By the fall of 1963, President John F. Kennedy and his advisors were deeply engaged in preparations for the upcoming presidential campaign. Re-election was widely anticipated, and Kennedy seemed confident in his prospects despite not having formally announced his candidacy.
In late September 1963, President Kennedy embarked on a tour of the American West, visiting nine states in under a week. While ostensibly focused on promoting natural resources and conservation, this trip served a dual purpose. JFK strategically used these public appearances to test campaign themes for 1964, touching upon key issues such as education, national security, and the pursuit of world peace.
Campaigning in Texas: Setting the Stage for Tragedy
The following month, President Kennedy addressed Democratic gatherings in Boston and Philadelphia, further solidifying his campaign efforts. November 12th marked a pivotal moment as he held the first significant political planning session for the election year ahead. During this meeting, Kennedy emphasized the critical importance of securing victories in Florida and Texas, outlining his intentions to visit both states within the next two weeks.
Adding a personal dimension to the Texas trip, First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy planned to accompany the President. This would be her first extended public appearance since the tragic loss of their infant son, Patrick, in August. On November 21st, President and Mrs. Kennedy boarded Air Force One, commencing a two-day, five-city tour of Texas that would tragically alter the course of American history.
President Kennedy was acutely aware of the internal political strife within the Texas Democratic party. A key objective of his visit was to unify these factions, understanding that disunity could jeopardize his chances of winning the state in the 1964 election. He was also informed about the presence of vocal extremist groups in Texas, whose presence was expected to be particularly pronounced in Dallas. Just a month prior, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Adlai Stevenson had been physically assaulted in Dallas after delivering a speech. Despite these potential challenges, JFK reportedly welcomed the opportunity to engage directly with the public and immerse himself in the political arena outside of Washington D.C.
San Antonio was the first stop on the Texas tour. Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson, Governor John B. Connally, and Senator Ralph W. Yarborough were present to greet the presidential party. Together, they proceeded to Brooks Air Force Base for the dedication of the Aerospace Medical Health Center. The day continued with stops in Houston, where President Kennedy addressed the League of United Latin American Citizens and attended a testimonial dinner for Congressman Albert Thomas, before concluding in Fort Worth.
The Morning in Fort Worth: Optimism Before the Storm
Friday, November 22nd, began with a light rain in Fort Worth. Despite the weather, a large crowd of several thousand people gathered in the parking lot outside the Hotel Texas, where the Kennedys had stayed overnight. A makeshift platform had been erected, and President Kennedy, forgoing any protection from the rain, emerged to deliver brief remarks. He began with an appreciative nod to the city, stating, “There are no faint hearts in Fort Worth, and I appreciate your being here this morning. Mrs. Kennedy is organizing herself. It takes longer, but, of course, she looks better than we do when she does it.” His speech then turned to national priorities, emphasizing the necessity for the United States to maintain a position of global leadership in defense and space exploration, alongside continued economic growth and the “willingness of citizens of the United States to assume the burdens of leadership.”
The crowd’s enthusiastic response was evident as President Kennedy reached out to shake hands, surrounded by smiling faces.
Returning inside the hotel, the President addressed a Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce breakfast, this time focusing on the critical importance of military preparedness. “We are still the keystone in the arch of freedom,” he declared. “We will continue to do…our duty, and the people of Texas will be in the lead.”
Arrival in Dallas: The Motorcade and Dealey Plaza
The presidential entourage departed the hotel and traveled by motorcade to Carswell Air Force Base for a short thirteen-minute flight to Dallas. Upon arrival at Love Field in Dallas, President and Mrs. Kennedy alighted from Air Force One and immediately approached a fence where a crowd of well-wishers had assembled. They spent several minutes greeting and shaking hands with the enthusiastic crowd.
The First Lady was presented with a bouquet of red roses, which she carried with her to the waiting presidential limousine. Governor John Connally and his wife, Nellie, were already seated in the open convertible as the Kennedys joined them, taking their places in the back. With the rain having ceased, the protective plastic bubble top had been removed. Vice President and Mrs. Johnson followed in another car as part of the motorcade.
The motorcade then proceeded from the airport onto a ten-mile route through downtown Dallas, en route to the Trade Mart where President Kennedy was scheduled to deliver a luncheon address.
The Fatal Shots: Assassination in Dealey Plaza
Excited crowds thronged the streets of Dallas, waving and cheering as the presidential motorcade passed. At approximately 12:30 p.m. Central Standard Time, the limousine turned off Main Street into Dealey Plaza. As the vehicle passed the Texas School Book Depository, gunfire erupted, shattering the festive atmosphere.
Bullets struck President Kennedy in the neck and head. He slumped forward and towards Mrs. Kennedy. Governor Connally, seated in front of the President, was also struck by gunfire, wounded in his back.
The limousine accelerated rapidly towards Parkland Memorial Hospital, a short distance away. Despite the urgent medical attention, there was little that could be done for the President. A Catholic priest was summoned to administer last rites. At 1:00 p.m., John F. Kennedy was pronounced dead. Governor Connally, though seriously wounded, would ultimately survive.
President Kennedy’s body was returned to Love Field and placed aboard Air Force One. Before the presidential plane departed Dallas, a somber Lyndon B. Johnson was sworn in as President of the United States in a brief ceremony held within the aircraft’s cramped cabin. U.S. District Court Judge Sarah Hughes administered the oath of office at 2:38 p.m.
Less than an hour prior, police had apprehended Lee Harvey Oswald, a recently hired employee at the Texas School Book Depository. Oswald was taken into custody, initially charged with the assassination of President Kennedy and the subsequent fatal shooting of Dallas Patrolman J. D. Tippit, which occurred shortly after the assassination.
On Sunday morning, November 24th, as live television cameras broadcasted his transfer from police headquarters to the county jail, Oswald was shot at point-blank range by Jack Ruby, a Dallas nightclub owner. Oswald died two hours later at Parkland Hospital, the same hospital where President Kennedy had been pronounced dead just two days earlier.
The President’s Funeral: A Nation Mourns
On the same day Jack Ruby shot Lee Harvey Oswald, President Kennedy’s flag-draped coffin was moved from the White House to the U.S. Capitol. A caisson, drawn by six grey horses and accompanied by a riderless black horse, carried the casket. At Mrs. Kennedy’s request, the funeral procession and ceremonial arrangements were modeled after the funeral of President Abraham Lincoln. Large crowds lined Pennsylvania Avenue, many openly weeping as the caisson passed. During the 21 hours President Kennedy’s body lay in state in the Capitol Rotunda, approximately 250,000 people filed past to pay their respects.
On Monday, November 25, 1963, President John F. Kennedy was laid to rest at Arlington National Cemetery. The funeral was attended by heads of state and representatives from over 100 countries, with countless millions more watching the televised event around the world. Following the funeral service at the gravesite, Mrs. Kennedy and the President’s brothers, Robert and Edward Kennedy, lit an eternal flame, marking his final resting place.
Perhaps the most enduring images from that day were those of John F. Kennedy Jr., just three years old on that day, saluting his father’s coffin, his daughter Caroline kneeling beside her mother at the bier, and the extraordinary poise and dignity exhibited by Jacqueline Kennedy throughout the ordeal.
As the nation and the world grappled with the senseless tragedy and sought to articulate their grief and reflections on President Kennedy’s life and legacy, many recalled the poignant words from his inaugural address:
All this will not be finished in the first one hundred days, nor in the first one thousand days, nor in the life of this administration. Nor even perhaps in our lifetime on this planet. But let us begin.
Arlington National Cemetery: A Site of Remembrance
For those wishing to learn more about President Kennedy’s funeral and gravesite, additional information is available on the Arlington National Cemetery website.
The Aftermath and Investigations: Seeking Answers
The Warren Commission: A Controversial Inquiry
In the immediate aftermath of the assassination, on November 29, 1963, President Lyndon B. Johnson established the President’s Commission on the Assassination of President Kennedy. This body became known as the Warren Commission, named after its chairman, Earl Warren, the Chief Justice of the United States. President Johnson tasked the commission with investigating all matters related to the assassination and the subsequent killing of Lee Harvey Oswald, and to submit its findings and conclusions.
The House Select Committee on Assassinations: Reopening the Case
Decades later, in 1976, the U.S. House of Representatives formed the House Select Committee on Assassinations (HSCA). This committee was established to reopen the investigation into the assassination, prompted by persistent allegations that previous inquiries, particularly the Warren Commission, had not received full cooperation from federal agencies and had potentially overlooked crucial evidence.
Note to the reader: Point 1B in the linked findings of the 1979 House Select Committee on Assassinations initially suggested “a high probability that two gunmen fired” at President Kennedy. This conclusion stemmed from the late discovery of a Dallas police radio transmission tape, which was purported to provide acoustic evidence of four or more shots fired in Dealey Plaza. However, subsequent analysis by acoustic experts definitively proved the tape to be unreliable and without evidentiary value, effectively nullifying the finding in Point 1B.
The HSCA, which also investigated the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., released its report on March 29, 1979.
The Assassination Records Collection Act: Transparency and Access
In 1992, seeking to ensure transparency and public access to information, the U.S. Congress passed the President John F. Kennedy Assassination Records Collection Act of 1992. This act mandated the consolidation of all assassination-related materials under the supervision of the National Archives and Records Administration, creating a comprehensive collection for researchers and the public.
