On November 29, 1963, President Lyndon B. Johnson established the Warren Commission to investigate the assassination of John F. Kennedy. In this episode, we explore the reasons behind the commission’s creation, the key figures involved—like Chief Justice Earl Warren, Gerald Ford, and Allen Dulles—and the ambitious goals they set out to achieve.
How did this group of leaders attempt to uncover the truth, and why did their findings spark decades of controversy?
Join us as we examine the origins, challenges, and legacy of the Warren Commission in this pivotal moment in American history.
The assassination of John F. Kennedy on November 22, 1963, shocked the world. In Dallas, the president was shot while riding in an open motorcade. Hours later, police arrested a man named Lee Harvey Oswald for the killing of a Dallas police officer, J.D. Tippit. It didn’t take long to connect Oswald to the shots fired at Kennedy. Yet Oswald insisted he was a “patsy,” claiming he had been set up. Two days later, in an astonishing turn of events, Oswald himself was gunned down by Jack Ruby—on live television.
The nation demanded answers.
Lyndon B. Johnson, sworn in as president aboard Air Force One, understood the stakes. With Cold War tensions running high, fears of a Soviet or Cuban connection to the assassination spread like wildfire. Domestically, whispers of conspiracies within the government created further uncertainty. Johnson moved quickly. He knew that leaving the investigation to multiple competing agencies or Congressional committees could cause chaos. To restore public trust, he decided a single, authoritative body must take charge.
On November 29, 1963, Johnson announced the creation of the Warren Commission. Its purpose was straightforward: to uncover the full truth behind the events in Dallas. Johnson tapped Chief Justice Earl Warren to lead the effort. Warren, known for his integrity and independence, was initially reluctant to take on such a politically charged role. Johnson had to persuade him, reportedly appealing to Warren’s patriotism and framing the task as essential to national unity.
Johnson also assembled a panel of six prominent figures to join Warren, ensuring a mix of political ideologies and institutional expertise. The members were:
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- Gerald R. Ford, a Republican Congressman and rising political star.
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- Senator Richard Russell Jr., a conservative Democrat from Georgia and a key voice in Congress.
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- Senator John Sherman Cooper, a respected bipartisan figure from Kentucky.
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- Hale Boggs, House Majority Leader and a Democrat from Louisiana.
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- Allen W. Dulles, former CIA Director, whose presence would later stir controversy.
- John J. McCloy, a seasoned diplomat and former World Bank President.
This mix of leaders reflected Johnson’s goal of creating a Commission whose findings could withstand scrutiny. However, some early critics raised questions about Dulles’ involvement, given the CIA’s role in Cold War-era covert operations.
The Warren Commission’s goals were ambitious. It was tasked with investigating every detail of the assassination and Oswald’s life. Was he truly the lone gunman, or was there a broader conspiracy at work? Did foreign governments play a role? The Commission sought to provide definitive answers and reassure the public. Johnson also hoped its findings would preempt more chaotic, partisan investigations in Congress.
The Commission faced a monumental task. Its investigators pored over mountains of evidence, from eyewitness testimony to forensic reports. The Zapruder film, which captured the assassination in graphic detail, became a cornerstone of the inquiry. However, the film itself was not immediately made public, fueling speculation among conspiracy theorists. Every aspect of Oswald’s life, from his time in the Soviet Union to his associations in the United States, came under intense scrutiny.
“The facts of the assassination itself are simple, so simple that many people believe it must be more complicated and conspiratorial to be true.”
– Chief Justice Earl Warren
When the Commission finally released its findings in September 1964, it concluded that Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone in killing President Kennedy. This conclusion, while initially accepted by many, soon became a source of controversy. Critics pointed to gaps in the evidence and questioned why key witnesses had been overlooked. Skepticism grew over the following years, particularly as books like Rush to Judgment by Mark Lane challenged the official narrative. By the 1970s, new investigations—including one by the House Select Committee on Assassinations—reignited debates about a possible conspiracy.
But on November 29, 1963, the mission of the Warren Commission was clear. It aimed to provide the American people with a full and honest accounting of one of the darkest days in U.S. history. While the Commission achieved many of its goals, its ultimate legacy would be shaped by the questions it left unanswered. For some, it restored faith in government. For others, it became a symbol of mistrust. And for the nation, it marked the beginning of a decades-long debate over what really happened in Dallas.
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