Kennedy spoke at the Dayton Bar Association at the Biltmore Hotel on Sept. 17, 1959. Kennedy, who was running for the Democratic Party nomination, did not realize the event was a black tie affair.
Price Stores sent over a tailor who took the Senator’s measurements and dressed him for the evening. Several days later, an employee at the store found an envelope with money in a pocket of the tuxedo.
» RELATED: Campaigning in Dayton: a history of presidential candidate visits
Credit: submitted photo
Credit: submitted photo
Charles Fidler at Price Stores wrote a letter to Kennedy and returned the $105. Kennedy wrote back thanking the men for their honesty and included $25 as reward. A copy of Kennedy’s letter is hanging in Price Stores today.
In 1960, Sen. Kennedy was greeted by 2,000 people at Cox Municipal Airport just after midnight on Oct. 17. He would speak at a downtown rally later that day. Banners at the airport read, “Kennedy Is The Remedy” and “Girls, Girls for Jack. Wow!”
» RELATED: 3 times presidential candidates rallied the masses in Dayton
Kennedy later made a stop at Wittenberg University in Springfield where he spoke to a crowd of more than 7,000. He addressed college students' responsibilities to help their nation as well as themselves, according to Dayton Daily News archives, part of a campaign theme that would result in the creation of the Peace Corps.
About the Author