Mr. LIEBELER. Would you raise your right hand to be sworn, Mr. Ballen? Do you solemnly swear that you will tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, in the testimony you are about to give? Mr. BALLEN. I do. Mr. LIEBELER. My name is Wesley J. Liebeler. I believe Mr. Rankin mentioned in the letter he sent to you last week that I would contact you this week to take your testimony. The Commission has authorized me to take your testimony pursuant to authority granted by Executive Order 11130, dated November 29, 1963, and Joint Resolution of Congress 137. Copies of those documents have been sent to you as well as a copy of the Commission's rules of procedure in the taking of testimony. You did receive those, did you not? Mr. BALLEN. Yes, sir. Mr. LIEBELER. We want to ask you about your somewhat limited contacts with Lee Harvey Oswald, and also inquire to some extent about your association with George De Mohrenschildt. Will you state your full name? Mr. BALLEN. Samuel B. Ballen. Mr. LIEBELER. What is your address? Mr. BALLEN. 8715 Midway Road. Mr. LIEBELER. In Dallas? Mr. BALLEN. Dallas 9. Mr. LIEBELER. What is your employment, sir? Mr. BALLEN. I am a financial consultant, self-employed, and I am senior officer in several corporations. Mr. LIEBELER. Included among those corporations is the High Plains Natural Gas Co. and Electrical Log Services, Inc.? Mr. BALLEN. That's correct. Mr. LIEBELER. You are an American citizen, sir? Mr. BALLEN. Yes. Mr. LIEBELER. Were you born here in the United States? Mr. BALLEN. Yes. Mr. LIEBELER. In Dallas? Mr. BALLEN. In New York City. Mr. LIEBELER. When did you move to Dallas? Mr. BALLEN. November 1950. Mr. LIEBELER. What is your age, sir? Mr. BALLEN. Forty-two. Mr. LIEBELER. Would you tell us briefly your educational background? Mr. 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. Mr. LIEBELER. What were the graduate courses in, generally? Mr. BALLEN. Three fields. Money and banking; geology; and petroleum engineering. Mr. LIEBELER. Did there come a time when you made the acquaintance of Lee Harvey Oswald? Mr. BALLEN. Yes. Mr. LIEBELER. Will you tell us the circumstances surrounding that? Mr. BALLEN. 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.