JFK Assassination – Warren Commission Vertical Files on Core Kennedy Topics

Description

Kennedy Assassination: Timeline and Key Figures

November 22, 1963:

• Assassination of President John F. Kennedy: President Kennedy is assassinated in Dallas, Texas. The events surrounding the motorcade in Dallas and the shots fired are a key focus of subsequent investigations.
• Immediate Aftermath: President Kennedy’s remains are returned to Washington D.C. Jacqueline Kennedy’s actions during the shooting are documented.

November 29, 1963:

• Appointment of the Warren Commission: President Lyndon B. Johnson appoints “The President’s Commission on the Assassination of President Kennedy,” commonly known as the Warren Commission. Its mandate is to investigate the assassination and the subsequent killing of the alleged assassin, reporting its findings and conclusions to President Johnson.

Post-November 29, 1963 (Ongoing Investigation):

• Commission’s Investigative Focus: The Warren Commission begins its extensive investigation, covering core topics concerning the assassination.
• Gathering of Documents and Information: The Commission compiles 1,209 pages of documents created or gathered by its members. These include:
• Trip Preparations: Itinerary for the trip to Texas, FBI memos on planning, Secret Service preliminary survey reviews, and Dallas Police Department memos concerning the trip.
• Motorcade in Dallas: Files specifically on President Kennedy’s motorcade.
• Shots Fired: Affidavits and interviews related to the shots fired at President Kennedy, as well as specific vertical files on this topic.
• Autopsy and Remains: Documents concerning President Kennedy’s autopsy and the return of his remains.
• Witness and Agency Communications: Interviews with witnesses and communications received from various agencies, including the FBI, Secret Service, Dallas Police Department, and the Dallas County Sheriff Department.
• Jacqueline Kennedy’s Actions: Documentation concerning her actions during the shooting.

Cast of Characters

• President John F. Kennedy (JFK): The 35th President of the United States, whose assassination in Dallas, Texas, on November 22, 1963, is the central event investigated by the Warren Commission.
• Jacqueline Kennedy: The First Lady of the United States at the time of the assassination. Her actions during the shooting and the return of President Kennedy’s remains are noted in the Commission’s files.
• President Lyndon B. Johnson: The Vice President who succeeded Kennedy as President. He appointed the Warren Commission on November 29, 1963, to investigate the assassination and the subsequent killing of the alleged assassin.
• The Warren Commission (The President’s Commission on the Assassination of President Kennedy): A commission appointed by President Johnson to investigate the assassination. Its members are responsible for gathering documents, interviewing witnesses, and compiling findings and conclusions. (Note: The sources do not list individual members of the Commission, only the entity itself).
• Alleged Assassin: The individual who was subsequently killed after President Kennedy’s assassination. The Warren Commission’s mandate included investigating this subsequent killing. (Note: The sources do not name this individual).
• Witnesses: Individuals who provided affidavits and interviews to the Warren Commission concerning the events of the assassination, particularly regarding the shots fired.
• FBI (Federal Bureau of Investigation): An agency that provided memos on trip planning and other communications to the Warren Commission.
• Secret Service: An agency that conducted preliminary surveys of the trip and provided memos to the Warren Commission.
• Dallas Police Department: The local law enforcement agency in Dallas that provided memos concerning the trip and other communications to the Warren Commission.
• Dallas County Sheriff Department: A local law enforcement agency in Dallas County that communicated with the Warren Commission.

JFK Assassination – Warren Commission Vertical Files on Core Kennedy Topics

1,209 pages of documents created or gathered by The President’s Commission on the Assassination of President Kennedy, most commonly referred to as the Warren Commission.

President Johnson appointed the Warren Commission on November 29, 1963, to investigate the assassination of President Kennedy on November 22, 1963, at Dallas, Texas. President Johnson directed the Commission to evaluate matters relating to the assassination and the subsequent killing of the alleged assassin, and to report its findings and conclusions to him.

This collection contains Commission vertical files on President Kennedy and Jacqueline Kennedy. Documents covering the Commission’s investigative focus and interviews with witnesses and communications sent to the Commission from agencies such as the FBI, Secret Service, Dallas Police Department, and the Dallas County Sheriff Department.

The subjects covered include: Core topics concerning the assassination; Preparations for the trip to Dallas; The motorcade in Dallas; Affidavits and interviews concerning the shots fired; President Kennedy’s autopsy; The return of the President’s remains to Washington D.C.; and the actions of Jacqueline Kennedy during the shooting.

Highlights include:

A folder labeled “Kennedy, John F. Trip to Texas.” Includes an itinerary for the trip, FBI memo on planning for the trip, a Secret Service memo reviewing the agency’s preliminary survey of the trip, memos concerning the trip by the chief of the Dallas Police Department.

Warren Commission Vertical File on President Kennedy’s Motorcade.

Warren Commission Vertical File on shots fired at President Kennedy.