Spring Premium Live and Catalog Auction Ending May 20(1-70) and June 3
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 6/4/2017
As 1963 drew to a close, John F. Kennedy began preparing for the upcoming 1964 election. Key to his re-election was the southern states, many of which were unhappy with his support for Civil Rights legislation. The key to the whole region was the state of Texas, one which JFK had won in 1960 by the slim margin of 46,000 votes. An astute politician, Kennedy knew that the best way to win support was to appear on the ground, in person, personally taking his case to the Texas people.
Fortunately for JFK, he had two secret weapons in his arsenal to win over the Texans: His wife Jackie and his Vice President, Lyndon Johnson. In three years, Jackie Kennedy had become the most popular First Lady in history. Members of both parties couldn’t help but be smitten by her movie-star good looks and charming personality. And Kennedy’s VP, Lyndon Johnson was a real Texan through and through. If anyone could rustle up Texas enthusiasm for JFK’s re-election in 1964 it was their native son, LBJ.
Beginning on November 21st, the group embarked on a two-day, five-city tour. The President’s itinerary for November 22nd called for a speech at the Hotel Texas in Fort Worth, followed by a short flight to Dallas. The President’s motorcade would proceed from Love Field to a luncheon at the Dallas Trade Mart and then turn to the airport for a flight to Austin. Once in the state’s capitol, a $100 a plate “Texas Welcome Dinner” was planned at the Municipal Auditorium at 7:30. After the dinner the group would fly by helicopter to the Vice President’s ranch in Johnson City to spend the night before flying back to Washington the next morning.
Of course, history took a tragic course and the President was assassinated in Dallas just after noon on November 22, 1963. This canary-colored ticket was issued to a member of the press for entry into the Texas Welcome Dinner. Marked for “Balcony Only” use, the ticket measures 2 ½ x 6 inches. Due to the events in Dealey Plaza that afternoon, the dinner was never held and this ticket remains unused and in mint condition. A poignant reminder of one of the darkest days in our country’s history. The ticket is graded MINT 9 and encapsulated by PSA (25933347).