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

Circumstances Surrounding the Assassination

The Commission analyzed the required sequence of events for the assassination to occur as concluded in earlier chapters (the motorcade passing the Texas School Book Depository, Oswald accessing the building’s sixth floor, transporting the rifle, arranging his shooting position, and escaping before police secured building exits) to search for evidence Oswald received assistance in planning or executing the killing.

Selection of Motorcade Route

The Commission reviewed the Secret Service’s motorcade route selection process: the chosen route from Love Field to the Trade Mart via Main Street, Houston Street, Elm Street, and the Stemmons Freeway was selected for its directness, ability to allow large crowds to view the President, and alignment with the 45-minute schedule allocated for the trip. The route passed the Texas School Book Depository because required turns at Elm and Houston Streets and a concrete barrier blocking direct freeway access from Main Street made an alternate route bypassing the building impractical. The Commission concluded the route selection was appropriate, based on legitimate planning considerations, and unrelated to any conspiracy.

Oswald’s Presence in the Depository Building

The Commission determined Oswald’s employment at the Texas School Book Depository was unrelated to the President’s Dallas trip. He secured the job in October 1963, shortly after arriving in Dallas from Mexico City, via a neighbor’s suggestion to Ruth Paine (with whom Oswald’s family was staying) while he was unemployed, his wife was pregnant, and his unemployment benefits were set to expire. He had previously applied to a printing company but was rejected due to a negative reference citing “communistic tendencies” and a record as a troublemaker. The motorcade route was not finalized until November 18, 1963, three days before the assassination, long after Oswald was hired, confirming his presence in the building was coincidental.