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1963 – JFK Addresses Women’s Concerns

Women's Magazine Editors at White House

Today is November 22, 2022. This same day 59 years ago was the most noteworthy day in the mid-century. November 22, 1963 was the day President Kennedy died from an assassin’s bullet.

The article you see below was published 59 years ago in the November 1963 edition of Good Housekeeping magazine. It was written by Ray Robinson and titled, “President Kennedy Talks about you, your Children and Peace”. It was a result of a June White House press conference where president Kennedy invited women’s magazine editors to come to the White House to discuss the subject of women and world peace. Robinson and Wade Nichols from Good Housekeeping and editors and writers from McCall’s, Redbook, Women’s Day, Family Circle, Parents, and Cosmopolitan were among the attendees. All but 2 were men.

Women recognize that there are two great factors that affect life today. One is the hostility between the communist system and the free world. Combined with that is the development of these new weapons which can wipe out much of life in so brief of a period of time.

The November article was a result of a coordinated effort between the editors and white house. Each magazine would publish an article in their November issues. The article would accompany a press release from President Kennedy written directly to women.

The purpose? Address the concerns of a growing number of women’s groups who were becoming more vocal on the subjects of both peace and women’s rights. These concerned women would soon become a movement that would transform the sixties and the remainder of the 20th century.

Ironically, the editors choose to place JFK’s press release on a page in-between an Easy-Off cleaning ad, and bra & girdle article.

Kennedy Press Release to Women – Good Housekeeping November 1963

The article is available for download below.

More Information

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assassination_of_John_F._Kennedy

https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/documents/statement-the-president-american-women-concerning-their-role-securing-world-peace

https://wheneditorsweregods.typepad.com/when_editors_were_gods/2021/06/jfk-addresses-womens-concerns-to-mostly-male-magazine-editors.html

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About Janet

I'm an American baby boomer with a strange hobby. I collect mid-century women's magazines. My blog, MidCenturyPage.com is a result of a 20 year passion to scan the pages of these magazines and share them with anyone who wants to understand what mid-century women thought about, cared about, and worried about while living in the 1950's and 1960's

1 comment on “1963 – JFK Addresses Women’s Concerns

  1. Pingback: Trump, Eisenhower, and a 1952 Budweiser Inauguration Day Message – Mid-Century Page

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