Nossaman Assists Raab Collection With Donation of Historic JFK Recordings

Nossaman Partner Robert Adler represented the Raab Collection in its high-profile donation to the the National Archives of an original audiotape recording described as "Radio Traffic involving AF-1 in flight from Dallas, TX, to Andrews AFB on November 22, 1963." These previously unheard recordings include taped conversations between pilots and individuals on President Kennedy's official airplane known as "Air Force One," and various individuals in Washington, DC, during the return flight following the assassination of President Kennedy. The donation has captured national media attention, including features on CNN's Piers Morgan Tonight and the NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams.

The Raab Collection recently discovered two ¼˝ open-reel audiotapes containing identical excerpts from the November 22, 1963, Air Force One flight among the papers and other memorabilia of Army Gen. Chester "Ted" Clifton Jr., who served as senior military aide to President John F. Kennedy. The Raab Collection's donation of one of the reels provides the public an opportunity to hear these historically significant recordings for the first time ever. Under an agreement negotiated with the National Archives, the Raab Collection received a complete and full release allowing it to keep the second reel and to market and sell digitized copies of the audiotape it retained.