HistoryCentral Est. 1996
The Sixties

Warren Commission Report

Warren Commission Report
illustration
Warren Commission Report

The Warren Commission delivered its final report on September 27, 1964. The Commission concluded that President Kennedy's assassin, Lee Harvey Oswald, had acted alone. The commission reports were critized by many and are not fully accepted to this day.

The idea of creating the Warren Commission is credited to Nicholas Katzenbach who sent a memo to President Johnson stating how important it was that public fully believe whatever conclusion the investigation into the assassination of President Kennedy came up with. Johnson agreed and appointed Chief Justice Warren to head the commission. Other commission members were Senator Richard Russell, Senator John Cooper, Representative Hale Boggs, Representative Gerald Ford, former Director of the CIA Allen Dulles, and John McCloy the former President of the World Bank.

The committee met for the first time December 5, 1963. The committee presented its report to President Johnson on September 24, 1964. The report which was 888 pages in length concluded that Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone when he killed President Kennedy. It further concluded that Jack Ruby had acted alone when he had killed Lee Harvey Oswald. Two months after releasing its report the commission released 26 volumes of documents and supporting testimony.

To this day many questions whether the results of the commission were accurate. Many have claimed that there were more than one gunmen or that Oswald was not acting alone. However, this has never gone beyond questions and conjecture.

Watch · HistoryCentral on YouTube
Our illustration of 1964
From our shop · History Shopping

1964, on a mug, poster or shirt

Our illustration of 1964, with the year at a glance. For someone born, married or graduated that year. From $16.95, printed to order.

See 1964 in the shop →
From the makers of HistoryCentral · For iPhone and iPad

The Twentieth Century

1900–2024, year by year. Pick any year and see the whole world in it: the war, the election, the discovery, the song that was number one.

See all our history apps →

Download on the App Store