U.S. Senator John F. Kennedy on the Temple University Campus.

It was Wednesday, October 31, 1960. Shortly after 3 pm, Senator Kennedy motorcaded up Broad Street and arrived on campus. Less than a half-hour later, at 3:30 pm, the future President spoke on what is now known as "Park Mall." It was a cloudy, misty afternoon with light rain from time to time. Just to the west of Curtis Hall, a wooden temporary platform was erected. Curtis Hall on one side and Williams Hall on the other. Williams Hall at this time was a Men's dorm and Park Avenue still a city street. The speech took just 15 minutes and ended an extensive four day visit to the state. It would be his last journey to Temple.

On November 22, 1963, Kenn Venit wrote, "The President was almost holy. I could not bring myself to comprehend the sudden and horrible death of our beloved President Kennedy. I shared with the world the feeling of...disbelief. I recall trying to understand how the world felt when President Roosevelt died. I had read some news copy by Damon Runyon describing the funeral "of the dead chieftain of the mightiest armed force on the face of the earth." I am sorry that I now know how they felt.

Photo and Kenn Venit quote from the collection of Gerry Wilkinson