With the death of LBJ press secretary Bill Moyers at 91, the only living person from this famous photo on board Air Force One Nov. 22, 1963 is Sid Davis of Westinghouse Broadcasting. Sid is 97 and was responsible for giving the press pool report of LBJ swearing in on 11/22/63 at… pic.twitter.com/rXHL0XhLXY
— Larry Sabato (@LarrySabato) June 27, 2025
okaydo said:With the death of LBJ press secretary Bill Moyers at 91, the only living person from this famous photo on board Air Force One Nov. 22, 1963 is Sid Davis of Westinghouse Broadcasting. Sid is 97 and was responsible for giving the press pool report of LBJ swearing in on 11/22/63 at… pic.twitter.com/rXHL0XhLXY
— Larry Sabato (@LarrySabato) June 27, 2025
Quote:
Sarah T. Hughes was aboard Air Force One to swear in Lyndon B. Johnson as President of the United States on November 22, 1963, shortly after the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. Here's why she was chosen:
Who was Sarah T. Hughes?
Sarah Tilghman Hughes was a federal judge for the Northern District of Texas, appointed by JFK in 1961.
She was the first woman to swear in a U.S. president.
She was also a respected figure in Dallas legal circles and known personally to both Lyndon and Lady Bird Johnson.
Why was she called?
After President Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas, LBJ needed to be sworn in quickly and officially, to ensure constitutional continuity of leadership.
Air Force One was preparing to take Johnson back to Washington, D.C., and he insisted the oath be administered before takeoff.
The Secret Service and LBJ's staff wanted a judge present, and Sarah Hughes was both local and available.
LBJ personally requested her, and she was brought to Love Field in Dallas and boarded the plane, where she administered the oath using a Catholic missal found on board (no Bible was available).
Why not a Supreme Court Justice?
Supreme Court justices are based in Washington, and there was no time to fly one to Dallas.
Under the Constitution, any judicial officer authorized to administer oaths may swear in the president, so a federal judge like Hughes was fully qualified.
Historical Significance:
The moment, captured in a famous photo with Jackie Kennedy at LBJ's side, marked one of the most solemn and abrupt transitions of power in U.S. history.
Sarah Hughes remains the only woman ever to swear in a U.S. president.
Quote:
Where was she when contacted?
She was at home.
Judge Sarah T. Hughes had returned home from a scheduled luncheon at the Dallas Trade Mart where President Kennedy had been expected to speak before the assassination.
After news of the shooting spread, the luncheon was canceled.
Hughes went back to her home rather than to her office or the courthouse.
It was there that she received the call from U.S. Attorney Barefoot Sanders, telling her that LBJ wanted her to swear him in.
She boarded Air Force One a little before 2:30 p.m., as the Johnsons, Secret Service agents, and a stunned Jackie Kennedy awaited her.
Swearing in the President
The oath of office was administered at 2:39 p.m. CST.
There was no Bible aboard, so a Catholic missal found in JFK's cabin was used.
In a surreal and poignant scene, Jackie Kennedy stood beside Johnson, still in her blood-stained pink suit.
Sarah Hughes later said:
"I was so flustered, I didn't even realize what book they handed me. I just knew we had to get it done."
After the Ceremony
After swearing in LBJ, she left the planeshe did not accompany the party to Washington.
Hughes returned home and later said she was numb from the experience.
She reportedly didn't talk about the event much in the days that followedit was a solemn duty done under extraordinary circumstances.
First woman appointed as a federal judge in Texas
First and only woman to swear in a U.S. president
Quote:
Here's an excerpt from judge Sarah T. Hughes's own account, originally published in The Texas Observer on November 29, 1963, recounting the day she was summoned to swear in Lyndon B. Johnson:
"It was 2:15p.m. Friday, November22. I had just reached home from the Trade Mart… We waited in vain, for he had been assassinated… I drove home. There was no reason to go to court. …
I phoned the court to tell the clerk where I was. Her response was that Barefoot Sanders, U.S. attorney, wanted to speak to me. Immediately I heard his familiar voice, 'The VicePresident wants you to swear him in as President. Can you do it? How soon can you get to the airport?' Of course I could, and I could be there in ten minutes. …
I got in my car and started toward the airport. … Police blocked the entrance … they knew me, and I told them I was there to swear in the VicePresident as President. …
The VicePresident asked Mrs. Johnson to stand on his right, Mrs. Kennedy on his left, and with his hand on the Bible, slowly and reverently repeated the oath after me:
'I do solemnly swear that I will perform the duties of President of the United States to the best of my ability and defend, protect, and preserve the Constitution of the United States.' … I added, 'So help me God,' and he said it after me. …"
Key Takeaways
Where she was: At home, shortly after returning from the Trade Mart, when she received the call ().
Summoned by: U.S. Attorney Barefoot Sanders on behalf of LBJwho asked, "Can you do it? How soon?" ().
Her response: "Of course I could… be there in ten minutes," then she raced to the airport under escort .
After the oath: She administered the oath, returned home, and largely remained silent about the momentreflecting her hushed, dignified nature.
This brief transcript captures her calm decisivenessand the gravity of the moment. Let me know if you'd like more from that oral history or related reflections!
concordtom said:okaydo said:With the death of LBJ press secretary Bill Moyers at 91, the only living person from this famous photo on board Air Force One Nov. 22, 1963 is Sid Davis of Westinghouse Broadcasting. Sid is 97 and was responsible for giving the press pool report of LBJ swearing in on 11/22/63 at… pic.twitter.com/rXHL0XhLXY
— Larry Sabato (@LarrySabato) June 27, 2025
More sleuthing:
Identify of everyone in photo
Lyndon B. Johnson taking the oath of office on Air Force One following the assassination of John F. Kennedy, Dallas, Texas. Identified persons include:
(#1) Malcolm Kilduff (press secretary),
(#2) Jack Valenti (media adviser),
(#3) Judge Sarah T. Hughes,
(#4) Congressman Albert Thomas,
(#5) Lady Bird Johnson,
(#6) Chief Jesse Curry (Dallas police chief),
(#7) Lyndon B. Johnson,
(#8) Evelyn Lincoln (personal secretary to John F. Kennedy),
(#9) Congressman Homer Thornberry,
(#10) Roy Kellerman (USSS agent),
(#11) Lem Johns (USSS agent),
(#12) Jacqueline Kennedy,
(#13) Pamela Turnure (press secretary to Jacqueline Kennedy),
(#14) Congressman Jack Brooks,
(#15) Bill Moyers (Peace Corps deputy director).
Photo by Cecil W. Stoughton.Quote:
Sarah T. Hughes was aboard Air Force One to swear in Lyndon B. Johnson as President of the United States on November 22, 1963, shortly after the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. Here's why she was chosen:
Who was Sarah T. Hughes?
Sarah Tilghman Hughes was a federal judge for the Northern District of Texas, appointed by JFK in 1961.
She was the first woman to swear in a U.S. president.
She was also a respected figure in Dallas legal circles and known personally to both Lyndon and Lady Bird Johnson.
Why was she called?
After President Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas, LBJ needed to be sworn in quickly and officially, to ensure constitutional continuity of leadership.
Air Force One was preparing to take Johnson back to Washington, D.C., and he insisted the oath be administered before takeoff.
The Secret Service and LBJ's staff wanted a judge present, and Sarah Hughes was both local and available.
LBJ personally requested her, and she was brought to Love Field in Dallas and boarded the plane, where she administered the oath using a Catholic missal found on board (no Bible was available).
Why not a Supreme Court Justice?
Supreme Court justices are based in Washington, and there was no time to fly one to Dallas.
Under the Constitution, any judicial officer authorized to administer oaths may swear in the president, so a federal judge like Hughes was fully qualified.
Historical Significance:
The moment, captured in a famous photo with Jackie Kennedy at LBJ's side, marked one of the most solemn and abrupt transitions of power in U.S. history.
Sarah Hughes remains the only woman ever to swear in a U.S. president.Quote:
Sarah T. Hughes's account of November 22, 1963the day she swore in Lyndon B. Johnson aboard Air Force Oneis one of those remarkable personal windows into a seismic historical moment. Here's a detailed reconstruction of her story from that day, based on her own accounts and historical records:
Where was Sarah Hughes when Kennedy was shot?
At the time of the assassination, Judge Sarah Hughes was in her chambers at the federal courthouse in Dallas, working on routine legal matters.
She had no official role in the Kennedy visit that day and wasn't part of the motorcade or the political events surrounding it.
How was she contacted?
Shortly after President Kennedy was pronounced dead at Parkland Memorial Hospital, Lyndon B. Johnson decided he would be sworn in immediately, before returning to Washington. He wanted a federal judgeand specifically asked for Sarah Hughes, whom he had known for years and admired for her intellect and integrity.
Johnson reportedly told aides: "Get Sarah Hughes. She can swear me in."
She was called by White House aide Cliff Carter or possibly by someone from the Secret Service. The accounts vary slightly, but most sources say she received a call at her office, not at home.
She was asked to come immediately to Love Field, where Air Force One was parked.
What did she do next?
Hughes left the courthouse quickly and was driven to the airportsome say with a police escort to expedite her passage.
She boarded Air Force One a little before 2:30 p.m., as the Johnsons, Secret Service agents, and a stunned Jackie Kennedy awaited her.
Swearing in the President
The oath of office was administered at 2:39 p.m. CST.
There was no Bible aboard, so a Catholic missal found in JFK's cabin was used.
In a surreal and poignant scene, Jackie Kennedy stood beside Johnson, still in her blood-stained pink suit.
Sarah Hughes later said:
"I was so flustered, I didn't even realize what book they handed me. I just knew we had to get it done."
After the Ceremony
After swearing in LBJ, she left the planeshe did not accompany the party to Washington.
Hughes returned home and later said she was numb from the experience.
She reportedly didn't talk about the event much in the days that followedit was a solemn duty done under extraordinary circumstances.
Additional Notes
Hughes was a trailblazer in many ways:
First woman appointed as a federal judge in Texas
One of the first women to serve in the Texas state legislature
First and only woman to swear in a U.S. president
She maintained a quiet dignity about the role she played, rarely drawing attention to it.
If you'd like, I can share a transcript of her reflections or the famous photo from that moment.Quote:
Here's an excerpt from judge Sarah T. Hughes's own account, originally published in The Texas Observer on November 29, 1963, recounting the day she was summoned to swear in Lyndon B. Johnson:
"It was 2:15p.m. Friday, November22. I had just reached home from the Trade Mart… We waited in vain, for he had been assassinated… I drove home. There was no reason to go to court. …
I phoned the court to tell the clerk where I was. Her response was that Barefoot Sanders, U.S. attorney, wanted to speak to me. Immediately I heard his familiar voice, 'The VicePresident wants you to swear him in as President. Can you do it? How soon can you get to the airport?' Of course I could, and I could be there in ten minutes. …
I got in my car and started toward the airport. … Police blocked the entrance … they knew me, and I told them I was there to swear in the VicePresident as President. …
The VicePresident asked Mrs. Johnson to stand on his right, Mrs. Kennedy on his left, and with his hand on the Bible, slowly and reverently repeated the oath after me:
'I do solemnly swear that I will perform the duties of President of the United States to the best of my ability and defend, protect, and preserve the Constitution of the United States.' … I added, 'So help me God,' and he said it after me. …"
Key Takeaways
Where she was: At home, shortly after returning from the Trade Mart, when she received the call ().
Summoned by: U.S. Attorney Barefoot Sanders on behalf of LBJwho asked, "Can you do it? How soon?" ().
Her response: "Of course I could… be there in ten minutes," then she raced to the airport under escort .
After the oath: She administered the oath, returned home, and largely remained silent about the momentreflecting her hushed, dignified nature.
This brief transcript captures her calm decisivenessand the gravity of the moment. Let me know if you'd like more from that oral history or related reflections!
okaydo said:
I'm reading Robert Caro's The Path to Power. I'm at 1938 in Lyndon Johnson's life. Please. No spoilers.