Photograph of October 1963 Dallas County Grand Jury

Ruth Collins Sharp Altshuler, a Dallas community leader and noted philanthropist, served on the Dallas County Grand Jury which indicted Jack Ruby for the murder of Lee Harvey Oswald.  In this photograph, she is seated in the center of the second row, directly behind Judge Joe B. Brown, who would preside over the Ruby trial in 1964. 

Altshuler had attended the Trade Mart luncheon on November 22, 1963. Almost a half century later, she was appointed by Dallas mayor Mike Rawlings to serve as chairwoman of the The 50th Committee (President John F. Kennedy Commemorative Foundation).  Working in cooperation with the city of Dallas, this committee organized "The 50th: Honoring the Memory of President John F. Kennedy," an observance held in Dealey Plaza on the 50th anniversary of the assassination, November 22, 2013, to celebrate the life, legacy, and leadership of the late president. - Stephen Fagin, Curator