Tag: West Virginia Centennial

June 20, 1963: JFK Speaks at WV Birthday Celebration

On June 20, 1963—the 100th birthday of West Virginia—John F. Kennedy made his last appearance in the Mountain State. 

Speaking on the state capitol steps in Charleston, he credited West Virginia with making him president—a reference to the state’s Democratic primary in 1960, when he beat Hubert Humphrey.

At the time, many political experts thought a Catholic couldn’t be elected president, but JFK’s win over Humphrey in an overwhelmingly Protestant state like West Virginia sent a major signal that he could win nationally. In November 1960, he defeated Republican Richard Nixon by a narrow margin to become the nation’s 35th president.

Many West Virginians felt a genuine sense of spirit and pride for their role in making JFK president. When he returned to the Mountain State for our Centennial, it was a dreary, rainy day in Charleston, but even in these moments, he found a way to uplift his supporters.

Three months later, John F. Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas.

Centennial Train Concludes Tour of State: Sept. 2, 1963

On September 2, 1963, the Centennial exhibits train wrapped up its tour of West Virginia with a stop in South Charleston.

During the summer of 1963, the nine-car train had reached more West Virginians than any other part of our state’s Centennial celebration.

It was a collaboration among the Centennial Commission and leading railroads, including the Chesapeake & Ohio, Baltimore & Ohio, Norfolk & Western, New York Central, and the Pennsylvania.

Former baggage cars were outfitted with exhibits depicting West Virginia history, tourism, agriculture, resources, industry, arts and crafts, folklore, and education.

Starting at Washington on Memorial Day weekend, the train traveled to every region of West Virginia by Labor Day. More than 300,000 visitors took in the exhibits, with a one-day record of nearly 6,000 in Huntington.

The most famous—and controversial—piece of art on board was West Virginia Moon by WVU art professor Joe Moss. Made from weathered boards, an old screen door, and some leftover paint, Moss’s work won first prize for a painting by a West Virginia artist. You can now see West Virginia Moon on display in the West Virginia State Museum.

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