The Kennedy Library Foundation is anticipating the 50th anniversary of President Kennedy’s inauguration as the 35th president of the United States on January 20, 2011. In the recent newsletter from the Foundation, here’s how Foundation CEO David McKean summed up JFK’s legacy:

During the thousand days of his presidency, … he offered measures to strengthen the economy, to extend civil rights to all people, to provide reliable care for the aged, to give assistance to public schools and to higher education, and to promote and celebrate American culture and the arts. In the realm of foreign policy, President Kennedy showed the resolve of the United States in the face of crisis, yet he worked to end the Cold War and to negotiate a reduction on nuclear arms. He also carved out a new role for government in promoting human rights through institutions such as the Peace Corps and Alliance for Progress. And he used his presidency to establish the United States as a beacon of freedom for the whole world. … Perhaps the greatest of President Kennedy’s accomplishments is that he inspired in young Americans both an interest in and awareness of their government. …”

Also of note is that early next year the Kennedy Library will launch the first online digitized presidential archives, thanks to assistance from EMC, AT&T, Iron Mountain, and Raytheon, as well as support from private individuals and other corporations.