1960 Democratic National Convention

1960 Democratic National Convention
Cecil Stoughton, White House · Public domain · source
Name	1960 Democratic National Convention
Date	July 11–15, 1960
City	Los Angeles, California
Venue	Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena
Chair	Paul M. Butler
Presidential nominee	John F. Kennedy
Vice presidential nominee	Lyndon B. Johnson
Previous	1956 Democratic National Convention
Next	1964 Democratic National Convention

1960 Democratic National Convention The 1960 Democratic National Convention in Los Angeles nominated John F. Kennedy for President of the United States and Lyndon B. Johnson for Vice President of the United States, setting the stage for the closely contested 1960 United States presidential election. Delegates from state Democratic Party organizations, territorial delegations, and party leaders converged amid debates over civil rights, Cold War strategy, and labor policy. The convention combined intense behind-the-scenes maneuvering among figures such as Adlai Stevenson II, Hubert Humphrey, Stuart Symington, and Averell Harriman with televised proceedings that helped modernize political communication.

Background and Lead-up

In the months before the convention contenders included John F. Kennedy, Richard B. Russell Jr. (as an activist in the South), Hubert Humphrey, Stuart Symington, Lyndon B. Johnson, Adlai Stevenson II, Averell Harriman, and Eugene McCarthy (then a rising Minnesota figure), while organizations such as the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL–CIO), United Auto Workers, Teamsters, and the National Education Association worked to shape delegation commitments. International concerns involved the Soviet Union, Nhr, NATO, and the Berlin Crisis context, while domestic issues drew attention from NAACP, Urban League, Southern Christian Leadership Conference, and labor unions. Television networks including NBC, CBS, and ABC prepared extensive coverage, influenced by earlier televised events like the 1956 Democratic National Convention broadcasts and the rise of figures such as Edward R. Murrow and Walter Cronkite.

Venue, Dates, and Organization

The convention met July 11–15, 1960, in the Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena on the University of Southern California campus, with events in Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum and receptions at the Biltmore Hotel (Los Angeles). The convention was chaired by Paul M. Butler and organized by the national committee led by Paul Butler and staff including Tom Finletter and David L. Lawrence. Local coordination involved the California Democratic Party, Los Angeles County Democratic Central Committee, Mayor Sam Yorty, and entertainment figures from Hollywood such as Frank Sinatra and Doris Day, with logistical support from the Los Angeles Police Department and hospitality from the Greater Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce.

Key Delegates and Factions

Delegates reflected competing blocs: the New Frontier supporters around John F. Kennedy and Robert F. Kennedy; the Southern coalition aligned with Senator Richard Russell Jr. and state leaders like Orval Faubus; the Midwestern labor-liberal faction including Hubert Humphrey, Arthur Vandenberg Jr. allies, and Walter Reuther sympathizers; and the Eisenhower-era internationalist wing associated with Averell Harriman and Dean Acheson. Prominent delegates included Sam Rayburn, Lyndon B. Johnson as a power broker, Earl Warren observers, Al Gore Sr.-era Tennessee delegates, and ethnic coalition leaders tied to Joseph P. Kennedy Sr.'s machine in Massachusetts. Civil rights activists such as Bayard Rustin, Roy Wilkins, and Thurgood Marshall lobbied alongside representatives from Freedom Riders and student groups like Students for a Democratic Society and campus Democrats affiliated with Kenneth O'Donnell allies.

Nomination Process and Balloting

Balloting unfolded under rules administered by the Democratic National Committee with credential disputes involving delegations from Alabama, Mississippi, and Hawaii. Key rules debates invoked precedents from the 1948 Democratic National Convention, the 1952 Democratic National Convention, and the 1956 Democratic National Convention. Kennedy secured the nomination on the first ballot through delegate commitments from states such as Massachusetts, New York, California, Texas (in part through his alliance with Lyndon B. Johnson), Illinois, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan, New Jersey, and support from leaders including Averell Harriman's backers and Walter Reuther's union bloc. Opponents like Stuart Symington, Hubert Humphrey, and Adlai Stevenson II failed to consolidate an alternative. Television coverage by Edward R. Murrow and anchors such as Walter Cronkite, Chet Huntley, and David Brinkley brought the balloting into millions of homes.

Vice Presidential Selection

The vice presidential selection process featured intense negotiation among Kennedy, his brother Robert F. Kennedy, and Senate leaders including Lyndon B. Johnson, Sam Rayburn, and Mike Mansfield. Leading possibilities included Lyndon B. Johnson, Hubert Humphrey, Stuart Symington, Eugene McCarthy, and Lester Maddox (as a regional dark horse). Kennedy chose Johnson to balance the ticket geographically and electorally, aiming to secure Texas and Southern support while countering Richard Nixon's strength. The nomination of Johnson was formalized with floor votes and sealed through endorsements from delegations such as Texas, Arkansas, and various labor delegations, with John Sparkman playing a visible role in outreach.

Platform and Major Resolutions

The convention adopted a platform addressing foreign policy, civil rights, labor, and economic growth. Planks emphasized containment strategies reflecting debates about NATO, SEATO, United Nations, and responses to the Soviet Union and Cuba. Civil rights language drew from advocacy by NAACP, Southern Regional Council, and CORE, prompting contention with Southern delegations including leaders like George Wallace sympathizers and Orval Faubus allies. Labor planks responded to positions from AFL–CIO leaders such as George Meany and Walter Reuther and included commitments to minimum wage and collective bargaining protections championed by John L. Lewis supporters and industrial unionists. The platform also referenced space policy initiatives inspired by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration and advisers like James Webb.

Aftermath and Impact on the 1960 Election

The ticket of John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson faced Richard Nixon and Henry Cabot Lodge Jr. in the 1960 United States presidential election, with outcomes shaped by televised debates influenced by Edward R. Murrow's era and campaign organizations led by figures such as Adlai Stevenson II supporters and Arthur Schlesinger Jr. advisors. The convention's decisions affected delegate loyalty in swing states like Texas, Missouri, Illinois, and California, while civil rights endorsements influenced African American turnout mobilized by NAACP and SCLC organizers. The convention accelerated the Democratic Party's engagement with television, labor coalitions, and Cold War foreign policy, setting precedents for the 1964 Democratic National Convention, later civil rights legislation championed by Lyndon B. Johnson, and subsequent realignments involving Southern Democrats and Civil Rights Movement coalitions. Category:Democratic National Conventions