The Sixth Floor Oral History Project - Indexed

The Sixth Floor Oral History Project - Indexed

One year when I was in Dallas interviewing former reporter and mayor of Dallas Wes Wise, he asked me if he could interview me for the Sixth Floor Museum Oral History Project. In the Sixth Floor Museum office of Bob Porter, Porter and Wise questioned me on video camera for about an hour. It was all professionally done and they later sent me a VHS video copy that I will transcribe if I can find it among my files. 

Bob Porter, I later read, was accidentally shot while interviewing a retired Dallas Police officer, but luckily he survived, or all sorts of conspiracy theories would have developed out of that. 

In any case, the Oral History project of the Sixth Floor Museum is a very valuable resource, it should be supported and cultivated, and the interviews should be put on line so they can be made available to anyone who wants to view them, and eventually transcribed and archived properly - as its nor real research until it is transcribed, indexed and archived for easy retrieval. 

While the names of those interviewed are listed on the Sixth Floor Website on line, they are listed alphabetical, so one day when I was bored I indexed them into various categories - Dallas, Russia, Dealey Plaza, TSBD, Honor Guard, Media, Acoustics, Parkland, Oak Cliff, Ruby, Oil Men and Federal Agents. 

Different researchers will be interested in different subjects, such as David Lifton should be curious as to what the military Honor Guard has to say about the body's arrival at Andrews and Bethesda, while I am interested in hearing what Capt. Maury Seitz has to say. I thought I've read most of the books on the Kennedy administration and I've never heard of a JFK decoy on a top secret flight. 

The Sixth Floor Museum Oral History program description says:  “Capt. Maury Seitz A former U.S. Air Force captain who later served as a longtime captain for American Airlines, Seitz was co-pilot on numerous chartered flights that backed up Air Force One during the Kennedy presidency. Seitz met the Kennedy family and spent time with Caroline and John Jr. During the Cuban missile crisis, his plane carried a JFK decoy during a top-secret flight. Recorded February 13, 2002, March 7, 2008, and July 15, 2009.”

Now that’s interesting – a real JFK decoy on a top secret flight during the missile crisis.

Well here's some more of the rather obscure witnesses whose oral history fills in some of the missing pieces to the Dealey Plaza puzzle. 

DALLAS

Bob Porter A theater critic and columnist for the Dallas Times Herald, Porter was acquainted with Jack Ruby. From 1992 to 2001, Porter supervised the Oral History Project and handled public relations for The Sixth Floor Museum. Recorded January 26, 1993.

Judge Barefoot Sanders A prominent member of the Democratic Party and a U.S. Attorney stationed in Dallas in 1963, Sanders played a key role in planning President Kennedy's visit to Dallas. He later was involved in the Warren Commission's investigations in Dallas. Recorded March 8, 1995, November 21, 1999, and May 19, 2004.

George Schrader Schrader served as Dallas city manager during the post-assassination years, a difficult time of transition. Recorded February 9, 1993.

Antony Anson Barnes Barnes and his mother left the United States in 1952 after she was exposed by the FBI as a Communist sympathizer in the 1930s. Barnes returned in 1961 and enrolled in the University of Texas at Austin. He was attending a Russian language class at the time of the assassination. Recorded January 9, 2008.

Elizabeth Blessing One of the first women elected to the Dallas City Council, Blessing served on the council from 1961 to 1965. On the day of the assassination, she was present at the Trade Mart luncheon. She vividly recalled a special meeting prior to the assassination when Dallas Police Chief Jesse Curry informed the City Council that he could not effectively protect President Kennedy during his Dallas visit. Recorded January 26, 2007.

Charles A. Briggs he former executive director of the Central Intelligence Agency, Briggs spent one year working on research for The Sixth Floor project in the Washington, D.C., offices of exhibition designers Bob Staples and Barbara Charles. Recorded February 16, 2009

Lt. Gen. Richard Carey A Marine pilot stationed at the Dallas Naval Air Station, Carey was flying over downtown Dallas and the Dealey Plaza area at the time of the assassination. Recorded January 22, 1995.

Noel Cook An employee of the Federal Aviation Administration, Cook was stationed at Dallas Love Field when the presidential party arrived. He later became an aviation historian. Recorded August 24, 1999.

Larry Coleman Coleman, an insurance underwriter at Pacific Indemnity in Dallas, watched the Kennedy motorcade from the corner of Main and Ervay streets. He recalled that earlier that morning Secret Service agents visited his workplace looking for two former employees. Recorded May 23, 2007.

Jerry Turman Between 1969 and 1970, Turman lived in the room at 1026 North Beckley Avenue in Oak Cliff that was occupied by Lee Harvey Oswald in 1963. Turman heard interesting stories about Oswald and the rooming house from owners A.C. and Gladys Johnson. Recorded May 23, 2008.

Lu Mitchell Dallas-based songwriter and folk singer for more than 45 years, Mitchell performed at numerous civil rights and peace movement rallies, including vigils held in Dealey Plaza. She saw the presidential motorcade as it exited Dallas Love Field and wrote a poignant ballad that weekend in memory of President Kennedy.

RUSSIA

Vigushin A building engineer and member of the Young Communist League, Vigushin was living in the Russian city of Minsk when Lee Harvey Oswald defected to the Soviet Union. Vigushin was acquainted with both Oswald and his future wife, Marina Prusakova, and he practiced at the same firing range as Oswald between 1960 and 1961. Recorded November 6, 2009.

DEALEY PLAZA

Malcolm Summers An eyewitness to the assassination who can be seen in the Zapruder film, Summers was standing opposite the grassy knoll. Recorded March 7, 2002.

James Tague A bystander standing near the triple underpass, Tague was slightly wounded on the cheek by a bullet fragment or a chip of concrete during the shooting. Recorded March 30, 1999.

Toni Glover An 11-year-old schoolgirl, Glover was in Dealey Plaza at the time of the assassination, and the event had a traumatic impact on her. Recorded January 20, 1999.

HONOR GUARD

 Frank Ryan Ryan was serving in the U.S. Coast Guard in 1963 and was part of the Ceremonial Guard at President Kennedy's funeral. Recorded October 9, 1995.

Bud Barnum Barnum was serving in the U.S. Coast Guard in 1963 and was assigned to the Honor Guard at the time of the assassination. He was part of the security detail for President Kennedy's casket upon its arrival in Washington, D.C. During the funeral, he served as a pallbearer and marched in the processional to Arlington National Cemetery. Recorded April 24, 2007.

Richard Brown Brown served as a member of the Navy Ceremonial Guard during President Kennedy's funeral ceremonies in Washington D.C. Recorded March 28,

Dr. George Christian Christian was a private assigned to U.S. Army Intelligence at the Pentagon in 1963. He visited the Capitol Rotunda that weekend to pay his respects and captured a color home movie of the Kennedy funeral procession on Pennsylvania Avenue, which he donated to The Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza in 2008. Recorded October 28, 2008.

Ronald Wilson One of the few African American U.S. Marines stationed at the barracks at 8th and I Streets in Washington, D.C. in 1963, Wilson participated in the funeral services for President Kennedy. Recorded December 5, 2009.

 John Sumney An Army mechanic from 1958 to 1974, Sumney serviced White House helicopters during the Kennedy years. He participated in a group interview with other Army personnel. Recorded September 19, 2008.

Lee J. Turner An officer in the Navy Ceremonial Guard in 1963, Turner helped unload President Kennedy's casket from Air Force One on the evening of the assassination. On Monday, he marched in the funeral procession to Arlington National Cemetery. Recorded November 23, 2005.

Jerry White An Army presidential helicopter pilot from 1961 to 1964, White flew with President Kennedy. He participated in a group interview with other Army personnel. Recorded September 19, 2008.

Harry M. Moffett III A U.S. Marine stationed at the barracks at 8th and I Streets in Washington, D.C., Moffett participated in the funeral services for President Kennedy. Recorded December 5, 2009.

 Jerry Martynski A U.S. Marine stationed at the barracks at 8th and I Streets in Washington, D.C., Martynski participated in the funeral services for President Kennedy. He later went on to serve in the Vietnam War.

Robert Neal A U.S. Marine stationed at the barracks at 8th and I Streets in Washington, D.C., Neal participated in the funeral services for President Kennedy.

William F. Lee A lieutenant in the U.S. Marine Corps in 1963, Lee commanded the Silent Drill Platoon and was involved in numerous ceremonies at the White House and Camp David during the Kennedy years. After the assassination, he actively participated in the "Death Watch" rotations at the White House and in the U.S. Capitol rotunda. Recorded

Dennis David A petty officer in the Medical Service Corps stationed at Bethesda Naval Medical Center, David was serving as the chief of the day of the medical school on November 22, 1963. He recalled the president's casket arriving at the back of the hospital before Jackie Kennedy's arrival at the front of the hospital, which has become a point of controversy among researchers. On Monday, David had the opportunity to briefly examine photographs and film of the president's autopsy. Recorded June 26, 2007.

Nat Emery A U.S. Marine stationed at the barracks at 8th and I Streets in Washington, D.C., Emery participated in the funeral services for President Kennedy. Recorded December 5, 2009.

B.C. "Barney" Hulett An Army presidential helicopter pilot from 1959 to 1967, Hulett flew with President Kennedy. He participated in a group interview with other Army personnel. Recorded September 19, 2008.

John Polites Polites was a member of the U.S. Navy and served in the Honor Guard outside the White House during President Kennedy's funeral. Recorded November 12, 1998.

Lt. Col. Walter Scott As a captain in the 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment, Scott was stationed in the U.S. Capitol rotunda the weekend of the Kennedy assassination and was assigned outside St. Matthew's Cathedral during the funeral. He was the officer standing closest to John F. Kennedy Harold T. Slack A U.S. Marine stationed at the barracks at 8th and I Streets in Washington, D.C., Slack participated in the funeral services for President Kennedy. Recorded December 5, 2009.
Jr. at the time of his famous salute. Recorded October 16, 2006.

Robert DeBardelaben A U.S. Marine stationed at the barracks at 8th and I Streets in Washington, D.C., DeBardelaben participated in the funeral services for President Kennedy. Recorded December 5, 2009.

FORD LIMO

Calvin S. Beauregard Longtime transportation manager for the Ford Motor Company's office of public affairs, Beauregard worked with the U.S. Secret Service on the construction and maintenance of presidential limousines. Recorded October 15, 2005.

Paul E. Wolf A radioman in the U.S. Navy, Wolf was stationed in San Diego at the time of the assassination. His father, the late Wilbur Wolf, was a glass installer at Hess & Eisenhardt in Cincinnati, Ohio, and he installed the windshield in the Kennedy limousine. Recorded May 3, 2006.

Burke Reilly A 35-year employee of the Ford Motor Company, Reilly became head of administration in the company's Washington D.C. office shortly after the Kennedy assassination. He worked with the Secret Service to provide presidential vehicles during the Johnson and Nixon administrations. Recorded

TSBD

Tom Dillard Chief photographer for the Dallas Morning News in 1963, Dillard was riding in a press car in the presidential motorcade and took photos of the sixth floor window of the Texas School Book Depository immediately after the shooting. Recorded July 19, 1993.

George ? George served as the restoration architect for The Sixth Floor exhibit and was charged with ensuring the historical integrity of the former Texas School Book Depository building during the design and construction of the exhibit. He remained an active member of the project team from 1978 to 1989. Recorded September 11, 2008.

R.J. Sherman A reporter for the Dallas Times Herald, Sherman was one of the first reporters on the sixth floor of the Texas School Book Depository building after the assassination. Recorded October 25, 1995.

Kent Biffle A reporter for the Dallas Morning News, Biffle was one of the only journalists inside the Texas School Book Depository while investigators gathered evidence on the sixth floor of the building. He later covered the Clay Shaw trial for Newsweek magazine. In 1959, as a reporter for the Fort Worth Press, he wrote stories about Lee Harvey Oswald's defection and tried to reach Oswald by telephone in Moscow. Recorded June 28, 1993.

Eugene Boone Boone was the Dallas deputy sheriff who discovered the rifle on the sixth floor of the Texas School Book Depository. Prior to joining the sheriff's department, he worked at the Dallas Times Herald and had contact with Jack Ruby. Recorded November 25, 2003, November 20, 2006, and November 18, 2008.

Gladys Cason Cason was the widow of Jack C. Cason, who was president of the Texas School Book Depository in 1963. The Casons, a conservative family, feared for President Kennedy's safety during his visit to Dallas. Recorded September 29, 2005.

Darryl Conine A longtime employee of the Texas School Book Depository building when it was owned by the Sexton Food Company, Conine shared his knowledge about the building's layout. Recorded January 15, 2002.

J.W. "Bob" Wiseman A Dallas County deputy sheriff in 1963, Wiseman was standing at the corner of Main and Houston Streets and heard shots fired at the presidential motorcade. He ran to Dealey Plaza where he spoke with eyewitnesses, including Abraham Zapruder's receptionist, Marilyn Sitzman. Wiseman then participated in the initial search of the Texas School Book Depository. Recorded July 16, 2008.

Leslie Warnock A Dallas firefighter in 1963, Warnock was sent to the sixth floor of the Texas School Book Depository immediately after the assassination. His memories of the sniper's perch differ from those of police investigators. Recorded May 24, 2001.

Paul Wilkins A patrolman with the Dallas Police Department in 1963, Wilkins was involved in the initial search of the sixth and seventh floors of the Texas School Book Depository. He was among those who first discovered the Mannlicher-Carcano rifle in the northwest corner of the sixth floor. Recorded April 15, 2009.

Luke Mooney In 1963, Mooney was a Dallas County deputy sheriff who watched the motorcade pass and heard shots fired. Later, while investigating the sixth floor of the Texas School Book Depository building, he discovered the "sniper's nest" and three empty rifle shells. Recorded on December 4, 2002, November 20, 2006, and June 24, 2009.

Harold Norman An employee of the Texas School Book Depository in 1963, Norman was on the fifth floor underneath the alleged sniper's perch at the time of the assassination. Recorded July 31, 1991.

Ken DuVall A truck driver with Central Motor Freight in Dallas, DuVall frequently picked up shipments of textbook boxes at the loading dock of the Texas School Book Depository. On November 22, 1963, he allegedly saw Lee Harvey Oswald in the second-floor lunch room approximately thirty minutes before the assassination. Recorded May 6, 2009.

Buell Wesley Frazier An employee of the Texas School Book Depository in 1963, Frazier drove Lee Harvey Oswald to work occasionally. He did so on November 22, 1963. Frazier also witnessed the assassination and was detained and questioned by Dallas police. Recorded June 19 and 21, 2002.

Spaulding Jones Jones had an office inside the Texas School Book Depository building in 1963 and believed he was on the elevator with Lee Harvey Oswald the morning of the assassination. Recorded April 6, 1995.

Bill Holt Holt was credit manager for the Texas School Book Depository from 1970 to 1978 and was involved in the company's move from their Dealey Plaza warehouse to a new location in Dallas. Over the years, he heard many assassination-related stories from fellow co-workers and managers. Recorded June 26, 2008.

Brown W. Higginbotham A truck driver with Central Motor Freight in Dallas, Higginbotham picked up a shipment of textbook boxes at the loading dock of the Texas School Book Depository building approximately 20 minutes after the assassination. He then picked up a shipment at the Dal-Tex building across the street in Dealey Plaza. Recorded October 19, 2007.

J.C. "Carl" Day Head of the Dallas Police Crime Scene Search Unit in 1963, Day was in charge of examining the rifle and fingerprint evidence at the Texas School Book Depository building following the assassination. In 2006, he donated his original crime lab supplies and equipment to the Museum. Recorded May 19, 1996, and July 11, 2006.

James Cron A jail clerk at the Dallas Police Department at the time of the assassination, Cron started the first Crime Scene Search Unit at the Dallas County Sheriff's Department in 1970 and has since become a veteran crime scene investigaton and law enforcement consultant. Recorded May 10, 2007.

MEDIA

George Shawver Shawver filmed the Kennedy motorcade on Main Street and later formed the Dallas Cinema Associates with other amateur photographers. The group produced a compilation film titled President Kennedy's Final Hour, for which Shawver provided a narration track on a few rare copies. Recorded April 12, 2007.

Don Hewitt Best known as the creator of 60 Minutes, Hewitt produced and directed the first televised presidential debate between John F. Kennedy and Richard Nixon. In 1963, he was the executive producer of the CBS Evening News with Walter Cronkite and he was one of the producers coordinating CBS coverage of the assassination. Recorded on November 9, 2002.

Tom Jennings An award-winning documentarian, Jennings has written, produced, and directed more than 400 hours of programming for television networks including CBS, Discovery Channel, and the History Channel. He was executive producer of The Lost JFK Tapes: The Assassination (2009) for National Geographic Channel. Jennings was interviewed with two of his documentary associates. Recorded November 17, 2009.

Martin Jurow The producer of such films as Breakfast at Tiffany's (1961) and The Pink Panther (1963), Jurow was the executive producer of The Sixth Floor Museum's films and worked with documentary filmmakers Allen and Cynthia Mondell. Recorded May 12, 1993.

George Stevens Jr. As chief of the United States Information Agency's motion picture division in the 1960s, Stevens produced the celebrated documentary John F. Kennedy: Years of Lightning, Day of Drums. As the first director of the American Film Institute, he was involved in the opening of the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., and has produced The Kennedy Center Honors since the program's inception. Recorded November 21 and 22, 2003.

Robert Stone An Academy Award- and Emmy-nominated director, Stone produced a series of documentaries for the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum in the 1990s. In 2007, he wrote, produced and directed the documentary film Oswald's Ghost for the American Experience series on PBS. Recorded November 19, 2007.

Liza Douglass A documentary researcher and production coordinator for television networks including History Channel and Discovery Channel, Douglass was associate producer and researcher for The Lost JFK Tapes: The Assassination (2009) for National Geographic Channel. She was interviewed with two of her documentary associates. Recorded November 17, 2009.

D.A. Pennebaker A noted documentary filmmaker, Pennebaker worked with Robert Drew on the landmark Kennedy films Primary (1960) and Crisis (1963). Later, he directed The War Room, an Academy Award-nominated documentary on the 1992 Clinton campaign. Recorded April 15, 2004.

Bill Paxton A popular actor (Titanic, Apollo 13, Twister) and noted director, Paxton was eight years old in 1963. He went with his father and older brother to see President Kennedy speak in front of the Hotel Texas in Fort Worth on the day of the assassination. Recorded March 23, 2007.

Bernard Birnbaum A longtime producer, editor and director with CBS News in New York, Birnbaum was in the studio with Walter Cronkite when Cronkite announced President Kennedy's death on national television. Birnbaum flew to Dallas on Saturday to cover the breaking news with Dan Rather and went on to work extensively in the development and production of every major CBS program related to the Kennedy assassination from 1964 to 2003. Recorded March 8, 2007.

Bryant C. Boren, Sr. Boren filmed the motorcade shortly before the shooting occurred. Later he joined with other amateur photographers to form the Dallas Cinema Associates and played an active role in producing the group's compilation film, President Kennedy's Final Hour. Recorded October 17, 2003.

Tom Cook An associate director with CBS Television in New York in 1963, Cook was involved in covering the events of the assassination. Recorded January 31, 1992.

Felix McKnight Managing editor at the Dallas Times Herald in 1963, McKnight coordinated the news coverage that weekend and wrote the paper's original lead story, which was tossed out when news of the assassination arrived. Recorded March 9, 1995.

Fred W. McDarrah As staff photographer for the Village Voice in New York City, McDarrah covered the avant-garde scene, including Andy Warhol's Factory, in the 1960s. Recorded April 11, 2003.

Albert Maysles A celebrated documentary filmmaker, Maysles worked with Robert Drew on the landmark 1960 Kennedy documentary Primary. In 1975 Maysles and his late brother, David, directed the film Grey Gardens, an intimate portrait of Jacqueline Kennedy's aunt and cousin. Recorded January 8, 2004.

Ron Frank An award-winning documentarian, Frank has written, directed, and edited programming for television networks including PBS, ABC, Discovery Channel, and History Channel. He produced and edited The Lost JFK Tapes: The Assassination (2009) for National Geographic Channel. Frank was interviewed with two of his documentary associates. Recorded November 17, 2009.

ACCOUSTICS

Sheriff Jim Bowles A longtime Dallas County sheriff (1985-2005), Bowles was supervisor of the Dallas Police Department radio division in 1963. Since the 1970s, he has thoroughly researched the assassination acoustics controversy. Recorded September 14, 1993.

OAK CLIFF

Johnny Calvin Brewer The manager of Hardy's Shoe Store in Oak Cliff on the day of the assassination, Brewer noticed a suspicious individual (who turned out to be Lee Harvey Oswald) and followed him down the street to the Texas Theatre. Brewer pointed Oswald out to Dallas police officers and witnessed his arrest. Recorded November 21, 2005.

Jack Davis A teenager in Oak Cliff, Davis was inside the Texas Theatre when Lee Harvey Oswald arrived, and he believed Oswald sat next to him for a short time. Recorded August 6, 2002.

Frank Griffin Griffin was working as a bricklayer at a construction site at the corner of Tenth and Denver Streets in Oak Cliff at the time of the assassination. He later heard shots fired nearby and witnessed the immediate aftermath of the shooting of Officer J.D. Tippit. Recorded November 7, 2008.

Wes Wise Mayor of Dallas from 1971 to 1976, Wise in 1963 was a reporter for KRLD-TV in Dallas and president of the Dallas Press Club. He spoke with Jack Ruby in Dealey Plaza the day after the assassination. Previously, in October 1963, Wise captured on film the famous attack on U.N. Ambassador Adlai Stevenson in Dallas. From 1992 to 1997, Wise served as a consultant and primary interviewer for the Museum's Oral History Project. Recorded January 26, 1993, November 22, 1998, September 22, 2005, November 1, 2007, and November 20, 2008. Records for this Oral History: 1/26/1993

Frances Moffeit Fourteen years old in 1963, Moffeit was standing in front of the Old Red Courthouse on Main Street and heard shots fired in Dealey Plaza. An Oak Cliff resident, she frequented Austin's BBQ where Officer J.D. Tippit worked. Recorded May 31, 2007.

Joan Bickerstaff Nichols A friend of Texas Theatre cashier Julia Postal, Nichols was on her way to visit Postal at the theater when the assassination took place. Nichols believed that Postal was traumatized and frightened after the assassination, and as a result, she lost touch with her by the end of 1963. Recorded September 19, 2005.

 Jim Ewell A Dallas Morning News reporter, Ewell was at the Texas Theatre when Lee Harvey Oswald was arrested. Later, Ewell became the spokesperson for the Dallas County Sheriff's Department. Recorded December 14, 1993.

PARKLAND

Pat Holloway A Dallas attorney, Holloway attended a political luncheon at the Adolphus Hotel on November 22, 1963. Shortly after the assassination, his senior law partner received an unusual, business-related call from Lyndon Johnson at Parkland Memorial Hospital. Holloway later became an oil and gas operator, founding the Humble Exploration Company. Recorded January 11, 2010.

Marvin Burlison An installation supervisor with Southwestern Bell Telephone in 1963, Burlison managed the special telephone service at the Trade Mart in preparation for the presidential visit. Immediately after the assassination, Burlison supervised the installation of new direct dialing service at Parkland Memorial Hospital. Recorded March 25, 2005.

Sharon Calloway An X-Ray Technology School intern at Parkland Memorial Hospital in 1963, Calloway saw the back of President Kennedy's head before he was moved into Trauma Room One. She later worked closely with the Dallas County medical examiner, Dr. Earl F. Rose, and recalled his feelings about the handling of the president's remains. Recorded January 27, 2002.

Dr. Robert G. Grossman A neurosurgeon at Parkland Memorial Hospital in 1963, Grossman was in Trauma Room One during the treatment of President Kennedy and claims to have examined the president's head wound; however, he was not called to testify before the Warren Commission. Recorded October 4, 2003.

Dr. James Carrico A resident in general surgery at Parkland Memorial Hospital in 1963, Carrico was the first physician to see President Kennedy upon his arrival at the hospital. Recorded August 2, 1997.

Dr. Ronald C. Jones Jones was the chief surgery resident in Parkland Memorial Hospital's emergency room on November 22, 1963. He was among the team of doctors that worked on the resuscitation of President Kennedy in Trauma Room One. Less than 48 hours later, he was part of the surgical team that treated Lee Harvey Oswald. Recorded October 31, 1997, and November 21, 2005.

Dr. Robert V. Walker A medical researcher and doctor of oral surgery at Parkland Memorial Hospital in 1963, Walker was briefly inside Trauma Room One as an observer during the treatment of President Kennedy. Recorded March 18 and July 29, 2009.

Dr. Robert N. McClelland McClelland was an instructor in surgery at Parkland Memorial Hospital in 1963 and was among the team of doctors in Trauma Room One who worked on President Kennedy. Less than two days later, he also assisted in the treatment of Lee Harvey Oswald. Recorded July 16, 2001.

CUBANS

Felix Rodriguez A member of Assault Brigade 2506, Rodriguez served as part of the Bay of Pigs invasion force. Recorded October 29, 2000.

Esteban Caras A member of Assault Brigade 2506, Caras served as part of the Bay of Pigs invasion force. Recorded October 29, 2000.

 Juan Perez Franco A member of Assault Brigade 2506, Franco served as part of the Bay of Pigs invasion force. Recorded October 29, 2000.

Hector Garcia A native Cuban who fled his homeland when Fidel Castro came to power, Garcia became an active community leader in Dallas. Recorded September 27, 2000.

Carlos Fonts A longtime Dallas businessman, Fonts was a Cuban native living in exile in Florida when he joined the Bay of Pigs invasion force. Recorded November 27, 2000.

Rene Gonzalez A member of Assault Brigade 2506, Gonzalez served as part of the Bay of Pigs invasion force. Recorded October 29, 2000.

 ZAPRUDER FILM

Phil Chamberlain Production supervisor at the Kodak lab in Dallas, Chamberlain encountered Abraham Zapruder when his film was brought in to be processed on November 22, 1963. Recorded September 21, 1994.

Joe Cook A photo technician specialist in Chicago, Cook processed film for Life magazine the weekend of the assassination and was invited to an early screening of the Zapruder film. In 2003, Cook was part of a team that examined the Mary Moorman photo for the Discovery Channel. Recorded September 4, 2003.

Dr. Darwin Payne A reporter for the Dallas Times Herald in 1963, Payne was in Abraham Zapruder's office shortly after the assassination and covered the events of that weekend, visiting the Texas School Book Depository and Oswald's rooming house in Oak Cliff. A prominent Dallas historian, Payne is now professor emeritus of communications at Southern Methodist University. Recorded January 20, 1995, November 21, 1999, October 23, 2003, and April 20, 2006.

Robert Drew A Life magazine editor and pioneer of American cinema verité, Drew made several documentaries about John F. Kennedy, including Primary (1960), Crisis (1963) and Faces of November (1964). Recorded January 9, 2004, and June 14, 2006.

John T. Harrison An executive at Kodak's Dallas lab in 1963, Harrison was on hand when Abraham Zapruder's film was processed and was among those who viewed the film the afternoon of the assassination. Recorded August 30, 1994.


Ann Johnson A waitress for Jetton's Catering, Johnson served at the Forth Worth breakfast and was on her way to serve at the planned Austin banquet when the assassination took place. Her husband, the late Peter Johnson, worked at the Dallas Kodak lab and kept slides of the Zapruder film as souvenirs. Johnson was interviewed with her daughter, Jean Johnson Brown. Recorded March 1,

Bruce Jamieson Jamieson was the owner of the Jamieson Film Company in Dallas, where three copies of Abraham Zapruder's film were made on November 22, 1963. Recorded February 23, 2000.

Myrna Ries The daughter of the late Abraham Zapruder, Ries saw the president arrive at Dallas Love Field and was with her father throughout the events of that weekend. Recorded March 4, 1997.

Erwin Schwartz The business partner of Abraham Zapruder, Schwartz was with Zapruder throughout that weekend and witnessed his contract with Life magazine. Recorded December 30, 1997.

Marilyn Sitzman A receptionist in Abraham Zapruder's office, Sitzman insisted Zapruder retrieve his camera to film the motorcade and then steadied him as he made his famous film of the assassination. Recorded June 29, 1993. Records for this Oral History: 6/29/1993

Richard B. Stolley The senior editorial advisor of Time, Inc., and the founding managing editor of People magazine, Stolley was the Los Angeles bureau chief for Life magazine in 1963. Immediately after the assassination, he traveled to Dallas and negotiated the magazine's purchase of the rights to the Abraham Zapruder film. Recorded November 22, 1996, November 21, 2003, and October

Patsy Swank A Dallas-based reporter for Life magazine in 1963, Swank is credited with alerting magazine officials that local dress manufacturer Abraham Zapruder had captured the assassination on film. Recorded June 11, 1996.

Josiah Thompson A prominent assassination researcher, Thompson was a consultant with Life magazine and wrote the 1967 book Six Seconds in Dallas. Recorded November 21, 1998.

DALLAS PD

Jack Revill Supervisor of Criminal Intelligence with the Dallas Police Department in 1963, Revill was involved in the immediate search of the Texas School Book Depository building, and he later had a controversial conversation with FBI agent James Hosty that greatly affected the bureau's relationship with the Dallas police. On Sunday, Revill accompanied Dallas Mayor Earle Cabell to Washington, D.C., for the president's funeral. Upon his return, he participated in a special investigation into the shooting of Lee Harvey Oswald. Recorded February 4, 2005.

Pat Revill The wife of Dallas Police Lt. Jack Revill, Pat Revill worked as a secretary in District Attorney Henry Wade's office from 1964 to 1973 and had daily interaction with Wade and Assistant District Attorney Bill Alexander. During that time, she worked on the Jack Ruby appeal. Recorded May 4, 2005. 

Ratliff A Dallas police officer in the early 1970s, Ratliff knew many of the officers that worked on the Kennedy assassination investigation. Thirteen years old in 1963, he watched the motorcade on Main Street. His late father, police patrolman Marshall Ratliff, was assigned to the Trade Mart luncheon. Recorded January 28, 2008.

Joe Cody A burglary and theft detective with the Dallas Police Department in 1963, Cody went to the Texas School Book Depository after the assassination. A friend of Jack Ruby's, Cody purchased a gun for Ruby in 1960 that Ruby later used to shoot Lee Harvey Oswald. Recorded October 11, 1999.

 James Leavelle Leavelle was the Dallas police detective immortalized in Bob Jackson's Pulitzer Prize-winning photograph of the shooting of Lee Harvey Oswald. Wearing a light-colored suit and a cowboy hat, Leavelle was handcuffed to Oswald and helped wrestle Jack Ruby to the ground. Recorded on June 10, 2002, June 2, 2005, January 24 and October 12, 2007, and November 19, 2008.Paul McCaghren A Dallas police lieutenant in 1963, McCaghren was stationed at the Trade Mart when the assassination took place. He was later part of a special team assigned to investigate the shooting of Oswald in the basement of Dallas City Hall. Recorded October 31, 2003.

 L.D. Montgomery A Dallas homicide detective in 1963, Montgomery was sent to the Texas School Book Depository shortly after the assassination. He discovered a brown paper bag on the sixth floor that might have been used to carry a weapon into the building. On Sunday, Montgomery was walking directly behind Lee Harvey Oswald when Jack Ruby shot Oswald. Recorded on November 25, 2002.

OIL MEN
John A. "Jack" Crichton An oil and gas company executive and longtime chairman of the board of Arabian American Development Co., Crichton worked for Dallas Civil Defense in 1963 and obtained a translator for Marina Oswald after her husband's arrest. Crichton was also a friend of George DeMohrenschildt, an acquaintance of Lee Harvey Oswald. Recorded July 6, 2001.

RUBY

Beverly Oliver A singer at the Colony Club in Dallas in 1963, Oliver knew Jack Ruby and many of his performers at the Carousel Club. In 1970, she came forward as a close eyewitness to the assassination, identified by researchers in films and photographs as the "Babushka Lady." Recorded January 12, 2007.

Tony Zoppi The nightclub editor for the Dallas Morning News in 1963, Zoppi knew Jack Ruby for more than 12 years. He maintained contact with Ruby after the assassination and became good friends with Ruby's flamboyant defense attorney, Melvin Belli.

Breck Wall An entertainer in Dallas in 1963, Wall was one of Jack Ruby's best friends at the time of the assassination. He spoke to Ruby on the phone the day before Oswald's shooting and was one of the only individuals allowed to visit him in jail. Later, Wall was almost implicated in Jim Garrison's controversial investigation. Recorded December 28, 1993

Earl Ruby Earl Ruby believed that his brother, Jack Ruby, killed Lee Harvey Oswald because of his love for John F. Kennedy. Recorded October 20, 1989.

Joe Hathaway In 1962, Hathaway met Jack Ruby while working in the camera department at the Sanger Brothers department store in Dallas. At Ruby's request, Hathaway frequently visited the Carousel Club for six months between 1962 and 1963 to photograph the dancers on stage. Recorded August 21, 2006.  

Judge Garvin Germany As president of the Junior Bar Association in Dallas in 1959, Germany hired exotic dancers from Jack Ruby for a stag party for the 1959 annual meeting of the American Bar Association. Supposedly among the distinguished guests at the party was Sen. John F. Kennedy. Recorded November 1, 2005.

Joy Dale In 1963, Dale worked as a stripper at Jack Ruby's Carousel Club. She spoke with Ruby at the club the afternoon of the assassination and was later interviewed on live television the day of the Oswald shooting. Recorded August 3, 2004.

FEDERAL AGENTS

William L. Duncan A U.S. Secret Service agent assigned to the White House detail during the Kennedy years, Duncan served as the advance agent for Fort Worth during the Texas visit in November 1963. Recorded October 15, 2005.

 Robert Gemberling An FBI agent stationed in Dallas, Gemberling was put in charge of the local investigation into the assassination in March 1964. Recorded July 30, 1997.

 Victor J. Gonzalez A U.S. Secret Service agent in 1963, Gonzalez was assigned to guard duty for President Kennedy's limousine after its arrival in Washington, D.C., on the evening of the assassination. Recorded October 15, 2005.

John Hambrock A specialist assigned to the model shop of the U.S. Army Exhibit Unit from 1962 to 1965, Hambrock crafted custom trophies and awards for Presidents Kennedy and Johnson to give to friends and dignitaries. Hambrock was at work on a special wood sculpture for JFK at the time of the assassination. Recorded September 12, 2007.

Wallace Heitman A 33-year veteran of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Heitman worked at the Dallas FBI office from 1962 to 1970. Less than a week after the assassination, he was assigned as the primary agent to interview Marina Oswald, and he spent many hours with her in the months prior to her Warren Commission testimony. Recorded February 8, 2008.

Mike Howard A U. S. Secret Service agent assigned to the Dallas field office, Howard served on the detail for Presidents Kennedy and Johnson. For the 1963 Texas trip, Howard was part of the advance team in Fort Worth and spent the evening of the assassination at Dallas police headquarters. Immediately thereafter he was assigned to protect the family of Lee Harvey Oswald at a secure location. Recorded November 18, 2005.

R. Lee Huffman A master sergeant in the U.S. Army, Huffman was assigned to the Transportation Division at the White House from 1961 to 1966. He went on the Texas trip in 1963 and was working at the Hotel Texas in Fort Worth when the assassination took place. Recorded November 22, 2008.

Stephen S. Jaffe Jaffe served as an investigator for New Orleans District Attorney Jim Garrison. Jaffe's work on the controversial Oswald backyard photographs led to him testifying as a photographic expert before the Rockefeller Commission in 1975. Recorded July 29, 2004.

Jerry D. Kivett A U.S. Secret Service agent in 1963, Kivett was assigned to Vice President Johnson's detail and was riding in his follow-up car in the Dallas motorcade. Kivett remained with the Johnsons until the swearing-in ceremony aboard Air Force One and was later assigned to the White House detail. Recorded October 14, 2005.

Winston Lawson A U.S. Secret Service agent assigned to the White House detail during the Kennedy years, Lawson was in charge of security in Dallas and did 10 days of advance work before the presidential party's arrival. In the motorcade, he rode in the lead car with Dallas Police Chief Jesse Curry. Recorded September 5, 2003.  

Nat Pinkston An FBI agent stationed in Dallas in 1963, Pinkston was a major part of the local investigation into the assassination. Recorded August 5, 1994.

Oliver "Buck" Revell A captain in the U.S. Marine Corps, Revell joined the FBI in 1964 partly because of his interest in the Kennedy assassination. During his long career with the bureau from 1964 to 1994, he achieved the rank of Executive Assistant Director-Investigations (SES-6). Revell worked with the House Select Committee on Assassinations and, as Special Agent in Charge of the Dallas Division, supervised the release of the Dallas FBI office's assassination-related files in the early 1990s. Recorded May 20, 2009.

Peter Rice An Army presidential helicopter pilot from 1962 to 1969, Rice flew with Presidents Kennedy and Johnson. Among his many trips, Rice accompanied Kennedy on his 1963 trip to Ireland and was the first helicopter pilot to fly Lyndon Johnson as president, on the evening of November 22, 1963. Recorded September 19, 2008, and August 26, 2009.

Pierre Salinger President Kennedy's press secretary, Salinger was en route to Japan with a group of Cabinet members at the time of the assassination. Recorded September 9, 1996.

Capt. Maury Seitz A former U.S. Air Force captain who later served as a longtime captain for American Airlines, Seitz was co-pilot on numerous chartered flights that backed up Air Force One during the Kennedy presidency. Seitz met the Kennedy family and spent time with Caroline and John Jr. During the Cuban missile crisis, his plane carried a JFK decoy during a top-secret flight. Recorded February 13, 2002, March 7, 2008, and July 15, 2009.

Bill Shaw An Army presidential helicopter pilot from 1958 to 1973, Shaw flew with four U.S. presidents. On November 21, 1963, he took President and Mrs. Kennedy from the White House to Andrews Air Force Base for their trip to Texas. Recorded September 19, 2008, and August 21, 2009.

Cecil Stoughton Stoughton was the official White House photographer during the Kennedy presidency, and among his many photographs is the signature image of President Johnson taking the oath of office aboard Air Force One. Recorded May 29, 1998.

Larry Sturdivan A physical scientist and wounds ballistics expert, Sturdivan worked with both the Warren Commission and the House Select Committee on Assassinations in analyzing ballistics evidence associated with Lee Harvey Oswald's rifle and the wounds of President Kennedy and Gov. Connally. Recorded on October 4, 1997.

Warren W. Taylor A U.S. Secret Service agent in 1963, Taylor was assigned to Vice President Johnson's detail and was riding in his follow-up car in the Dallas motorcade. After the assassination, Taylor was assigned to protect Lady Bird Johnson. Recorded October 14, 2005.

William W. Turner A former FBI agent, Turner co-authored the 1981 book The Fish Is Red, later republished as Deadly Secrets: The CIA-Mafia War Against Castro and the Assassination of JFK. Recorded October 23, 1992

Jack Valenti Formerly chairman and CEO of the Motion Picture Association of America, Valenti served as special assistant to President Johnson from 1963 to 1966. He was traveling with the presidential party in Dallas on November 22, 1963. Recorded February 24, 2004.

Ambassador William vanden Heuvel A distinguished lawyer and former representative to the United Nations, vanden Heuvel was Attorney General Robert Kennedy's assistant in the Justice Department during the Kennedy administration. Recorded November 21 and 22, 2003.

Allen D. Walker A member of the White House Communications Agency from 1962 to 1964, Walker was stationed in Paris and coordinated direct telephone communication from the White House to European leaders. He was alone in the office when the assassination took place and lost contact with the White House for more than an hour. Recorded July 12, 2007.

Dale Wunderlich A U.S. Secret Service agent assigned to the Protective Research Division in 1963, Wunderlich did an intelligence advance in Fort Worth prior to the presidential visit, coordinating sweeps of the Hotel Texas and conducting background checks on all employees. Following the assassination, he was part of a team that provided security for Marina Oswald for several months prior to her Warren Commission testimony.

THIS LIST IS INCOMPLETE- Please see Sixth Floor Museum for complete list  - BK