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Second presidential debate
Second presidential debate
Date(s)	October 7, 1960
Duration	60 minutes
Venue	WRC-TV studios
Location	Washington, D.C.
Participants	Richard Nixon; John F. Kennedy
Moderator(s)	Frank McGee of NBC
Transcript	October 7, 1960 Debate transcript

First presidential debate
First presidential debate
Date(s)	September 26, 1960
Duration	60 minutes
Venue	WBBM-TV studios
Location	Chicago, Illinois
Participants	Richard Nixon; John F. Kennedy
Moderator(s)	Howard K. Smith of CBS
Transcript	September 26, 1960 Debate transcript

The 1960 United States presidential debates were a series of debates held during the 1960 presidential election.

Four presidential debates were held between Republican nominee Richard Nixon and Democratic nominee John F. Kennedy. All four presidential debates were the first series of debates conducted for any US presidential election.^[1] The next presidential debate did not occur until 1976, after which debates would become a regular feature of all presidential campaigns.

Background

In 1960, the Republican Party nominated the incumbent vice president Richard Nixon as their presidential nominee, with Henry Cabot Lodge Jr., the United States ambassador to the United Nations, as his running mate.^[2] John F. Kennedy, a senator from Massachusetts, was nominated by the Democratic Party as their presidential nominee.^[3] He chose the Senate Democratic leader Lyndon B. Johnson as his running mate.^[3] Most polls after the party conventions showed the Nixon–Lodge ticket having a six point lead over the Kennedy–Johnson ticket.^[4]

Debate schedule

1960 United States presidential election debates
No.	Date and time	Host	Location	Moderator	Participants
Key: P Participant					Republican	Democratic
Key: P Participant					Vice President Richard Nixon of California	Senator John F. Kennedy of Massachusetts
1	Monday, September 26, 1960 9:30 –10:30 p.m. EDT^[5]	WBBM-TV studios	Chicago, Illinois	Howard K. Smith of CBS	P	P
2	Friday, October 7, 1960 7:30 – 8:30 p.m. EDT^[6]	WRC-TV studios	Washington, D.C.	Frank McGee of NBC	P	P
3	Thursday, October 13, 1960 7:30 – 8:30 p.m. EDT^[7]	ABC studios	Los Angeles, California (Nixon) New York City, New York (Kennedy)	Bill Shadel of ABC	P	P
4	Friday, October 21, 1960 10:00 – 11:00 p.m. EDT^[8]	ABC studios	New York City, New York	Quincy Howe of ABC	P	P

September 26: First presidential debate (WBBM-TV studios, Chicago)

The first presidential debate between Vice President Richard Nixon and Senator John F. Kennedy took place on Monday, September 26, 1960, at the WBBM-TV studios in Chicago, Illinois. The debate was moderated by Howard K. Smith of CBS with Sander Vanocur, Charles Warren, Stuart Novins and Bob Fleming as panelists. Questions were restricted to internal or domestic American matters. The format decided was:

Eight minute opening statements
Two and a half minute responses to questions
Optional rebuttal
Full broadcast of the September 26 debate
three minute closing statements.

Nixon refused make-up for the first debate, subsequently his facial stubble showed prominently on black-and-white television screens. During the debate, Nixon started sweating under the studio lights. His light gray suit faded into the backdrop of the set and seemed to match his skin tone. Reacting to this, his mother immediately called him and asked whether he was sick. Chicago Mayor Richard J. Daley in an interview said:

My God, they’ve embalmed him before he even died.^[9]

Nixon blamed his poor performance on hitting his knee on a car door in Greensboro, North Carolina, after which he had to be hospitalized for a staph infection.^[10]

October 7: Second presidential debate (WRC-TV studios, Washington D.C.)

The second presidential debate between Vice President Richard Nixon and Senator John F. Kennedy took place on Friday, October 7, 1960, at the WRC-TV studios in Washington, D.C.. The debate was moderated by Frank McGee of NBC with Paul Niven, Edward P. Morgan, Alvin Spivak and Harold R. Levy as panelists. Questions were related to internal American matters, foreign relations, economy, etc. The format decided was:

No opening or closing statements
Each questioned in turn with optional rebuttal

October 13: Third presidential debate (ABC studios, Los Angeles and New York City)

Third presidential debate
Date(s)	October 13, 1960 (1960-10-13)
Duration	60 minutes
Venue	ABC studios in Los Angeles (Nixon) ABC studios in New York City (Kennedy)
Location	Los Angeles, California (Nixon) New York City, New York (Kennedy)
Participants	Richard Nixon John F. Kennedy
Moderator(s)	Bill Shadel of ABC
Transcript	October 13, 1960 Debate transcript

The third presidential debate between Vice President Richard Nixon and Senator John F. Kennedy took place on Thursday, October 13, 1960, were held virtually at the ABC studios in Los Angeles, California (for Nixon) and New York City, New York (for Kennedy). The debate was moderated by Bill Shadel of ABC with Frank McGee, Charles Van Fremd, Douglass Cater and Roscoe Drummond as panelists. To ensure fairness, the journalists (who were in Los Angeles) and Nixon were placed in separate studios. All participants addressed the camera directly, with Kennedy and Nixon both situated without aides in studios that Shadel described as "identical in every detail." A major topic of the debate was whether military force should be used to prevent Quemoy and Matsu, two island archipelagos off the Chinese coast, from falling under Communist control.^[11] The format decided was:

No opening or closing statements
Each questioned in turn with two and a half minutes to answer
One and a half minute rebuttals optional

This debate was considered a "monumental step for television".

October 21: Fourth presidential debate (ABC studios, New York City)

Fourth presidential debate

Date(s)	October 21, 1960 (1960-10-21)
Duration	60 minutes
Venue	ABC studios
Location	New York City, New York
Participants	Richard Nixon John F. Kennedy
Moderator(s)	Quincy Howe of ABC
Transcript	October 21, 1960 Debate transcript

The fourth and final presidential debate between Vice President Richard Nixon and Senator John F. Kennedy took place on Friday, October 21, 1960, at the ABC studios in New York City, New York. The debate was moderated by Quincy Howe of ABC with Frank Singiser, John Edwards, Walter Cronkite and John Chancellor as panelists. Questions were related to Foreign affairs. The format decided was:

Eight minute opening statements
Each questioned in turn with two and a half minutes to answer
One and a half minute rebuttal
Three minute closing statements.

References

^ "A brief history of presidential candidate debates | Constitution Center". National Constitution Center – constitutioncenter.org. Retrieved 2024-11-07.
^ Pietrusza 2008, pp. 221–228.
^ ^a ^b Donaldson 2007, pp. 76–80.
^ Donaldson 2007, p. 93.
^ "1960 debates". Commission on Presidential Debates. Retrieved December 30, 2014.
^ "1960 debates". Commission on Presidential Debates. Retrieved December 30, 2014.
^ "1960 debates". Commission on Presidential Debates. Retrieved December 30, 2014.
^ "1960 debates". Commission on Presidential Debates. Retrieved December 30, 2014.
^ Donaldson 2007, p. 128.
^ Fernandez, Jennifer (February 21, 2022). "Hail to the Chief: Presidential visits to Guilford County". News and Record.
^ October 13, 1960 Debate Transcript.

Works cited

Books

Donaldson, Gary (2007). The First Modern Campaign – Kennedy, Nixon, and the Election of 1960. Rowman & Littlefield. ISBN 9780742547995. LCCN 2007004168. OL 22757375M.
Pietrusza, David (2008). 1960 – LBJ vs. JFK vs. Nixon – The Epic Campaign that Forged Three Presidencies. Union Square Press. ISBN 9781402761140. OL 20964234M.