When JFK Had Cookies And Coffee In Newport
1960 Campaign Stop In Tri-State Included Filming TV Ads In Northern Kentucky.
At around 4:00pm on Thursday October 6, 1960, a light blue convertible slowly crawled down Park Ave. Sitting in the backseat was Senator John F. Kennedy, the Democratic nominee for President of the United States. Kennedy smiled and waved at the surprised residents as the motorcade came to a stop at the bend in the road in front of 1168 Park Ave., the home of Mrs. Ethel Steil, a Gold Star mother. The Senator hopped out of the car, shaking hands with as many Newport citizens as he could. A large crowd had now gathered in front of Mrs. Steil’s residence. Kennedy and a throng of staffers and reporters followed the Senator as he entered Mrs Steil’s home. He was offered a seat at a card table in the living room where cookies and coffee awaited. After shaking hands with Mrs. Steil and her family, he was greeted by Mrs. John Wagner and Mrs. Nealon Shay, also Gold Star mothers.
Kennedy offered his condolences and talked about the need for peace, but also the need to be firm with Russia and other countries.
Keep reading with a 7-day free trial
Subscribe to The Queen City Historical Review to keep reading this post and get 7 days of free access to the full post archives.