Was There A Hyannis Inaugural Ball In 1961? Mystery Stumps JFK Museum

HYANNIS, Mass. (WBZ NewsRadio) — The John F. Kennedy Hyannis Museum said they have questions about an invitation for an event that officials are not sure happened.

An invitation to a Hyannis Inaugural Ball, set on the day of JFK’s 1961 inauguration, was uncovered during a winter cleanout of the JFK Hyannis Museum, said museum Executive Director Wendy Northcross.

“It was a coffee-stained, beat-up invitation that was inviting people to a party at the National Guard Armory,” Northcross said.

After some digging, museum officials found a telegram sent from the new president in Washington to the chair of the Inaugural Dance Committee in Hyannis that morning in 1961, thanking the supporters back in Massachusetts.

“They were wishing everyone a great event- it was really cool,” Northcross said.

One theory officials presented was that a snowstorm on the same day may have been cause for the ball’s cancellation, possibly explaining why the event was undocumented. JFK Hyannis Museum asked that anyone with information regarding the ball contact them.