LBJ Presidential Marker

LBJ Presidential Marker Scott Terrell (Atlas Obscura User)

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After President John F. Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas, Texas, Vice President Johnson went to Dallas Love Field and was sworn in by federal judge Sarah T. Hughes as president.

It was the first time a female judge swore in an American president, it was also the first time a United States president was sworn in west of the Mississippi River and on an airplane.

Know Before You Go

Some sources label this plaque as located between Gates 3 and 5, which is incorrect.

After finding a parking spot in the Love Field garage (where the first 30 minutes is free), head toward baggage claim. You won't need to go through security, so no need for a boarding pass. Once inside, hook a right at baggage claim, down a corridor and look for escalators on your left that lead to the security doors where arriving passengers egress through. Take the escalators to the second floor, then hang a right. A Dunkin' Donuts kiosk is on the right, and a small bar is a little farther down on the left (as of August 2023, it's called the Fly Bar).

Walk just a bit past it to the large bay window overlooking the tarmac full of Southwest airplanes. Near the large window you'll find a presidential seal, bronze marker and wall display explaining that just beyond the glass is a light on the tarmac, flush with the cement, illuminating the exact spot where Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson stood as he took the oath of office aboard Air Force One at Love Field at 2:38 p.m. on Nov. 22, 1963. The light shines towards the window and can be seen all day even at high noon. However, if you didn't know to look for it, you'd never notice it amidst the many lights at an airport.

On the wall there you'll find a duplicate of the bronze marker on the tarmac, along with a presidential seal donated by Amy and Farris Rookstool III, the latter a former FBI agent and JFK historian.