On Sept. 12, 1962, roughly 40,000 spectators packed into Rice Stadium to watch a moment in history. Unlike a typical event at the venue, the audience wasn’t there to watch the Owls partake in a football; but rather, to witness a speech delivered by President John F. Kennedy.
In that speech, President Kennedy uttered the famous words, “We choose to go to the moon,” which came to fruition seven years later when the Apollo 11 made its lunar landing. Exactly before issuing those seven words, Kennedy made an allusion to Rice Owls football with the line, “Why does Rice play Texas?