By the fall of 1963, President John F. Kennedy was actively laying the groundwork for his upcoming presidential campaign. While he hadn’t formally declared his candidacy, the signs were clear: JFK was running for re-election, and his advisors were optimistic about his chances. His schedule was packed with appearances and speeches, designed to test campaign themes and rally support across the nation.
In late September, Kennedy embarked on a whirlwind tour of the American West, visiting nine states in under a week. Officially, the trip highlighted natural resources and conservation. However, it also served as a platform to test key messages for his 1964 campaign, touching upon themes like 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 preparations. Crucially, November 12th marked the first formal political strategy session for the 1964 election. In this meeting, Kennedy emphasized the vital importance of securing Florida and Texas, states he planned to visit within the next two weeks.
Accompanying him on this Texas tour would be First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy, marking her return to the public eye after the recent 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 visit to Texas.
Texas presented a complex political landscape. President Kennedy was acutely aware of internal conflicts within the Texas Democratic party, a division that threatened his chances of winning the state in 1964. A key objective of his trip was to unify these factions. Furthermore, he knew a fringe element of extremists was contributing to the charged political atmosphere in Texas, and their presence was expected to be felt, particularly in Dallas. Just a month prior, the US Ambassador to the United Nations, Adlai Stevenson, had been physically attacked in Dallas after delivering a speech. Despite these potential challenges, JFK seemed eager to engage directly with the public and enter the political arena.
San Antonio was the first stop. Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson, Governor John B. Connally, and Senator Ralph W. Yarborough formed the welcoming committee. Together, they proceeded to Brooks Air Force Base for the dedication of the Aerospace Medical Health Center. The day continued in Houston, where the President addressed the League of United Latin American Citizens and spoke at a dinner honoring Congressman Albert Thomas, before concluding in Fort Worth.
Morning in Fort Worth: A Glimpse of Hope Before Darkness
Friday, November 22nd, dawned with a light rain in Fort Worth. Despite the weather, a crowd of several thousand people gathered in the parking lot of the Texas Hotel, where the Kennedys had spent the night. A makeshift platform was erected, and President Kennedy, without any rain protection, emerged to address the crowd. “There are no faint hearts in Fort Worth,” he began, acknowledging their dedication. “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.” He continued to speak about national priorities: maintaining military strength, leading in space exploration, fostering economic growth, and the importance of American leadership on the world stage.
The crowd’s response was overwhelmingly positive, with enthusiastic cheers and smiles as the President reached out to shake hands.
Inside the hotel, President Kennedy addressed a Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce breakfast, focusing his remarks on 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.”
On to Dallas: The Unfolding of Tragedy
The presidential entourage departed the hotel and traveled by motorcade to Carswell Air Force Base for the short thirteen-minute flight to Dallas. Upon arrival at Love Field, President and Mrs. Kennedy immediately approached a fence where a crowd of well-wishers had gathered, spending several minutes shaking hands and connecting with the public.
The First Lady was presented with a bouquet of red roses, which she carried with her to the waiting limousine. Governor John Connally and his wife, Nellie, were already seated in the open convertible as the Kennedys joined them, taking the seats behind. The plastic bubble top, which would have provided protection, was left off as the rain had stopped. Vice President and Mrs. Johnson followed in a separate car within the motorcade.
The procession left the airport, embarking on a ten-mile route through downtown Dallas, en route to the Trade Mart where the President was scheduled to deliver a luncheon address.
The Assassination: Moments That Changed History
Large, excited crowds lined the streets of Dallas, waving and cheering as the motorcade passed. At approximately 12:30 p.m., the limousine turned off Main Street onto Dealey Plaza. As the car passed the Texas School Book Depository, gunfire suddenly erupted, shattering the celebratory atmosphere.
Bullets struck President Kennedy in the neck and head. He slumped towards Mrs. Kennedy. Governor Connally, seated in front of him, was also struck, wounded in his back.
The limousine accelerated rapidly towards Parkland Memorial Hospital, just minutes away. Despite the swift response, little could be done for the President. A Catholic priest was called to administer last rites. At 1:00 p.m. John F. Kennedy was pronounced dead. Governor Connally, though severely wounded, would survive.
President Kennedy’s body was taken to Love Field and placed aboard Air Force One. Before the plane departed, a somber Lyndon B. Johnson was sworn in as President of the United States in a cramped compartment on the aircraft. US District Court Judge Sarah Hughes administered the oath of office at 2:38 p.m.
Less than an hour before, police had apprehended Lee Harvey Oswald, a recent employee of the Texas School Book Depository. He was arrested for the assassination of President Kennedy and the subsequent fatal shooting of Patrolman J. D. Tippit on a Dallas street shortly after the assassination.
On Sunday morning, November 24th, as Oswald was being transferred from police headquarters to the county jail, live television cameras captured a shocking event. Jack Ruby, a local nightclub owner, stepped forward and fatally shot Oswald at point-blank range. Oswald died two hours later at Parkland Hospital, the same hospital where President Kennedy had passed away just two days prior.
The President’s Funeral: A Nation Mourns
The same day Jack Ruby shot Lee Harvey Oswald, President Kennedy’s flag-draped casket was moved from the White House to the Capitol. Drawn by six grey horses, with a riderless black horse following, the caisson proceeded in a solemn procession modeled after Abraham Lincoln’s funeral, as requested by Mrs. Kennedy. Crowds lined Pennsylvania Avenue, many openly weeping as the caisson passed. During the 21 hours President Kennedy lay in state in the Capitol Rotunda, approximately 250,000 people paid 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 on television around the world. Following the service at the gravesite, Mrs. Kennedy and her husband’s brothers, Robert and Edward, lit an eternal flame, a symbol of enduring remembrance.
Perhaps the most enduring images from that day were those of young John F. Kennedy Jr., saluting his father’s casket on his third birthday, daughter Caroline kneeling beside her mother at the bier, and the extraordinary grace 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 feelings about President Kennedy’s life and legacy, many recalled the powerful 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 Final Resting Place
To delve deeper into the details of President Kennedy’s funeral and gravesite, further information is available on the Arlington National Cemetery website.
Aftermath: Investigations and Lingering Questions
The Warren Commission: Seeking Answers
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, Chief Justice of the United States. President Johnson tasked the commission with investigating all aspects of the assassination and the subsequent killing of Lee Harvey Oswald, and to present its findings and conclusions.
The House Select Committee on Assassinations: Reopening the Case
Years later, in 1976, the US House of Representatives formed the House Select Committee on Assassinations. This committee was created to reinvestigate the assassination amidst growing concerns that previous inquiries had not received full cooperation from federal agencies and that crucial information may have been overlooked.
Note to the reader: Point 1B in the findings of the 1979 House Select Committee on Assassinations initially suggested “a high probability that two gunmen fired” at President Kennedy. This conclusion was based on the supposed discovery of a Dallas police radio transmission tape, which was interpreted as evidence of four or more shots fired in Dealey Plaza. However, subsequent analysis by acoustic experts conclusively discredited the tape, rendering the finding in Point 1B invalid.
The committee, which also investigated the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., released its report on March 29, 1979.
Assassination Records Collection: Transparency and Historical Record
The President John F. Kennedy Assassination Records Collection Act of 1992, mandated by the US Congress, ensured that all assassination-related materials be consolidated and managed by the National Archives and Records Administration. This act aimed to promote transparency and facilitate historical research into the events surrounding President Kennedy’s death.
