A former president’s library will host a party to watch the new president’s inauguration. An inauguration watch party event begins Friday morning at 10 a.m. in the Eisenhower Library Auditorium in Abilene. It is free and open to the public.
The program will begin with a Presidential inaugurations presentation by Jerry Wallace. During his 30-year tenure with the National Archives and Records Administration, Wallace was honored to be historian-archivist for three presidential inaugural committees, including Richard Nixon (1973) and Ronald Reagan (1981 and 1985). Wallace’s interest in presidential inaugurations dates from his high school days, when he received permission to stay home and watch John F. Kennedy’s televised inauguration.
Following Wallace’s remarks and live coverage of the 2017 Trump inauguration, footage of the 1957 Eisenhower Inauguration will be shown. This year’s inauguration marks the 60th anniversary of President Eisenhower’s second inauguration. The 15-minute clip includes:
- Ike and Mamie leaving for the Capitol
- Swearing-in of Vice President Nixon
- Swearing-in of President Eisenhower
- Excerpts from President Eisenhower’s Inaugural Address
