Where Were You on November 22, 1963?

It was Friday, November 22, 1963, about 12:27 pm. I had just completed my morning round of classes as a student at Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan, and was sitting in the employee lounge of the school's Administration Building having lunch. In half an hour I would report to my afternoon job as a student assistant in Central Records.

A radio was playing an all music station softly in the background, but no one was listening. Most were involved in quiet conversations around lunch tables, or, like me, eating while reading a book for a class I was taking. Suddenly, the voice of CBS reporter Dan Rather broke the cycle of music with simple, but grave words. "President John F. Kennedy has been shot in Dallas, Texas just moments ago."

A few minutes later Rather announced that the president had been pronounced dead at the hospital.
- Tom Parsons.

I was in a high school class and the principal announced over the P.A. that President Kennedy had been killed. Also, I had just walked into the house of a family on Sunday after church. I was going to baby-sit for them. From the doorway I saw Oswald get shot on TV. School closed the day of the funeral and I watched it with my family.
- Linda (Hubble) Parsons

I was the Group Supervisor of the Registrants Group of the old Bureau of Narcotics in the Big Apple. About one o'clock (I had been unable to break for lunch) when some of the FBN secretaries were coming back from lunch telling us that JFK had been shot. We rushed up to the front office that had the only radio in the office and learned he was dead. Down south, there was no love for JFK and the remark was made that he was acting more and more like Abe Lincoln, and did they have any recommendations? The red neck replied, "Tell him to go to the Ford Theater!"

Personally, I liked JFK and did not vote for him the first time because of his religion, but was prepared to help re-elect him.
- Ralph B.

I was a sophomore in high school, boarding my bus because I wasn’t yet old enough to drive. And I was ignorant of the magnitude of it at first.
- Nancy Pugh.

Thanks for doing this , Tom!

I was a young stay at home Mom with two baby sons! I was coming up from my basement laundry room when I heard the announcement on the radio! I certainly wept as I turned on the TV. I also lost a favorite Uncle at 37 yrs of age, leaving two small kids behind, so it was double sadness!
- Dee (Bencze) Smith, sent from my iPho

I was in the 6th grade in Sparta, Michigan. Mrs. Montgomery, who was my teacher, answered the class door then came back to tell us that the President had been shot. Everyone was in shock to hear that news. Then someone found a radio to hear more of the details through the rest of the day. There was no school the day of the funeral.
- Judy Mohler

A freshman at Western Illinois University, walking to class, contemplating changing my major. Stunned, by the assassination news that confronted my thoughts; total unbelief!
- Dan N.

We lived in an upper flat in Lincoln Park. My husband worked afternoons so we tried our best to be quiet in the morning so he could sleep. Our daughter was sitting in the high chair eating a banana. Our son was just a little more than a year old and still in diapers (you know, the cloth kind). I laid him down on the living room floor and had just taken a soaked diaper off when the TV said "President Kennedy has been shot". Yes, the diapering got completed but I was glued to the TV the rest of the day.
- Nancy

Tom, I was sitting in the dentist chair of Dr R. L. Levine in Allen Park, Mich. I remember it well; like it was yesterday. The dental assistant had walked out of the room and just happened to catch the news about President Kennedy being shot. She screamed and that upset both the dentist and I. Nevertheless, it goes without saying, my uneasy experience in the dentist chair became even more complicated and uncomfortable. I must admit though, Dr Levine was the more calmer of he and I. That was an awful experience for our nation to go through. I am sure, however, that God had a purpose in that.
- Gary Hogard

I was a Freshman at D'Youville College in Buffalo, New York on November 22, 1963. We heard about President Kennedy's assassination right after one of my classes. Many of us had rooted for Kennedy in high school during the 1960 election and one of our high school history assignments was to listen to the Kennedy-Nixon debates on television. His death was a real shock. but I don't think I really understood the historical significance of this event then. Classes were cancelled at D'Youville for the televised funeral.
- Carol Shisler

The house sat in the country down a lane. I had only one child at home - in her crib. I was watching TV - All My Children (I think). I felt irritated that my 'program' was being interrupted by some news flash. It was that day I decided watching soap operas was not a good thing. I felt remorse for caring more for what I wanted than caring about the world outside my home. How selfish my heart.
- Hazel Williams-Jann

I was at the Franklin Co. Title Dept. downtown Columbus, Oh. typing automobile titles for the county.
-Judy Mascari

I was in my 8th grade foods class learning to make cookies. The principal came to each class and made the announcement.
-Roseann Rossi

Hi Tom....I was in 6th grade in Kellogg, Idaho. We were on Pacific time, so news of the shooting came in the morning there. By our lunch time we heard he had died. After lunch the principal came in and spoke to our class, most of whom were crying. He was trying to encourage us. Many kids asked what would happen to Kennedy's kids and wife.

Interesting compilation!
-Janet Unzicker

I was in 5th grade geography class.
-Stan Boelmann

Hi Tom,
In answer to your question, my cousin was to be married on Nov. 23, 1963 so I was riding home from college, Taylor University with six other college students, probably most from Lincoln Park Baptist Church Youth group.

The song playing on the car radio was "The Yellow Rose of Texas" and then the announcer said, "President Kennedy has been shot." We thought that was an awful joke to be saying on the radio. As it turned out, it was not a joke.

We were to wear red velvet dresses and carry white muffs with red roses spread over them. The wedding was to be at a huge church, then a reception and lastly another family party at her Mom's house. I remember my aunt asking everyone if we should cancel the wedding out of respect to the President and our country. People were much more loyal to our country back then. The family and the bride said, "No, it's better that we are all together to help each other grieve." As it turned out, it was for the best and we will always remember that wedding and watching the TV show and reshow the tragic event of President Kennedy being shot in Texas.
- Barbara (Gurney) Forsyth

I was in the 6th grade at Buffey Elementary school. The teachers were crying and we were all sent home early for the rest of the week. We were off the entire next week. Also my Mom ordered the commemorative book that was published. Time Life? Don't remember the publisher but I think she still has it.
- Larry Mitchell

I was 4 years old and I was at home with my mom and had no clue what had happened.
- Sue Adams Covert

I was in study hall in the seventh grade. I remember watching the funeral procession and little John-John saluting his Daddy. My Mom and my sister and I all sat and cried like babies.
- Elizabeth Widdowson

JFK motorcade image by Victor Hugo King who released it into public domain. From Wikipedia.

There are still many people living today who were alive on November 22, 1963 when President John F. Kennedy was assassinated by Lee Harvey Oswald in Dallas, Texas. Because of the magnitude of that historical event, just about everyone alive then can remember where he or she was when the news was first heard.

We have asked many to share their stories with us, and their accounts are included here. We would like you to send us your story as well. We will include it here, ususally the same day we receive it.

Email your thoughts to the address below, or, if you prefer, use our regular mailing address above. Feel free to encourage others to participate as well. Thank you.

This page is available year round, but we especially promote it in November of each year to encourage new stories to be added. You can always find a link to it on our "Index to Everything on This Website" page (www.tmpministries.com/articles.htm).

When Kennedy was assassinated, I was typing the church bulletin for my dad in Danbury, Connecticut. Back then we had to use the old stencil masters that had to be run off on the now ancient mimeograph machines. Typing that day was a real chore!

Bill was in class at Cedarville College.

Thanks for doing this. I am going to forward this to my mom and siblings, too.
- Bill and Judy Kirtland

I was in my first year of teaching in sixth grade in New Jersey. We had a bomb scare that morning and had to evacuate the school building. Students were sent home by school bus about 11 a.m. After the building was searched by the State Police Bomb Squad, the staff was told to go home also. I was driving home when the news of Kennedy's assassination came across the radio. I observed people coming out onto their front porches and discussing the news with their neighbors.
- Dick Abel

I know exactly where I was forty-five years ago today. Don and I were living in our mobile home in Taylor, MI (Chesterfield Mobile Home Court). I was home with our baby daughter Carrie who was then six months old. Don was at work, I had the TV on, and a news flash came on stating that President Kennedy had been shot.
- Susan (Podhola) Deters

I was a tenth grade student at Lincoln Park High School in Lincoln Park, Michigan, when President John F. Kennedy was assassinated. Reports of the event were broadcast over the PA system and everyone in the classroom was shocked, afraid and confused. Why would anyone want to kill our young, vibrant president? Would his assassination put the country in peril? As teens, we didn't know what to expect as sadness and uncertainty became reality for us that day.

I had no idea what was going to happen to the country with the president dead. I imagined all sorts or horrible things - mayhem, take-overs, disruption of the life I knew up to that point. But I don't recall ever telling anyone about those fears.
- Lynda (Ford) Fleiner

I was at Westmoor Jr. High in the 8th grade. Our Principal announced on the intercom to the entire school that the President had been shot. We were all shocked.
- BK

I was teaching English at Danvers High School in Danvers, Massachusetts. I was also advisor to the yearbook. We were in a yearbook meeting when the announcement came over the P.A. that the president had been shot. This was a secular school, but I felt inclined to ask them if I could have a word of prayer with them. We all bowed our heads...later I was commended by the principal of the school. Trust all is going well for you Tom.
- Dr. Duane Cuthbertson

I was a junior in High School and when the Dallas shooting took place I was just finishing up my school day. As I drove to work I heard the news come over the radio and was shocked to hear the news. No one at the grocery store had yet heard the events so I was the first to tell several of the people I worked with in the Boulder, Colorado Joyce Super Market.

For the first time in my life dad let us have a TV in our home and he and I spent much of the next several days trying to keep up with the events that changed so much in our nation. The TV was borrowed from one of dad's aunts and by December I think it was returned to her, and we went on with a life of radio and newspaper.
- Tom Swedberg

I was in the 6th grade. My teacher Mr. Dean came in and announced it. We were only told the President had been shot.
- Unsigned

I was in the 6th grade at Hoover Elementary School. I found out later that they didn't tell our class about it because they were afraid how we would react. We had been home for lunch but didn't know what was happening becaus the TV must not have been on.
- Jackie (Ford) Billsborrow

It seems like I found out in class. I was 9 so I was in the 4th grade. I will admit I hated all the stations showed the funeral all day and if I remember he was buried on Thanksgiving day. Anybody correct me if I am wrong.
- Patricia (Ford) Razo
Note: President Kennedy was assassinated on Friday, November 22, 1963. His funeral was on Monday, November 25. Thanksgiving Day was Thursday, November 28.

I was in Mr. Robinson's 7th grade science class at Huff Jr. High. We were grinding the lens for the telescope for the new planetarium that was being built on the property.

As an update, during the last few months the planetarium has been cleaned up and reopened. There were articles about it in the local paper.
-Laura Kuykendall

On Nov. 22, I was a student at Western Michigan University and was told by my sister-in-law of the tragedy. I thought she had said that my brother had been shot. It took a few seconds for the shock to wear off. I still wonder how history may have been better had he not had his life cut so short.
Blessings,
Jack T

On November 22, 1963, I was in elementary school in Toledo, Ohio. Having just had lunch, we were all outside on the playground for recess. All the teachers ran out and told us to come inside immediately. You know something is really wrong when recess is cut short! I so vividly recall being back in my room at my desk, the lights out, my teacher crying, and hearing the principal announce over the PA that our president had been assassinated. The shock, horror and loss were indescribable. We were sent home for about a week while the funeral and other events dominated everything.
-Julie Davis

I was in 3rd grade in Franklin, OH when the intercom came on and we listened to the live broadcast. I remember sitting there wondering what was going on and when the announceement came through that the President was dead my teacher, Mrs. Hurt, fell to the floor.
-Charma Merrill

I was working at Sheridan Mfg Co. in Wauseon OH. I was doing the final testing of some carburetor floats. The secretary came to tell me what had just happened.
- Sandra Carlton

I was in my first grade class standing in the corner from 12:00 until 1:00 for shooting a spit ball through a straw at the teacher.
- Paul Davis

I was barely 4 years old and don't remember where I was this day, but I do remember watching the funeral procession on our black and white TV. The thing I remember most vividly is the riderless horse.
- Randy Pope