Samuel B. Ballen

I went to public schools in New York. Attended Townsend Harris High; attended C.C.N.Y.; received a BBA Degree from C.C.N.Y., and then have also taken extension courses at Columbia University, Manhattan College, NYU Graduate School of Banking, Oklahoma University, and Texas A&M.

What were the graduate courses in, generally?

Three fields. Money and banking; geology; and petroleum engineering.

Did there come a time when you made the acquaintance of Lee Harvey Oswald?

Yes.

Will you tell us the circumstances surrounding that?

In some respects, my memory is still a little bit hazy. My best recollection though is that in the fall of 1962, George De Mohrenschildt, a close friend of mine, told me that he and his wife had met an extremely interesting couple who had worked their way from Russia here to Dallas and Fort Worth, and that among other problems that this fellow was in pretty desperate financial straits and needed a job, and would I be willing to see him and try to find employment for him. I said, "Yes." And he came down to my office and I spent approximately 2 hours with him. He came down, and I left my office in the Southland Center with him to go to a meeting at the Republic National Bank, and walked down with him, and he then left and I believe stated that he was going over to the YMCA where he was residing.

Can you fix the date of this meeting with any precision?

I can't. I think it was either the latter part of 1962 or the very early part of 1963.
I know the particular day was pleasant, because I recall walking down the street not wearing any topcoat, just wearing a regular coat, and that was also true of Oswald.

Did Oswald have a job at the time he came to talk to you; do you know?

He indicated to me that he was not employed.

He told you he was living at the YMCA in Dallas, is that correct?

That's correct. He told me that his--I knew he had a wife and child, and he indicated that his wife was staying with some friends, and his child, but he at that time was working out of the YMCA.

Did he tell you where his wife was staying?

No. I would have had some vague idea about that from the De Mohrenschildts.

Did you have an idea from De Mohrenschildt?