President John F. Kennedy came to San Diego on June 6, 1963 to address the Marines at the MCRD. Governor Pat Brown also convinced him to give the commencement speech at San Diego State College, and receive an honorary doctorate degree in law at the ceremony. It was the first time a California State College had awarded an honorary doctorate degree.
The tour was covered by local media outlets. Here is the KFMB version – note the sign at the filling station that was advertising gasoline for 29.9 cents per gallon, and that was back when they pumped it for you!
If you put that gas price into an inflation calculator, it’s priced at $2.23. If you consider that cars get about 30% better gas mileage, the real world cost isn’t too much different today. I read an interesting article in Time a few years back that compared prices in the 60’s and now, and most things were about the same cost…many were cheaper!
Mrs. Dawg was regaling the chillins this morning with President Kennedy’s visit to Oxnard and the (then) Pt. Mugu Naval Air Station from the same trip.
A simpler time.
I lived six houses away from that intersection on 52nd Street with the Douglas gas station. Still remember it in the Alpha Beta parking lot (and remember the sign and the 20 something cent prices too on it) along with the 52nd St. Pharmacy, etc. Wright’s World of Sound was directly across the street and that’s where I bought all of my 45’s from allowance and lawn mowing money, and my first album…Iron Butterfly. haha
And then people started getting shot around there so we bailed in 1969 to the sticks in La Mesa/Mt. Helix area.