Which JFK Assassination Artifact is Locked Away Until 2103?

The approaching anniversary of the assassination of John Kennedy again has historians focusing on sealed government files at the National Archives and whether President Biden will order finally their full release.

The National Archive’s assassination collection, however, includes much more than paper files. It also is the repository for physical evidence, everything from Lee Harvey Oswald’s Mannlicher Carcano rifle to President Kennedy’s clothing.  Researchers and historians who meet strict standards set by the archives can obtain access to view the physical evidence. I got permission in 1993, for example, to examine Warren Commission Exhibit 399, the single bullet that wounded both JFK and Governor Connally. However, there is one item to which no researcher has had access: the iconic pink Chanel-styled suit that the First Lady wore the day her husband was murdered.

In photos of the morning before the assassination, Jackie’s suit was a vivid reminder of the glamour and style that she an…