Kennedy Presidential Library to be Featured in 12-Week C-SPAN Series on the Modern Presidency

For Immediate Release: September 13, 2007 
Further information: Brent R. Carney (617) 514-1662, Brent.Carney@JFKLFoundation.org 
Peggy Keegan (202) 626-7958, pkeegan@c-span.org

Presidential Libraries: History Uncovered

Live from the Kennedy Presidential Library Friday, Oct. 5 at 8 p.m. ET

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C-SPAN PROJECT WILL DIGITIZE MORE THAN 1,000 RARE PRESIDENTIAL RECORDINGS

WASHINGTON D.C.– As the nation prepares to elect a new president in 2008, C-SPAN, with extensive assistance from the National Archives, is introducing a new television series that offers a behind-the-scenes look at the modern American presidency. C-SPAN will broadcast live from the Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum in Boston, Massachusetts, on Friday October 5, 2007. Library Director Tom Putnam, Museum Curator Frank Rigg, and Archivist Maura Porter will be featured on the national broadcast live from Boston, MA.

C-SPAN’s Presidential Libraries: History Uncovered is a 12-week series airing live on location from the 12 Presidential libraries spanning Herbert Hoover to Bill Clinton. Debuting on Friday, September 7, 2007, C-SPAN’s latest history series demonstrates the evolution of the modern presidency with extensive use of never- or rarely-seen film, video, private home movies, sound recordings, photographs, documents and artifacts collected from inside the libraries’ vaults.

In addition, more than 1,000 rare recordings, identified for this series from the various Libraries’ holdings, will be digitized by C-SPAN and made publicly available via the Internet.

C-SPAN President Susan Swain and Archivist of the United States Allen Weinstein announced the series last evening at an event in Washington, D.C.

“We believe we can bring some new perspectives to these 12 men and some historical context to the highly competitive 2008 presidential election,” said Swain.

“C-SPAN’s distinct style and long experience producing history programs, combined with the resources of the National Archives’ Presidential Libraries will result in unique history programming for our viewers.”

“This is the latest example of a valuable and ongoing relationship between C-SPAN and the National Archives,” said Weinstein. “ The National Archives is committed to providing the American public access to records concerning the actions of our government. C-SPAN’s Presidential Libraries series will be a meaningful contribution to this goal, giving viewers a new perspective on fascinating materials that tell important stories from American history.”

Among the sights and sounds from the libraries’ archives are:

  • A rarely-seen video tour John F. Kennedy offers of his US Senate office, early clips from the 1960 presidential campaign, declassified Oval Office recordings, and artifacts never before seen by the public.
  • Rarely-seen video of Herbert Hoover at Camp Rapidan, his Virginia mountain hideaway and where he attempted to fight the battles of the Great Depression.
  • Television outtakes where Harry Truman explains his nickname, “Give ‘em hell, Harry.” He also discusses his relationship with General Douglas MacArthur and his decision to drop the atomic bomb.
  • Lady Bird Johnson’s home movies of Lyndon Johnson campaigning for his first Senate seat in 1941.
  • Ronald Reagan, in footage shot by White House TV, at a behind-the-scenes meeting with advisors at the 1985 Geneva Summit with Russia criticizing media coverage of the summit.

Every Friday night at 8 p.m. ET, from September 7 through November 30, C-SPAN will air a live, two-hour program on location from one of the Presidential Libraries. In addition to never- or rarely-aired archival materials, each program will feature interviews and viewer call-in segments with respected experts such as curators, archivists, historians and other "witnesses to history." Live segments will take viewers where the public cannot go -- beyond the exhibit halls and into the archives of each library where rare artifacts are preserved. Each program reairs later the same night at 11 pm ET (8 pm PT).

Richard Norton Smith, nationally-recognized presidential historian who has served as the director of four National Archives Presidential Libraries, is a consultant to C-SPAN for this series and will take part in all twelve programs in both live and taped segments.

C-SPAN’s Presidential Libraries will be available on multiple platforms across the C-SPAN networks. A companion Web site, www.c-span.org/presidentiallibraries will feature exclusive online offerings such as weekly podcasts, digitized recordings from the libraries’ archives, and other resources. C-SPAN Radio will complement the TV series with archival sound recordings from the libraries starting Saturday, September 8 at 3 p.m. ET and airing every Saturday during the 12- week series as part of its American Political Archive program. C-SPAN Radio is heard in Washington/Baltimore area on WCSP- FM 90.1 and exclusively on XM Satellite Radio.

Highlights of the TV series will subsequently be offered to cable systems across the country for on-demand (VOD) viewing.

About C-SPAN

C-SPAN, the political network of record, was created in 1979 by America's cable companies as a public service. C-SPAN is currently available in 91.7 million households, C-SPAN2 in 84.5 million households, and C-SPAN3 in 15 million households nationwide. For more information, visit: www.c-span.org

About the National Archives

The National Archives and Records Administration, an independent federal agency, is the nation's record keeper. Founded in 1934, its mission is unique —to serve American democracy by safeguarding and preserving the records of our Government, ensuring that the people can discover, use, and learn from this documentary heritage. The National Archives meets a wide range of information needs, among them helping people to trace their families' history, making it possible for veterans to prove their entitlement to medical and other benefits, and preserving original White House records. The National Archives carries out its mission through a nationwide network of archives, records centers, and Presidential Libraries, and on the Internet at www.archives.gov.

About the Presidential Libraries

The National Archives and Records Administration operates twelve Presidential Libraries, representing U.S. Presidents from Herbert Hoover through Bill Clinton. These are not libraries in the usual sense. They are archives and museums, preserving the written record and physical history of our presidents, while providing special programs and exhibits that serve their communities. These libraries, described by President Reagan as “classrooms of Democracy,” belong to the American people and provide insight into the times in which these presidents lived and served the nation. For more information about Presidential Libraries, visit http://www.archives.gov/presidential-libraries.

About the Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum

One of Boston’s most popular destinations for visitors from all nations, the architectural masterpiece designed by I.M. Pei sits on a 10-acre waterfront site on Columbia Point offering panoramic views of Boston’s skyline and Harbor Islands.

General admission to the Museum at the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library is $10.00. Admission for seniors over the age of 62 and college students with appropriate identification is $8.00, and for children ages 13-17, $7.00. Children ages 12 and under are admitted for free.

The Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum is open daily from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., with the exceptions of Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day, and New Year’s Day. The Library is located in the Dorchester section of Boston, off Morrissey Boulevard, next to the campus of the University of Massachusetts/Boston. Parking is free. There is free shuttle-service from the JFK/UMass T Stop on the Red Line. The Museum is fully handicapped accessible. For more information, call (866) JFK-1960.

NOTE TO EDITORS: Video and sound clips from the series are available online at www.c-span.org/presidentiallibraries. Still photos or a DVD with video clips are available by contacting C-SPAN at 202-626-7958.