A Radio Series From Studio 360
Subscribe to Podcast

Episode #1108

American Icons: The Lincoln Memorial

« previous episode | next episode »

Friday, February 19, 2010

Stream m3u

Lincoln Memorial Feature Card_Big

This is America's soapbox.

  • American Icons

    More
  • “ The Lincoln Memorial is symbolic of America's promise. It is symbolic of America's vision, but it's also symbolic of America's contradictions and complexity.
    — Professor James Horton

Kurt Andersen looks into how the Lincoln Memorial became an American Icon. Sarah Vowell discusses the battle over Lincoln's memory, which lasted for three generations. Dorothy Height, the late veteran of the Civil Rights Movement, recalled witnessing Marian Anderson's historic concert there in 1939, and hearing Martin Luther King, Jr., declare "I have a dream" in 1963.  And a former White House aide sets the record straight on Richard Nixon's infamous 4 a.m. trip to the Lincoln Memorial, where he met with student protesters there to denounce the Vietnam War.

Actor David Strathairn reads the Gettysburg Address (which is engraved on the Memorial) for Studio 360.

Slideshow: The Lincoln Memorial

Library of Congress
The Lincoln Memorial under construction.
Library of Congress
The Lincoln Memorial under construction.
Library of Congress
Sculptor Daniel Chester French at Chesterwood, his Massachusetts studio.
Courtesy of Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War
Lincoln Memorial Dedication Ceremony - May 30, 1922.
Copyright Medal of Freedom.com
Marion Anderson standing in front of the Lincoln statue.
Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division, FSA-OWI Collection
The Lincoln Memorial.
Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division, Theodor Horydczak Collection
The Lincoln Memorial at night.
Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division, Theodor Horydczak Collection
The Lincoln Memorial with cherry blossoms.

Recent Studio 360 Slideshows

Comments [3]

alyce o'rourke-reis from port washington, new york

WOW! I joined this edition of Studio 360 late in the broadcast, so I didn't get the full scope. However, I was very moved by what I did hear. What a wonderful program. The insights, readings, historical references and voices from the past re: A. Lincoln and his memorial as a soap box blew me away. I will now download your program and make certain that my 16 and 12 yr olds hear it asap. Thank you for a very enlightened car ride.

Jan. 10 2009 02:15 PM
Feature this Comment Moderate
S

Nixon devoted about 3 pages on this in his memoirs.

May. 22 2008 12:21 PM
Feature this Comment Moderate
Ed Harris

It would really mean a lot to me to have a copy of this program. I was one of the students (from N.C. State U) who was there with Nixon at Lincoln Memorial that morning. I have never been able to come up with any pictures of that event, so I suppose there aren't any.

Apr. 08 2008 02:12 PM
Feature this Comment Moderate

Leave a Comment

Register for your own account so you can vote on comments, save your favorites, and more. Learn more.
Please stay on topic, be civil, and be brief.
Email addresses are never displayed, but they are required to confirm your comments. Names are displayed with all comments. We reserve the right to edit any comments posted on this site. Please read the Comment Guidelines before posting. By leaving a comment, you agree to New York Public Radio's Privacy Policy and Terms Of Use.

What is Your Icon? Click to view American Icon map

What's the book, movie, song, play or building that you think should be the next American Icon?

Supported by

Featured Comments

Supported by