The idea of creating the Warren Commission is credited to Nicholas Katzenbach who sent a memo to President Johnson stating how important it was that public fully believe whatever conclusion the investigation into the assassination of President Kennedy came up with. Johnson agreed and appointed Chief Justice Warren to head the commission. Other commission members were Senator Richard Russell, Senator John Cooper, Representative Hale Boggs, Representative Gerald Ford, former Director of the CIA Allen Dulles, and John McCloy the former President of the World Bank.

The committee met for the first time December 5, 1963. The committee presented its report to President Johnson on September 24, 1964. The report which was 888 pages in length concluded that Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone when he killed President Kennedy. It further concluded that Jack Ruby had acted alone when he had killed Lee Harvey Oswald. Two months after releasing its report the commission released 26 volumes of documents and supporting testimony.

To this day many questions whether the results of the commission were accurate. Many have claimed that there were more than one gunmen or that Oswald was not acting alone. However, this has never gone beyond questions and conjecture.