Ted Sorensen Suffers Stroke, Master Wordsmith
Former John F. Kennedy speechwriter Ted Sorensen was hospitalized after suffering a severe stroke, his second stroke in a decade, his assistant said Thursday.
Sorensen, 82, suffered the stroke last Friday, Laurie Morris said. She would not identify the hospital where Sorensen is being treated and said the family was requesting privacy.
Sorensen is the author of several books and was a key aide to Kennedy.
Some of Kennedy’s most memorable speeches resulted from such close collaborations with Sorensen that scholars have debated who wrote what. Sorensen said that the most famous line from Kennedy’s inaugural address, “Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country,” was written by the president himself. Others say it was Sorensen.
