Dedication of the Lincoln Memorial
Item
Title
Dedication of the Lincoln Memorial
Description
Over 35,000 people attended the dedication ceremony for the Lincoln Memorial in 1922, ten years after construction began. At the ceremony, President Warren G. Harding, former president and Chief Justice of the Supreme Court Howard Taft, and Robert Moton, Principal of Tuskegee Institute spoke about Lincoln’s legacy and how the memorial might help heal sectional tensions in the US. Harding’s address was broadcast on the radio using an experimental radiophone developed by the US Navy. Attendees included Union and Confederate Civil War veterans and President Lincoln's son, Robert Todd Lincoln. Though the event emphasized reconciliation and unity, audience members watched from segregated seating.
Creator
Department of Defense.
Source
National Archives at College Park. View original.
Date
5/30/1922
19220530
Coverage
1920-1949
Type
Openings and Dedications
topic
design & monuments
presidents
