Reporters interview Stanley Marcus during Jack Ruby's change-of-venue hearing

Object number2014.080.0424.0004

Date02/10/1964 - 02/13/1964

ClassificationsPhotographs

Photographer Dallas Morning News Photographer

ObjectNegative (b&w)

Credit LineThe Dallas Morning News Collection/The Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza Donated by The Dallas Morning News in the interest of preserving history

MediumFilm

Dimensions15/16 × 1 5/16 in. (2.4 × 3.3 cm)

Terms

Collections

DescriptionOriginal 35mm black and white negative taken by a staff photographer from The Dallas Morning News. This image shows reporters interviewing Stanley Marcus, president of Neiman Marcus, at the change-of-venue hearing for Jack Ruby in Dallas, Texas, in February 1964. The man on the viewer's left is Murphy Martin from ABC, and on the right is Tom Pettit from NBC.

Curatorial Commentary

Stanley Marcus (1905 - 2002), then president of luxury retailer Neiman Marcus in Dallas, testified at a change-of-venue hearing prior to Jack Ruby's 1964 trial. Marcus had been host to United Nations Ambassador Adlai Stevenson during his visit to Dallas in October 1963. Marcus witnessed firsthand the raucous right-wing demonstration outside Memorial Auditorium following Stevenson's locally-televised speech. In the aftermath, Marcus personally urged Vice President Johnson to speak with President Kennedy about avoiding Dallas on his upcoming Texas trip. Ruby's defense attorneys hoped to use Marcus to help show that Dallas was a politically volatile environment and that Jack Ruby would not be able to receive a fair trial in the city. Ruby's request for a change of venue was ultimately denied. - Stephen Fagin, Curator