President John F. Kennedy was assassinated on the morning of November 23, 1963, in Dallas, Texas. At 2:38 PM, Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson became president aboard Air Force One in Dallas, Texas. The crisis committee convenes that same afternoon, and the events that transpire begin in the 24-48 hours following the incident. Delegates represent various political leaders, including members of Kennedy’s cabinet, confidants, intelligence, and military officials. At the same time, it includes foreign diplomats, journalists, and prominent social and political leaders outside of the government. Against the backdrop of an unplanned presidential transition, a stalled civil rights agenda, and the threat of nuclear armageddon from the Cold War, the delegates must face a variety of challenges, including contested evidence of murder, intense political pressure (national and foreign), and the decreasing international image of the United States. The nation’s international and institutional future relies on these first critical hours.