White House Historical Association President Stewart McLaurin Reflects on How President John F. Kennedy Inspired a Generation to Reach for a New Frontier
WASHINGTON, Nov. 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — The White House Historical Association released a new episode of The White House 1600 Sessions podcast today, “Remembering President John F. Kennedy,” featuring a conversation about the life and legacy of President John F. Kennedy. On November 22, 1963, the world was forever changed when President Kennedy was assassinated. In this anniversary episode, Stewart McLaurin, president of the Association, sat down with Luci Baines Johnson, John Dalton and Robert McGee to reflect on how the 35th president of the United States inspired a generation to reach for a new frontier.
President Kennedy had barely served one thousand days of his term before his death, but his impact would live on for decades through the many lives he touched. For those who were alive sixty years ago, it is a day they will never forget. The episode explores the personal experiences of three individuals with not only a front row seat to history, but who were a part of it.
Luci Baines Johnson, the daughter of then-Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson was in a high school class when she heard the president had been shot: “With the election of President Kennedy, people around the world saw a new frontier, saw a hope and a promise,” said Johnson. “But with his passing, the nation turned that devastation into a force for good.”
Former secretary of the Navy, John Dalton, marched as a midshipman with the United States Naval Academy in both President Kennedy’s inaugural parade and funeral procession: “He was bookends to my time at the Naval Academy. He was elected my plebe year, and assassinated in my senior year,” said Dalton. “He was a great president and served our country well.”
Robert McGee, the son of a United States senator who was a friend of the president, witnessed First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy and daughter Caroline pay their respects as he lay in state at the Capitol rotunda: “Mrs. Kennedy and Caroline walked up to the casket, and we were within probably 30 or so feet from her, with nobody in between,” said McGee.
The White House 1600 Sessions podcast is available on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, and Stitcher.
About the White House Historical AssociationThe White House Historical Association was founded in 1961 by First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy to support her vision to restore and preserve the Executive Mansion and its legacy for generations to come. Mrs. Kennedy sought to inspire Americans, especially children, to explore and engage with American history and its presidents. Supported entirely by private resources, the Association is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that has contributed more than $115 million to the White House in fulfillment of its mission. To learn more about the White House Historical Association, please visit WhiteHouseHistory.org.
SOURCE The White House Historical Association
