Mr. Specter. And how many times had President Kennedy been to Texas between the campaign of 1960 and November 1963, if you know?
Mr. O'Donnell. Well, he had been to the Speaker's funeral at Bonham. He had been to Houston, to see the new space center, and also he spoke at Rice Stadium. And he had been to El Paso, on a military inspection tour.
Mr. Specter. Are those, then, all the trips he made, to your knowledge?
Mr. O'Donnell. That is all I can recollect at the moment.
Mr. Specter. In a general way, what was the purpose of the President's trip to Texas in November of 1963?
Mr. O'Donnell. Well, he hadn't conducted any political activities in Texas. There were great controversies existing. There was a party problem in Texas that the President and the Vice President felt he could be helpful, as both sides of the controversy were supporting President Kennedy, and they felt he could be a bridge between these two groups, and this would be helpful in the election of 1964. I think that is the major reason for the trip.
Mr. Specter. Was President Kennedy motivated, to any extent at all, by his interest in making himself as President available to the people generally in every section of the country, including Texas?
Mr. O'Donnell. Very definitely. The President's views of his responsibilities as President of the United States were that he meet the people, that he go out to their homes and see them, and allow them to see him, and discuss, if possible, the views of the world as he sees it, the problems of the country as he sees them. And he felt that leaving Washington for the President of the United States was most necessary—not only for the people, but for the President himself, that he expose himself to the actual basic problems that were disturbing the American people. It helped him in his job here, he was able to come back here with a fresh view of many things. I think he felt very strongly that the President ought to get out of Washington, and go meet the people on a regular basis.
Mr. Specter. Did he enjoy that exposure, strictly as a personal matter?
Mr. O'Donnell. He enjoyed it very much. The President—liked people, and he liked to mingle with people.