Date of Award
2004
Degree Name
History
College
College of Liberal Arts
Type of Degree
M.A.
Document Type
Thesis
First Advisor
Frank Riddel
Second Advisor
Robert Sawrey
Third Advisor
Paul Lutz
Abstract
In 1960, John F. Kennedy, a wealthy New England Catholic, traveled to a rural, Protestant state to contend in an election that few thought he could win. While many scholars have examined the impact of Kennedy’s victory in the West Virginia primary, few have analyzed the importance that his visit to the state in 1960 and his ensuing administration had on West Virginia. Kennedy enacted a number of policies directed specifically toward relieving the poverty that had plagued West Virginia since statehood. The Kennedy administration funded highway construction, worker training programs, and area development at levels the state had never before experienced. Kennedy’s relationship with West Virginia helped create a new cultural identity of West Virginians as proud, hardworking people.
Subject(s)
Kennedy, John F. (John Fitzgerald), 1917-1963.
Presidents -- United States -- Election -- 1960.
Primaries -- West Virginia -- History -- 20th century.
West Virginia -- Politics and government.
Recommended Citation
Ponton, Anthony W., "John F. Kennedy and West Virginia, 1960-1963" (2004). Theses, Dissertations and Capstones. 789.
https://mds.marshall.edu/etd/789
Included in
American Politics Commons, Election Law Commons, Law and Politics Commons, Political History Commons, Political Theory Commons, United States History Commons
