This week, Ira Sternberg spoke with Farris Rookstool III.
Farris Rookstool III, an Emmy Award-winning historian, former FBI analyst and JFK expert, recently addressed key issues in the assassination of President John F. Kennedy at “The JFK Exhibition” at The New Tropicana Las Vegas. The exhibition, open through January 3rd, showcases artifacts from a historic time in 20th century America and features some of the most iconic memorabilia from the 35th president of the United States.
During his distinguished career with the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Rookstool spent more than nine years reading more than 500,000 pages of classified FBI documents concerning the assassination and prepared over 3,500 pages of follow-up investigative reports.
He is the only historian to brief the United States Secret Service director and assistant directors on the JFK Assassination events and personally took them to Dealey Plaza and Oswald’s escape route. Rookstool was the only FBI analyst granted access to the National Archives Records Administration Southwest Region vault where Parkland Hospital Trauma Room One was stored. He personally transported all of the official records from Dallas to Washington, D.C. and served on the FBI JFK Task Force in Washington, D.C.
Rookstool also briefed the attorney general, FBI director, and members of Congress on the Kennedy assassination records and is the only historian to broadcast live on national television during the JFK 50th news coverage.