Newman Family Living History Program

Prior to this 2013 panel discussion, Bill and Gayle Newman recorded oral histories with the Museum in 1993 (Bill and Gayle Newman Oral History – Works – The Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza (jfk.org)) and 2003 (Kennedy Assassination: Bill and Gayle Newman, Part 1 | C-SPAN.org). Together and separately, Bill and Gayle also participated in numerous public and educational programs at the Museum over the years. A rare solo appearance by Gayle may be seen here on the Museum's YouTube channel: Living History with Gayle Newman (youtube.com). I also had the privelege of moderating a conversation with Bill and Gayle at the 2016 JFK Lancer research conference in Dallas: JFK Lancer 2016: A Conversation with Bill & Gayle Newman (youtube.com).

Having personally known the Newmans for most of my life, as a result of Bill's close friendship with my late grandfather, I occasionally heard Gayle express her hope that one day the entire family would come together for a program. I made it a personal and professional goal to see that hope become reality at the 50th anniversary of the assassination in 2013. I remember that the Newmans' sons, Billy and Clayton, were initially not enthusiastic about such a program, but one word from their mother changed that. In fact, Gayle personally brought the boys to the Museum the day before this public program so that I could interview the two of them together, separate from their parents, to get a sense of their early childhood memories. To date, this 2013 public program is the only time that all four Newmans have appeared on stage together for a panel about being the closest civilian eyewitnesses to the Kennedy assassination. After moderating a great many conversations here at the Museum over the last twenty-plus years, I would have to say that this conversation with the Newmans remains one of my all-time favorite public programs. - Stephen Fagin, Curator