Newspaper Articles

Sen. John F. Kennedy and his party were greeted by some 1200 county residents at a reception held Sunday in the Ravenswood Community Building. The Democratic aspirant for president visited Ravenswood at noon, remaining here for about an hour and a half before departing for Parkersburg and an ox roast.

Sen. Kennedy was unable to deliver a prepared address because of his bout with a sore throat for several days last week. His younger brother Ted made some remarks in behalf of the candidate, after which Sen. Kennedy mingled with the hundreds of visitors and spoke in a whisper to them individually. He did make some brief remarks to the throng from the steps of the community building.

His reception was impressive. Many dyed-in-the-wool Republicans who haven't spoken to a Democrat for years attended, shook Kennedy's hand, and were quite obviously impressed and pleased. And the county's Democrats - even those stumping for Adlai Stevenson and Stuart Symington - were in their glory.

One youth, in high school and some years from voting age, yelled to the Senator as he departed, "I'll vote for you when you run for re-election in four years."

Mrs. Kennedy, who was scheduled to appear in Ravenswood with her husband, was not able to attend because of the illness of one of their children. She flew to Washington Saturday night after a TV performance in Charleston.

In Kennedy's prepared address, which was not given by him or any of his party, he knocked the Republican administration in Washington for failure to note West Virginia's economic plight until the primary campaign. Kennedy criticized Eisenhower for touring many underdeveloped countries of the world and recommending assistance for them, while not even visiting the Mountain State or knowing of its ailments.

He also lambasted the GOP administration for its reluctance to improve the social security system the last eight years.