On June 6, 1963, President John F. Kennedy was awarded an honorary doctor of law degree during the commencement exercise at San Diego State University. It was the first ever honorary degree awarded in this field by California State University. Governor of California Edmund Brown extended the invitation to President Kennedy on April 18, 1963. On May 16, a letter from Kennedy's aide Ken O'Donnell addressed to President Malcolm Love was received confirming that Kennedy would be honored to accept the honorary degree. In his commencement address he said, "As a nation, we have no deeper concern, no older commitment and no higher interest than a strong, sound and free system of education for all. In fulfilling this obligation to ourselves and our children, we provide for the future of our nation-and for the future of freedom." Approximately 30,000 people witnessed the ceremony at the Aztec Bowl.

Five months later, John F. Kennedy was assassinated on the streets of Dallas. His was a short term as president and an even shorter one as an honorary alumnus of SDSU. He devoted his intellectual and political abilities to the service of his country, and remains one of the most memorable and important voices in our history.

The selection of works on display was donated by Andreas Brown, a San Diego State University alumnus and owner of the Gotham Book Mart in New York City. The exhibit is on view in Special Collections and University Archives from March 13 through May 31, 2003.

Special Collections and University Archives has assembled an exhibit, A Brief Shining Moment: John F. Kennedy at SDSU, to commemorate the 40th anniversary of President Kennedy's visit to the campus. Highlights of the exhibit include photographs of Kennedy making the commencement speech at the Aztec Bowl on June 6, 1963, along with the text copy of the speech. Various books he wrote such as Profiles in Courage, Words to Remember and The Kennedy Wit are also on display.