President John F. Kennedy Signed Book Profiles in Courage – COA PSA/DNA

Presented is a “Profiles in Courage” book autographed by President John F. Kennedy. The 35th president of the United States, John F. Kennedy autographed the front end page with a personalization, “To Mr. Joe Smith With Best Wishes – 1958”. The signature, dates to JFK’s time as a U.S. Senator, is clear and bold, making this a prime example of his most famous book. The book’s edition is from 1956, does not have a dust cover and shows moderate exterior storage wear/aging.

Profiles in Courage is a collection of short biographical sketches of “decisive moments in the lives of celebrated Americans” and the winner of the 1957 Pulitzer Prize for Biography. In this text, Kennedy, then a Senator of Massachusetts, provides a history of Senators who defied the opinions of their political parties during moments of important historical decision. Specifically, he discusses Quincy Adams’ departure from the Federalist Party, Daniel Webster’s support of the Compromise of 1850, and Sam Houston’s denouncement of the Kansas-Nebraska Act, among others.

Now, a half-century later, it remains a classic and a relevant testament to the national spirit that celebrates the most noble of human virtues. Kennedy relates these heroisms to sketches of American politicians who have risked their careers for principle. “A man does what he must,” he wrote, “in spite of personal consequences, in spite of obstacles and dangers and pressures-and that is the basis of all human morality.”

Authentication: PSA/DNA Full Letter

President John F. Kennedy Signed Book