Jim Kershner’s This Day in History

From our archives, 50 years ago

Lyndon B. Johnson was in Spokane in 1960 glad-handing delegates at the state Democratic Convention in Spokane.

LBJ’s visit came on the heels of a visit the day before by John F. Kennedy and Stuart Symington. All were trying to win delegates for the summer’s Democratic nominating convention in Los Angeles.

None of these candidates came away with a clear-cut victory. The state convention voted to send its delegation to Los Angeles uncommitted.

However, an unofficial poll of delegates showed 15 votes for Kennedy, 14 for Adlai Stevenson, seven for Symington, two for Johnson and 16 uncommitted. Also, the convention voted to support its own Sen. Henry (Scoop) Jackson for vice president.

It didn’t exactly work out for Scoop in Los Angeles. Kennedy won the presidential nomination and Johnson won the vice-presidential nomination. Kennedy went on to win a squeaker of an election in November.

Also on this date:

(From the Associated Press)

1917: The 35th president of the United States, John F. Kennedy, was born in Brookline, Mass. … 1932: World War I vets began arriving in Washington to demand cash bonuses they weren’t scheduled to receive until 1945. … 1973: Tom Bradley was elected the first black mayor of Los Angeles.