DALLAS: CITY IN CRISIS
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An official portrait of John F. Kennedy from a memorial folio
(Stanley Marcus Collection, used with permission of DeGolyer Library,
SMU).
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The World Responds
JFK's assassination changed the nation, and nowhere was this felt more
acutely than at the epicenter of the tragedy. In 1963, Dallas was a city
led by right-wing extremists and Kennedy haters, says Dallas historian
Darwin Payne, SMU professor emeritus of communications, who as a young
newspaper reporter covered the assassination. This climate of hatred caused
many to blame the entire city for the President's death.
However, out of tragedy rose a more moderate city leadership, including
the voice of retail magnate Stanley
Marcus.
Documents chronicling this painful time are archived in SMU's libraries,
including the hate mail sent
to former mayors Earle Cabell and J. Erik Jonsson, as well as that
sent to Marcus at Neiman Marcus' flagship store in downtown
Dallas.
The collections may be viewed by appointment. Contact SMU's Office of
News and Communications at 214-768-7650.
Letters from the collection of Earle Cabell, 1963 mayor, DeGolyer
Library, Southern Methodist University:
Los Angeles, California: "You've taught us
to loathe the lowly ignorance of your citizens -- to loathe your lack
of national respect -- & to loathe your complete absence of pride
for your own country." High-resolution
JPG of partial letter | Text
of letter
London, England: "This whole Scandal is like
turning over a rock, which your City represents, and to see all crawling
lice beneath it." High-resolution JPG
A junior-high social studies class from Kenmore, NY: "We
hope you will have faith in your future and not let this incident destroy
your progress." High-resolution JPGs: Letter | Signatures
Waco, Texas: "It has been very clear, that
the city of Dallas is not so much interested in its own intrinsic fault
...
as it is in leading others
to believe it was not at fault at all." High-resolution
JPG
Kenton, Ohio: "It is not right that all Dallas
should take all the blame for the President's death. Enclosed is a poem
(if you can call it that), it expresses of what I'd like to think all
America should think and feel." High-resolution
JPG of partial letter | Text
of poem
Little Rock, Arkansas: "We have appreciated very
much your leadership in the midst of this great tragedy. ... [I]f we
remain steadfast in our thoughts and our ideals, if we keep busy with
our families and business responsibilities, we
will emerge more prosperous, more self confident and with greater character
than we otherwise could ever have achieved." High-resolution
JPG of letter | Text
of attachment
Huntington Park, California: "Of the thousands
of ridiculous actions riding the wave-crest of national hysteria, following
the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, the inclination to make
the City of Dallas Texas a shameful scapegoat for this historical incident,
certainly hits an all-time high in zany thinking, but perhaps a retelling
of an ancient Islamic Fable may be the key to help us regain our senses." High-resolution
JPG of letter | Text
of attachment
Seeds of Conspiracy
For many, JFK's death and the events surrounding it remain shrouded in
mystery. The search for meaning behind the assassination has led to fierce
debate and unnumbered rumors and theories concerning the involvement or
motives of countless individuals, including many Dallas officials.
The Cabell Collection houses former Dallas mayor and Congressman Earle
Cabell's own official responses to reports on the assassination, as well
as letters
documenting the private speculation of people from around the world.
Documents from the Earle Cabell Collection, DeGolyer Library,
SMU:
Cabell's official response to the Manchester report
concerning the city's handling of JFK's return to Washington: Text
Letter to Cabell from National Enquirer editor Tom Collins
concerning the tabloid's take on the report: High-resolution JPG
Letter to Cabell from Lee Oswald's mother, Marguerite: "...[T]here is
no doubt in my mind that the judgment as brought in by the seven [Warren]
Commission members -- "lone assassin" -- will be overruled": High-resolution
JPG
Coral Gables, Florida: Letter to Cabell concerning Lyndon Johnson's
position in the motorcade: High-resolution
JPG
Port Clyde, Maine: "God killed JFK...." High-resolution
JPGs: Page 1 | Page 2
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