I was eighteen years old and a sophomore at TCU during the fall of 1963. My parents were Republicans who had supported Nixon in the 1960 campaign, but by the time I arrived at TCU in the fall of 1962, I was, like many my age, a Kennedy Democrat. I have proudly remained one all of my life.
The day before the President’s scheduled breakfast in Fort Worth, my U.S. History Professor, Dr. Ben Proctor, said in class, “Mrs. Proctor and I are going downtown tomorrow morning to see the President. The first five people up here at my desk when class is over can go with us.” I was one of the lucky ones; and therefore, was in the crowd outside the Texas Hotel on the morning of November 22. It was cloudy and rainy. We were fairly far back in the crowd on the parking lot, but when the President and his group appeared at the door of the hotel, the crowd surged forward and I moved up about five rows. He spoke briefly, of course, but it was an incredibly exciting time for me. We went on back to campus and I went to class. When I returned to Jarvis Hall where I lived, the news had just come over the wires that the President had been shot in Dallas. I ran and called my mother in Corpus Christi and then remained glued to the television at my friend’s house or in the public areas of the dorm all weekend long. TCU homecoming was cancelled and everyone on campus was incredibly upset. On Monday, we attended a city memorial service which was held at Farrington Field.
One of my friends from the dorm had also been downtown to hear the President speak. She was lucky enough to be on the front row of the crowd and stuck out her camera to get a great candid shot of him shaking hands. Unfortunately, he turned and went up on the flat bed trailer “stage” before she was able to shake his hand. But, the picture which she generously made copies of for all of us who wanted it, remains one of my prized possessions. I usually take the 8×10 copy every year on or near November 22 to show to my history students and they are always excited to see it. I also tell them that, from that time on, whenever I have had a chance to see an important public figure, I have done so. There is no substitute for being present when you can.
For quite a long time, I felt that everyone bore the blame for the assassination. I feel, and still do, that the culture and the climate of the times (see the Wanted poster published in the Dallas Morning News) were contributing factors. But, I, like so many others, also eventually studied the whole story and the many assassination theories. Today, I know that it is a very complicated series of events for which there is no single simple explanation. I think we are incredibly lucky that the site in Dallas is virtually untouched so that it is possible to stand on the grassy knoll or in the Sixth Floor Museum and put oneself in that place and time. I am proud that Fort Worth is planning to acknowledge the site where the President spoke, Even though it is no longer just an asphalt parking lot, the Texas Hotel is still there with a new name and the site is important and should be remembered.
