Image of President Kennedy greeting the crowd outside the Hotel Texas

In the crowd that morning was eight-year-old Fort Worth native, and future Hollywood actor, Bill Paxton (Titanic, Apollo 13, HBO's "Big Love").  In his oral history with the Museum in 2007, he remarked, "It was like seeing a movie star for me....  [Kennedy] seemed tan and very jocular....   You could just feel there was an electricity in the air.  It was something."  - Stephen Fagin, Associate Curator

This photo shows President Kennedy interacting with the crowd and their effort to reach out and touch him.  It is a wonderful example of how people responded to him.  The diversity of the crowd and the pleasure evident on their faces help us explain Kennedy's charisma to younger, school-age audiences. - Sharron Conrad, Curator of Education