Editor’s note: High school
students—like James Daigh, who snapped the photo above as JFK's motorcade drove by Rudford’s Restaurant near El Cajon Blvd. at 30th--skipped class from schools like San Diego, Hoover
and Crawford Highs to line the Presidential route. We all came to see the President head to San Diego State, where he would accept an
honorary degree and to deliver a little remembered speech. Many of those former teens watching from the
curb are now celebrating 50-year reunions.
JFKs last day in North Park and San Diego was 50 years ago this
Thursday. Below is a link to the text of that speech.
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| President Kennedy at SDSU on June 6, 1963. |
GUEST BLOG—San Diego State Library and Information
Access--On June 6, 1963, President John F. Kennedy delivered San Diego
State College's commencement address before approximately 30,000 people at the
Aztec Bowl. He was awarded an honorary doctor of law degree during the
commencement exercise at San Diego State University. It was the first honorary
doctoral degree awarded by any California State University campus. Following a
letter to President Kennedy in which Associated Students President Bob Weir
asked him to consider giving the 1963 commencement address, California Governor
Edmund Brown extended a formal invitation to the President on April 18, 1963.
On May 16, a letter from Kennedy's aide, Ken O'Donnell, addressed to President
Malcolm Love, was received confirming that Kennedy would be honored to accept
the honorary degree. In his commencement address he said:
"As a nation, we have
no deeper concern, no older commitment and no higher interest than a strong,
sound and free system of education for all. In fulfilling this obligation to
ourselves and our children, we provide for the future of our nation-and for the
future of freedom."
The YouTube feature posted
on this blog couples an audio recording of that historic day with a selection
of photographs and Daily Aztec articles documenting Kennedy's visit.
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| JFK's motorcade on El Cajon Blvd. near Fairmount Blvd. |
JFK's commencement address
was covered by KFMB TV-8 San Diego, as part of Kennedy's visit to the Marine
Corps Recruit Depot (MCRD) in 1963. This video footage can be viewed at Special
Collections' Raising Our Voices multimedia website.
A collection of historic photos
and an audio copy of the speech go to:
http://library.sdsu.edu/scua/exhibits-and-events/online-exhibits/kennedy
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