1963

Abraham Zapruder was a successful dress manufacturer and a client of Sam Passman.  After President Kennedy’s assassination, Mr. Zapruder called Sam and told him about the film he had taken of the President’s assassination.  With Sam’s advice and help, Mr. Zapruder had the film developed, copies made, and affidavits signed to memorialize chain of custody.  Early the next morning, November 23, 1963, Sam and Shannon met Mr. Zapruder at the Passman & Jones office to watch the film on Shannon’s “new” projector.  It is believed that one of the first times (if not the first time) the Zapruder film was shown was on the wall of the Passman & Jones conference room.  With Sam and Shannon’s counseling, Mr. Zapruder arranged to provide a copy of the film to the FBI and Secret Service.  Sam and Shannon also advised Mr. Zapruder in connection with his sell of his rights to the film to Life Magazine.  Sensitive to the fact that Mr. Zapruder may be portrayed as unfairly profiting from such a tragedy, Sam Passman came up with the idea that Mr. Zapruder would donate part of the money to be paid by Life Magazine to a scholarship fund for the children of J.W. Tippett, the Dallas police officer who was killed that day trying to arrest Lee Harvey Oswald.

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