JFK CONFRENCES - 60 YEARS ON
Regardless of the subject, conferences are important exchanges of information, and usually precede major events. CIA academic assets sponsored conferences on Guatemala in the 50s shortly before they held a coup there, and on Cuba before the Bay of Pigs.
In the summer of 1963 the CIA's Catherwood Foundation and Pan Am Society co-sponsored a conference of Cuban journalists in exile at the University of Miami (JMWAVE), that I'd like to get more information on, if anyone has the time and inclination to dig into that, send me what you learn.
John Judge took me to my first JFK Assassination Conference in the late 1970s at New York University (NYU) Law School in Manhattan and introduced me to Penn Jones, Fletcher Prouty, Mae Brussell, Ralph Schoeman and Sylvia Meagher, all of whom I would get to know better over the years that became decades.
From the time books are written, edited, formatted, printed, marketed and distributed, the information they contain are about two years behind the state-of-the art knowledge, regardless of the subject, which is why presentations at conferences and symposiums are much more up-to-date and valuable.
It was the ASK Conference on JFK in Dallas in the early 1990s, that I believe was instigated by Gary Shaw, when things began to really take shape, as it was put together by a professional conference company, which sparked John Judge to suggest that we form our own organization to sponsor conferences and the first meeting of COPA - the Coalition on Political Assassinations at the West End Pub in Dallas.
COPA sponsored two major national conferences in Washington D.C. in its first two years, one at the Sheraton Hotel, where the ghost of Earl Warren still roamed the halls as that's where he lived when he was in Washington. Then COPA began to sponsor annual "regional" conferences in November, and Memphis and LA in regards to MLK and RFK assassinations.
It was at the second COPA conference when Debra Conway began what would become JFK Lancer, "to educate the next generation of researchers," and she began to hold annual conferences in Dallas that competed with COPA. With the death of John Judge COPA was disbanded but CAPA - Citizens Against Political Assassinations was created under the chairmanship of Dr. Cyril Wecht.
This November CAPA will be co-sponsoring a JFK conference at the Wecht Institute for Forensic Pathology and Law at Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, while JFK LANCER and Olney, Illinois College professor David Denton's JFK Historical Group will hold two conferences in Dallas, each of which has their own attributes.
The Wecht Conference, organized by Dr. Wecht's competent son Ben, is being called a 'symposium," which in ancient Greece, meant to eat, drink and discuss an important subject together, which is what they will do to honor Dr. Wecht on opening night, and over box luncheon discussions with Robert Groden and Rob Reiner on the following two days.
As for the presentations to be made, some are scheduled to be making presentations at more than one of the conferences.
The Pittsburgh Conference will end Friday night, while the Dallas events will continue into Sunday.
CHRIS GALLOP LUNCHEON SYMPOSIUM
In addition, Chris Gallop will hold his 11th annual luncheon symposium at 3132 Milan Street in Fort Worth - that will cost $65, that includes a catered lunch, and feature first generation researcher J. Gary Shaw, former policeman and SWAT team sniper Brian Edwards, Jeff Meek, film maker and professor Randy Benson ("The Searchers"), and Dr. Michael Marcades, son of Rose Cherame. Shaw, the best of the best researchers, will possibly talk about his new book Admitted Assassin, that revives the Roscoe White story, one that I thought had nuggets of truth but was swept under the rug.
To register for the Gallop Luncheon - cjgallop@yahoo.com - 817-291-1891
The JFK LANCER program at the Lorenzo Hotel is being put together by Conway's efficient assistant Gabriella and researcher Larry Hancock, while Denton took over the Judyth Vary Baker conference at the Doubletree Hotel, both of which are always well attended. While the Lorenzo is a short hop to Dealey Plaza, the Doubletree, on Market Street, is in another neighborhood and a cab or Huber ride away.
JFK LANCER
The 27th annual JFK LANCER will run from Friday, November 17 to Sunday, November 19, and include Larry Hancock, who is always a few steps ahead of me in our research, and recently completed a study of UFO reports over US Air Force bases.
The primary speaker, in my opinion is Dr. John Newman, author of JFK and Vietnam, is writing a series of books on the JFK assassination that are so-far engrossing, along with Alan Dale.
Others on the Lancer agenda include Alex Harris, Andrew Kiel, Bart Kemp ("Prayer Man"), Brent Hall, Carmine Savastano, Chuck O'Chelli, Eric Hunley, Mark Groubert, James Corbett, Jeff Meek, Jim Gochenaur, Johathan Cairnes, Mathew Douthit (Tippit) Monica Perez Jimenez (the dictator's daughter), Mike Swanson, Paul Bleau, who will give "a modern legislative approach to proving a conspiracy." Rob Clark and Joe Borelli will talk about "the Martins," and there are certainly a few of them.
Robert Reynolds Nelson will discuss the Don Newlson story, and Secret Service expert Vince Palamara will give his take on the recent exposed Paul Landis story.
Larry Hancock and David Boylan have been working together of late and will do presentations on Sylvia Odio and the suspicious events at Redbird Airport and participate in a panel on the Walker Shooting with Greg Douda, who will make a separate presentation on the subject.
Stu Wexler, whose New Jersey high school social studies class got the Emmett Till bill passed by Congress, an amazing feat, will also be there to discuss accessing records at the National Archives.
Both Bill Simpich and Larry Schanapf are also scheduled to be at both the Wecht Conference and at LANCER, and while Simpich is slated to talk about those who set up Oswald, a subject he has done in the past, and Schnapf will discuss the Walker bullet in Pittsburgh, I'm sure they will get into the details of their still hot and active federal court case in San Francisco - Mary Ferrell vs. Biden and NARA.
Mary Ferrell's Rex Bradford is also set to talk about the state of the research, and exciting but sorry state it is in.
Jefferson Morley is listed as a speaker, but he recently said that he will be going to Pittsburgh, though he could possibly do both.
Dick Russell, who has taken time off from JFK to write a biographies of - x - and presidential candidate RFK, Jr.
Prices are set at $180 for the walk in conference, or $220 with digital download, Students pay $35 and $70. The virtual and digital download are $125.
For more info on the JFK LANCER conference - JFK Lancer and gabriella.jfklancer@gmail.com
Note: As I learn more about the topics and abstracts of talks I will add them here.
JFK HISTORICAL GROUP
David Denton's JFK Historical Group has their Project JFK- CSI Dallas that attests to be "a reexamination of the research with fresh eyes and technology," and "The Journey on the Trail of Truth in the JFK Assassination."
It will include Ed Trato, Gary Shaw, William Law, David Knight, Brian Edwards, Casey Quinlan, Judyth Vary Baker, William Klaber, Randy Benson, Chana Willits, Rick Russo, Kris Millegan, Ryan Jones, Larry Rivera, Gary Fannin, Mal Hyman, Pete Hymans and Greg Bernham, all seasoned researchers.
( BK Note: When I learn of their topics or get an abstract I will add it here.)
THE WECHT SYMPOSIUM - THE JFK ASSASSINATION AT 60 - 22ND Annual Symposium
Note: College
Students who attend the Wecht Conference can obtain 12 course credits for doing
so.
WEDNESDAY NOVEMBER 15 –
Keynote Introduction Ken Gormley, J.D. Keynote address – Dr. Barbara Perry, PhD – “Why JFK’s Camelot Endures – And Why It Still Matters.”
Alec
Baldwin – “Why JFK’s Assassination Will Not Go Away.”
THURSDAY,
NOV. 16
Criminalistics,
Forensic Science and Medicine –
Gary
Aguilar, MD and Josiah Thompson, Ph.D., Doug DeSalles, MD, Bill Simpich,
Esq. – “Converging Lines of Evidence in
the Case for Two Headshots”
Paul
Landis, USSS Ret. – with James Robenalt, Esq. “The Final Witness: A Kennedy SS Agent Breaks
His Silence After Sixty Years.”
Doug
Horne (USN R) – “Two Brain Exams”
Brian
Rosella, M.S. – “Forensic Modeling of Human Reactions and a JFK Assassination
Timeline”
Box
Lunch – Order by Nov. 1
Robert
Groden (By Zoom) – “Documenting the Authenticity of the Zapruder Film”
Lawrence Schnapf, Esq. – “Gaging the Authenticity of the General Walker Bullet”
Donald
Maue “Audio Forensic Analysis of the JFK Assassination”
David
Mantik, MD, PhD – “As Easy as 1-2-3-4-5 Understanding the JFK Assassination”
Russell
Kent – “Unmasking the Rockefeller Committee Medical Panel”
CAPA
DINNER RECEPTION
Citizens
Against Political Assassinations will host a reception on Duquesne’s campus to
honor Dr. Cyril Wecht with a Profile in Courage award and to hear film director
and producer, Irving Nestor, present findings of his Dealey Plaza 3D scan.
Registration
is due Friday, Oct. 13. $40/plate dinner fee is separate from cost of the
Symposium.
FRIDAY,
NOVEMBER 17 – History, Politics and the Future
Benjamin
E. Wecht, M.A.
Pamela
Marshall, Ph.D.
Dr. John
Newman, Ph.D. “The Assassination of President Kennedy: Understanding the Cold
War Context.”
Jefferson
Morley – “The CIA and JFK: What 30 Years of Reporting Tells Me.”
Mark de
Valk, Ph.D., M.A. – “Carousel Contortionists: Jack Ruby, His Strippers, and
their Moving Horses.”
Daniel
Alcorn, Esq. – “New Findings About TSBD Building Owner David Harold Byrd.”
R.
Andrew Kiel – “Edgar Hoover and Lyndon Johnson and How they Obstructed Justice.”
Rob
Reiner (by Zoom) – “Who Killed JFK?”
James
DiEugenio – “The Death of JFK and the Rise of the Neocons in U.S. Foreign
Policy”
Robert
Menz, M.A. – “An Inside Perspective on the Relationship Between Lee Oswald and
the Paines.”
Greg R.
Parker (via pre-recorded Zoom) – “Lee Oswald – The Patchwork Kid.”
David
Montague, Ph.D. – “Lessons from the Assassination Records Review Board: The
Value of Investigative Research with Respect to National Security.”
Donald
Urda, J.D. and Michael Volbach, MA, MS – “Our Method of Teaching the
Assassination: Inspiring the Next Generation of Researchers.”
David
Talbot (via Zoom) – “Why Our Side is Losing the Media War.”
Ellen Gawalt, Ph. D. – Closing Remarks
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As far as I'm concerned, I was not asked to address any of the conferences, and while I want to attend the Wecht conference in Pittsburgh, I haven't committed myself to do that, yet.
I believe that Dallas is done, we have been there many times before, and while it will always be the second biggest tourist attraction in Texas, after the Alamo, and someone will always continue the Moment of Silence at the Grassy Knoll at 12:30 on November 22 for as long as our civilization survives, I think that the emphasis should be focused on Washington D.C.
That's where the evidence and government records are kept at the NARA, where Congress and the Oversight Hearings should be held, and where the answers to the outstanding questions are.
To comment on this story: Billkelly3@gmail.com
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