The event was remembered by ad executive Leo Pearlstein
His worst experience came in 1963 while in the midst of a major publicity and advertising campaign for the California Turkey Advisory Board. After many telephone calls and much convincing, he got the National Turkey Federation to allow California to present then-President John F. Kennedy with the official White House Thanksgiving turkey.
Bob McPherrinn was our client and the chairman of the state turkey board so he got to go along with the live turkey to the White House for the photo ops with JFK," Pearlstein said.
As was the tradition, the turkey is always pardoned by the president and sent to a petting zoo instead of being killed. The photos turned out great and we had hundreds printed and ready to be sent out, when four days later after the shoot, President Kennedy was assassinated. Those photos could never be sent out.
A week after this photo was taken was the Monday of JFK's funeral and burial.
No, that wasn't me.
Posted by: Tom McMahon | 11/12/2008 at 07:59 AM
You ever work at Peerless Instruments in Elmhurst Queens, NY?
Posted by: Mike S. | 11/12/2008 at 05:35 AM