Kennedy-Johnson bumper sticker

Phil Willis (1918-1995), the original collector of this item, was a second lieutenant in the Army Air Corps who survived the Pearl Harbor attack in 1941 and was also an eyewitness to the Kennedy assassination. He took a series of important color photographs of the Kennedy motorcade and the Dealey Plaza aftermath which continue to be studied by researchers around the world. During the 1960 election, Willis was a very active local volunteer for the Kennedy/Johnson campaign. - Stephen Fagin, Curator

Thanks to native Texan Lyndon Johnson on the Democratic ticket, Senator Kennedy narrowly carried the state of Texas in the 1960 presidential election.  In the aftermath, rumors circulated about possible voter fraud in both Texas and Illinois, though Vice President Nixon refused to contest the election, fearing a Constitutional crisis. - Stephen Fagin, Curator