President John F. Kennedy visited Rice University campus on September 12, 1962, and delivered a speech in the stadium on the Nation's Space Effort. Kennedy cites scientific progress as evidence that exploration of space is inevitable and argues that the United States should lead the space effort in order to retain a position of leadership on earth. He stated that we explore space not because it is easy but because it is difficult, and that the U.S. should "do it right and do it first before this decade is out," inspiring and engaging the nation in the space race.
Although Kennedy was assassinated the following year, on November 22, 1963, his dream of winning the space race was fulfilled on July 20, 1969, when NASA's Apollo XI mission successfully landed the first men on the moon. As astronaut Neil Armstrong stepped off the Lunar Module, he proclaimed "That's one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind." His fellow astronaut Edwin Aldrin Jr. also walked on the moon's surface and the two men gathered 47 pounds of lunar surface material for research purposes.
This record group consists of printed material and film covering John F. Kennedy's visit and speech on the Nation's Space Effort at Rice University on September 12, 1962 and newsclippings regarding his assassination in 1963.
This material is open for research.
Permission to publish from the John F. Kennedy Space Effort Speech at Rice University records must be obtained from the Woodson Research Center, Fondren Library, Rice University.
John F. Kennedy Space Effort Speech at Rice University records, 1962-1964, Rice University Archives, Woodson Research Center, Fondren Library, Rice University.
This material was collected by Fondren Library staff.
Rice University offers a streaming video on-line of JFK's speech on Rice campus, 1962. It is available for viewing at http://webcast.rice.edu/webcast.php?action=details&event=371. This video was captured by Houston's KHOU-TV Channel 11. Anyone seeking a copy of this particular capture of the speech should contact KHOU-TV directly, as Rice does not have the rights to make it available beyond this streaming format.
The John F. Kennedy Library and Museum also has a video copy of the speech and can provide copies. Contact the Library for assistance: http://www.jfklibrary.org/. A written transcript and downloadable audio file of the speech is also available on their website, at http://www.jfklibrary.org/j091262.htm.
See also JFK Information file at Woodson Research Center for photographs of JFK on campus and other information.