On This Day in 1964. Robert Kennedy Addresses the Democratic National Convention and Ignites an Extraordinary Ovation and Catharsis.

Robert Kennedy led the tributes to President Kennedy at the 1964 Democratic National Convention in Atlantic City. The evening was scheduled for a night after delegates nominated Lyndon Johnson. Johnson feared RFK’s appearance on the podium would cause delegates to nominate the martyred president’s brother if they had not yet picked their nominee. Johnson’s fear of Robert Kennedy would distort the Texan’s administration until Kennedy was assassinated nearly four years later.

Published August 27, 2022.