5 notable presidential Thanksgiving proclamations
John F. Kennedy (1963)
On Nov. 5, 1963, 17 days before his assassination, President John F. Kennedy issued a Thanksgiving proclamation calling for Americans to “gather in sanctuaries dedicated to worship and in homes blessed by family affection to express our gratitude for the glorious gifts of God.”
“Today we give our thanks, most of all, for the ideals of honor and faith we inherit from our forefathers — for the decency of purpose, steadfastness of resolve and strength of will,” declared Kennedy’s final proclamation.
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“Let us therefore proclaim our gratitude to Providence for manifold blessings--let us be humbly thankful for inherited ideals--and let us resolve to share those blessings and those ideals with our fellow human beings throughout the world.”
