John F. Kennedy's
Visits to Cheyenne
John F. Kennedy's Visits to Cheyenne
By Curtis Olson - Registrar, CFD Old West Museum
September 23, 1960
“The Kennedys have a great affection for Wyoming.”
JFK was no stranger to Wyoming. Before 1960, Kennedy had visited Cheyenne and Wyoming several times, campaigning for fellow Democrats running for high offices, and testing the waters to gather support for his planned upcoming run for the Democratic Presidential nomination in 1960. Even as early as late 1959, internal reports were under the belief that Wyoming was actually one of Kennedy’s strongest supporters among the Western states of the U.S. Kennedy’s brothers, Robert and Ted, and some of JFK’s top aides also assisted him in this push through their own visits to Cheyenne and Wyoming. Much behind-the-scenes work went on between the Kennedys and their aides and the Democratic Party leadership in Wyoming, to schedule strategic events, sway potential Democratic primary delegates, and to convince or even pressure chosen delegates to vote for Kennedy when the chips would eventually be down at the suspected close first ballot of delegates at the Democratic National Convention.
In the Democratic National Convention in Los Angeles, the race on the first ballot was indeed razor-thin to get John F. Kennedy over the 50% vote hump needed to secure the Democratic nomination for President. So close was it that every state counted, including Wyoming with its smaller delegation. Both Robert Kennedy and LBJ had visited and campaigned in Cheyenne and Wyoming for its support in the primaries earlier in 1960 and beyond, but when it came down to the convention vote, Wyoming made history and swung all of its delegates to Kennedy (with Ted Kennedy even standing with Wyoming’s delegation on the convention floor, trying (along with Gale McGee) to get the delegates to sway their votes to his brother to get him over the top), which officially put him over the top and deliver him the Democratic nomination. Kennedy would never forget the critical assistance Wyoming gave him on his path to the White House. (Side note – President Kennedy would even later have an official luncheon for the leaders of Wyoming’s press from each town (and the state level) exclusively at the White House on February 1, 1963).
On the other hand, religious concerns still persisted amongst some in Wyoming’s population (and around the nation) when it came to Kennedy’s Catholic beliefs and whether that would mean that the Pope could take control (through advice) of the United States Government if Kennedy won. The concerns were such that Tracy McCraken (a Kennedy supporter and Cheyenne newspaper editor) felt the need to write an editorial article in the paper on September 9th, trying to relay to readers the foolishness of such an assumption, even listing the Catholic governors, U.S. Senators, and U.S. congressmen that had previously led in Wyoming without issue up to that point, including Joe O’Mahoney, Joe Hickey, Frank Barrett, and Vincent Carter.
In the midst of the 1960 Presidential election campaign, John F. Kennedy went on cross-country tours all across the nation to campaign for office. Many knew and suspected (including Kennedy himself as he referenced in his Cheyenne speech) that the race against Vice President Richard Nixon would be close in any outcome, so JFK and his team made sure to make stops everywhere (much less centralized on battleground states than campaigns are today) to get as many promised votes as he could for November. On September 19th, John Kendrick and Frank Sullivan, advance agents for Kennedy’s campaign, arrived in Cheyenne to make arrangements for Kennedy’s visit on the 23rd. Sullivan told organizers that accommodations would have to be made for 30 staff members and 40 newsmen and photographers that were traveling with Kennedy on the campaign trail.
Kennedy’s campaign schedule was grueling. Just in the four days between September 21st and 24th that year, JFK’s itinerary planned (in order) for campaign stops in Iowa, South Dakota, North Dakota, Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, Utah, and finally Chicago, Illinois. On September 22nd, after a packed day of multiple events in Sioux City, Iowa, Fort Dodge, Iowa, and Billings, Montana, it was originally planned that JFK and his party of nearly 50 people (including more than two dozen newspaper representatives) would arrive at the airport in Cheyenne at 11:15 PM and would go directly to the Plains Hotel to go to sleep. Kennedy planned to do this instead of flying into Cheyenne the morning of the 23rd at the suggestion of Wyoming’s Democratic National Committeeman Tracy S. McCraken, which Kennedy accepted. Two buses were planned to be provided to transport the press covering JFK’s campaign to the hotel as well. Hotel reservations had been made in advance, and because of the late hour of his arrival, no official welcoming party would meet Kennedy at the airport.
Kennedy’s party flew on two planes, one (a DC-6) carrying Kennedy, guests, and around 33 staff members, while the second plane carried the members of the press accompanying Kennedy on the campaign trail (about 50 people). On the plane with Kennedy from Billings to Cheyenne also included Kennedy’s sister, Eunice Shriver, U.S. Senator from Wyoming Gale McGee (D), Ray Whitaker (D) (running for the U.S. Senate in Wyoming and losing) and Hepburn Armstrong (D) (running for the Wyoming U.S. House seat and losing).
On September 22nd however, rain fell in Cheyenne for most of the day, and bad weather (low clouds, a steady drizzle, and minimum visibility) settled in over Cheyenne that night, making Kennedy’s pilots decide to abort the landing in Cheyenne and instead fly on to Denver to land. However, the timing of all of Kennedy’s events in Cheyenne would remain unchanged and his planes would fly from Denver to Cheyenne early in the morning to ensure that Kennedy still kept to his schedule. The Weather Bureau did not expect the weather in Cheyenne on the 23rd to improve much. In Kennedy’s Cheyenne speech, he would say that from the morning of September 22nd to the morning of the 23rd, he had been on stops for his campaign schedule in Iowa, South Dakota, North Dakota, Montana, and Colorado before finally landing in Cheyenne.
Kennedy’s planes arrived at the Cheyenne Municipal Airport at 10:15 AM on the morning of the 23rd and was greeted by several hundred people at the Terminal Building and an official welcoming party made up by Governor Joe Hickey, State Democratic Chairman Teno Roncalio, and other party members. Eunice Shriver during this visit also talked to reporters, telling them about her confidence in JFK’s coming victory in November, also adding curiosity comments such as: “Jack prepares his speeches and makes sure to include in them facts of local interest at the places he is visiting. He prepares and memorizes speeches the night before they are delivered”. Eunice wore to Cheyenne a sheath wool dress of a light purple color, black patent shoes, and carried a large alligator bag and a light blue coat. JFK wore a light gray suit with a light silver tie.
On September 23rd, due to the flight delays of that morning, JFK arrived at the Frontier Pavilion over one hour behind the original schedule for a breakfast meeting being held there for him (Kennedy’s whole itinerary for his Cheyenne visit would be late throughout that morning). Although the event was held at the Frontier Pavilion, it had originally been scheduled to be held at the Range Room of the Plains Hotel, however, the Range Room had a 500-seat capacity, and within two days of tickets for the event going live, it sold out with additional heavy demand in seats having to be met, so much so that another sellout after expanding the seating capacity was expected. Thus, the event was moved to the Frontier Pavilion, which had a seat capacity of over 1,000, although the Plains Hotel was still chosen to cater the event. When the venue was moved and 500 more tickets were made available, another 200 sold in just two additional days. Tickets to go to the event were $2 each in 1960. Democratic Party officials from around the state indicated prior to the event that they planned to attend. The Laramie County Democratic Headquarters even offered an option to provide people a ride to Kennedy’s breakfast meeting on the morning of the 23rd if you called the day before and let them know.
Before Kennedy’s arrival, Wyoming’s Democratic National Committeeman Tracy McCraken introduced some of the “lesser” dignitaries present at the Frontier Pavilion, including Carbon County Sheriff John Terrill, State Democratic Registration Chairman, former Wyoming Governor Leslie Miller, and Dr. John D. Clark. The Reverend Leslie Deinstadt of the First Congregational Church then gave the invocation.
When Kennedy arrived at the Frontier Pavilion, approximately 1,300-1,500 people were waiting for him there and gave him a standing ovation accompanied by chants of “We want Kennedy!”: 1,100 ticket holders who were there to eat breakfast at the event, and at least an additional 200 who showed up just to hear Kennedy speak without a meal. By the time the delayed Kennedy arrived, most present had already eaten their breakfasts and had been waiting for nearly two hours. Sitting at the head table on the stage of the Frontier Pavilion with Kennedy (from left to right) were Raymond Whitaker, Eunice Shriver, Tracy S. McCraken, Senator Gale McGee, and Secretary of State Jack Gage (also at that table was Governor Joe Hickey and his wife, Jack Gage’s wife, Hepburn Armstrong, James Shepherd of Casper, who was state chairman of the Citizens for Kennedy-Johnson Committee, the mayor of Cheyenne Worth Story, and Tracy McCraken’s wife).
Kennedy was scheduled to give a fifteen-minute speech as the one and only speaker for the breakfast, an event which Tracy S. McCraken served as the master of ceremonies. McCraken introduced everyone at the speaker’s table on the stage of the Pavilion to the audience and then read out loud a telegram from Senator Joseph C. O’Mahoney, who was unable to attend. Senator McGee then introduced Kennedy. Kennedy’s speech at the Pavilion Building was broadcast on nine Wyoming radio stations, including KFBC Cheyenne, KRAL Rawlins, KVRS Rock Springs, KLUK Evanston, KOVE Lander, KPOW Sheridan, KVOC Casper, and KOWB Laramie.
One of the main themes of Kennedy’s speech was that the underdeveloped nations of the world (like many in Africa) are watching how America develops her western resources, saying that: “If we are moving ahead at home, we will be moving ahead around the world: if we stand still at home we stand still around the world. There is a direct relationship between the efforts we make in the ‘60s here in the West, here in Wyoming, and what we do around the world”.
Kennedy also discussed the threat of communism against the forces of freedom that should combat it, saying: “The emerging peoples of the world are looking for leadership. Perhaps the most important single issue of our time is whether they will look to Moscow or to the United States, whether they will choose freedom or whether they will feel that submission to communism is the price of progress.” Adding later: “I come here not saying the future is easy, but that the future is bright.” Kennedy later recalled to the crowd Wyoming’s essential 15 delegate votes at the Democratic National Convention that secured him the Democratic nomination for President: “Wyoming was not talked about as a key state much before the convention. Not very many people talked about what Wyoming would do as they talked about what California would do, what New York would do or Massachusetts would do – but Wyoming did it. I hope it won’t be that close in November, but if it is, I hope Wyoming, having taken this far will take us the rest of the way.” (Nixon eventually won Wyoming in November). Kennedy also observed that he had been in Wyoming five times, and that his brother Ted had been in the state ten times, remarking: “The Kennedys have a great affection for Wyoming.” Kennedy also added that Bobby Kennedy had been to Wyoming several times as well (in reality, at least once), and that they all had been to Wyoming more than they have been to New York State (in terms of visits) up to that point. Kennedy’s speech ended with a roaring ovation from the audience. Tracy McCraken then declared to the audience: “We shall work unceasingly in your behalf from now through November 8th, and we shall applaud you thereafter.”
Kennedy and his party then immediately departed the Frontier Pavilion for a short motorcade that would transport Kennedy from the Frontier Pavilion to Cheyenne Municipal Airport. Once Kennedy arrived at the airport, a ten-minute rally was planned, with Kennedy giving a five-minute speech, an addition to Kennedy’s schedule that was added last minute due to the continued heavy demand for tickets to Kennedy’s breakfast event, so that more people would be given a chance to see Kennedy speak if the event at the Frontier Pavilion became sold out. The Cheyenne High School band was planned to be present at the airport to play music for the event.
However, Kennedy returned to the airport with his party of staff, press, and dignitaries at 11:05 AM, greatly behind schedule. Due to this, only a handful of people were ready at the airport when Kennedy arrived. Due to his now very tight schedule, Kennedy only spoke at the airport for two minutes. At the airport, Kennedy told people in attendance near the Cheyenne Terminal Building that the Democratic Party “is the party with the kind of vitality and energy and will to face the future that will be needed in the times ahead.” By the time he was done with his very brief remarks, the crowd at the airport had swelled to over 300 people. Kennedy then concluded his brief remarks to the crowd and then made a trip along the airport fence, shaking hands and chatting with well-wishers. Photographers then requested a brief session with Kennedy on the tarmac, which he agreed to. Afterwards, Kennedy again moved towards the airport fence to greet more well-wishers, which was now full of an additional 500 high school students and others. At 11:20 AM, Kennedy’s aides literally pushed him onto his plane so they could fly to Denver, where he had originally been scheduled to arrive at 11:00 AM. Due to the uncertainty of Kennedy’s now obliterated original schedule for his events in Cheyenne, people were still arriving at the airport in a steady stream when Kennedy boarded his plane.
On the plane with Kennedy to get to the next stops in Denver would be Colorado’s Lieutenant Governor Robert Knous (D) (running for the U.S. Senate and losing), U.S. Senator John A. Carroll of Colorado (D), U.S. Congressman Byron Johnson of Colorado (D) (lost reelection), U.S. Congressman Byron Rogers of Colorado (D) (won reelection), and Franklin Stewart (D), a candidate for another U.S. House seat in Colorado (ultimately losing).
Kennedy’s 1960 visit to Cheyenne (despite previous plans) ultimately lasted just a memorable 65 minutes. Just three days later, JFK had his famous televised debate with Richard Nixon.
President John F. Kennedy’s visit to Cheyenne
September 25, 1963
In late September 1963, a cross-country trip was planned for President Kennedy’s schedule. This trip was to focus on conservation themes, programs, and projects around the nation, and would take President Kennedy, Secretary of the Interior Stewart Udall, and their team to stops in Pennsylvania Wisconsin, Minnesota, North Dakota, Wyoming, Montana, Utah, Washington State, Oregon, California, and Nevada over the course of just five days (September 24th – September 28th).
The Wyoming portion of this trip would include landing in Cheyenne to change flights for Laramie, then flying to Laramie to participate in an open-top motorcade from Laramie’s airport to the University of Wyoming’s campus, concluding with a major address in UW’s Field House on natural resources and resource development, by invitation of Senator Gale McGee. Kennedy would then fly to Billings, Montana for more events and Jackson Hole before heading to the next stops of his tour. Kennedy’s stop in Cheyenne would be an extremely brief one, specifically for the purpose of changing planes at Cheyenne’s airport from Air Force One to a DC-6B which he and his party would then take to Laramie for his planned events there. Governor Clifford Hansen (R) of Wyoming would officially welcome Kennedy and his party at the Laramie Airport. Two days before Kennedy’s visit to Cheyenne, the Secret Service came to coordinate with local security organizations to secure the airport for Kennedy’s arrival, a detail which would eventually include the Cheyenne Police Department, the Wyoming Highway Patrol, the Sheriff’s Office, the U.S. Marshall’s Office, and personnel from Warren AFB. The state coordinator for Kennedy’s Wyoming trip was James Fagan of Casper, who was also the Wyoming assistant to Senator McGee. The mayor of Cheyenne, Bill Nation (D), and his committee would be in charge of all the arrangements for Kennedy’s brief Cheyenne stop.
On the day of the visit, predictions were that the largest crowd ever to greet a visiting dignitary in Cheyenne were expected at the airport to greet JFK. It was calculated ahead of time that the area at the terminal building (including the parking lot adjacent to the airport, which was expected to be used) could accommodate as many as 25,000 people. City offices would be closed from 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM so that city employees could attend the event. Laramie County offices would not be closed, but any employee that wanted to go to the event would be provided with time off. Public-school students (upon parental request) were excused for one hour that day so that they could attend the event. Bill Nation also organized six buses to be available to take people interested in hearing Kennedy’s major address at UW from Cheyenne to Laramie and back that day. Buses left for Laramie at 11:00 AM and would leave Laramie to return to Cheyenne at 1:45 PM. By 10:00 AM on the 25th, people started pouring into the terminal area of the airport and traffic backed up all southbound streets in the area. Some in the crowd would ultimately wait around two hours after they arrived at the airport terminal to see Kennedy.
On September 25th, Kennedy flew from Grand Forks AFB in North Dakota to Cheyenne Municipal Airport in Air Force One, the plane coming into view around 11:20 AM and arriving at 11:27 AM (two minutes late), the skies clear and the temperatures in the 70s. Immediately when appearing at the exit door of Air Force One, the crowd gave an enthusiastic burst of applause which continued clear until Kennedy had gotten to a speaker’s platform that was set up for him at the airport on the west side of the terminal building. Along with Kennedy in Air Force One was Secretary of the Interior Udall, U.S. Senator for Wyoming Gale McGee (D), and aide to the President Mike Manatos (originally from Rock Springs, Wyoming). (U.S. Senate Majority Leader (from Montana) Mike Mansfield (D), U.S. Senator for Montana Lee Metcalf (D), and special Presidential assistants Kenneth O’Donnell and Dave Powers were originally supposed to be on the plane as well). Bill Nation would greet President Kennedy at Air Force One, joined by Roderick Crowlie, the Laramie County Democratic Chairman (among other local dignitaries). Teno Roncalio, the former State Democratic Chairman, also accompanied the party once at the airport and even tested out the portable aircraft stairs to ensure their stability as they were secured to Air Force One.
After Kennedy exited Air Force One with his party, Kennedy went directly to the platform waiting for him on the west side of the terminal building, where he would deliver brief remarks in between the period of time that Kennedy and his party switched planes. Kennedy was wearing a dark blue suit (characteristic for him so he would show up better on black and white film), a dark tie, and a hat which he carried in his hand, but never put on his head. When walking, Kennedy’s gait appeared to be somewhat restricted, likely due to his recently flared (and chronic) back trouble.
At the airport, Central, East, and St. Mary’s High School marching bands were present on the tarmac near the platform and had played pieces (with each band taking a turn) for a half-hour before Kennedy landed to entertain the waiting crowds. As Kennedy walked to the platform, they all played “Hail to the Chief”. The parking lot directly in front of the platform’s position west of the terminal building was reserved for crowds only, with everyone being kept behind the airport’s chest-high steel perimeter fence between the parking lot and the tarmac. An estimated 10,000 – 20,000 showed up at the airport to see Kennedy and briefly hear him speak (10,000-15,000 per police estimates, Secretary Udall estimated 20,000 – either way a record-breaking crowd by far for a visiting dignitary in Cheyenne, between 23%-46% of the city at the time). Newsmen and photographers were kept in a specially designated and roped-off zone at three points near the ramp on the tarmac.
The platform that Kennedy would speak on was an Air Force flatbed trailer always kept at the airport for dignitaries that would fly to and visit the airport for quick ceremonies and speeches. The flatbed had a light stream of red, white and blue bunting wrapped around it for railing, and had a public address system hooked up to its podium in the center front. The public address system was a remote battery-powered unit which was wired to speakers to carry the President’s voice to the awaiting crowd. At least four microphones were mounted to the podium that Kennedy spoke from. This set up would be similar to the brief speech that Kennedy made at the Cheyenne airport during his campaign visit in 1960, in terms of time length, exact location at the airport, and the flatbed (although the flatbed was more complex of a set-up than in 1960, as the 1960 airport event featured the bare flatbed with no bunting and only a single microphone on a stand to speak from). Once everyone reached their places on the speaking platform, Bill Nation introduced Senator McGee, who then in turn introduced Kennedy.
Despite an original, short speech draft that referenced specific statistics of job and personal income growth in Wyoming, and the resources of Wyoming that contribute to the overall strength of the nation, Kennedy’s delivered speech (only two minutes, forty-nine seconds in length) was far more vague and undescriptive throughout, although he still mentioned the weather, the state’s economic and personal income growth generally, and (of course) discussed conservation. Kennedy’s remarks concluded with him grinning broadly while saying this:
“This state was once represented by a Massachusetts man who was smart – Senator O’Mahoney – who came all the way from Chelsea, Massachusetts and came and represented this state. How many people here today were born in Wyoming? Would you hold up your hands? And how many people were not born in Wyoming? Well, for one reason or another we all came here, and I am glad. Thank you very much.”
Kennedy then suddenly went to the crowds in front of the platform (but behind the airport’s perimeter fence) and took time to shake hands and greet well-wishers, which caused the crowd to again burst into applause. Kennedy’s first group he went towards to greet at the fence was a group of sister-nurses from DePaul Hospital. As he walked along the crowds, at least one woman fainted and a few wept. While walking along the entire length of the fence to meet people, Kennedy paused to greet former Wyoming Governor Joe Hickey (D) and his wife, who were in the audience. Kennedy ultimately spent more time interacting with the crowds than he did speaking on the platform. Kennedy stayed in Cheyenne for his short visit for longer than had originally been scheduled in his itinerary. At the end of the fence’s path, Kennedy boarded the ramp to an awaiting Air Force plane, turned and waved at the crowd, and then entered that plane and took off for Laramie (originally scheduled to be around 11:50 AM). Between Kennedy’s speeches in Cheyenne and Laramie, more than 30,000 people personally saw and heard Kennedy, which accounted for 10% of Wyoming’s entire population at the time.
Shortly before leaving Wyoming for the final time in Jackson Hole on September 26th, he would declare to the people of the state: “I’m coming back”. Just 58 days after briefly visiting Cheyenne for the final time, John F. Kennedy would be assassinated in Dallas, Texas on November 22nd.
Sources for John F. Kennedy’s Two Visit Write-Ups include:
American Heritage Center at the University of Wyoming
John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum
The Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza
Wyoming Digital Newspaper Project
The Wyoming Eagle
Wyoming State Archives
The Wyoming State Tribune