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Historic photos: Robert F. Kennedy visits Cedar Rapids, Marion
June 6 marked the 50th anniversary of the death of Robert F. Kennedy.
Kennedy visited Cedar Rapids and Marion in October 1966 campaigning for his friend U.S. Rep. John Culver, father of future Iowa Governor Chet, born that January.
Kennedy was a United States Senator at the time, and he had previously served as the 64th U.S. Attorney General and campaign manager for his brother, John F. Kennedy, in the 1960 presidential election.
RFK was shot in Los Angeles on June 5, 1968, and died nearly 26 hours later on June 6.
Keep reading for more photos and details of the 1966 visit, as captured in The Gazette at the time.
Gazette archive photo, showing then-Senator Robert F. Kennedy on a visit to Marion in October 1966.
Clipping from Gazette archives. Caption reads: KENNEDY SPEAKS TO CROWD IN MARION PARK — A crowd estimated at 5,000 heard Senator Robert Kennedy deliver a political speech in City park at Marion Sunday. The senator was making a whirlwind tour of Iowa cities in behalf of Democratic congressional candidates, including John Culver of Marion. A police officer said it was the largest crowd Marion has seen since the homecoming of Col. Bill Reed, World war II hero. The event took on the aspect of a presidential visit because of the large number of magazine, newspaper and television reporters present.
Clipping from Gazette archives. Caption reads: Whenever a celebrity stops in town there are autograph seekers. In this case, the autograph seekers were a whole band of Scottish Highlanders from the University of Iowa, who wanted the guest of honor's name on their bas drum. Drum majorette at left is Cathy Nolan of Guthrie Center. U.S. Representative John Schmidhauser is back of the drum. Senator Kennedy is signing and the police officer is Donald Spicher of Cedar Rapids.
Clipping from Gazette archives. Caption reads: Citizens of all ages, voting and non-voting, turned out Sunday afternoon at Cedar Rapids Municiap airport to welcome Senator Robert F. Kennedy on his campaign visit to Cedar Rapids. Those facing the camera are unidentified. The distinctive head of hair on the right makes identification unnecessary.
Clipping from Gazette archives. Caption reads: Senator Kennedy and Iowa Gov. Harold Hughes presented a contrast as they sat together on the bandstand in Marion City park Sunday afternoon. Kennedy has a big grin and the governor looks grim, or just solemn.
Clipping from Gazette archives. Caption reads: Senator Robert F. Kennedy and the man he ame to Cedar Rapids to campaign for — U.S. Representative John Culver — were pictured in Tenth street, Marion during the senator's brief visit there Sunday. In the background is the charter bus provided for reporters and photographers covering the visit. Governor Harold Hughes is at lower left in the picture.
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