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William Kim Wade Oral History

William Kim Wade Oral History

Object number2013.001.0102
Date08/15/2013
ClassificationsOral Histories
Oral history interview subject William Kim Wade
Oral history interviewer Stephen Fagin
ObjectOral history
Credit LineOral History Collection/The Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza
MediumBorn digital (.m2ts file)
DimensionsDuration: 61 Minutes
Collections
DescriptionVideotaped oral history interview with William Kim Wade. Ten years old in 1963, Wade saw the Kennedy motorcade from the steps of the Old Red Courthouse and heard shots fired in Dealey Plaza. His late father, longtime Dallas District Attorney Henry Wade, was extensively involved in the local assassination investigation and served as chief prosecutor during the Jack Ruby trial. Interview recorded at The Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza on August 15, 2013 by Stephen Fagin. The interview is one hour and one minute long.
Curatorial Commentary
A former Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas, William Kim Wade now leads the Wade Law Firm in Dallas. His late father, Henry Wade, recorded an oral history with The Sixth Floor Museum in 1992, which may be viewed in full here: https://emuseum.jfk.org/objects/4573. -- Stephen Fagin, Curator

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 Mr. Wade, the Museum has interviewed a number of Main Street ear-witnesses, including Katherine Adams, Joe Bagley, Ronald Duckworth, Peggy Hill, Ed Kadleck, Frances Moffeit, Victoria Rodriguez, John Seeligson, Jenny Taylor, Lemma Tole and Bill Wiseman. -- Stephen Fagin, Curator