John Fitzgerald Kennedy

President John F. Kennedy with Governor Edmund Brown at the Devastated Area. September 28, 1963.

Cecil Stoughton. White House Photographs. John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum, Boston

 

"Our national assets belong to all of us. ...we will find by concentrating our energies on our national resources...not merely conserving and saving them but by developing and improving them, the United States will be richer and stronger. We can fulfill our responsibilities to ourselves and those who depend upon us."

-President John F. Kennedy in his remarks at dedication of Whiskeytown Dam and Reservoir, California, September 28, 1963

 

President Kennedy shakes a boy's hand during his visit to Lassen Volcanic National Park.

Cecil Stoughton. White House Photographs. John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum, Boston

Kennedy's Visit to Lassen

Touring the West to promote his conservation agenda, Kennedy visited Lassen Volcanic on September 27 and 28, 1963. He was accompanied by Secretary of the Interior Stewart Udall, Press Secretary Pierre Salinger, and California’s Governor Pat Brown. The party arrived at the Devastated Area by helicopter from Redding Airport and rode in cars to Manzanita Lake shortly before sundown. While a park naturalist led Udall and members of the press corps on the nature trail around the lake, Kennedy retired to the Manzanita Lake Lodge manager’s residence (present day Discovery Center) for a much needed rest. As the visit was only an overnight stop on the president’s western tour, the party visited Manzanita Lake for a short period the next morning before leaving the park the same way it had come.

The press quoted Kennedy as saying that the superintendent had “the best job in the world” and photographed him feeding a deer. Despite the dubious message contained in this image of the president feeding the park’s wildlife, it was a golden photo opportunity for the Park Service and Lassen Volcanic in particular. To ensure Kennedy’s safety throughout his short visit, the Park Service sent a total of 34 uniformed personnel from seven other units of the National Park System to assist the rangers at Lassen Volcanic.<sup>1

1</sup> SAR, 1963; Thomas G. Smith, “John Kennedy, Stewart Udall, and New Frontier Conservation,” Pacific Historical Review 64, no. 3 (August 1995): 356.

 

President John F. Kennedy attends the dedication of the Whiskeytown Dam and Reservoir in Whiskeytown, California.

Cecil Stoughton. White House Photographs. John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum, Boston

September 1963 Conservation Tour of Western States

In September 1963, President John F. Kennedy made his historical Conservation Tour across the United States. Kennedy delivered an address upon his arrival at Redding Airport on September 27, before heading to Lassen Volcanic for an overnight stay. The following day Kennedy gave an address at Dedication Ceremonies for the Whiskeytown Dam. The tour was organized by Wisconsin Senator Gaylord Nelson and Secretary of the Interior Stewart Udall. They suggested that Kennedy make a tour of the nation, highlighting environmental crises and proposing solutions to existing environmental concerns. During his five-day trip, the President visited eleven states from Pennsylvania to California and delivered fifteen speeches. Most of his addresses focused on the environment and were intended to raise the country’s awareness of the existing problems; however, Kennedy also discussed his political agenda concerning the country’s national and international affairs.

View additional archives at John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum
Media gallery of Kennedy at National Park Service sites
Video of Kennedy's September 1963 Conservation Tour

 

Explore John F. Kennedy' Birthplace Home

John Fitzgerald Kennedy National Historic Site
As a boy, JFK’s parents never expected he would grow up to be president. Yet in his birthplace home he learned values that inspired a life in public service. His mother, Rose Kennedy, recreated her family’s first home to share her memories of those early years with visitors. We commemorate not only his early life, but the ideas and principles he left behind. Take a virtual tour or watch the site video at nps.gov/jofi.