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
