Sixty years ago Wednesday, the Upper Cumberland and the nation shaken when President John F. Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas.
Local resident Chuck Johnson was in his fall semester at Tennessee Tech. Johnson said the tragedy led to months of uncertainty for Cookeville locals and the rest of the nation.
“Those were very tense times because nobody knew what was going on and didn’t know if it was a conspiracy or if it was just a lone gunman, and they still don’t know today,” Johnson said. “But anyway, it was a very unsettling time.”
Johnson said he recalls his ROTC banquet at Tech being canceled following the events of that early afternoon in 1963. Johnson said in those days, word of mouth was the most common way information was spread which only raised the community’s confusion and uncertainty. Johnson said he was walking into his business management class when he heard what had happened.
“We were all very curious and we asked the professor if we could go and try to find out more news and maybe dismiss the class,” Johnson said. “He said, “Not important. We’re Going to have the class.” So I remember that very well.”
Johnson said CBS, ABC, and NBC were the only television networks. Johnson said he remembers huddling around the family television and watching the black-and-white picture of Kennedy’s funeral in the days following the event.
At the time of Kennedy’s assassination, Johnson said he remembers a very different Cookeville than the one we see today. Johnson said this was before Interstate Drive. Johnson said there were very few industrial developments, but the West Side was the most popular part of town.
“It was a much smaller town, and you kind of knew everyone more at that time,” Johnson said.
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