The Day JFK Was Shot
Little Love Stories
Sally Beck Baker ’66 and others were comforted by the Rev. Richard Unsworth on Nov. 22, 1963
Illustration by Shawn Prairie
Published November 12, 2025
It was Nov. 22, 1963, and I headed back to Lamont House for lunch. Immediately, I learned from everyone gathered around the TV that President John F. Kennedy had been shot in Dallas. We were shocked by the footage.
After lunch, I walked back to Seelye Hall for a 1 p.m. class with the Rev. Richard Unsworth: Religion 14, one of my all-time favorite classes. As we entered the classroom, the chapel bells began to toll. Rev. Unsworth said, “Sadly, we know what that means.” Then he invited the class to follow him to the chapel, where we joined many grieving members of the community who flocked there seeking solace.
I shall always be grateful that I had the good fortune to hear Rev. Unsworth’s comforting words at the outset in class and later in the chapel. He was an inspiring source of compassion, strength, kindness, and faith.