Inaugurations from our past

Broadcasting at Presidential Inaugurations

For nearly a century, broadcasters have been instrumental in capturing and reporting on Presidential inaugurations, enabling Americans throughout the nation to share in the continuity of democracy and shifts in leadership that the ceremony symbolizes. The photos and audio clips below, taken from the Library of American Broadcasting collection at the University of Maryland, demonstrate the history of broadcasters' front-and-center prominence every four years on January 20.

1961

1961 Audio Clip

Listen to John F. Kennedy's inauguration speech opening, January 20, 1961. 

1965

1969

1969 Audio Clip

Listen to Richard Nixon's inauguration speech opening, January 20, 1969.