>> up next on book tv, a panel discussion on the creation of the sixth floor museum housed in the former texas school book depository which remembers the life, presidential tenure, and assassination of president john f. kennedy. this is the hour. [applause] >> thank you. thank you very much for being here today. this is truly remarkable audience. i have been with the museum for 13 years, and i cannot think of another vendor programmer we have an audience carnallite this . there are far too many people the require recognition for me to catch everyone's name. please forgive me. i want to point out some of our special guests. they're retired police detective who was handcuffed to lee harvey oswald of the time it was shot. [applause]

you might want to save your applause because i have a lot to go through. seated very close to jim is eugene boom, the dallas deputy sheriff for discovered the rifle on the sixth floor that day. also over in that area we have phyllis hall, a nurse from the hospital who was in trauma room number one when president kennedy died and also rose who worked for the time when bureau in houston at the time of the assassination. over behind rows we have a wonderful julie who was press aide to governor john connally at the time of the assassination . one of the first reporters inside this building. pierce was later our tour narrator for the audio tour which continues to guide guests through the sixth floor exhibit today. i think i get that section. i do want to go through this quickly. we have some eyewitnesses, a

teaneck, our youngest photographer at the time of the assassination seated behind to my bill in detail, the closest civilian eyewitnesses to president kennedy at the time of the shooting. is james here today? was supposed to be here. that's okay. we hope all is well. we have some other folks here. the tenth juror selected for the jack ruby trial is here today. let's see. dr. phil williams. all right. well, now we have others. we have a number of museum founders as well. here on the front row, allen and cynthia, wonderful documentarian's created the films that you continue to see. bob and barbara. >> the side of the room. dowries of the designers who created such a wonderful display which continues to fascinate our visitors.

jackie is here, research for the exhibit and also was involved in reconstructing the sniper's perch. a number of our board members past and present. over here. various. we're so happy to have all of you here today. so many friends and family and professional colleagues. we are honored to have all of the year to be here to celebrate the history and look back on how this museum became a reality. i have written a book about the history of this museum. as an introduction before i introduce these ladies i want to go back in time a little bit and provide a little context so we understand what happened here between november 22nd 1963 and when these nine ladies became involved in this project. we have to start with the day of the assassination. these two, we would not be here today. we would not be able to speak in

this historic text without these two women. and we and history of them a great debt of thanks. and so we're honored to have them with us today. i want to begin with the assassination of president kennedy which had a profound impact on people of ron the world. here in dallas this was a devastating tragedy that left indelible runs that were not easily healed. virtually overnight the plaza became the city's most visited site. mourners and curiosity seekers transformed the plaza into a shrine of flowers and cards. at the center of the experience was the texas school book depository building. when the text book distribution company vacated a warehouse in 1970 there was an immediate public outcry to tear down the structure. many in the local community viewed the structure as an eyesore and a painful reminder of the assassination. the anger directed locally at this building stem from the international criticism that

dallas in toward after the assassination. in the months and years leading up to president kennedy's visit a local minority of extremists had dominated the political image of the city. in the aftermath of the president's death dallas more a stigma as a city of hate that took years to shed. ashamed and angry they naturally sought to distance themselves from the darkest moment in the city's modern history. though eager to put the assassination behind them, local residents did not forget to honor the memory of president kennedy, a bronze marker unveiled in the plaza in 1966 will philip johnson was dedicated nearby in 1970. it was here in this building that visitors from around the world estimated over 1 billion annually gathered to discuss the assassination, remember president kennedy, and experience history to their own eyes. there was initially an effort by

state senator mike mccourt for the state of texas to purchase the building, but he found no support in the senate. in 1970 and national music promoter purchase the building at public auction helping to open a museum and research center. unable to secure financial backing they lost the depository in 1972. at this point a public outcry to demolish the building gained momentum. community leaders advocated tearing down the depository. a group of business executives from an organization called dallas on word implies several hundred thousand dollars to purchase the building in demolish it. ultimately after the dallas city council led by the mayor frows demolition permits dallas county led by public works director and arranged to purchase the depository as part of a 1977 bond package. after several years of renovations the building was

renamed the dallas county administration building housing the commissioners court, public works, and the civil division of the dallas district where his office. upon its reopening in 1981 it received a texas historical marker publicly an analogy for the first time in its place in history. the question remained what do we do with the sixth floor? that is where our story begins. you were chair of the dallas county historical commission and the county bought the building. take us back to your first visit to that empty floor. your first reaction when you found out that there might be an exhibition on the sixth floor this building. >> and going even further back than that. >> it's your program. >> 1975 appointed to be the historical commission chairman. that would be nice and fun. so it's down here a lot.

and i would not look at this building. nice just -- in fact, i gave bus tours for the doctors he did that when conventions were in town. the remember going down. turning the corner. linda was pointing out the cabin in the courthouse, the best. there were also, you know -- and i was kind of offended. that's all we want to see in dallas. obviously i had put it out of my mind. leyna was appointed as chairman of the historical commission and being down here a great deal and seeing the visitation, incredibly all day all night all kinds of weather. there were visitors looking up

at the window walking around. it became evident that something needed to be done. the hero of today. we are so appreciative of the job you did on this book. recorded all of our ups and downs. you did to such a wonderful judge. now, my first zero was the judson, the facilities director of dallas county. and that would go to a commissioners court meetings in meet various commissioners and talk about the possibility of acquiring this building. so it was not news to me, but he handled that so beautifully. there were ten miracles that occurred that through jensen's effort, number one, the building was acquired.

number two, the commissioners decided to hire and architectural team that had done the building. and on know if any of you remember that wonderful restoration. it was kind of power first major historic preservation project. and he also worked on the governor's. so that was such a relief. and the preservation that these persons who were very knowledgeable about historic buildings would be working on a. so it gave me a total sense of comfort that i was called one day to a meeting. and we went to jackson's office and company by martin jarrow. well, some of the commissioners

meetings, a wonderful man. the had no idea that he was the producer, would producer, breakfast at tiffany's. i just knew he loved history. and so the three of us were over in jensen's office. he brought us across the street, walked to the back through this eerie, dusty, terrible building to the back elevator, freight elevator and went up to six. it went to two floors. so when we walked out into that interspace and walked across the floor it was a profound experience. when you never forget. end of the to up the window. i have never held a gun in my hand.

and the town and i thought, this is close. dry didn't think it's something from mir. that's a misnomer. generally by the general public that this is a great open space. really it's not. so realizing what we had a head of us and how important this was to mile actually signed on to do anything that i could tell promote or not promote something on the sixth floor that would be part of dallas history, the history of the world. what happens on a terrible day. >> absolutely. >> the first thing you really did for this project was see what visitor interest there was.

you went out in the plaza, did the visitors survey, had some difficulty finding statistics for visitation. >> the testing to cut taxes historic commission gave the historic mission of 500 mg to bring in the ising specialists. and lo and behold little did i know. and so i when. fabulous, by the way. what kind of statistics to have? he went, what. and so there was nothing but a visitor interest. and of course the county having acquired the building, the idea of giving away ten dozen square feet of valuable downtown real-estate for a nonprofit is something that the taxpayers-questions about unless some very strong arguments to be made for public interest. i called the convention and visitors bureau.

they said, we don't have any. the want to know about interest in south fork? i said south fork is not even in dallas county. they said, that doesn't matter. what about -- neiman-marcus. we have that. you have to have something. they said, we do not have anything some went back and said but said we do the quick and dirty survey. it was a one-page questionnaire. we put people at the plaza in the course of the weaker so. i had gone to the employees whose office is overlooked the plaza. and their a lot of people, just a few? and obviously there was huge interest. we did survey and came up with 100 percent of the people surveyed said that under the right circumstances and

educational exhibit for the public about the event in the school book depository, there would want to see. if the state paid for it didn't want to pay. if private people that they're all willing to pay a modest commission fee. that was the basis on which we went forward to the commissioners court saying there is interest. and we applied for of the law grant from the national endowment for the humanities, the only federal grand we got. they gave about $8,600 to bring in a panel to study. now, the county was getting ready to begin renovations to the building. the 1963 elements on the exterior of the building were still present. the school book depository sign, we brought in jeanne george, may

he rest in peace. he was a restoration architect, very highly respected, not just in texas, but nationally. we promptly dubbed in moses. >> he would not say much, but when he spoke we all listen to. >> we had this been when leona together. the panel said, who is that? that is the media. there will be taking pictures of us every time we meet. and they did for the next ten years. the decision needed to be made. he's in and everything and came back and sit here is what you need to do. everything was recorded if not preserved. critical elements of triplicate were preserved. so at some future date -- can you remember the discussion.

that was very difficult. it's such an identifying mark on the city. and he felt that if there moved it there would be a healing cry about what happened to the side. so we went up the stairs on the roof and walked around. it was just in their step. that was something that needed to be done. we save the panel. >> it's interesting. the third floor of this building they installed a structural tried that in some future date way down, if they did want to put the sign back up there it would support the wind load.

it's a wonder it did not just had ride out. but. >> in the early 80's pop staples and barbara charles, boris the to the designers. talk about how you create in these it narrative and fitted geographically within an 1901 warehouse space when you have to lead our visitors to the southeast corner window at the right moment. >> they were in dallas with a major exhibit. rapiers said these are probably the finest exhibit designers ever and certainly in the united states. they did not want to come up and

set the floor. there were very kind, very generous and did come one afternoon. i watched. there is barbara. they immediately -- you could see it wheels turning. this needs to be preserved. this means to be preserved. this could be done in another way. excuse me for interrupting -- >> you didn't. >> that was a key element. later they did call and said it would be on board. >> lindalyn adams talked him into it. [laughter] >> no. they just said, it might as well be done well. [laughter] >> and it was. >> in the summer of 1983, the model of the exhibit, the two of you went out into the dallas community is speak to community

leaders like stanley marcus and johnston and to try to convince the dallas establishment that this exhibit needed to happen. it served a purpose. take us into one of those meetings and tell us how these city leaders responded to the story. [laughter] >> i will say this. very primitive. we took our own projector and slide. we depended upon having a blank wall to protect our side on. all these different businessmen. and so we went to see stanley marcus. very kind and gracious. and we looked to him. it was a whole place. in behind him was this priceless tapestry. and so he reached around behind this desk and pulled out a great big piece of parchment with his caricature on one side.

he turned it around, call the secretary, and he himself so that we can't give a presentation. he was very kind. but that was an interesting, interesting. in we went to see eric thompson. >> oh, boy. >> and will never forget because everyone relives or they were. i don't care if you or six years old or 80. you remember where you were hamel was happening. so there is eric johnson who is called on to go to the kennedy funeral and represent dallas. if you can imagine anything harder than that -- and i don't know what it would be. then he came back to dallas and answered the call to be the

mayor. then, you know, help the steel. and then shall we talk about big john. >> that was the hatchet. >> remember, he had had to. [laughter] >> i tend to forget things i don't like. >> just as well. [laughter] >> i didn't forget that. >> the director of the historical society was on the board. you know, was becoming the first president that they never had 60 years. john simmons was on the board. you know, publishers of both papers. and it was, you know, a dynamic group. i knew these men. we made an appointment to go see john. well, his sister-in-law, his brother and he adored and died. his sister-in-law and still had

an office next to john. he called there. he sat down. a tell the story. all of a sudden the sister-in-law excused herself. then his assistant excused herself. we were sitting with john simmons behind that huge task. he's about 64. i always thought of them as mr. dallas. he did not say a word. finally he spoke. he said, well, it has to be done. you go head. [laughter] so it's that kind of adventure. >> in the early 80's this exhibit ran into a number of delays and obstacles outside

forces. i want to just go through a couple of these. initially the national park service did not consider this to be an historic site worth preserving. initial fund-raising efforts were not successful. in the attempted assassination of president reagan brought attention back on dallas. john hinckley bought the gun used to shoot him here. that pushed fund-raising and a table. then there was an arson attempt during the 1984 republican national convention. the building almost burned down. >> proven adams was an obstetrician. he was accustomed to and from the phone and the middle of the night. about 4:00 a.m. one morning he said -- he answered the phone and said still asleep. then he said, it's for you. and the reporter had forgotten which paper. anyway, called and said,

mrs. adams, there has been a fire in the texas school book depository. mind you, this was in the middle or toward the end of the republican national convention with everyone still here in town so i quickly dressed and ran down here. by the time i got here and now was visiting with the county judge. we were just like what else could happen. they had the fire under control. it turned out to have been set. it was arson in the basement with a lot of the things that they had at the jfk museum had detonated. and so there was just damage to the building. it was something that could be repaired. >> the number of these obstacles, but there was this prevailing notion that this was not calling to work. in the exhibit will be a shrine

to lee harvey of salt, and had to battle these feelings, these -- this animosity toward the idea of anything is torque. i want to take a quick look at of asea -- video clip that we prepared. following is to show it today. we will look at a clip from late 1986. you will see and hear about ongoing efforts to try and raise interest and awareness. >> building an exhibit recounting the president's assassination. the display was to be set up on the sixth floor of the old school book depository building in downtown dallas. tonight the report on new efforts to raise money for that exhibit. >> thousands of tourists visit the site of the kennedy assassination every year. for many, looking around outside is not enough. >> i like to know wind. and like to see what happens.

>> where she and other visitors want to see is the sixth floor of the old school book depository. the spot where the harvey oswald is said to have fired the fatal shot. but this space in what is now the county demonstration building remains close to the public. the historical exhibit one scheduled to open this year remains several years away. >> we have not really gone to the public to ask for funds in almost two years. >> and knowledge in the tight economy has pushed the kennedy despite lower on the list of major contributors. she says a study completed last night's suggests setting a new fund-raising program. the historical display, a collection of photos, documents, and film clips will cost $3 million to set of books the chronological events of the assassination of john fitzgerald >> to help raise the money a six minute promotional tape will send the updated and circulating to business leaders and the

public. by early next year in dallas county historical foundation held to kick off its new three-year fund-raising campaign >> a very tragic part of our history, but it did occur here. we feel that it needs to be handled in the best possible way >> visitors comments in the foundation this book shows a continuing interest in a 64 exhibit. foundation officials of the public will respond with money. adams says that the split will not be what critics call in memorial to an assassin but rather a chronicle of the events of november 22nd 1963. some say it is still too soon. >> all right. late-1980s six. everything changes with the new dallas county judge lee jackson. quite to your surprise pledging his support in his inauguration that he wanted to see the six will become a reality and everything took offer and after that. >> christmas and new year's all

together. before that almost the day before we had a visitor from the national park service in santa fe named richard sellers. and he wanted to see the sixth floor. he was here for the cotton ball game. we took him up and tell them about the plans that had been developed through the years by, over and all of the consultants. and he said, this more than meets the standards of the park service. and he was very, you know, interested in doing what he could to help. so that was so terribly exciting and then to have lead whom i had never met make this announcement in his inauguration when he became county judge was, again, just a thrill. and some this started, you know,

the final push to have that. he came back to lead the charge, which he did so beautifully. it would not have been finished ever if it had not been for cover. .. early on you at a problem with the bridge not matching what you wanted this specification. >> once we were -- we won the

war about this, the elevator tower which may "the new york times," then the county of course very involved of all of the construction because it is their building, we ordered a brick that would be compatible with the sort of american brick color of the depository building which has a lot of orange and it. and what arrived to build this tower was horrible. and so we called the owner of the company, and he flew in and we stood and looked out the back of the sixth floor where the tower was going to be. and he said, that color is perfect. [laughter] and judge fox, dave fox west live this of course, was standing next to me and i turned around to this guy and i said, let me make sure that i get your name. and your telephone number. and she said why? i said, because when "the new york times" calls and asks why

dallas has built an elevator tower that looks for all intents and purposes like a dream circle -- [laughter] i want to make sure that i can give them your contact information. and ask a silly time i ever saw dave fox's mouth fall open. you look at me afterwards and he said, that should do it. [laughter] but there were delays. we had more ice storms and it was coming in, it was just amazing that it all hang together in the nick of time. spent the key evidentiary area, the snipers nest was reconstructed to the way it appeared to dallas crime simply photographic when you pulled up the plywood floor, tell us about how that site was repaired? >> they were laying a new floor on the sixth floor when the assassination took place with

plywood planks. they hadn't got to the corner windows when you that the old flooring had been there. so the planks are finished after the event and they had to come up for, you know, reconstruction of the snipers perch. so i go in and we pull up the planks and we're terrified the flowing would be all rotted out but that was not the problem. the problem was that they had a civil second of the day had his office immediately beneath the snipers perch on the fifth floor. and when the ripped up the planks, i'll this pigeon guano and -- [laughter] , dead spiders, historic dirt, we always said were preserving the dirt. it ended up in his office. and i went down, somebody came up and said, we've got a problem. i went and and he was in his office. the man was totally bald. he never had a hair on his head. and i looked, and in the frame

of the picture of his wife and kids, there were little bits of dried view and stuff all over the sofa and i said, this is just terribly embarrassing. and he said, just tell me that it's over. [laughter] and i said,s out, it's done. we will send somebody down to clean it up. >> let's talk about -- the visitor center was being built in the back, and the state or national mandate. conover, we watched from the fifth floor, and i think you said the worst thing that they can find is a handmade -- [laughter] the guess what appeared? one of the county administrators

said do you think this would be a felony if we backed up a lot of concrete and filled it in? anyway, but it kind of went on and on and on. so conover kept saying, now, if we find any bones like bully mammoth bones, we have to completely do a new gig. so to provide a little levity, lee jackson's friends and judges got together for an april fools joke. conover went to dallas newsstands of natural history and borrowed a woolly mammoth bone. [laughter] now, it was tagged and which allowed but it was very impressive spent about that long spent they brought in government, all of these certain -- never totally thrilled with the total project, had a part.

and his part was to come in, barrel in with newspaper, i mean television reporters which he did beautifully. he came in, he said, judge, i just found out that they found able in mammoth bone. you know that means? another $75,000 for this. and amusement, may we see you, talk to you, judge? i'm afraid i must ask you to leave my office. and, of course, my part was to hold the bones and kind of community, do like this. he was so used to seeing me rub my hands over one thing or another. and so it worked. and so then jim jackson said, lee, come over here to the window and looked out. and leg eight and hear all his friends say april fools. [laughter]

spanky was afraid. there might be repercussions. >> judge jackson led his commissioners court in such a wonderful way. he was our champion, and kept us from any controversy. >> let's talk for a minute about the exhibit country because you have a limited space to tell a very important story in the context of 1960s american history. how did you work with historians, amateur researchers, conspiracy theorist? there were some 27 people that helped to shape the content to talk a little bit about how it came together. >> the preliminary designs that have been worked out, what was missing until we came back to life in 87, was the documentary film makers. that's when the mondale's came into complete the team. >> on the first floor right

here. >> first row. at any rate, there's nothing about the content that you couldn't question. and so we had a large number of experts from the caa. you name it, it ended up being 20 some who worked on arriving at what was a consensus of what the facts were. if you go into the warren commission exhibits, they give you, gary will correctly, he always does, three different times that officer tippett was shot. and there's a lot of apparently contradictory information. with official investigations and then we had to do overviews of the major conspiracy theories. just a tremendous amount of information went into. we also wanted, there are hundred pages of text on the

wall, that's about 50 pages too much. there's about a 30% overlap between the content of the felt and what's on the walls and the label. it was very much can we're all very unaware of the fact that you have what we say in the museum field is leaders and runners. some people go through an exhibit and they run. some people go through an exhibit and read and find every type of in the whole thing. so it was all very carefully balanced out, but we had a wonderful dinner party with the main, that generation of conspiracy theorist. and ahead of the house select committee on assassinations, mary farrell was there it was a respected researcher. and it was just an incredible dinner partner i would not recommend that anyone have such a dinner party.

[laughter] >> we survived it. just tremendous amounts of beverages were consumed last night and nobody anything at all as far as i can tell. but we worked out. they interested that we are doing history, that we need to find an approach, that you couldn't get an exhibit on their theory versus another three. that we have a responsibility because tax dollars had been spent on history. and it all worked out. i don't think too many people know that the editor of the task was judge jackson who ended up being a terrific editor. and we had, i mean, everyone was involved. so there was a lot of coordination actually everyone came together and cooperated. largely. we had retired cia, staff director came in to work with stable natural to they call me

at 7:30 on the subject of this guy has applied for a topic what you think? i said look, let him in. better that there up front. keeper people close, and everyone was very helpful. but everyone finally got the idea that we are doing something that was more important than any of the individuals involved, and that we're doing it for the public good and the public was people all over the world who are either ignorant about an event, confused about an event. and we had the site and it was dallas is karma that they to do with. that's basically what happened. >> opening day arrives, figure 20, 1989, and the sixth floor is under the media microscope. mostly praise, a few detractors but mostly praise. i remember that the front page of the dallas "times-herald"

that david simply today we stand whole again. lindalyn, you were there that day. there's a ceremony in the commissioners court in 1700 people filed through the exhibit. tell us about opening day. >> people kept asking for my autograph. i could hardly sign. but it was, we thank each other. i thanked conover because it was too this would not have been done if it hadn't been for conover and durability and drive and -- >> and i thanked her spent and she thanked me. and we had the president of the national trust -- now, wait a minute. yes, who spoke and was very complemented. i remember him liking me to name, naming me cunningham. and i thought oh, my goodness,

what a compliment. she was the one who saved mount vernon in 1854. >> may i interrupt? >> yes. >> he also said lindalyn adams is amec truck disguised as a pink powder puff. [laughter] >> that was another -- >> we are running short of time. you have question cards. he should've gotten us as you came in to give you the question for any of us today, please fill those out and asked them in and will be clicking those and try to get to as many questions as we can. so let's fast forward. let's fast forward 25 years to our upcoming 20th anniversary in february of next year. this institution began life as an exhibit. some would say it was a temporary exhibit because its longevity at that point was not assured. where are we now? how did the two of you see this museum and its contribution to

understanding dallas and the kennedy assassination? >> well, i think we both felt that it was going to be, it was going to last. because we realized what had been compiled. but we are very careful not to call it a museum. i mean, dallas still, you know, there are feelings and sensitivities about the site. so in order to move ahead and to plan an exhibit, that is what we called it for the first few years. and then later i think jeb west was the director, and actually worked with what national museum -- so it is, it is now a verified museum.

but we felt it would last. i think, i did, i know you did. >> oh, yes. a lot of the obstacles that we faced, you're talking about convincing a town that is been totally traumatized to invest in something they can't see. once we got it opened, it was largely fine. but getting it open was coming in a, you're asking them to trust in an unknown when there have been very, very many, much damage has been done. not just to the committee but to individuals who were yelled at when he went to other cities, and so on and so forth. and so anything that could trigger a fearful reaction, if you said museum, they immediately started talking about you going to have, you know, the rifle. you're going to have all these unsavory things, and we just

moved away from the. the board was very, very good, led by lindalyn. and getting the right tone. i looked at it as much up to get it open. and then knowing and praying that it would be successful, because barbara charles asked before, she said, who's going to cover the opening? i said they needed it will be a breaking news story. and she said, well, what if they don't like it? and i said, barber, it's easy. none of us will ever worked anywhere again. [laughter] >> but we left out the board, wonderful board. and something that happened one day when we are really in the midst of all this, i do like the by the name of nancy cheney was working on the alzheimer's gala with rita hayworth gala comic and she wanted me to be the

co-chairman and came down to the house. and we were visiting and she just casually said, you know, we are friends of the kennedy family, that they do invite us to all their events and parties. and i said, senator ted kennedy? and she said yes. my daughter worked for him, and allison is here on the front row as well as nancy cheney. and so i told her the scope of what we were trying to do. and i said, nancy, would you mind taking this information to senator kennedy? and she agreed to do it. think of that. just think of that. we have never been in contact with any of the kennedy family. painful, something, you know, when you know, we knew that

teddy would want to hear. but nancy took our material, and i would love for you to be able to tell us, but what happened is that ted kennedy -- he said nancy, i know if you're involved it's going to be all right. and from that point on, his assistant, melody miller, kept in touch with us and actually came down to dallas to meet all of us. and so we had an open conduit, you know, to the kennedy family. nancy, stand up. we want to thank you. [applause] >> after she visited with ted kennedy, he asked her to go to new york and visit with steve

smith. steve smith about it was been in contact, right, with the family. >> i want to go through a few of our questions from the audience today. this one is addressed to all three of us. where were you when president kennedy was shot? i have to say, i have to do is call for myself on this. i was not alive and present to the wish a. but whoever wrote this, my mother is here but she might want have a word with you after the program. i was actually born several years after the assassination, but the two of you shortly remember where you were on november 22, 1963. if you could briefly tell us where you were and how you found out about the assassination. >> go ahead. >> okay. i was just home and i was having a meeting at my house of doctors wives, and all of the sudden, rubin figured and he was in his office overlooked this emergency

room it and he couldn't get through to tell us what happened because all the lines were tied up. so we came in and he said, turn on the television. and we did and what stood around and watched it and he said, resident kennedy was shot in the head. and i, i said, oh, you know, felt was any way he could survive. so that's how i found out about it. >> i was leaving my last class on a friday in hampton high school. i was a senior. and was involved with a local, with the newspaper school and i was a future editor of the news editor. ran around with a transistor radio. we were walking down this long hallway and radio, kennedy has been shot. and i realized later that what he had heard was the first radio announcement.

and he yelled it down the hall, and that was it. there are parts of memory, everybody communism remembers what they were doing but if you look at your memory in more depth you'll find that the edges of it are very great. >> well, and you know, here in dallas it touched so many lives in so many ways because all the emergency trauma team were good friends of ours. and also rubin went back sunday to make rounds and he was on the other going up to the surgical suite and the push by guernsey on with him, and it was a comatose man. he said, and it turned out to be oswald. well, the team who had worked to save president kennedy's life turned out to also be on call when oswald damien. -- oswald came in.

my next-door neighbor when i was growing up was a thoracic surgeon who said conley's life. we had an extended member of the family who was an fbi agent here, and he was one of the ones interrogate at oswald. he would never ever say anything about it until right before he died. it was just three or four words, in his opinion. of course, you know, that story is out loud. he basically said, and i quote, he was such a -- he said he was a little punk and he did it. i thought, wow. >> stories like the one you share today are very important to us at the museum. they form the backbone for ongoing or history project. lindalyn, you help start that way back.

conover comics you become you've started that way back in early and with almost 1100 oral histories now recorded as we approached the 20th anniversary we're looking for news -- new stores but if you're members of president kennedy of the day the assassination if you'd like to share with us, please contact us through our website at jfk.org. i would like to ask all of the people in the audience if you done an oral history, if you've been part of our oral history project, stand for me so we can recognize you. there's quite a few of you in the audience here today. [applause] >> that's wonderful. i hope that even more of you will become a part of this archive of living history rebuilding at the easy but another question directed to both of you. dude you have any regrets or is it anything you wish you had done differently in the creation of this museum? >> just thank goodness it's done. >> it wasn't the kind of thing you can second guess.

i mean, you know, you either survived our view -- [laughter] i was very gratified to see that it was well received your hindsight was, we knew it was going to be content, as would actually people involved. and that was a matter of getting it open to the public so that the fears would be laid to rest. that was kind of it. >> conover, this question is for you. how do you feel about the museum today in 2013? >> i think that it is become a real museum. it's doing all of the things that are truly important national respected museums. the education program, the outreach, the distance learning,

the oral history program, the publications, your book. and gary is doing a that was job as curator and advising others, i went to see the fort worth art show at the art museum, you know, alan and santa yesterday. and the film and there was done by the 64. the accurate equality. it's the magnet that i always dreamed it would become. it has the best collection of materials relating to a global tragedy that exist on the face of the earth. and now is doing right things with that material. and so i think that, i think that dallas should be very proud of the professionals who have come through in the last 20 some years and really turned it into a nationally respected educational institution. >> and i would like for everybody who worked in any way

on the sixth floor museum to stand and let us recognize you. >> up you go. [applause] >> that about does it for today. conover, lindalyn myself will be moving over to the table in a few moments to sign books for you. and with all of these other wonderful found here today, i'm sure all of them would be happy to add their signatures to the book as well. you can create your own six floor museum yearbook. this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. thank you so much for being and being a part of the special conversation about our history. thank you. [applause] [inaudible conversations] >> for more information about the sixth floor museum at dealey plaza, visit jfk.org.

>> this summer booktv has been asking washingtonians, legislators and viewers what they're reading. here's what some of you have to say. on facebook, paul posted i just finished all 791 pages of witness by whittaker chambers.

>> what are you reading this summer? post our facebook wall, tweet us are sinners and a note to let us know what is on your reading list. you can visit all of our social media sites to see what others are reading and we might share your posts here on booktv. >> you are watching booktv on on c-span2. here's our primetime lineup for tonight.

social secretary to jacqueline kennedy, reporters and others closest to recent presidential wives talk about the role of the first lady and now it is changed