JFK Arrives in L.A.!

Photograph by S.A. Hixson / Los Angeles Times

July 9, 1960: From S.A. Hixson’s notes on the back of this photo: “Sen. John F. Kennedy (D-Mass.) arrives at the Biltmore Hotel, packed lobby with hundreds of backers hampered his way. Police were forced to bodily push their way ahead. At the elevator Kennedy was nearly pushed to the floor, turned angrily said: 'Will you guys stop pushing.’ ”

Kyle Palmer Analyzes the Democratic Candidates

July 8, 1960: Times Political Editor Kyle Palmer, one of the powers behind Richard Nixon’s career, takes a look at the Democrats. He finds the competition narrowing to Sens. John F. Kennedy (D-Mass.) and Lyndon Johnson (D-Texas), with the respective campaigns advocating a Kennedy-Johnson or Johnson-Kennedy ticket.  This will be the last big race for Palmer, who died of leukemia in 1962 after a long illness. In fact, Palmer filed only a handful of columns after the November 1960 election.