent each policy using a type of generative AI model known as a diffusion model. Diffusion models, often used for image generation, learn to create new data samples that resemble samples in a training dataset by iteratively refining their output.

But rather than teaching a diffusion model to generate images, the researchers teach it to generate a trajectory for a robot. They do this by adding noise to the trajectories in a training dataset. The diffusion model gradually removes the noise and refines its output into a trajectory.

This technique, known as Diffusion Policy , was previously introduced by researchers at MIT, Columbia University, and the Toyota Research Institute. PoCo builds off this Diffusion Policy work. 

The team trains each diffusion model with a different type of dataset, such as one with human video demonstrations and another gleaned from teleoperation of a robotic arm.

Then the researchers perform a weighted combination of the individual policies learned by all the diffusion models, iteratively refining the output so the combined policy satisfies the objectives of each individual policy.

Greater than the sum of its parts

“One of the benefits of this approach is that we can combine policies to get the best of both worlds. For instance, a policy trained on real-world data might be able to achieve more dexterity, while a policy trained on simulation might be able to achieve more generalization,” Wang says.

Because the policies are trained separately, one could mix and match diffusion policies to achieve better results for a certain task. A user could also add data in a new modality or domain by training an additional Diffusion Policy with that dataset, rather than starting the entire process from scratch.

The researchers tested PoCo in simulation and on real robotic arms that performed a variety of tools tasks, such as using a hammer to pound a nail and flipping an object with a spatula. PoCo led to a 20 percent improvement in task performance compared to baseline methods.

“The striking thing was that when we finished tuning and visualized it, we can clearly see that the composed trajectory looks much better than either one of them individually,” Wang says.

In the future, the researchers want to apply this technique to long-horizon tasks where a robot would pick up one tool, use it, then switch to another tool. They also want to incorporate larger robotics datasets to improve performance.

“We will need all three kinds of data to succeed for robotics: internet data, simulation data, and real robot data. How to combine them effectively will be the million-dollar question. PoCo is a solid step on the right track,” says Jim Fan, senior research scientist at NVIDIA and leader of the AI Agents Initiative, who was not involved with this work.

This research is funded, in part, by Amazon, the Singapore Defense Science and Technology Agency, the U.S. National Science Foundation, and the Toyota Research Institute.

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Opinion An epidemic of scientific fakery threatens to overwhelm publishers

More than 10,000 scientific papers were retracted last year as “paper mills” exploit the system.

Adam Marcus, editorial director for primary care at Medscape, and Ivan Oransky, editor in chief of the Transmitter and a journalism professor at New York University, are the co-founders of Retraction Watch.

A record number of retractions — more than 10,000 scientific papers in 2023 . Nineteen academic journals shut down recently after being overrun by fake research from paper mills. A single researcher with more than 200 retractions .

The numbers don’t lie: Scientific publishing has a problem, and it’s getting worse. Vigilance against fraudulent or defective research has always been necessary, but in recent years the sheer amount of suspect material has threatened to overwhelm publishers.

We were not the first to write about scientific fraud and problems in academic publishing when we launched Retraction Watch in 2010 with the aim of covering the subject regularly. Back then, coverage of such issues was episodic, and it was routine to have a year or more between major scandals worthy of national or even international attention, such as the spectacular blowup a decade ago of the Italian surgeon Paolo Macchiarini, whose misdeeds (involving the implantation of artificial windpipes) resulted in a prison sentence in Europe and a Netflix docuseries .

Today, reporters jockey for scoops about scientific malfeasance that regularly grace the front pages of major news outlets around the world. In the space of a year, the presidents of Harvard and Stanford have both stepped down amid allegations of research misconduct or plagiarism, and the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute has requested half a dozen retractions and many more corrections.

But it is not just high-profile institutions in the crosshairs. In the past few months, deans of two other universities have resigned following our coverage of allegations regarding problems in their work .

As for the epidemic of retracted papers: The 10,000-plus retractions last year were largely the result of paper mill activity overwhelming a single publisher, Hindawi, a subsidiary of Wiley. Paper mills — shadowy companies that operate in places such as China and Latvia and advertise their services on social media — sell entire papers, authorship slots or citations to a researcher’s work to inflate its seeming importance.

The total number of retractions represents about 1 in 500 published papers , up from about 1 in 5,000 two decades ago. And while many of these papers are on esoteric topics, they are undoubtedly an undercount of the amount of problematic research that exists.

So what’s happening? Is fraud on the rise? Or is something finally being done to police it?

Although only a hugely time-consuming and expensive audit of literature over the decades could determine whether fraud is indeed becoming more common, research misconduct clearly is being industrialized on an unprecedented scale.

Paper mills in particular are seizing on the opportunities that a “publish or perish” academic culture provides. Publishers have been aware of, but largely ignored, these schemes for at least a decade , but their thirst for growth and profits — around $2.2 billion last year for Elsevier alone — has led them to tolerate, and even incentivize, such activity.

Mills appear to have exploited a blind spot for major publishers: highly profitable but poorly monitored special issues, which have helped bloat the number of papers they release each year to nearly 3 million . Many of these articles — including some on truly bizarre ideas, such as linking aerobics and dance training to geology — are never cited by other researchers and possibly read by no one. (And, thanks to the rise of generative AI, an increasing percentage likely were not written by humans.)

Only recently, after more mainstream journalists took an interest in paper mills and related dubious endeavors, did Elsevier and other titans such as Springer Nature and Wiley begin acknowledging their existence, while claiming victim status instead of admitting they were complicit in creating business models and incentives that promoted such behavior. In the meantime, paper mills have been bribing journal editors to publish their clients’ work. That and other misconduct continues to plague the literature.

Thankfully, a small army of volunteer sleuths have made it their mission to alert the world to problematic papers. Such people are at risk, however, of being sued by the targets of their scrutiny when they make their findings public. And yet public scrutiny seems to be the only way to prod publishers to pay attention.

The public may believe scientific fraud and sloppiness happens because, say, Big Pharma pushes corrupt studies in their thirst for profits. Cases like that of Cassava Sciences, whose experimental drug for Alzheimer’s disease has been dogged by allegations of fraudulent data, help reinforce that perception.

Meanwhile, some critics accuse scientists of bending the truth to win government grants. That seems to be a theme of angry debates over the origins of the pandemic-causing coronavirus . It’s also true that producing findings that make funders and supporters happy can be a recipe for success.

But in reality, we see far fewer retractions of papers reporting such work than we do of more purely academic studies. Research sponsored by pharmaceutical firms is closely vetted by regulators, whose scrutiny of the data tends to give would-be fakers pause. (An entirely different but no less significant issue is drug companies’ habit of burying studies that don’t reflect well on the products they’re testing.)

The much more important reason researchers cut corners and cheat is bureaucratic: rankings. University rankings such as Times Higher Education’s rely heavily on the number of citations gained by work produced by the institution’s researchers. Yet accumulating citations can be relatively easy to game. The more researchers publish, the more they can be cited — and given current business models, in which authors pay journals anywhere from hundreds of dollars to more than $10,000 to publish their papers and make them available without a subscription, the more publishers earn. When universities move up the rankings, the more top-tier students and faculty they attract — along with more funding.

Finding and flagging fraudulent work is an essential job. But it is akin to building more and more sewage treatment plants at the mouths of rivers to prevent ocean pollution. Building more “plants” is urgently needed, but so is changing the incentives — in this case, publish or perish — so that waste doesn’t get into the river far upstream.

Here are three fixes that could have far-reaching impact. First, give government agencies such as the Office of Research Integrity, which has oversight of research funded by the National Institutes of Health, more teeth and better funding. Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.) proposed doing that just last month. Second, the too-easily-gamed practice of counting a paper’s citations by other researchers as a metric of quality should be abandoned. Lastly, scientific journals — however painful this might be — should retire the pay-for-play business model that, by charging researchers to publish their work, has the effect of putting the veneer of legitimacy up for sale.

Science is being polluted, and science must fight back.

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