By the fall of 1963, President John F. Kennedy was actively laying the groundwork for his 1964 re-election campaign. While an official announcement was pending, his intentions were clear, and optimism surrounded his prospects. September saw him traversing nine states in the West, ostensibly to champion natural resources and conservation. However, these trips also served as a platform to test campaign themes, touching upon education, national security, and the pursuit of world peace.
A subsequent month included addresses to Democratic gatherings in Boston and Philadelphia. Crucially, November 12th marked the first formal political strategy session dedicated to the upcoming election. President Kennedy emphasized the pivotal role of Florida and Texas in his electoral strategy, outlining plans to visit both states within the next fortnight. Adding a personal dimension to the Texas trip, First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy was scheduled to accompany him, marking her return to public engagements following the heartbreaking loss of their infant son, Patrick, in August. On November 21st, Air Force One departed for Texas, embarking on a two-day, five-city tour.
Texas presented a complex political landscape. President Kennedy was acutely aware of internal DemocraticParty divisions that could jeopardize his chances in the state in 1964. A primary objective of his visit was to foster unity amongst Texas Democrats. Furthermore, he recognized the presence of a fringe yet vocal extremist element contributing to the state’s political volatility. Dallas, in particular, was identified as a potential hotspot, especially after the recent physical assault on US Ambassador to the UN, Adlai Stevenson, following a speech in the city. Despite these undercurrents of tension, President Kennedy appeared to welcome the opportunity to engage directly with the public and navigate the intricacies of the political arena outside of Washington.
San Antonio was the initial stop on the Texas tour. A high-profile welcoming committee, including Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson, Governor John B. Connally, and Senator Ralph W. Yarborough, greeted the presidential party. Together, they proceeded to Brooks Air Force Base for the dedication of the Aerospace Medical Health Center. The itinerary continued to Houston, where President Kennedy addressed the League of United Latin American Citizens and attended a testimonial dinner honoring Congressman Albert Thomas, before concluding the day in Fort Worth.
Friday, November 22nd, dawned with light rain in Fort Worth. Despite the weather, a substantial crowd of several thousand people had gathered in the parking area outside the Texas Hotel, where the Kennedys had spent the night. A makeshift platform had been erected, and President Kennedy, forgoing any rain protection, emerged to deliver brief remarks. “There are no faint hearts in Fort Worth,” he began, acknowledging the crowd’s 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 then shifted to matters of national importance, emphasizing the necessity for the United States to maintain a position of global leadership, be “second to none” in defense and space exploration, and foster continued economic growth, underpinned by the commitment of American citizens to shoulder the responsibilities of leadership. The crowd’s enthusiastic response was palpable as the President interacted with them, shaking hands amidst a sea of smiles.
Inside the hotel, President Kennedy addressed a Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce breakfast, focusing his speech on military preparedness. “We are still the keystone in the arch of freedom,” he declared, reaffirming the nation’s commitment to its global role and acknowledging the leading contribution of Texans in this endeavor.
The presidential motorcade departed the hotel for Carswell Air Force Base, embarking on a brief 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 congregated, spending several minutes greeting and shaking hands with them. The First Lady was presented with a bouquet of red roses, which she carried to the waiting limousine. Governor John Connally and his wife, Nellie, were already seated in the open-top convertible as the Kennedys joined them, taking their places in the back. With the rain having ceased, the protective plastic bubble top was omitted. Vice President and Mrs. Johnson followed in a separate vehicle as the motorcade prepared to proceed.
The procession commenced its journey from the airport, following a pre-determined ten-mile route through downtown Dallas en route to the Trade Mart, where the President was scheduled to deliver a luncheon address. Excited crowds thronged the streets, waving enthusiastically to the Kennedys as the motorcade passed. Turning off Main Street into Dealey Plaza at approximately 12:30 p.m., as the presidential limousine passed the Texas School Book Depository, the unthinkable occurred: gunfire erupted, shattering the cheerful atmosphere.
John F. Kennedy shot. Bullets struck the President, impacting his neck and head. He slumped towards Mrs. Kennedy. Governor Connally, seated in front, was also struck, wounded in the back. The limousine accelerated rapidly, speeding towards Parkland Memorial Hospital, just minutes away. Despite the urgent medical attention, there was little that could be done for President Kennedy. A Catholic priest was called to administer last rites. At 1:00 p.m., John F. Kennedy was pronounced dead. Governor Connally, though seriously injured, would survive.
President Kennedy’s body was returned to Love Field and placed aboard Air Force One. Before taking off, in the confined and somber compartment of the aircraft, Lyndon B. Johnson, his face etched with gravity, was sworn in as President of the United States. The oath of office was administered by US District Court Judge Sarah Hughes in a brief ceremony at 2:38 p.m.
Less than an hour prior, police had apprehended Lee Harvey Oswald, a recent employee of the Texas School Book Depository. He was detained in connection with the assassination of President Kennedy and the subsequent fatal shooting of Patrolman J. D. Tippit on a Dallas street shortly after the president was John F Kennedy Shot.
On Sunday morning, November 24th, as Oswald was being transferred from police headquarters to the county jail, live television cameras captured a shocking event. Millions of viewers witnessed a man emerge from the crowd, aim a pistol, and fire at point-blank range. The assailant was identified as Jack Ruby, a local nightclub owner. Oswald died two hours later at Parkland Hospital, the same hospital where President Kennedy had been pronounced dead just two days prior after being john f kennedy shot.
The same day that Oswald was murdered, President Kennedy’s flag-draped casket was moved from the White House to the Capitol. Drawn by six grey horses and accompanied by a riderless black horse, a caisson carried the casket in a solemn procession modeled, at Mrs. Kennedy’s request, after Abraham Lincoln’s funeral. Crowds lined Pennsylvania Avenue, many weeping openly as the cortege passed. During the 21 hours that 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 Kennedy was laid to rest in Arlington National Cemetery. The funeral was attended by heads of state and representatives from over 100 countries, with countless millions more watching the televised broadcast around the world. Following the service, at the gravesite, Mrs. Kennedy and her husband’s brothers, Robert and Edward, lit an eternal flame.
Perhaps the most enduring images from that day remain etched in the collective memory: John F. Kennedy Jr.’s poignant salute to his father (on his third birthday), daughter Caroline kneeling beside her mother at the president’s bier, and Jacqueline Kennedy’s extraordinary grace and dignity in the face of unimaginable grief.
As the nation and the world grappled with the enormity of the tragedy and sought to articulate their feelings about President Kennedy’s life and legacy, many recalled the resonant 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.
For further information regarding President Kennedy’s funeral and gravesite, please visit the Arlington National Cemetery website.
The Aftermath and Investigations
The Warren Commission
On November 29, 1963, President Lyndon B. Johnson established the President’s Commission on the Assassination of President Kennedy. Subsequently known as the Warren Commission, named after its chairman, Chief Justice Earl Warren, its mandate was to investigate all aspects of the assassination and the subsequent killing of Lee Harvey Oswald, and to present its findings and conclusions to the President.
The House Select Committee on Assassinations
In 1976, the US House of Representatives formed the House Select Committee on Assassinations to reopen the investigation into the assassination. This decision was prompted by persistent allegations that previous inquiries had not received full cooperation from federal agencies and had potentially overlooked crucial evidence.
Important Note: Point 1B of the 1979 House Select Committee on Assassinations findings, accessible via the link below, initially stated that the committee found “a high probability that two gunmen fired” at the president. This conclusion stemmed from the late discovery of a Dallas police radio transmission tape, purported to provide evidence of four or more shots fired in Dealey Plaza. However, following the report’s publication, acoustic experts rigorously analyzed the tape and conclusively demonstrated its unreliability, effectively invalidating the finding in Point 1B. The committee, which also investigated the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., published its report on March 29, 1979.
Assassination Records Collection
The President John F. Kennedy Assassination Records Collection Act of 1992, enacted by the US Congress, mandated the consolidation of all assassination-related materials under the supervision of the National Archives and Records Administration, ensuring their preservation and accessibility for future research and public scrutiny.
