By Tom Hintgen

Otter Tail County Correspondent

On Sept. 25, 1963, just two months before his tragic passing from this world, President John F. Kennedy (JFK) spoke at the University of North Dakota (UND) in Grand Forks. This was part of a five-day journey that began in Pennsylvania and ended in California.

Several college students who were raised in Otter Tail County attended UND in 1963.

One of them in attendance at UND during JFK’s visit was 1962 Fergus Falls High School graduate Linda Heinl Gentry, sister of Cora Sue (Tudy) Heinl and future sister in law of Fergus Falls City Attorney David Nycklemoe.

“I was, of course, thrilled to personally see and hear an esteemed current president speak at the University of North Dakota,” Gentry said.

President Kennedy made people feel happier about themselves and the United States of America, more capable and made us feel we could accomplish our goals.

JFK was only 46 when he was assassinated in Dallas, Texas, on Nov. 22, 1963. 

Before his passing, JFK regularly associated himself with his audiences. He may have been their president, but he didn’t hold himself above them while speaking.

JFK used the word “us” to create a connection between himself and his audience. Here is one example.

“Let us never negotiate out of fear, but never let us fear to negotiate.”

Students at FFHS in 1964 led the petition to name Kennedy Park on the west side of Fergus Falls.

Later, FFHS students selected the name Kennedy from a list of presidential names for the remodeled facility that became Kennedy Secondary School in Fergus Falls in 2010-11, housing Fergus Falls High School and Fergus Falls Middle School students.

Photographer recalls

JFK in Grand Forks

Colburn Hvidston III, a photographer, remembers JFK’s 1963 presidential visit to Grand Forks. This was his greatest publication deadline challenge during a half century of making photo images for newspapers.

Hvidston, starting his career at the Grand Forks Herald, worked when photo production was a lengthy process compared to today’s digital age. He ended his photography career at the Fargo Forum.

“By 1963 I had been processing Kodak TX film and printing the negatives on Kodabromide paper for 11 years,” he said. “My father set me up with a complete darkroom in our basement when I was in seventh grade.”

At the Grand Forks Herald, by printing what was called a damp negative, he whittled the total photo processing (negative editing and printing time) down to 25 minutes for the first publication photo. Each additional photo took another five minutes.

“JFK was expected to speak at the UND Fieldhouse about 10 a.m.,” Hvidston recalls. “My absolute deadline for the afternoon newspaper was 11:30 a.m.”

Hvidston arrived on campus early. The crowd and traffic, as anticipated, was unbelievable. He limited himself to two cameras, thus two rolls of 36-exposure 35mm film.

He photographed President Kennedy arriving at the fieldhouse, greeting the masses and speaking until 10:20 a.m.

“After completing my photo assignment, I exited the rear door and ran to the Great Northern railway tracks,” Hvidston said. “There waiting on the tracks was my prearranged track maintenance vehicle driver who whizzed me nonstop a little over a mile east where the track intersected with University Avenue.”

At that point Hvidston jumped off the railway maintenance vehicle and entered a car waiting in readiness. The driver was a newspaper associate who had Hvidston in the Grand Forks Herald darkroom at 10:45 a.m.

“Minutes before the 11:30 a.m. deadline, I rushed four prints up to the second floor and was met by the normally unemotional city editor, Fred O’Neil, who had a major smile on his face,” Hvidston said. “It was a good day.”