November 22 at 2:00 pm
Free
On Sunday, November 22, 2026, at 2 pm in the Lewis and Clark Betty Strong Interpretive Center, Russ Gifford will present “Remembering JFK – And Why He Matters” It has been over six decades since JFK’s Presidency. He served less than a full term, and his major legislative agenda was permanently stalled on Capitol Hill. What difference could he possibly have made that matters six decades later? The answer: more than you might think according to Russ Gifford. Admission is free, but freewill donations are encouraged.
Join Russ Gifford as he recounts the stories you know, but with an eye to why Kennedy took that path-and what his successors learned from it. And how that message has changed each passing year. He will delve into the events and the era to see how Kennedy’s short time in office changed America forever. Gifford takes listeners back to the 1960s with stories and clips of events that Kennedy faced, including the confrontations, the close calls, and why Kennedy saw that choice as important.
But he will examine a new reality today. “The torch is again passing to a new generation. Kennedy’s memory lives on, and we see the repeated emulation, or at least an effort to evoke Kennedy’s name. But things have changed.” As the generation that remembers Kennedy as an actual president are now 70 or older, the lessons and the memories are moving further apart.
Russ Gifford, Senior Lecturer with Western Iowa Tech’s Institute for Lifelong Learning, delivers tales of American history to audiences in the Siouxland region. His two decades of programs include over 400 unique talks, including a focus on Leadership skills presented by various American Presidents. He has also published numerous articles and historical papers. His work garnered two teaching awards, and his lectures have been supported by grants from Humanities Iowa, the Kind World Foundation, and others.
The Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center/Betty Strong Encounter Center was built and is sustained by the Missouri River Historic Development Organization as a gift of history to the community. For more information call 712-224-5242. Find the Center at www.siouxcitylcic.com or www.facebook.com/sclandc.
