Courtroom sketch of juror Gwen English during Jack Ruby's murder trial in 1964

Jury selection in the Jack Ruby trial took place between February 17 and March 3, 1964. During that two-week period, 162 prospective jurors were interviewed, which District Attorney Henry Wade informed the news media was not a Dallas County record. Of the 162 individuals interviewed for the Ruby trial, twelve were accepted, eighteen were challenged by the defense team, eleven were challenged by the prosecution, sixty-two were ruled out because they were against the death penalty, fifty-eight were ruled out because they held fixed opinions on the case, and one was excused due to illness. -- Stephen Fagin, Curator

Gwen L. English was selected as juror #7 in the Jack Ruby trial on February 26, 1964. Although it is difficult to contemplate in today's world, jurors in the 1960s routinely had their personal information published in the newspaper. The Fort Worth Star-Telegram described Ms. English like this: "Mrs. Gwen L. English, 45, the second woman and seventh juror, impaneled on Feb. 26, is a bookkeeper for Bodcaw Oil Company, former Cleburne resident and a member of the Second Baptist Church. Her husband is a diesel electrician with Santa Fe Railway Company." The Dallas Morning News went even further, publishing her home address the morning after her selection, interviewing her husband and printing photographs of Mr. and Mrs. English. (The Dallas Morning News also listed her age as 46 instead of 45.)

Ms. English was selected on a particularly busy day when two other jurors were also selected, R.J. Fletchner Jr. and J.G. Holton Jr. During her interview, English said that she had witnessed the Oswald shooting on television and read accounts of it in the newspaper, but she confirmed that it would not influence her verdict in the case. When the defense pushed her for an opinion on Jack Ruby's state of mind, based on her awareness of the case, the prosecution quickly objected. The objection was sustained by Judge Joe B. Brown. The defense then rephrased their question: "We say that the man [Jack Ruby] was in a state of insanity at the time. Is there anything you saw that would prevent you following that defense?" Ms. English replied, "None whatsoever." Defense attorney Melvin Belli also asked Ms. English if she was offended by some of the critical remarks that Belli had made about the city of Dallas in the news media. English confirmed that she was not offended and said, "That's your opinion." -- Stephen Fagin, Curator  

The Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza conducted an oral history with Charles Fisher and another KRLD-TV art department staff member, Kenneth Hansen, on April 8, 2004. In the interview, Fisher and Hansen discuss their experiences processing film from all over the world the weekend of the Kennedy assassination as well as serving as courtroom sketch artists for the Jack Ruby trial in 1964. Mr. Fisher passed away on June 19, 2017, and Mr. Hansen passed away December 31, 2010. - Stephanie Allen-Givens, Collections and Exhibits Manager

While this courtroom sketch does not include the full name of the female juror depicted, we have identified her as Gwen English based on the drawing caption and the juror examinations recorded in the official courtroom transcript: "Transcript of The State vs Ruby, Examination of Prospective Jurors, Volume 7" (https://emuseum.jfk.org/objects/66836/)  - Stephanie Allen-Givens, Collection and Exhibits Manager