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

Oswald’s Job Search Through the Dallas Employment Commission

Even before Oswald moved to Dallas, his acquaintances were helping him look for work there. George De Mohrenschildt directed him to Dallas financial consultant Samuel B. Ballen, but no employment resulted. George Bouhe recommended that he go to the Texas Employment Commission in Dallas, and Anna Meller had her husband ask Mrs. Helen Cunningham, a counselor in the clerical and sales division of the Dallas office, to help. Oswald first came to the commission’s office on October 9; he was reluctant to accept industrial employment and was placed in the clerical category and assigned to Mrs. Cunningham. He expressed an interest in writing, and aptitude test results forwarded from the Fort Worth office suggested clerical and writing potential. His application noted “outstanding verbal-clerical potential,” and he demonstrated ability in many skilled and semi-skilled jobs, with some indication he could do college work. Cunningham gave him three special tests—for general clerical work, insurance claims examining, and drafting—on which he scored high. The application noted he had no driver’s license and described him as “well-groomed and spoken, business suit, alert replies—expresses self extremely well.” Oswald told Cunningham he hoped to qualify for responsible junior executive employment through a college work-study program but that this would have to wait because of his immediate financial responsibilities.

第二章 With the assistance of Agent in Charge Sorrels of the

Chapter II, compiled with the assistance of Agent in Charge Sorrels of the FBI, documents Lee Harvey Oswald’s life in Dallas from October 1962 through April 1963, covering his employment, living arrangements, marital difficulties, political activities, social relationships, and the attempted assassination of General Edwin Walker.