The news of President John F. Kennedy's assassination on Nov. 23, 1963, shocked the people of Bethlehem, much as it did the nation and the world.

Bethlehem Globe-Times reporter, John R. Valentine, found the community in a state of emptiness and disbelief when he visited homes, stores, and public places soon after the tragedy was announced.

In his telling piece, Valentine writes that work in all of Bethlehem's industries continued at a slow crawl as the morbid Friday afternoon wore on.

At the Bethlehem Steel Co., pockets of men formed in washrooms and other areas to listen to newscasts. City cabs reported that fares dropped sharply with everyone at home glued to their TV sets. The faces of residents appeared drawn and grim; many of them said that losing President Kennedy was like losing a family member.

"I feel empty inside, like something is missing," said Patrolman Michael E. Fox. His quiet assignment on Broad and Main Streets the night of the assassination suited him just fine.

"I just want to be alone."

Annamae Reese of Broad Street couldn't believe it when a friend dropped in to give her the news.

"At first I had to watch the television to make sure I wasn't hearing things," she said. "And then as the assassination began to look real, I couldn't understand how anyone could be so sick and do such a horrible thing."

No public announcement was made at Liberty HS, but many students who happened to be in study hall broke down in tears when English teacher Anthony Donchez confirmed earlier reports of the president's death.

The funeral service for President Kennedy was held on Monday, Nov. 25, 1963. Mayor H. Gordon Payrow called on Bethlehem's residents to join with the state and nation in eulogizing the Chief Executive.

In a statement he declared, "All city offices will be closed and city functions cancelled Monday in observance of a day of mourning for the late President of the United States, John F. Kennedy. I appeal that business and industry in the community likewise set aside this day for mourning. All flags on public and private buildings throughout the city will be flown at half-mast."

Dr. Charles E. Chaffee, superintendent of Bethlehem Area Schools, confirmed that school would be closed on Monday and reopen Tuesday

Throughout its entire operations, the Bethlehem Steel Co. observed three minutes of silence coinciding with the start of the funeral services.

"I am sure I speak for the entire Bethlehem Steel organization," said Arthur B. Homer, chairman of the board, "when I say that we are all profoundly shocked by this terrible tragedy. Our prayers and deepest sympathies are with the members of Mr. Kennedy's family."

On the day of the funeral, the Retail Divisions of the Bethlehem Chamber of Commerce agreed that stores would be closed until 2 p.m. All three Bethlehem theaters - the Boyd, College, and Nile - cancelled their matinee shows.

For three days, the star on South Mountain was lit in honor of the late president, the first time in its history it was used as a memorial.

The overwhelming sense of frustration and heartbreak following JFK's assassination continued long after the funeral services were over. In an article composed by J.J. Stives of Lehigh University's The Brown and White, the young writer poignantly described the emotions of the American People:

"There is still that feeling of disbelief, of inability to understand the actions of our fellow men … Life, of course will not stop because the president is dead; but the last four days have made such an impact that this event will never be erased from history. It will stay in the memories of all generations alive today as a time that brought Americans closer to national despair than they had been in over a century. The impact was so quick, the news so immediate!"

This leads me to ask, on this fiftieth anniversary of the untimely death of one of our nation's most compelling leaders, where were you when you heard that John F. Kennedy had been assassinated?