Question

After the death of John F. Kennedy, Vice President Lyndon B Johnson took office. There was no vice president from November 22, 1963 until after Johnson’s election. Place the following executives in order of succession during the few months until after the next inauguration.

Secretary of the Treasury Douglas Dillon
Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara
Secretary of State Dean Rusk

Answer 1

In 1963, after President Kennedy's death, if something had happened to President Johnson before appointing a new vice president, the order of presidential succession would have been Secretary of State Dean Rusk, followed by Secretary of the Treasury Douglas Dillon, and Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara.

Step-by-step explanation:

After the assassination of President John F. Kennedy in 1963, and with no vice president in office until the next inauguration, the presidential line of succession according to the Presidential Succession Act of 1947 placed the Secretary of State, followed by the Secretary of the Treasury, and then the Secretary of Defense in the order of succession. Thus, if something had happened to Lyndon B. Johnson before a new vice president was appointed, the order would have been:

1. Secretary of State Dean Rusk
2. Secretary of the Treasury Douglas Dillon
3. Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara

The 25th Amendment, ratified in 1967, further clarified this process by allowing a new vice president to be nominated and then confirmed by a majority vote in both houses of Congress.