The President's Commission met at 10 a.m. on February 10, 1964, at 200
Maryland Avenue NE., Washington, D.C.
Present were Chief Justice Earl Warren, Chairman: Senator Richard B.
Russell, Representative Hale Boggs, Representative Gerald R. Ford, and
Allen W. Dulles, members.
Also present were J. Lee Rankin, general counsel; Wesley J. Liebeler,
assistant counsel; John F. Doyle, attorney for Mrs. Marguerite Oswald;
and Leon Jaworski, special counsel to the attorney general of Texas.
The CHAIRMAN. The Commission will come to order.
Let the record show that Senator Russell and I are present, and we
convened today for the purpose of taking the testimony of Mrs. Oswald.
Mrs. Oswald, would you rise and be sworn, please?
Do you solemnly swear that you will tell the truth, the whole truth,
and nothing but the truth, so help you God, throughout this proceeding?
Mrs. OSWALD. I do--so help me God.
The CHAIRMAN. You may be seated.
Now, Mrs. Oswald, you are here represented by an attorney, are you?
Mrs. OSWALD. Yes, sir; Mr. Doyle is representing me.
The CHAIRMAN. Mr. Doyle is representing you. Mr. Doyle was appointed,
was he not, at your request?
Mrs. OSWALD. Yes, I asked to be represented by counsel.
The CHAIRMAN. Yes. And the record may show that Mr. Doyle was appointed
to represent her at the request of Mrs. Oswald by the president of the
Bar Association of the District of Columbia, Mr. Pratt.
That is correct, is it not, Mr. Doyle?
Mr. DOYLE. It is, sir.
The CHAIRMAN. Mrs. Oswald, you are appearing voluntarily before the
Commission, are you not?
Mrs. OSWALD. Yes, voluntarily.
The CHAIRMAN. You requested to do so.
In order that you may have a full opportunity to testify in your own
manner, and tell us everything that you know, and particularly because
we do not know what you know, I am going to ask you if you would like
first, in your own way, and in your own time, to tell us everything you
have concerning this case.
You would like to do that, would you?
Mrs. OSWALD. Yes, Chief Justice Warren. I would like to very much.
However, there are three things that I have asked that should be
brought before the Council, three requests of mine. One has already
been granted--that is the counsel, Mr. Doyle. And I do appreciate that
fact.
I have stated publicly that I believe in the American way of life and
justice for all men, which is our American way of life.
My son, Lee Harvey Oswald, was tried and convicted within a few hours
time, without benefit of counsel. And so I am appealing to the Board
that my son, Lee Harvey Oswald, be represented by counsel. I am being
represented by counsel. My daughter-in-law Marina was represented
by counsel. And I understand that all other witnesses will have the
privilege of being represented by counsel.
However, the main object of the Commission is Lee Harvey Oswald, in the
murder of President Kennedy. So I strongly believe that Lee should be
represented by counsel.
Now, my reasons for wanting this done this way is, I will state,
that Marina has testified. Marina has testified, according to the
papers--and I am assuming that this is correct--that Lee wanted to live
in Russia and Cuba, and that is why he went to Mexico.
I happen to know differently--because Marina has told me the first day
I was with her, "Mama, I write to Russian consul. I want go back to
Russia. I like America. But Lee no get work."
So you see, had a counsel been there in behalf of my son, when Marina
said that--it doesn't have to be a court trial or a cross-examination.
All I am asking is that this man sit quietly, and when he knows of
different facts, then he could say, "Well, Mrs. Oswald, isn't it true
that you wrote the Russian consul yourself, wanting to go back to
Russia?"
And in this way, gentlemen, I believe you would have both sides and a
true picture.
I cannot see how you can come to a true conclusion by taking individual
testimony.
Now, I, myself, am here today to testify. I have been sworn in. But
that doesn't mean that I can tell the whole story. I may forget
something. And the counsel would know.
We have investigators all over the country, the reporters are
interested, the public. I have over 1,500 letters, people expressing
their opinion of the way this case is being handled. And, believe me,
gentlemen, they are not satisfied.