We forget how often President's used to hold news conferences. During the JFK years is was almost every week. This Press Conference, from June 7, 1962 covers a wide range of topics. The budget, the recession, inflation, taxes and of course Medicare, which was foremost on JFK's agenda in 1962.

He opens the Press Conference with a statement:

President Kennedy: "Good afternoon. I have a brief preliminary statement. I would like to say a few words about our economic outlook and program.
I think most financial experts have realized for some time that an overpriced market could not hold up once investors recognized that inflation was ending. Price-earning ratios which averaged on Dow-Jones 23 to 1 could not be justified unless there was heavy inflation in prospect. And we have been working to prevent inflation, which gives a very misleading and spurious picture of economic health. We must not permit the effects of this adjustment, however, to hamper the growth rate of our economy, with which we have, as you know, not been fully satisfied. While our recovery from last year's recession has been a good one, production, profits, and employment are at alltime highs, and the prospects for continued economic expansion remain favorable. In view of corporate and consumer cash on hand, we should take every appropriate step to make certain that recovery is stronger and longer than before and is not cut short by a new recession.

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This week fifty years ago, President Kennedy assessed his first year in office, expressed concern over the drop in graduates in the Sciences in colleges around the country and disappointment that the Test Ban Treaty was a failure.

Other topics covered in this first Press Conference of 1962 were Berlin, the Indonesia/Dutch dispute, the issue of Trade, the Food For Peace Program, Civil Rights, The Common Market and proposed Medicare Legislation. A question was raised as to whether there were troops engaged in combat in Vietnam, and the answer was no.

A fascinating glimpse into the Kennedy Years from January 15, 1962.