Native American History

President John F. Kennedy visited Billings (Montana) on Sept. 25, 1963. This was the first presidential visit to Billings since Woodrow Wilson’s arrival in 1919. Speaking to a cheering crowd estimated at 17,000, President Kennedy was joined on stage by Senate Majority Leader Mike Mansfield, Sen. Lee Metcalf, and Republican Gov. Tim Babcock. The Rimrocks in the background are immediately recognizable to anyone who has visited Billings. The next day Pres. Kennedy was in Great Falls, Montana.

Less than two months later, Pres. Kennedy was assassinated on Nov. 22, 1963.