JFK-LBJ: Transition of Power with Julian Read, J. Walter Coughlin, and Eamon Kennedy

Two hours and eight minutes after the assassination of John F. Kennedy, Lyndon B. Johnson was sworn-in aboard Air Force One as the thirty-sixth President of the United States. As a single, solemn black and white photograph of the swearing-in made its way around the world, a concerned global community was reassured that, despite the tragic events in Dallas, the transition of power in the United States would be a smooth and orderly process.

This panel discussion offered unique comparisons of Presidents Kennedy and Johnson and showcased firsthand accounts from November 22, 1963—shared by three individuals representing the worlds of politics, presidential security, and photojournalism; moderated by the Museum’s curator, Stephen Fagin.

Julian Read, a longtime public relations and political consultant, was press advisor to Gov. John Connally in 1963. Traveling with the official party in Fort Worth and Dallas, Read had an insider perspective of the assassination aftermath and the presidential transition that followed.

U.S. Secret Service agent Walt Coughlin served on the White House Detail for Presidents Kennedy and Johnson, as well as the protective detail for Vice President Hubert Humphrey. He was part of the advance team for San Antonio on President Kennedy’s trip to Texas in 1963.

Dallas Times Herald photojournalist Eamon Kennedy captured images of John F. Kennedy and Lyndon Johnson numerous times during the 1960s. On the weekend of the assassination, he took memorable photographs at Dallas Love Field, Parkland Memorial Hospital, the Texas Theatre, and Dallas police headquarters.

This presentation took place at the Museum on March 21, 2016. To see related films, photos, documents and oral histories from The Sixth Floor Museum's collection, visit our online collections database (http://emuseum.jfk.org). Or make a research appointment to explore the books, DVDs and other materials available in the Museum's Reading Room (http://www.jfk.org/the-collections/reading-room/).

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