Presented by:

Roosevelt High School

Cedar Rapids, Iowa

Classes of 1951

Lest We Forget!

Introduction

PLEASE take a minute or two to read this!

As we enter the 21st Century, it seems altogether appropriate that we should review some of the events and sounds of the 20th century. Those of us who actually remember ANY of these events are in a rapidly shrinking minority. We of the R.H.S. Class of 1951 remember some of them. (Some all too well!).

The Real Audio clips on this page are from a three record set titled "Hear it Now" narrated by Edward R. Murrow. A real collectors item!

I purchased these records in 1955. They are very early 33 1/3 monaural records. They come to you digitized by myself complete with the scratches and hisses of much played 44 year old records.

They cover the period from 1919 through 1949.

There are 28 tracks or clips. They are sequenced by year except when the subject or event spans more than a single year in which case it is in the year the event began.

The Descriptions below are VERY abbreviated. Many clips contain several events. A lot of very neat stuff is not mentioned. The entire back cover of each of the three albums is devoted to very fine print descriptions. Obviously a condensed synopsis can't do the job, but I did my best! I spent a lot of time on this.

So, listen to them all even if the title does not ring your bell.

DON'T MISS THE CONTINUOUS BROADCAST ALTERNATIVE!

You have three alternatives. First, listen to individual clips in streaming mode. Click on this button . Second, Download to play later. Right click your mouse on the download button . Third, listen to the whole set in continuous broadcast mode. (Takes about 90 minutes).

OK, Here we go!

Please turn off the Midi and click the Flag below!

Lest we forget!

Take me to the Broadcast Page. Click the Radio,

or make your own

Selections

1919 - The Armistace - Wilson and the League of Nations - Death of the League - Wilson's ominous Prophecy

1920 - Harding and the beginning of the Roaring 20's. - KDKA Pittsburgh broadcasts Election results for the first time. - Will Rogers comments on the U.S. Senate.

1921 thru1923 - Harding's decline as President over 26 months. Harding's death - Coolidge sworn in - The Teapot Dome Scandal.

1924 - Democratic National Convention. KDKA announces Coolidge nomination - Montage of American customs and behavior during the Roaring 20's - Babe Ruth Home Run.

1925 - The Scopes (Monkey) Trial - William Jennings Bryan vs. Clarence Darrow. Gene Tunney becomes Champion. The famous "Long Count" in the second Dempsey Tunney fight.

1927 - The Lindburgh Flight - Bobby Jones - Queen Marie - Gertrude Ederle - and the famous Sacco - Vanzetti case.

1920 thru 1929 - The Prohibition Era - Radio is here to stay, - Amos 'n' Andy, Bing Crosby, Rudy Vallee, Will Rogers, Hoover on Prosperity, - 1928 - Republicans nominate Herbert Hoover, F.D.R. on behalf of the Democrats nominates Al Smith. - Gangsterism - Al Capone.

1929 - Black Thursday - The CRASH _ The end of prosperity and the Roaring 20's. The beginning of the great Depression.

The end of the 20's. We of the R.H.S. Class of 1951 do not remember those days, but our parents and history teachers did well! We are very aware of these happenings, and as "Depression Babies" many of us suffered the consequences.

1932 - 1933 Will Rogers talks about the Depression - Roosevelt assumes the Presidency - The "Nothing to fear but fear itself" speech. - The Duke of Windsor abdicates the throne "for the woman I love".

1934 - 1937 - Fiorello Laguardia wages war against the "Ward Heelers". Alf Landon campaigns for the Presidency. John L. Lewis speech Labor Day 1937. The Hindenburg Disaster - Roosevelt's second nomination.

1938 - Chamberlin returns from Munich - Adolph Hitler lashes out against the Sudetanland - Joe Louis vs. Max Schmelling - Lou Gehrig "the Iron Man" steps down.

1939 - The invasion of Poland - U.S. views on neutrality - Nazi Blitzkrieg - March of the Storm Troopers - Roosevelt speech "The hand that held the dagger" - Mussolini declares war.

1940- Premier Paul Renaud of France pleads for U.S.aid as Nazis overrun France The French surrender at Compagne - Neville Chamberlain resigns as Prime Minister. - Winston Churchill forms a coalition government - Several exerpts from early Churchill speeches - Princess Elisabeth and Princess Margret Rose speak to the children of Britain.

1940 - 1941 - Wendell Wilkie accepts Republican nomination - F.D.R.campaigns for third term - Winston Churchill reads "Ship of State" message delivered to him from President Roosevelt - F.D.R."Arsenal of Democracy" speech - New York Philharmonic broadcast interrupted by Pearl Harbor announcement (John Daly) December 7th 1941.

1941 and 1944 - U.S. Declaration of War. Speaker Sam Rayburn introduces President Roosevelt who asks Congress to declare a State of War December 8th 1941. D-Day, June 6th 1944 , messages on the invasion by General Dwight D. Eisenhower,Charles DeGaulle, King Haakon of Norway, and others....

1944 - 1945- Broadcast from the Invasion Flagship Ancon on D-Day June 6th 1944. Marshall Stalin on the 24th Anniversary of the October Revolution. F.D.R. makes his fourth race for the Presidency. The "Fala speech". Thomas E. Dewey campaigns for presidency - F.D.R. addresses joint session of Congress after his return from meeting at Yalta March 1st 1945....

1945 - Announcement of President Roosevelt's death, April 12th, 1945. (Arthur Godfrey). Harry S. Truman makes his first appearance as President before a joint session of Congress. Introduced by Speaker Sam Rayburn on April 16th 1945. President Truman announces the German Surrender on May 8th 1945. Secretary of State Edward Stettinius opens the San Francisco Conference of the United Nations on April 25th 1945.

1945- Chaplain William Downey, U.S.Army Air Force says a prayer at Tinian before the takeoff of the Enola Gay which carried the first Atomic Bomb used in Warfare. August 6th, 1945. President Truman tells of our race for Atomic Energy and our plans for it. First Bulletin of Japanese Surrender (Robert Trout) , August 14th, 1945. General Douglas McArthur accepts Japanese Surrender aboard the Battleship Missouri September 2nd, 1945. Epilogue: Edward R. Murrow, "The Fifteen Years"

1945-V-J Day Celebrations: Times Square, Washington, London, Moscow, Prime Minister Clement R. Atlee August 14,1945....

1946- Conflict between Russia and the West. Winston Churchill delivers his "Iron Curtain" speech at Fulton, Missouri on March 5th 1946

1946 - Primarily the International war crimes Trials at Nuremburg Germany.

1947 Robert Trout reports on the 1946 Congressional Elections. The first Republican majority House and Senate since 1932. Babe Ruth Day at Yankee Stadium April 17, 1947...

1947 - George C. Marshall presents his "Marshall Plan" to Congress. Howard Hughes, aircraft builder is questioned by senator Homer Ferguson before the War Investigating Subcommittee. Princess Elizabeth and the duke of Edinburgh are married, November 20, 1947.

1948 - Several events including: The Jewish State of Israel is born May 14th 1948 and a cute bit on James Petrillo, President of the United federation of Musicians testifying before the House Labor Committee on January 21st 1948.

1948 - The Berlin Airlift, some "Cold War" bits, and a cute speech by Mrs. Franklin D.n Roosevelt rebuking the Russions before the United Nations....

1948 - Whittaker Chambers and Alger Hiss before the House Un-American Activities Committee August 25th 1948 - General Dwight D Eisenhower reafirms he will not seek a Presidential nomination.

1948 - The National Conventions - Governor Thomas E. Dewey accepts the Republican Nomination June 24, 1948 - President Truman accepts the Democratic Nomination The Southern Democrats walk out - July 15,1948 - The Progressive Party Convention - The "Friendly Henry Wallace" Convention song - Wallace accepts, July 23,1948. All of the Conventions were in Philadelphia. -

1948 - 1949 - The Presidential Campaign - Exerpts from Candidate speeches - Truman wins. Famous mimic by Truman of H.V. Kaltenborn on Election night January 19, 1949 ...

..........................................................................................................

.....R.H.S. Menu...........................................................................Fifties Menu

, Hits since October 21, 1998