Liz Sutherland Carpenter

Wed, Aug 9th 2023 at 12:40 pm - 2:00 pm

Bill Sutherland explained his links with John F Kennedy's assassination and script writing for Lyndon Johnson.

‹ › ×

Club members please log in for more information.

Bill Sutherland gave a fascinating account of how he came to know Liz Sutherland Carpenter 1920-2010, American writer, reporter, feminist, political speech writer. Bill began by asking who remembered where they were and what they were doing in November 1963 when John F Kennedy was assassinated?…….and almost all did. He then explained how he and his wife Fiona had been at a Clan Sutherland Gathering at Dunrobin Castle in the 1990s where they met Liz Sutherland from Austin, Texas, got chatting and became firm friends. She invited them to attend a Clan Gathering in Texas, which they did, and returned many times, taking on the role of Scottish country dance teachers. They learned that Liz was a Democrat, out-spoken in her anti-Republicanism; that she had been executive assistant to Lyndon Johnson in the 1960s, a prominent member of The White House team; that all her life she had fought for the cause of women’s rights. She had been in the cavalcade when Kennedy was assassinated. It was she who had drafted the 58 words of Johnson’s speech later that day, standing on his right as he took his oath of office: "I will do my best. That is all I can do. I ask for your help — and God's.” Bill told of her friendship, her sense of humour, her kindness inviting locals to meet them. When talk of golf came up she immediately invited Ben Crenshaw for lunch to meet Bill and Fiona! He explained also how she did not suffer fools gladly, but had a warmth and charm and had been a loyal friend to them. Members were interested to ask many questions before Eric Brown gave the vote of thanks.