On August 2, 1943, Lt. John F. Kennedy’s motor torpedo boat PT-109 was sunk in the Pacific Theater. Kennedy, clenching a life jacket strap between his teeth to tow one injured crewmember, swam for four hours to lead survivors to a nearby island. This dramatic tale of World War II heroism framed Senator Kennedy’s political …

In the final days of the 1960 campaign, Senate Majority Leader Lyndon Johnson and his wife Lady Bird were accosted by demonstrators while visiting Dallas. This incident gained national media attention at the time, and it would return immediately after the assassination in 1963 as a powerful example of the city’s volatile political atmosphere. Through …

In celebration of the 100th anniversary of the Pulitzer Prizes, this program, which was presented by The Sixth Floor Museum and 29 Pieces, provided a platform to launch a powerful community dialogue on the toll of violence and war. The panel included five Pulitzer Prize-winning photographers and one winner of the International Women’s Media Foundation …

Photographs and artifacts tell unique and sometimes surprising stories. Join our collections staff inside our new temporary exhibit as we highlight our favorite—and most interesting—objects and images from the 1960 campaign, including materials from Senator Kennedy’s visit to the Dallas-Fort Worth area in September 1960.

Mrs. Nixon and Mrs. Kennedy both supported their husbands as they campaigned for president but did so in very different ways. Mrs. Nixon accompanied her husband everywhere, and he referred to her in almost every speech. Mrs. Kennedy hated campaigning and avoided it when possible – aided in part by her pregnancy. This exploration of …

On August 2, 1943, Lt. John F. Kennedy’s motor torpedo boat PT-109 was sunk in the Pacific Theater. Kennedy, clenching a life jacket strap between his teeth to tow one injured crewmember, swam for four hours to lead survivors to a nearby island. This dramatic tale of World War II heroism framed Senator Kennedy’s political …

There is much more to the story of the 1960 campaign than the Museum was able to tell in its A Time for Greatness exhibit. The curatorial staff led an informal question-and-answer session that explored many of the topics touched on in the exhibit as well as new areas of discussion raised by the audience.

Abraham Zapruder’s home movie capturing the assassination of President John F. Kennedy as his motorcade passed through Dealey Plaza includes perhaps the most iconic 26 seconds of film in history—the first major instance of citizen journalism. On the anniversary of President Kennedy’s death, Abraham Zapruder’s granddaughter, Alexandra Zapruder, discussed her new book, Twenty-Six Seconds: A …

This teacher workshop, held on the opening day of the Museum’s new exhibit, Amending America: The Bill of Rights, featured special guest presenters Jenny Sweeney from National Archives Fort Worth and Sharon Brannon from the George W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum. This professional development opportunity provided educators of grades 5-12 with new ways to …

In celebration of the 28th anniversary of The Sixth Floor Museum on Presidents Day, this special program featured constitutional law expert Professor Lackland H. Bloom, Jr. of Southern Methodist University. Dr. Bloom examined the creation of the Bill of Rights with special emphasis on the First Amendment in conjunction with the temporary exhibition Amending America: …

Evidence from a recent crime + New technology applied to a cold case = Two crimes to solve! Do you have what it takes to be a Crime Scene Investigator? Study the crime scenes and analyze clues left behind using UV fluorescence as well as burn pattern, blood spatter and glass breakage analyses to crack …

Renowned forensic pathologist, consultant and author Dr. Cyril H. Wecht, who has spent more than 50 years researching President Kennedy’s assassination, presented a multimedia lecture on key areas of the Warren Commission’s 1964 investigation, including President Kennedy’s autopsy and the controversial single bullet theory.   As a distinguished elder statesman of the assassination research community and …

To commemorate the 100th anniversary of the birth of President John F. Kennedy, this program featured a conversation between the president’s nephew Stephen Kennedy Smith, noted historian Douglas Brinkley and acclaimed journalist Rena Pederson. Kennedy Smith and Brinkley are co-authors of  JFK: A Vision For America, a compilation of President Kennedy’s greatest speeches with commentary …

This workshop included primary source activities and guest speakers to put into context the struggle for equal rights from 1776 through today and looking onward. Teachers broaden their own content knowledge and develop primary source-based lesson plans that demonstrate the significance and relevance of historic civil rights milestones.  Speakers: Julie L. Hershenberg, J.D., M.A., M.P.T., …

Armed with newly released documents from the original prosecution file, Judge Brandon Birmingham and criminal defense attorney/former Dallas County assistant district attorney Toby Shook told the story of the “trial of the century” that played out just months later in a Dallas courtroom. View this program on YouTube.

In a special program marking the 55th anniversary of the Cuban missile crisis, former White House correspondent Sid Davis shared his memories of being in the Oval Office in October 1962 when President Kennedy demanded the removal of Soviet missiles from Cuba. Davis was also in the motorcade in Dallas on November 22, 1963 and …