Despite the efforts of the numerous doctors at Dallas' Parkland Hospital, President John F. Kennedy's prognosis was, as stated in the Warren Commission Report, "hopeless."
Moments after Father Oscar L. Huber of Dallas' Holy Trinity Church administered the Last Rites of the Church, the president was declared dead by Dr. William Kemp Clark.†
According to the Warren Report, because it was impossible to determine exactly when life left the president, the time was fixed at 1 p.m. as an approximation.
A casket was obtained and, at about 2 p.m., Kennedy's body was removed from Parkland, despite protests from local officials who said the body could not be removed from the city until an autopsy was performed.
At about 2:15 p.m., Kennedy's casket had been loaded on to Air Force One "with some difficulty because of the narrow airplane door, onto the rear of the Presidential plane where seats had been removed to make room."†
With the slain president on board, Aide Kenneth O'Donnell recommended they depart immediately before city officials held them at Love Field. Takeoff was delayed, however, until Vice President had taken the oath of office.
†Source: Warren Commission Report
