J. D. Tippit was born near the town of Annona, Texas, in Red River County. He was the eldest of seven children to Edgar Lee Tippit (1902–2006) and Lizzie Mae "May Bug" Rush (1905–1990). The Tippit and … See more

He served in World War II, entering the United States Army on July 21, 1944. He volunteered for the paratroopers, part of the newly-formed airborne forces. After finishing his training, he was … See more

Tippit began working for the Dearborn Stove Company in 1946. He next worked for Sears, Roebuck and Company in the installation department from March 1948 to September 1949 when he was laid off. Tippit and his wife Marie moved to Lone Star, Texas, … See more

On November 22, 1963, Tippit was working beat number 78, his normal patrol area in south Oak Cliff, a residential area of Dallas.
At 12:45 p.m., 15 minutes after President Kennedy was shot, Tippit received a radio order to drive to the … See more

On the evening of the assassination, both Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy and the new President, Lyndon B. Johnson, called Tippit's widow to express their sympathies. Jacqueline Kennedy wrote a letter expressing sorrow for the bond they shared. The plight … See more

Tippit married Marie Frances Gasway on December 26, 1946, and the couple had three children: Charles Allan (1950–2014), Brenda Kay (born 1953), and Curtis Glenn (born 1958). Marie died at 92 on March 2, 2021, after suffering from medical issues. See more

Tippit has been portrayed by Price Carson in 1991's JFK, David Duchovny in 1992's Ruby, and Matt Micou in 2013's Killing Kennedy. He was portrayed by uncredited actors in 1977's The Trial of Lee Harvey Oswald and 1978's Ruby and Oswald. See more