Once Estes Kefauver laid his Presidential ambitions to rest after losing as Adlai Stevenson’s running mate in the 1956 election, his travels around slowed down considerably. He spent more time in the halls of the Senate, hard at work on his efforts to combat corporate monopolies and regulate prescription drugs, and less time criss-crossing the country holding hearings and shaking hands.
Nonetheless, Kefauver still got out on the road from time to time. One such occasion was his visit to the 1962 World’s Fair in Seattle.
Fittingly, he was in Seattle to celebrate “Tennessee State Honor Day,” which took place on September 1st. (There was a day for every state over the course of the Fair; fittingly, they were held at the Plaza of the States.)
Kefauver was joined in representing his home state by Adjutant General Van Nunnally, who appeared on behalf of Governor Buford Ellington. Here’s Washington Governor Albert Rossellini handing Kefauver and Nunnally a set of commemorative World’s Fair tokens:
Here were Kefauver, Nunnally, and Rossellini enjoying the ceremony along with Hubert Humphrey. (If you’re wondering why Humphrey was there, he was in town for the Salute to American Labor ceremony later that week.)
As it turns out, Kefauver had a personal motive for showing up at the Fair, in addition to a professional one. His daughter Lynda was a staffer at the Fair, and he doubtless welcomed the opportunity to visit with her while also on official business.
In addition to participating in the Tennessee Day ceremony and spending time with his daughter, Kefauver also visited the “Adventures in Outer Space” exhibit at the Ford pavilion. The highlight of the exhibit was a 15-minute simulated trip in a “space shuttle.” In this exhibit, 100 guests at a time passed through an “airlock” to sit in the shuttle. They were then able to look through floor-to-ceiling windows at models of the planets, stars, and satellites.
The pavilion also included a model of the Seattle-ite XXI, a nuclear-powered “dream car of the future,” as well as a 21st-century farm and mock-ups of space-age consumer products.
A fun footnote to Kefauver’s visit: as it happened, the Seattle Fair welcomed its 7 millionth guest on Tennessee Day, a King County shop teacher named Rod Dewar. Both Kefauver and Humphrey managed to get in on the photo op along with Governor Rossellini, as you can see below:
I can understand why Mr. Dewar looks a little bemused here.
On an unrelated note, I absolutely wish I could have attended this World’s Fair. I’ve always loved the concept of World’s Fairs in general, and the jet-age futurism on display in Seattle was definitely my cup of tea. I’m glad that Kefauver had the chance to check it out.
Estes Kefauver for President 
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