Bert Shipp, a longtime North Texas broadcaster who covered President Kennedy's assassination, has died at age 85.
Heartbroken to announce the passing of my dad, the Great Bert Shipp. Legendary Wfaa newsman. My mentor, my hero.
— Brett Shipp Reports (@brett_shipp)
In 1963, Shipp helped deliver the news on WFAA-TV that President Kennedy had been shot in Dallas.
He was at the Trade Mart, ready to cover the speech that Kennedy was scheduled to give there. Shipp was filming outside when the presidential motorcade raced instead to Parkland Hospital.
He went there, where doctors treated the president. Shipp then raced back to WFAA to report what had happened.
He reflected on that moment in a
"Finally got in the station, told them that I think the president couldn't live with the back of his head gone. And I said, "Go ahead and tell, you know, put it on the air." And he said, "No way." He says, "We announced that somebody was dead and they weren't dead," and he said, "our news director said no more dead people until we see the death certificate." And I said, "Well, put me on there."
Shipp was the assistant news director at WFAA-TV at the time of the Kennedy assassination.
He said that covering the assassination tested his skills as a journalist 鈥� but it also broke his heart.
The Legendary, one of a kind Bert Shipp has passed. My condolences to & his family & Vicky caregiver <3
— Gloria Campos (@GloriaCampos)
Video: Bert Shipp talks with WFAA-TV about the assassination
Learn more
- The Dallas Morning News
- WFAA-TV
