National Experts Gathering to Address Historic 50th Anniversary of JFK Assassination
More than 30 leading scientific, legal and investigative experts will discuss existing evidence and examine new insights and theories at Passing the Torch: An International Symposium on the 50th Anniversary of the Assassination of President John F. Kennedy, from Thursday, Oct. 17, through Saturday, Oct. 19, in the Power Center Ballroom and other campus locations.
Presented by the Cyril H. Wecht Institute of Forensic Science and Law, Passing the Torch will shed light on the murder from several different angles through forensic science, law, technology and the media. “If this mystery is to be solved,” said Ben Wecht, the institute’s program administrator, “it will be through a combination of the release of more governmental records, more sophisticated forensic research and greater public and media advocacy.”
The symposium, which is co-sponsored by the Senator John Heinz History Center and other organizations, also seeks to inspire future investigators to “pick up the torch” and continue the search for answers. Nationally known panelists and experts will address the evidence, present key findings from ongoing and past investigations, and discuss the history and future of Kennedy assassination study.
Among the featured conference presenters are:
- Oliver Stone, director of the Academy-Award winning film JFK and director/narrator of Untold History of the United States
- Dr. Robert N. McClelland, professor emeritus at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, who served as one of Kennedy’s attending physicians at Parkland Hospital
- David Talbot, author of the provocative 2007 book, Brothers: The Hidden History of the Kennedy Years, and founder and former editor in chief of Salon.com
- Dr. Cyril H. Wecht, testified in 1978 before the U.S. House Select Committee on Assassinations, during which he was the only one of a 9-member panel of forensic pathologists re-examining the JFK assassination to disagree with the single-bullet theory; served as a consultant on JFK
- Mark Lane, a criminal defense attorney and author of the pioneering 1966 work, Rush to Judgment, among other books on the subject
- Dr. Josiah Thompson, a private investigator and author of the influential 1967 micro-study of the assassination, Six Seconds in Dallas
- Robert K. Tanenbaum, an attorney and expert legal commentator who served as deputy chief counsel to the U.S. House Select Committee on Assassinations.
In addition, expert presentations, panel discussions, concurrent sessions and educational vendors will provide symposium attendees with additional learning options. Evening events are also scheduled, including a Thursday evening reception and panel discussion on the media’s role in the case at the Heinz History Center.
The quest for answers is as significant today as it was in 1963 for two main reasons,” Wecht said. “First, it can promote a greater awareness and understanding of the role of forensic science in resolving complex events. This case…really presents a wonderful vehicle for us to instill an appreciation and understanding of forensic science, particularly among future forensics investigators and researchers.”
For more information on Passing the Torch and to register for the symposium, visit www.duq.edu/jfk, email wechtinstitute@duq.edu or call 412.396.1330.