Luke Mooney Living History Program

Object number2009.001.0041

Date06/24/2009

ClassificationsOral Histories

Oral history interview subject Luke E. Mooney

Oral history interviewer Stephen Fagin

ObjectOral history

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

MediumBorn digital (.m2ts file)

Dimensions44 Minutes

Terms

Collections

DescriptionVideotaped Living History program with Luke Mooney. In 1963, Mooney was a Dallas County deputy sheriff who watched the motorcade on Main Street and heard shots fired. Later, while investigating the sixth floor of the Texas School Book Depository building, he discovered the "sniper's perch" and three empty rifle shells near the southeast corner window. Program conducted at The Sixth Floor Museum on June 29, 2009 by Associate Curator Stephen Fagin. The program is forty-four minutes long.

Curatorial Commentary

Luke Mooney passed away on December 3, 2010. This "Living History" discussion was one of three programs in the Museum's collection that featured Mr. Mooney, recorded between 2006 and 2010, in addition to his 2002 oral history with The Sixth Floor Museum.

During this particular program in 2009, I remember that Luke became quite emotional when recalling the moment of the president's death, and I reached out to touch his arm in consolation. This little moment was captured on video, and it remains one of my favorite moments during a Museum program.

Luke really enjoyed participating in Museum programs, especially when he was able to speak with a group of school children and share his first-hand account of finding the "sniper's perch" on the sixth floor of the Texas School Book Depository. He last participated in a Museum program less than five months before his death. - Stephen Fagin, Associate Curator