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Rural Life and History

John F. Kennedy comes to Pierre, South Dakota, in 1962 | Images of the Past

By Brian Gevik

Published January 20, 2015 at 5:58 PM CST

President John F. Kennedy visited South Dakota on August 17, 1962. While Kennedy was here, he dedicated the recently completed Oahe Dam and the start of its full operation as an electric power plant.

The film clip below shows the arrival of Air Force One at the Pierre airport. Assembled dignitaries greet Kennedy, including Governor Archie Gubbrud and then-U.S. Senate candidate George McGovern.

Image - p115-Pres-Kennedy-w-McGovern-Oahe.jpg — Kennedy meeting Governor Gubbrud and candidate McGovern.

Image - kennedy.jpg — Kennedy speaking at the Oahe Dam dedication

OTHER MEDIA
"Patriotic Pageantry: Presidential Visits to South Dakota" by Harold H. Schuler, South Dakota Historical Society Press

Presidential Visits to South Dakota (SDPB)