What was John F. Kennedy's IQ?

Answer 1

John F. Kennedy's recorded IQ while at Choate boarding school was 119. However, one's intelligence tends to be fluid in the formative years and Kennedy would probably have scored much higher in adulthood. What is known is that he was very articulate, very well read, had a quick wit and was able to respond intelligently and fluently at press conferences without knowing the questions in advance.

Statemen such as Harold McMillan and Charles DeGaulle were impressed with his intelligence. Historian Michael Bechloss, who is otherwise critical of Kennedy's decision making, still considers him to be one of the most intelligent presidents of the 20th century. Columnist Jack Anderson stated that he found JFK to among the most intelligent persons he had ever interviewed.

Writer Gore Vidal liked Kennedy because of his intelligence. Biographer Nigel Hamilton, who is among those that have written critically of JFK's reliance on Ted Sorenson to ghost write for him, nonetheless referred to JFK as a "young Hemingway," truly gifted in the personal letters he wrote.

As to whether his scored IQ in preparatory school was accurate, it needs to be noted that Kennedy suffered from many ailments as a child and that his performance may, thus, have been compromised by pain, sluggishness and depression.

Answer 2

118