"THE ONLY POLITICAL CONTEST JFK EVER LOST"

JFK LOSES VP NOMINATION TO TENNESSEE'S KEFAUVER

Chicago, Illinois (JFK+50) On August 17, 1956, John Fitzgerald Kennedy lost his first and only political contest to Senator Estes Kefauver* of Tennessee.
The Massachusetts senator was defeated in the balloting for the Vice-Presidential nomination at the Democratic National Convention here in Chicago.

Senator Kefauver won the nomination on the second ballot after his colleague, Tennessee Senator Albert Gore, Sr. bowed out of the race and threw his support to Mr. Kefauver.

Senator Kennedy gave a gracious concession speech after the balloting in which he asked the convention to make Kefauver's nomination unanimous.

The defeat proved to be advantageous for Senator Kennedy as the Stevenson-Kefauver ticket was soundly defeated by Eisenhower-Nixon in November.

JFK's stock in the Democratic ranks grew rapidly after the general election and he would win his party's presidential nomination four years later.

*Carey Estes Kefauver (1903-1963) was born in Madisonville, TN & earned his BA at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville.  He played tackle & guard for the Vols.  CEK earned his law degree at Yale before serving in the U.S. House of Representatives 1939-1949.  CEK served in the U.S. Senate 1949-1963.  

Senator Estes Kefauver

Tennessee (D)

CLOSE BUT NO CIGAR

TENNESSEE'S KEFAUVER DEFEATS JFK FOR VP NOMINATION

Chicago, Illinois (JFK+50) On August 17, 1956, John Fitzgerald Kennedy lost his first and only political contest to Senator Estes Kefauver* of Tennessee in the balloting at the Democratic National Convention here in Chicago to become the party's nominee for Vice-President of the United States.

Kefauver won the nomination on the second ballot after his colleague, Tennessee Senator Albert Gore, Sr. bowed out of the race and threw his support to Mr. Kefauver.

Senator Kennedy gave a gracious concession speech after the balloting in which he asked the convention to make Kefauver's nomination unanimous.  The defeat proved, however, to be advantageous for JFK as the Stevenson-Kefauver ticket went on to be soundly defeated by Eisenhower-Nixon in November.

JFK's stock in the Democratic ranks grew rapidly after the general election and he would win his party's presidential nomination four years later.

*Estes Kefauver (1903-1963) was born in Madisonville, TN & graduated from the University of Tennessee in 1924.  EK graduated from Yale Law School in 1927.  After practicing law in Chattanooga, he was elected to the US House of Representatives where he served from 1939 to 1949.

In 1948, EK was elected to the US Senate where he would serve until his death. In 1950, he headed a Senate committee investigating organized crime.  The hearings of the Kefauver Committee were televised nationally which helped EK to become a national figure.

JFK+50 NOTE

I had the opportunity to meet Senator Kefauver in his office in the summer of 1962.  It was my first trip to Washington, D.C. and at the age of 14, I did not know about the adversarial relationship between Kefauver & JFK at the 1956 convention.

Howard H. Baker, Jr. Center for Public Policy

Knoxville, Tennessee

Photos by John White (2009)

STEVENSON-KENNEDY TICKET NOT TO BE

JFK+50:  Volume 6, No. 2042

JFK LOST VP BID 60 YEARS AGO TODAY

Chicago, Illinois (JFK+50) Sixty years ago today, August 17, 1956, John Fitzgerald Kennedy lost his first and only political contest, a bid to win the Democratic Party's nomination for Vice-President.

In an unprecedented move, Presidential nominee Adlai E. Stevenson decided to turn the selection of his running-mate over to the delegates of the convention. Although JFK's father counseled him otherwise, Senator Kennedy put his name into contention.

Having come close to victory in the balloting, Senator Estes Kefauver* of Tennessee narrowly defeated Senator to become the party's nominee for Vice-President of the United States.

At one point JFK had a lead of 648 to 551.5, but the Tennessee delegation asked the chair for recognition.  Senator Albert Gore, Sr. announced he was dropping out of the race in deference to his colleague Senator Kefauver.  From that point on, Kefauver soon overtook JFK's lead.

Jack Kennedy gave a gracious concession speech after the balloting in which he asked the convention to make Kefauver's nomination unanimous.

The main concern Joseph P. Kennedy, Sr. had with his son's presence on the ticket was the likely prospect that President Dwight D. Eisenhower would win election in a landslide and Stevenson-Kennedy would be considered a loser.

As it turned out, the defeat proved to be advantageous for Senator Kennedy as the Election of 1956 turned out just as Joe Kennedy had predicted.  JFK's stock in the Democratic ranks grew rapidly after the general election and he would win his party's presidential nomination four years later.

*Estes Kefauver (1903-1963) was born in Madisonville, TN & graduated from the University of Tennessee in 1924.  EK graduated from Yale Law School in 1927.  After practicing law in Chattanooga, he was elected to the US House of Representatives where he served from 1939 to 1949.

In 1948, EK was elected to the US Senate where he would serve until his death. In 1950, he headed a Senate committee investigating organized crime.  The hearings of the Kefauver Committee were televised nationally which helped EK to become a national figure.

After his death of a heart attack, President Kennedy appointed Nancy Kefauver to head the Art Embassies Program.  It was JFK's last appointment.

JFK+50 NOTE

My father, uncle & myself visited with Senator Kefauver during our trip to Washington, D.C. in July 1962.  My dad & uncle did most of the talking....I was only 14 years old....but I did manage to say that I would very much like to meet President Kennedy.  I don't remember if Senator Kefauver responded to my statement, but I sure to remember his expression which was not one of great joy.  I didn't know then that JFK & Kefauver, although members of the same political party, had been adversaries.

JFK nominates Adlai Stevenson

1956 Democratic National Convention

Chicago, Illinois

August 16, 1956

UPI Photo

Senator Estes Kefauver

Tennessee (D)

KEFAUVER DEFEATS JFK

JFK LOSES FIRST AND ONLY POLITICAL RACE

Chicago, Illinois (JFK+50) Fifty-eight years ago today, August 17, 1956, John Fitzgerald Kennedy lost his first and only political contest.

Senator Estes Kefauver of Tennessee defeated Senator John F. Kennedy of Massachusetts in the balloting at the Democratic National Convention here in Chicago to become the party's nominee for Vice-President of the United States.

Senator Kefauver won the nomination on the second ballot after his colleague, Tennessee Senator Albert Gore, Sr. bowed out of the race and threw his support to Mr. Kefauver.

Senator Kennedy gave a gracious concession speech after the balloting in which he asked the convention to make Kefauver's nomination unanimous.

The defeat proved to be advantageous for Senator Kennedy as the Stevenson-Kefauver ticket was soundly defeated by Eisenhower-Nixon in November.

JFK's stock in the Democratic ranks grew rapidly after the general election and he would win his party's presidential nomination four years later.

Senator Estes Kefauver

Tennessee (D)

OSWALD DID RADIO INTERVIEW 51 YEARS AGO

New Orleans, Louisiana (JFK+50) Lee Harvey Oswald, self-proclaimed secretary of the New Orleans chapter of the Fair Play for Cuba Committee, was interviewed fifty-one years ago today, August 17, 1963, on a local radio program broadcast here in New Orleans.

Mr. Oswald appeared on WDSU-AM's Latin Listening Post and was questioned by moderator William K. Stuckey.*

Just a few days later Oswald appeared on WDSU's Conversation Carte Blanche in a debate with Ed Butler of the Information Council of the Americas and Carlos Bringuier, a Cuban refugee.

OSWALD FILES FOR MARINE DISCHARGE

El Toro, California (JFK+50) Private First Class Lee Harvey Oswald applied for a hardship discharge from the United States Marine Corps fifty-five years ago today, August 17, 1959.

Private Oswald stated that his mother had suffered an injury and needed his support.

Oswald was released from active duty in the USMC on September 11, 1959.

According to Robert J. Groden's "The Search for Lee Harvey Oswald" (1995), Lee's mother, Marguerite Oswald, was injured on December 5, 1958 when a box of glass jars fell on her head while she was working at a department store in Fort Worth, Texas. 

According to Groden,  she had "completely recovered months before Lee applied for the early discharge".