Bethesda Chief Autopsy Surgeon
Commander James J. Humes served as chief autopsy surgeon during the examination of President Kennedy at Bethesda Naval Hospital.
Historical biography archive · Updated 2026-11-03
James J. Humes Biography and Timeline
Follow James J. Humes through 11 dated historical records for United States of America.
James J. Humes, historical timeline
A chronological timeline drawn from matching World History Database records.
11Distinct records
1 of 1Page
1963–1963Years on this page
1963
Bethesda Downward Neck Trajectory
Humes and the other pathologists traced the neck missile along a slight downward path toward the front of Kennedy's throat.
Bethesda Head Exit Assessment
Humes concluded that the large defect on the upper right side of Kennedy's skull represented a wound of exit.
Bethesda Laboratory Director Role
At the time of the autopsy, Humes was senior pathologist and director of laboratories at Bethesda Naval Hospital.
Bethesda Lodged Bullet Theory Rejected
Further examination led Humes and the Bethesda team to reject the idea that a bullet had lodged in Kennedy's back and later fallen out.
Bethesda Neck Entrance Assessment
Humes agreed that the small, clean-edged wound near the back of Kennedy's neck had the characteristics of an entrance wound.
Bethesda Skull Beveling Assessment
Humes used the beveling of the skull wound to support the conclusion that the smaller posterior defect was an entrance wound.
Bethesda Soft Tissue Track Finding
Humes determined that the neck missile passed mainly through soft tissue rather than through bone as it crossed Kennedy's neck.
Bethesda Malcolm Perry Telephone Call
Early on November 23, Humes telephoned Dr. Malcolm Perry and learned that Perry had used the existing throat wound for the tracheotomy incision.
Bethesda Parkland Tracheotomy Inquiry
Humes sought confirmation from Parkland Hospital that a tracheotomy had been performed through the wound on the front of Kennedy's neck.
Bethesda Throat Exit Confirmation
Perry's information confirmed Humes's conclusion that the neck bullet had exited through the front of Kennedy's throat.
Records, sources and methodology
These dates and descriptions come from the historical_events database. Exact duplicate records have been collapsed. Names are grouped by the country, Name 2 and Name 1 fields; records with missing Name 2 cannot be reliably assigned to an individual biography. Check the underlying sources before formal citation.