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Olivia Duke Oral History

Olivia Duke Oral History

Object number2017.001.0026
Date03/06/2017
ClassificationsOral Histories
Oral history interview subject Olivia Duke
Oral history interviewer Stephen Fagin
ObjectOral history
Credit LineOral History Collection/The Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza
MediumBorn digital (.m2ts file)
DimensionsDuration: 28 Minutes
DescriptionVideotaped oral history interview with Olivia Duke. As a five-year-old, Duke saw President Kennedy outside the Hotel Texas in Fort Worth on November 22, 1963. She then had a brief encounter with him in the hotel lobby. This childhood event had a significant impact on her life. Interview conducted at the home of Elizabeth Sullivan in Fort Worth on March 6, 2017 by Stephen Fagin. The interview is twenty-eight minutes long.
Curatorial Commentary
As soon as longtime Fort Worth resident Olivia Duke learned about the Museum's Oral History Project, she became an active supporter. In addition to her own oral history, she helped coordinate a memorable joint interview for me with 105-year-old best friends Elizabeth Sullivan and Cecile McKenzie. Both ladies sadly passed away just a few months later. Ms. Duke also recommended others who recorded interviews for the Oral History Project, including Fort Worth motorcade spectator Greg Dow, Fort Worth Star-Telegram employees Bob and Carol Taylor, and Olivia's aunt, Fort Worth schoolteacher Margaret Duke. I am always grateful when past participants recommend others for the Oral History Project as it helps the Museum grow the collection every year with new voices and unique perspectives. -- Stephen Fagin, Curator