2 9 , ▁ 1 9 6 3 , ▁following ▁the ▁death ▁of ▁President ▁John ▁F . ▁Kennedy , ▁his ▁successor ▁Ly nd on ▁B . ▁Johnson ▁issued ▁Executive ▁Order ▁ 1 1 1 2 9 ▁ren aming ▁both ▁NASA ' s ▁Mer rit ▁Island ▁La unch ▁Oper ations ▁Center ▁and ▁" the ▁facilities ▁of ▁Station ▁No . ▁ 1 ▁of ▁the ▁Atlantic ▁Miss ile ▁Range " ▁( a ▁reference ▁to ▁C ana ver al ▁A FB ) ▁as ▁the ▁" John ▁F . ▁Kennedy ▁Space ▁Center ". ▁He ▁had ▁also ▁convinced ▁G ov . ▁C . ▁F arr is ▁Bry ant ▁( D - F la .) ▁to ▁change ▁the ▁name ▁of ▁Cape ▁C ana ver al ▁to ▁Cape ▁Kennedy . ▁ ▁This ▁resulted ▁in ▁some ▁confusion ▁in ▁public ▁per ception , ▁which ▁confl ated ▁the ▁two . ▁NASA ▁Administr ator ▁James ▁E . ▁Web b ▁clar ified ▁this ▁by ▁issu ing ▁a ▁directive ▁stating ▁the ▁Kennedy ▁Space ▁Center ▁name ▁applied ▁only ▁to ▁Mer rit ▁Island , ▁while ▁the ▁Air ▁Force ▁issued ▁a ▁general ▁order ▁ren aming ▁the ▁Air ▁Force ▁Station ▁launch ▁site ▁Cape ▁Kennedy ▁Air ▁Force ▁Station . ▁This ▁name ▁was ▁used ▁through ▁the ▁Gem ini ▁and ▁early ▁Apol lo ▁programs . ▁ ▁However , ▁the ▁ge ographical ▁name ▁change ▁proved ▁to ▁be ▁un pop ular , ▁ow ing ▁to ▁the ▁historical ▁lon ge vity ▁of ▁Cape ▁C ana ver al ▁( one ▁of ▁the ▁oldest ▁place - names ▁in ▁the ▁United ▁States , ▁d ating ▁to ▁the ▁early ▁ 1