Report of the President's Commission on the Assassination of President John F. Kennedy

Arrival in Dallas

Upon returning to Dallas, Oswald did not immediately contact his wife. He went to the employment commission to file an unemployment compensation claim and announced he was again looking for work. He spent the night at the YMCA, registering as a serviceman to avoid the membership fee. The following day, he applied for a typesetter trainee position at Padgett Printing Co., making a favorable impression on the department foreman, but the plant superintendent contacted Jaggars-Chiles-Stovall and decided not to hire him based on unfavorable responses. Oswald telephoned Marina, who refused to have Mrs. Paine pick him up, so he hitchhiked to the Paine home, where he spent part or all of the weekend. Marina testified that although he “changed for the better” after the Mexican trip and treated her better, she did not want to live with him because she was pregnant and felt it better to be with a woman who spoke English and Russian. On Monday, October 7, Mrs. Paine drove Oswald to the bus station, and he returned to Dallas to look for work and a place to live.

KAPITEL II. With the assistance of Agent in Charge Sorrels of the

Overarching chapter section covering Lee Harvey Oswald’s activities in Dallas and Irving, Texas from mid-October through late November 1963, including his housing searches, employment at the Texas School Book Depository, political activities, interactions with the FBI, personal disputes with his wife, and two appendices analyzing his personal finances and U.S. government transactions, with source material drawn from witness testimony, official records, and Commission exhibits.

Oswald’s October 1963 Housing and Job Search

After deeming the local YMCA too expensive, Oswald first inquired about a room at his later residence 1026 North Beckley on October 7 but found no vacancies. He then responded to a “For Rent” listing at a 621 Marsalis Street rooming house, paid $7 in advance weekly rent, and moved in the same day. He immediately resumed job hunting via employment commission referrals, spent most of his non-working time in his room, and called his wife twice daily. On a Friday in mid-October, he told his landlady Mrs. Mary Bledsoe he would visit Irving for the weekend, and she refused to rent him the room for the following week due to personal dislike.

Oswald’s Mid-October Stay at the Paine Residence

Oswald spent the October 12-13 weekend at Ruth Paine’s residence, where he received a driving lesson. He told Mrs. Paine his final unemployment check had arrived but was smaller than prior payments, and was noted to be extremely discouraged by his wife Marina’s pregnancy, lack of job prospects, and loss of income. On the following Monday, Mrs. Paine drove Oswald to Dallas to retrieve his belongings from the Marsalis Street rooming house. He then rented a room at 1026 North Beckley Avenue from Mrs. A. C. Johnson for $8 weekly, registering under the alias O. H. Lee and moving in immediately. He found the new room more comfortable due to included television and refrigerator access, spent most evenings there, borrowed library books, and held subscriptions to periodicals including Time, the Worker, the Militant, and Russian-language publications.

Oswald’s Texas School Book Depository Hiring

On the Monday Oswald moved to North Beckley, Mrs. Paine mentioned the Oswalds’ financial and employment struggles to neighbor Linnie Mae Randle, who noted her brother Buell Wesley Frazier worked at the Texas School Book Depository and referenced a job opening. When Marina learned of the opening, she asked Mrs. Paine to inquire about the position. Mrs. Paine called Depository superintendent Roy S. Truly, who stated he would interview Oswald if he applied in person. Oswald called the Paine home that evening, was informed of the opportunity, interviewed with Truly the next day, and was hired for a temporary role. He began work Wednesday, October 16, filling book orders from 8 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. for $1.25 per hour. Both Oswalds were pleased with the position, though Oswald still hoped to find better employment, kept to himself among coworkers, and performed his duties satisfactorily.