During the period between the assassination of President John F. Kennedy on November
22, 1963 and the inauguration of Hubert Humphrey as Vice President on January
20, 1965, there was no Vice President. Succession at that
time was dictated by the Public Law 80-199, the Presidential Succession
Act of July 18, 1947, and under the Act, the next in line for the Presidency
after the Vice President was the Speaker of the House, then the President
pro tempore of the Senate, followed by the Secretary of State, Secretary
of the Treasury and so on through the Cabinet, in order of rank.
There was no provision
for appointing a new Vice President until the ratification of the 25th
Amendment to the Constitution on February 10, 1967. When Johnson assumed
office following the assassination of President Kennedy, the Speaker of
the House was John McCormack of Massachusetts, and the President pro tempore
of the Senate was Carl Hayden of Arizona.
President
Johnson also addressed a Joint Session of Congress on November 27, 1963, five
days after the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. Behind him were
Speaker of the House John McCormack and President pro tempore of the Senate
Carl Hayden.
For more information
on the ratification of the 25th Amendment to the Constitution, read the
oral history interview with Senator
Birch Bayh.
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State of the Union Address