Vivian Castleberry Oral History

Even after having recorded more than 1,500 oral history interviews, whenever I am asked to name my favorite interview subject, without hesitation I say that Vivian Castleberry is near the top of that list. I met Vivian at a public program early on in my career at The Sixth Floor Museum, and I was struck immediately by her warmth, humor and quiet intelligence. Even though she had previously recorded an audio interview with the Museum in 1991, I was eager to get her in front of our videocamera for a longer, broader interview about her legendary career in journalism. An excellent 2004 recording, over a year in planning due to her very busy schedule, remains my favorite of the several sessions I enjoyed with Vivian Castleberry. It may be viewed here: Vivian Castleberry Oral History – Search vivian (Objects) – Search – The Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza. Three days earlier, I had recorded an interview with her daughter, Carol Tate.

Following our 2004 session, I had the great pleasure of moderating three educational programs with Vivian on our seventh floor between 2006 and 2009. And finally, recognizing the inevitable passage of time, I invited her back for this final one-on-one interview in 2015. This was a bittersweet conversation for me, perhaps for both of us, and we knew that this would be our last recording together. And here in 2025, ten years later, I still find myself wishing I could sit down and talk with her just once more. Vivian passed away on October 4, 2017. She left behind a remarkable legacy as the grandmother of Dallas journalism. -- Stephen Fagin, Curator