Phil Burleson Oral History

Object number1995.043.0009

Date04/04/1995

ClassificationsOral Histories

Oral history interview subject Phil Burleson

Oral history interviewer Wes Wise

Oral history interviewer Bob Porter

ObjectOral history

Credit LineOral History Collection/The Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza

MediumHi-8 videotape

DimensionsDuration: 144 Minutes

Terms

Collections

DescriptionVideotaped oral history interview with Phil Burleson. A notable Dallas defense attorney for many years, Burleson was hired by lead attorney Melvin Belli to be part of the defense team for Jack Ruby during his 1964 trial. Burleson remained part of Ruby's legal counsel longer than any other attorney, representing Ruby until his death in January 1967. Interview conducted at Mr. Burleson's office on April 4, 1995 by Wes Wise and Bob Porter. The interview is two hours and twenty-four minutes long.

Curatorial Commentary

Phil Burleson passed away at the age of 61 on May 29, 1995, less than two months after this interview was recorded. As Jack Ruby's longest-serving attorney, Burleson appears in a number of photographs in the Museum's Collection. Perhaps most haunting is this image of Burleson and prisoner Jack Ruby inside Ruby's cell at the Dallas County Jail in 1964: https://emuseum.jfk.org/objects/27339. -- Stephen Fagin, Curator