Mr. LAWSON. Yes, sir.
Mr. STERN. For use during the visit of the President? Were you told
anything about the assistance you would have in doing advance work for
the Dallas trip?
Mr. LAWSON. Could you be more explicit, please?
Mr. STERN. Whether you would have another agent assigned to do the work
with you?
Mr. LAWSON. Oh, yes. I had been told earlier, sometime between November
4 and 8, that another agent would be accompanying me, but, because of
the Presidential trips which were occurring right at that time, that
they would not be able to send out one at the same time, and he would
have to join me later in Dallas after some of the other trips had been
taken care of.
Mr. STERN. What were the usual arrangements as far as assignments?
Mr. LAWSON. Quite often two agents would go out at the same time; yes,
sir.
Mr. STERN. And your responsibilities and those of this other agent when
he joined you pertained only to Dallas; is that correct?
Mr. LAWSON. Yes, sir.
Mr. STERN. You were not concerned with any other city in the
President's route?
Mr. LAWSON. Not on that occasion; no, sir.
Mr. STERN. And each of those cities had its own advance agent or agents?
Mr. LAWSON. That is correct.
Mr. STERN. Doing the same work you were doing?
Mr. LAWSON. That is correct.
Mr. STERN. When, in fact, did the other agent join you?
Mr. LAWSON. On Monday evening. May I refer to the date of this?
Mr. STERN. Please.
Mr. LAWSON. November 18; Monday evening.
Mr. STERN. Now, what steps did you take in Washington before you left,
with respect to determining the names and other information about
persons who might be in the Dallas area and who might be regarded as
potential threats to the President?
Mr. LAWSON. I went--on November 8, after leaving Mr. Kellerman's
office, I went to the office in the Executive Office Building where
our agents of the Protective Research Section are, and notified agents
at that location that I was being assigned the advance for Dallas,
Tex., trip, the date of this trip, and that I requested them to check
their files and determine as to whether I should have the name of any
individual in the Dallas area who was of record to us as an active
subject.
Mr. STERN. Was this request made in writing?
Mr. LAWSON. It was oral, sir.
Mr. STERN. Is it usually made that way, orally? Do you ever make a
written request?
Mr. LAWSON. I have never done so. I don't know about the other
individuals.
Mr. STERN. What did they tell you?
Mr. LAWSON. I was told after waiting there a little while that
there were no subjects of record in the Dallas area, of active PRS
individuals that we would expect to harm the President.
Mr. STERN. And this check was made while you were present in the office?
Mr. LAWSON. Yes, sir; that is correct.
Representative FORD. How long did it take, for example?
Mr. LAWSON. I believe I was there approximately 10 minutes. Not much
more than 10 minutes, sir.
Representative FORD. In other words, they made this check on your
behalf in that period of time?
Mr. LAWSON. Yes, sir.
Representative FORD. Do you know how they went about it? Did you
observe how they went about it?
Mr. LAWSON. In looking back I can recall the individuals going to
certain files, but I have never worked in the PRS Section and I only
know general information about it.
Representative FORD. You asked somebody to check on the names of people
who might be a threat in Dallas?
Mr. LAWSON. That is correct, sir.
Representative FORD. And within a period of 10 minutes they came back
and said there were no names?
Mr. LAWSON. That is right, sir.
Mr. DULLES. What was their answer again? I didn't quite clearly hear it
when you said it the first time.
Mr. LAWSON. I don't believe I could give you an exact answer.
Mr. DULLES. In general what was your recollection?
Mr. LAWSON. There were no PRS subjects, active PRS subjects which would
be a threat to the President to our knowledge in the Dallas area in the
files.
Mr. DULLES. And would you define PRS?
Mr. LAWSON. Protective Research Section.
Mr. STERN. Was there a file that you yourself checked preliminary to
your trip?
Mr. LAWSON. I don't believe so.
Mr. STERN. Not a file of individuals but a file that might be helpful
to you in your advance work for Dallas?
Mr. LAWSON. We have files of past trips, some of President
Eisenhower's. I am not sure how long ago they go back because they
are probably taken out and put some place else periodically. But
for example we have all of President Kennedy's trips right now plus
President Johnson's current ones, and an agent could if he desired, if
he was being assigned to a city, go and see if the President had been
there recently, and look in that for names or perhaps if he was going
to the same hotel or something, this would give him names of people
to contact there. He might obtain information. There was no report on
Dallas for President Kennedy.
Mr. STERN. You checked?
Mr. LAWSON. Yes, sir.
Mr. STERN. And found no report. This file would contain the reports
such as your final report which we have marked "768," is that right?
Mr. LAWSON. That is correct.