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 The website is part of the JFK Library and Museum's commemoration
of the 50th anniversary of JFK's death, which is Friday. The museum
also plans a new exhibit of never-before-displayed items from his
three-day state funeral, including the flag that draped his casket
and notes written by first lady Jacqueline Kennedy.
Visitors to the "An Idea Lives On" site can explore an interactive
video that includes NASA Commander Chris Cassidy, former
Massachusetts Gov. Michael Dukakis, comedian Conan O'Brien, Freedom
Rider Charles Person and others talking about Kennedy's lasting
impact.
The Kennedy Library Foundation, a nonprofit that raises money to
support the library, is spearheading the project. The foundation
hopes visitors will upload their own photos, videos, written
messages and tweets to answer the question "How do the ideals of
John F. Kennedy live on in your life today?"
"It's ambitious," said Tom McNaught, the foundation's executive
director. "He was an ambitious president. In a way that's how we see
this. You can't stop trying to instill in young people the ideas he
instilled in my generation."
All submissions will become part of the archives at the JFK Library
in Boston. The best stories will be featured on the site.
"The stories are meant to be really personal," said Brian Williams,
vice president and creative director of The Martin Agency, which
produced the site.
The site's name comes from a quote in a speech Kennedy gave in
February 1963: "A man may die, nations may rise and fall, but an
idea lives on." It's also inscribed on the wall visitors to the
library see when they exit the small area of the museum that focuses
on his assassination and walk into a brighter area where they can
learn about his lasting impact on civil rights, public service,
civic discourse, the arts, space exploration and more.
"President Kennedy stood for vitality and optimism and hope, so
we've made a conscious decision to try to have the experience be
uplifting," said Tom Putnam, the library's executive director.
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Because of that focus, the library does not typically do anything
special to mark the anniversary of Kennedy's assassination. But this
year is different.
In addition to the website, a new exhibit starts Friday that will
include the flag from his casket and the saddle, boots and sword
worn by the riderless horse that walked in the funeral procession.
Visitors will also see notes written by Jackie Kennedy as she made
plans for her husband's funeral and a 15-minute video with footage
from the events.
Curator Stacey Bredhoff hopes it will help visitors who were not
alive or too young to remember comprehend the enormity of the shock
and the mourning that followed.
Also Friday, the library will host a musical tribute featuring Paul
Winter, who performed at the White House with his jazz sextet during
Kennedy's presidency, along with a U.S. Navy choir and James Taylor.
Between songs, notable guests including Gov. Deval Patrick will read
quotes from Kennedy's speeches. The event is not open to the public,
but it will be streamed live on the library's website. It will
include a moment of silence at the time Kennedy was killed.
Members of the Kennedy family will not attend and instead will
observe the anniversary privately at home.
"We want our tone to be respectful and we want it to have a certain
reverence, but we also want it to be hopeful and end on this notion
of what JFK stood for," Putnam said.
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Online:
http://www.anidealiveson.org/
[Associated
Press; CARA RUBINSKY]
Copyright 2013 The Associated
Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published,
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