June 30, 1962 - Mrs. Jacqueline Kennedy made a speech in Spanish today that recalled that she had visited Mexico on her wedding trip. A little nervous and conscious of the fact that she was facing not only the luncheon guests but a vast television audience, the First Lady delivered a brief message in excellent Spanish. Flanked by her husband and President Mateos of Mexico, she said: “My husband I are very glad to come back to Mexico. This is my third trip here. I like to remember that my last trip was my honeymoon.” President and Mrs. Kennedy were married in 1953. She praised Mexico for “the underlying values of your culture, the profound faith in man’s dignity — they have all been expressed in your art and literature over the centuries.” At the conclusion, guests burst into loud applause. Mrs. Kennedy sat down, but had to get up again to acknowledge another outburst. President Kennedy jokingly introduced his wife as the one who would speak in Spanish. His own Spanish, he said, is limited to such phrases as “Viva Mexico.”
