It was also in his inaugural address that John F. Kennedy spoke his famous words , " ask not what your country can do for you , ask what you can do for your country . " This use of chiasmus can be seen even as a thesis statement of his speech – a call to action for the public to do what is right for the greater good . ( This appears to be an elegant rephrasing of Franklin D. Roosevelt 's acceptance speech at the 1936 Democratic National Convention : '' " To some generations much is given . Of other generations much is expected . This generation of Americans has a rendezvous with destiny . " '' ) Along with official presidential guests and honorees , including former presidents , vice-presidents , cabinet members , and other Washington officials , the Kennedys invited famous men and women of the arts , including Carl Sandburg , John Steinbeck , Ernest Hemingway , Brendan Behan , Mark Rothko , and fashion icon and future '' Vogue '' editor Diana Vreeland
1936 Democratic National Convention
1936 Democratic National Convention
Inauguration of John F. Kennedy