Memorializing History
Swearing In of President Lyndon B. Johnson
In 2013, A.R.K. Ramos had the incredible honor of helping Emmy Award-winning Historian Farris Rookstool, III and Dallas Love Field Airport install two bronze markers commemorating the exact location where President Lyndon B. Johnson was sworn in aboard Air Force One. One plaque is located on the tarmac, while the other sits inside the gate, allowing flyers to remember this moment in U.S. history.
One of the Lyndon B. Johnson Plaques located on Dallas Love Field taxiway.
A Piece of History
On November 22nd, 1963, President John F. Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas, Texas. Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson was sworn in approximately 128 minutes later aboard Air Force One. Lady Bird Johnson and Jacqueline Kennedy witnessed the first female Federal Judge Sarah T. Hughes administer the Oath of Office to Lyndon B. Johnson as the plane sat at Dallas Love Field, awaiting to return President Kennedy’s body to Washington, DC.
The swearing-in of President Lyndon B. Johnson took only 28 seconds. This was the first and only time a U.S. President was sworn in aboard a Presidential aircraft.
Now, a marker sits flush against the concrete on the taxiway, marking the exact spot President Lyndon B. Johnson was sworn in as President of the United States. This unique installation required unique permission. The plaque being installed directly in the concrete where planes drive required particular planning and safety precautions.
However, Rookstool was determined to follow through on the installation, the right way.
Preserving Knowledge
Farris Rookstool, III has spent decades deep in research of the President John F. Kennedy’s assassination in 1963. His journey began the day of the assassination while in the car with his mother on their way to pick up his father from Dallas Love Field, who had a delayed flight following the incident.
In the 1980s, Rookstool worked as an FBI analyst and was asked to read through the entirety of files covering the JFK assassination, all 500,000 pages. He quickly became a sought after expert for his deep knowledge in this piece of U.S. president history.
Years later, Rookstool became an advocate for memorializing November 22, 1963. He was influential in the installation of a Texas Historical Commission marker dedicated to Dallas Police Officer J.D. Tippit, also killed by assassin Lee Harvey Oswald; contributed to numerous books and documentaries about the case; won an Emmy Award for his historical contributions to a year-long television series on the assassination; and was involved in the initial stages of installing a life-sized statue of JFK in Ft. Worth Plaza to mark the location of his final speech before he headed to Dallas.
Rookstool’s passion for preserving history persisted.
Eventually he set out to install the plaque to commemorate the location where President Lyndon B. Johnson was sworn in recognition of the 50th anniversary. The location was a challenge to pinpoint. Historians found a photo that helped find the right spot, but they mistakenly placed Lyndon B. Johnson in the wrong room on the plane. Rookstool fortunately noticed the error before confirming the plaque should be located on the taxiway.
That being said, the taxiway is quite different from many plaques we’ve installed. While all of our projects come with planning and precautions, placing a plaque directly in the way of plane traffic was a unique problem to solve.
Rookstool fortunately took the challenge in stride, working directly with the team at the Federal Aviation Administration to make sure all policies were followed and safety was prioritized. After back and forth, and detailed work with our team, the plaque was given the green light.
Lasting Legacies
As a trusted American foundry, we at A.R.K. Ramos are fortunate to play a pivotal role in creating so many legacy projects.
We don’t take our job lightly.
Creating memorials like this one at Dallas Love Field requires attention to detail, durable materials, and open communication. We are proud of our precision work, and are blessed to have worked with such incredible clients like Farris Rookstool, III.
In a high traffic area, this particular plaque experiences quite a bit of wear. So, this year, we went out and cleaned the plaque to bring it back to its original shine. We’re proud to be able to provide support to legacies like these even in small ways.
If you’re creating a legacy project and need a trusted foundry to seal the deal, please inquire! And by the way, we do offer refinishing services! So if your project ever needs a sprucing up, we can help. We pride ourselves on offering the best quality, value, and customer service in the industry.
