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Diane Francis Oral History

Diane Francis Oral History

Object number2009.001.0004
Date01/22/2009
ClassificationsOral Histories
Oral history interview subject Diane Francis
Oral history interviewer Stephen Fagin
ObjectOral history
Credit LineOral History Collection/The Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza
MediumBorn digital (.m2ts file)
DimensionsDuration: 18 Minutes
DescriptionVideotaped oral history interview with Diane Francis. Six years old in 1963, Francis observed the Kennedy motorcade from the steps of the Old Red Courthouse and heard shots fired in Dealey Plaza. For her, the assassination prompted a lifelong interest in Jacqueline Kennedy and her children. Interview conducted at The Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza on January 22, 2009 by Stephen Fagin. The interview is eighteen minutes long.
Curatorial Commentary
A surprising number of Kennedy motorcade spectators on Main Street recall hearing shots or echoes of shots fired in Dealey Plaza. While some may have actually heard a motorcycle backfire amidst the crowd noise and associated it with gunfire after learning about the shooting, those standing at or near the intersection of Main and Houston Streets very likely heard at least part of the assassination as the sounds reverberated off of nearby buildings. In addition to Ms. Francis, the Museum has interviewed a number of Main Street ear-witnesses, including Katherine Adams, Joe Bagley, Ronald Duckworth, Peggy Hill, Ed Kadleck, Frances Moffeit, Lemma Tole, John Seeligson, Jenny Taylor, William Kim Wade and Bill Wiseman. -- Stephen Fagin, Curator