PRESIDENT JOHN F. KENNEDY “ WE CHOOSE TO GO TO THE MOON “ SPEECH RICE UNIVERSITY 1962 XD31361

Want to support this channel and help us preserve old films? Visit Visit our website On September 12, 1962, President John F. Kennedy delivered an address at Rice University in Houston, Texas, detailing his ambitious vision to put an American astronaut on the Moon. (N.B. Kennedy’s remarks begin at the 14 minute mark after introductory remarks by Rice’s President Pitzer). Known informally after one of the speech’s most memorable lines -- “We choose to go to the Moon“ -- the speech is widely regarded as one of the most memorable of Kennedy’s career, and one that largely helped galvanize American public opinion behind the Cold War era Apollo Program despite its enormous costs. The speech was primarily authored by Kennedy advisor and speechwriter Ted Sorensen. The speech is worth studying for many reasons, not the least of which is that it evoked space as a new frontier and called for Americans to bravely face the Moon mission as a test of national stre