Color slide of crowd at Love Field waiting for arrival of Air Force One

The handmade sign reading "Nixon Go Home" references former Vice President Richard Nixon's visit to Dallas, November 20-22, 1963. Nixon's visit to the city was not political and was in no way connected to President Kennedy's tour of Texas. Nixon was in town in his capacity as an attorney representing Pepsi at the annual convention of the American Bottlers of Carbonated Beverages. Nixon stayed at the Baker Hotel, where in the last days of the 1960 presidential campaign Lyndon and Lady Bird Johnson had been heckled in the lobby and kicked and spit on as they crossed the street amidst political demonstrators to the Adolphus Hotel for a luncheon. While in Dallas, Nixon spoke to reporters from his hotel suite on November 21, saying that he hoped "President Kennedy [would] receive a courteous reception in Dallas," even though some "may disagree with his views." Nixon also ruminated to the press about whether Kennedy would keep Lyndon Johnson on the ticket for his 1964 re-election campaign, ultimately concluding that Johnson had become "a political liability in the South just as in the North" and suggesting that Kennedy would likely choose a new running mate who could better help the Democrats win. Nixon vowed to "work as hard as I can to get the Kennedys out of the White House and Washington... The United States can't afford four more years of that kind of administration." Richard Nixon was gone by the time Air Force One landed at Dallas Love Field at 11:38AM. Alone, without any security detail, Nixon boarded American Airlines flight 82 at 9:05AM, bound for New York's Idlewild Airport (which would be re-named John F. Kennedy International Airport just one month later in memory of the fallen leader). Nixon's flight arrived in New York approximately fifteen minutes before the assassination in Dallas. - Stephen Fagin, Curator