November 22, 1963: Reflections on the Life, Assassination, and Legacy of John F. Kennedy

by Dean R. Owen

Overview

As the fiftieth anniversary of President Kennedy’s assassination draws near, the events of that fateful day will undoubtedly be on the minds of many throughout the world. Here Dean Owen curates a fascinating collection of interviews and thought-provoking commentaries from notable men and women connected to that notorious Friday afternoon. Those who worked closely with the president, civil rights leaders, celebrities, prominent journalists, and political allies are among the nearly one hundred voices asked to share their reflections on the significance of that day and the legacy left behind by John F. Kennedy. A few of the names include:

• Tom Brokaw, a young reporter in Omaha in 1963
• Andy Rooney, veteran television and radio newscaster
• Letitia Baldrige, former Chief of Staff to First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy
• Congressman John Lewis, sole survivor of the “Big Six” black leaders who met the president after the March on Washington in August of 1963
• Cliff Robertson, Academy Award–winning actor who portrayed JFK in PT 109
• Rev. Billy Graham, evangelist

With a compelling foreword from renowned author and journalist Helen Thomas, November 22, 1963 investigates not only where we were that day nearly fifty years ago, but where we have come since. A commemorative and insightful read, this book will unite generations.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781626360341
Publisher:	Skyhorse
Publication date:	09/03/2013
Pages:	384
Product dimensions:	5.90(w) x 9.10(h) x 1.30(d)

About the Author

Dean R. Owen is an award-winning journalist and with more than thirty years of experience, including working as a reporter and editor in Washington covering Congress, the Supreme Court, and the White House. He was seven years old on Friday, November 22, 1963 and cites the events of that day and their aftermath as the catalyst for his professional career in journalism, public policy and corporate communications. His work has appeared in the New York Times, Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, Los Angeles Times, and International Herald Tribune, as well as on CNN.com and the Huffington Post.

Table of Contents

Foreword xiii

Preface xvii

Acknowledgements xix

Section 1 Members of the Kennedy Administration and White House staff 1

White House Social Secretary, expert on etiquette Letitia Baldrige Hollensteiner 3

Senior official in the Pentagon, Carter administration cabinet member Joseph A Califano Jr. 7

Commissioner of the Internal Revenue Service, founder of Caplin & Drysdale Mortimer M. Caplin 11

White House congressional liaison, writer Charles U. Daly 17

Senior State Department diplomat John Gunther Dean 23

U.S. Secret Service agent Clint Hill 25

White House communications officer Harold Hill 29

U.S. Secret Service agent Lem Johns 33

Deputy Attorney General, Attorney General in the Johnson administration Nicholas deB. Katzenbach 37

Chairman of the Federal Communications Commission Newton N. Minow 43

White House usher Nelson C. Pierce 47

White House press aide Sue Vogelsinger 51

Special Counsel to the President Lee C. White 55

Special Assistant to the President on Civil Rights, Associate Director of the Peace Corps, Peace Corps director in Ethiopia, U.S. senator Harris Wofford 59

Section 2 Civil Rights Leaders 65

Founding member of the Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee, chairman of the National Association for Advancement of Colored People, professor Julian Bond 67

Labor leader, advocate for rights of workers, immigrants, and women, co-founder of the National Farm Workers Association Dolores Huerta 71

Chairman of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, Freedom Rider, author, member of United States House of Representatives John Lewis 75

Assistant to the Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development, Assistant Attorney General in Johnson administration, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, professor Roger Wilkins 79

Executive Director of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, mayor of Atlanta, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations during Carter administration Andrew Young 83

Section 3 Children of Kennedy Advisors and Others 87

Attorney, scholar, son of former Secretary of State Dean Acheson David Acheson 89

Attorney, son of Cesar Chavez, co-founder of the National Farm Workers Association Fernando Chavez 93

Children of Walter Cronkite, former CBS News anchor Nancy Kate Walter Jr. ("Chip") Cronkite 97

Educator, son of Edward R. Murrow, journalist, director of United States Information Agency Casey Murrow 101

Organic farmer, son of Robert McNamara, Secretary of Defense Craig McNamara 103

Urban policy expert, scholar, son of Dean Rusk, Secretary of State David Rusk 107

United Nations expert, scholar, son of Arthur Schlesinger Jr., Special Assistant to the President Steven Schlesinger 111

Physicist, son of James Swindal, pilot of Air Force One Jim Swindal 117

Section 4 Celebrities 119

Attorney, author Vincent Bugliosi 121

Christian evangelist Rev. Billy Graham 125

America industrialist Lee Iacocca 127

Major League Baseball player, author Jimmy Piersall 129

Actor Cliff Robertson 131

Television personality Alex Trebek 135

Section 5 Family and Friends 137

Physician, journalist, author Dr. Bob Arnot 139

Journalist, introduced John Kennedy to Jacqueline Bouvier Charles Bartlett 141

Journalist Benjamin C. Bradlee 145

Nephew, environmental activist Robert F. Kennedy Jr. 149

Nephew, author, filmmaker Christopher Kennedy Lawford 153

Peace Corps director in Peru, president of NPR, press secretary to Robert F. Kennedy Frank Mankiewicz 157

Journalist, author, First Amendment historian John Seigenthaler Sr. 161

Section 6 Journalists and Commentators 169

KRLD Dallas, first journalist to confirm Kennedy's death Eddie Barker 171

NBC News Tom Brokaw 175

ABC News, only journalist to cover assassinations of both John and Robert Kennedy Bob Clark 179

Westinghouse Broadcasting Company, NBC News, witnessed swearing in of Lyndon Johnson Sid Davis 181

Writer for The New York Times and other publications, author Nicholas Gage 189

Dallas Times-Herald, captured Pulitzer Prize-winning image of Jack Ruby shooting Lee Harvey Oswald Bob Jackson 193

Writer for Hearst newspapers Marianne Means 199

Author, syndicated radio show host, commentator Michael Medved 203

Author, founder of USA Today, the Freedom Forum, and the Newseum Al Neuharth 207

CBS News Bob Schieffer 209

CBS News Sanford Socolow 215

United Press International, participated in the Kennedy-Nixon debates in 1960 Al Spivak 221

United Press International, captured iconic photo of John Kennedy Jr. saluting his fathers casket Stan Stearns 225

LIFE magazine, negotiated the rights to the only film of the assassination Richard Stolley 229

NBC News and ABC News Sander Vanocur 237

Section 7 Political Figures 241

Member of the United States House of Representatives, businessman, son of U.S. Senator and 1964 Republican presidential nominee Barry Goldwater Barry Goldwater Jr. 243

Member of the United States Senate, Democratic presidential candidate Gary Hart 247

Member of the United States House of Representatives, state official from West Virginia Ken Hechler 253

Member of the United States House of Representatives, attorney Pete McCloskey 255

Vice President of the United States, member of the United States Senate, 1984 Democratic presidential nominee Walter Mondale 259

Speaker of the United States House of Representatives Jim Wright 263

Section 8 Those with Humorous, Poignant, Quirky, and Tragic Encounters and Connections 269

Assistant to Eleanor Roosevelt Patricia Baillargeon 271

Surgeon who fought for thirty hours to save the life of Patrick Bouvier Kennedy Dr. William Bernhard 275

Medical student working at Parkland Memorial Hospital Jim Boyd 281

Make-up artist for JFK and eight other presidents Lillian Brown 285

Military officer, educator, foundation executive Josiah Bunting III 289

Army officer who led riderless horse "Blackjack" in funeral Arthur "Andy" Carlson 293

Attorney and county Democratic chairman Robert Dellwo 297

Waitress at Jim's Steak and Spaghetti House, Huntington, West Virginia Phyllis Elkins 299

Military pallbearer Richard Gaudreau 301

Little Leaguer who caught a ceremonial first pitch Mike Gefroh 305

Senate page, media advisor to U.S. Presidents William Jefferson Clinton and Barack Obama Frank Greer 307

Artist, art dealer, author, coincidental bystander to assassination Ron Hall 311

Travel writer and editor, Catholic who still grieves Catharine Hamm 315

Led thirty-one girls walking all night to meet the president Terri Hazeleur 317

Catholic priest who administered the Last Rites Father Oscar Huber 321

West Point graduate with a foreboding premonition David W. Knowlton 323

Dallas police detective handcuffed to Lee Harvey Oswald James Leavelle 325

Knew both John Kennedy and Lee Harvey Oswald Priscilla Johnson McMillan 329

Inspired by "Ask Not…" to join the Peace Corps Ann Owens 333

Living with Marina Oswald at the time of the assassination Ruth Paine 335

Pediatric resident who saved the life of John Kennedy Jr., born not breathing Dr. Ira Seiler 339

Staff member of the Warren Commission Samuel Stern 343

Editorial Reviews

This book gives readers a real-world glimpse into this extraordinary man, John Kennedy, and the truly great president he was.

Martin Sheen

John Kennedy helped us believe in ourselves and Dean Owen brings to life the man who inspired us, and an inspiration we so desperately need today.

Roger Wilkins

Dean Owen did what a lot of reporters seem to have forgotten how to do these days, he asked the people who were there that awful day what they saw and how they felt. This is a must-read for anyone who wants a better understanding of what happened on the weekend that America lost its innocence. A terrific read.

Bob Schieffer

A fascinating project that will resonate deeply with all of us who remember JFK, and will provide an enlightening service for those too young for personal recollection.

Michael Medved

Dean Owen reminds us of a loss that was painful and a legacy that endures.

John Seigenthaler

09/15/2013
Former Washington, DC, reporter Owen has compiled an uneven collection of remembrances he solicited from over 100 men and women about JFK's death and legacy. The book is divided into eight sections: "Members of the Kennedy Administration and White House Staff"; "Civil Rights Leaders"; "Children of Kennedy Advisors and Others"; "Celebrities"; "Family and Friends"; "Journalists and Commentators"; "Political Figures"; and "Those with Humorous, Poignant, Quirky and Tragic Encounters, and Connections." Readers will find the memories offered by those closest to Kennedy the most meaningful, e.g., by longtime White House correspondent Helen Thomas, who contributed the foreword before her death this summer; retired secret service agent Clint Hill, who was on duty in Dallas; White House usher Nelson C. Pierce; Harris Wofford, special assistant to President Kennedy on civil rights; and Congressman John Lewis, former chair of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee. There are only two entries by relatives—and one of those is a reprint. Other memories, e.g., from children of advisers, a major league baseball player, and a game show host, offer fewer insights. A common thread is that JFK gave his supporters hope for a better country and inspired the contributors to lead lives of public service. VERDICT Readers, especially those who lived through the Kennedy years, will be unimpressed by stories from those with only a superficial connection to JFK. Only for hard-core Kennedy junkies.—KH

Library Journal

A mostly reverential compendium of voices touched by the promise and spirit of John F. Kennedy's presidency--and the shock of his death. Keen observers of the president, members of his devoted staff, children of his advisers, civil rights leaders, eyewitness journalists and youth inspired by his brief, shining administration--all offer their concise statements and appraisals in veteran journalist Owen's collection. The author was just 7 years old on the date of the assassination, riveted like the rest of the country to the TV ("the centrifuge of the country," as Tom Brokaw calls it) and ultimately galvanized by the craft of journalism. Some of the accounts are extracts from copyrighted statements evidently published in previous books, such as Walter F. Mondale's The Good Fight and Vincent Bugliosi's Reclaiming History, all of which expound poignantly on this most intimate "death in the family." Some of the statements are truly elucidating and mesmerizing, such as those by then–special assistant counsel Joseph A. Califano Jr., who proudly applauded JFK's prescient civil rights speech of June 1963 (a crusade taken up by his brother, Robert); and by Rev. Billy Graham, who had spent time with the president and was impressed by his concern "about the moral and spiritual condition of the nation," noting the day after Kennedy died that "the entire nation [was] thinking more about death and eternity than at any time since the war." Other accounts are more curious and questionable, such as those by Army officer Andy Carlson, who led the riderless horse "Black Jack" during the funeral, and by Ruth Paine, who was living with Marina Oswald at the time. Given the ongoing, apparently insatiable curiosity about the Kennedy assassination, most readers will probably find it all equally fascinating. All walks of life are represented in this immense cross section of Americans' grief and groping for comprehension.

Kirkus Reviews

A mostly reverential compendium of voices touched by the promise and spirit of John F. Kennedy’s presidency—and the shock of his death. . . . All walks of life are represented in this immense cross section of Americans' grief and groping for comprehension.”— Kirkus Reviews

“Dean Owen did what a lot of reporters seem to have forgotten how to do these days, he asked the people who were there that awful day what they saw and how they felt…a must-read for anyone who wants a better understanding of what happened on the weekend that America lost its innocence."—Bob Schieffer of CBS News

From the Publisher