John Glenn, the First American to Orbit the Earth

On July 8, 1924, radio station WNYC made its inaugural broadcast from a studio at the top of the Municipal Building. During 2024, For the Record will celebrate the centennial of one of the nation’s first municipally-owned radio station with a series of articles featuring historical audio recordings from the WNYC collection in the Municipal Archives. 

In 1986 the Municipal Archives acquired a large collection of original WNYC lacquer phono discs and tapes dating back to 1937. These unique audio recordings capture the sounds of a city and a nation through decades of transformations, tribulations, and triumphs in the voices of presidents, dignitaries, world leaders, artistic revolutionaries, musical geniuses, luminaries of the literati, and cultural icons. Outside of the federal government, the WNYC Collection is the largest non-commercial collection of archival audio recordings and ephemera from an individual radio broadcaster. 

The Archives has collaborated with WNYC on a series of projects to reformat this material. Most recently, funding from the Leon Levy Foundation enabled digitization of thousands of hours of audio content that documented political, historical, scientific, and cultural events—both large and small.

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John Glenn shaking hands with Mayor Wagner, March 1, 1962. Official Mayoral Photographs, NYC Municipal Archives.

This week’s article looks back to 1962 when WNYC broadcast NASA communications as well as chatter from Mission Control and various tracking stations around the world during astronaut Lt. Col. John H. Glenn’s orbit around the earth. We also feature records and photographs that document the city’s exuberant salute to Glenn and six fellow astronauts, Lt. Comdr. Alan B. Shepard, Capt. Virgil I. Grissom, Maj. Donald K. Slayton, Lt. Comdr. M. Scott Carpenter, Capt. Leroy Gordon Cooper and Comdr. Walter M. Schirra, Jr., that took place on March 1, 1962.

Planning for the celebration took place during the last week of February 1962 under the auspices of the Department of Commerce and Public Events. In 1954, Mayor Robert Wagner merged the Mayor’s Reception Committee, originally established by long-time City Greeter Grover Whalen in 1919, with the Department of Commerce set up by Mayor Fiorello LaGuardia in 1940, to form the new Department.

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Astronauts leaving City Hall after tickertape parade, March 1, 1962. Official Mayoral Photographs, NYC Municipal Archives.

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Program for Astronaut Day, 1962. Mayor Wagner papers, NYC Municipal Archives.

The Glenn event generated several folders of correspondence in Mayor Wagner’s Public Events sub-series. A typical item is the ten-page minutes of a planning meeting on February 24. The detailed document described the itinerary: “The official party will arrive at Marine Terminal, LaGuardia Airport, on Thursday morning, March 1st, aboard two planes... The official party will leave the Airport at 11:35 a.m. in order to be at Bowling Green in time for the start of the Broadway parade at 12:05.” After proceeding up Broadway, accompanied by marching bands, Mayor Wagner will meet the honored guests on the steps of City Hall. After brief remarks, the motorcade will travel to the Waldorf Astoria Hotel. “Approximately two thousand people will attend the luncheon in the Grand Ballroom...” At the luncheon Mayor Wagner will confer on Glenn the Gold Medal of Honor, the City’s highest award.

Additional items in the correspondence folders point to the “no detail too small” aspect of event planning. An unsigned memo dated February 23, 1962, informs “Col. Barlett” that “Nobody is to be invited to sit on the dais unless the Mayor has personally approved the name.” And, “Governor Rockefeller is to be invited just like anyone else.” Another lengthy document lists the seating arrangements for each automobile in the motorcade, indicating make, model, and license plate number, e.g. astronaut Capt. Virgil Grissom and his wife were assigned to a bronze Cadillac, license IN 1826 NY. 

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Unknown participants at reception luncheon for Mercury astronauts, March 1, 1962. Official Mayoral Photographs, NYC Municipal Archives.

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Luncheon menu for astronauts’ reception, 1962. Mayor Wagner papers, NYC Municipal Archives.

Newspaper clippings in the file describe the triumphant day: “Glenn Tribute Greatest Ever - New York’s millions roared their welcome to Astronaut John H. Glenn, Jr. yesterday in an outburst of enthusiasm and acclaim never before equaled even in this city of traditional tributes to heroes.” (Daily News, March 2, 1962.) The in-depth coverage of the day’s activities also informed readers that “A new $17,000 police horse van was used for the first time yesterday to bring about 40 horses to the lower Broadway area to handle the crowd. As usual, nobody argued with the horses and their mounted officers.”

More seriously, another big story on that day tempered reports of the Glenn celebration: “The early moments of the day’s activities were tinged with shock and sadness as word spread at the airport and among the assembled crowds along the route than an American Airlines jet plane had crashed on takeoff at [Idlewild] International Airport and that all aboard were killed.” The Civil Aeronautics Board investigation later determined that a manufacturing defect in the rudder system caused the accident. Among the 87 victims was Louise Sara Eastman, mother of Linda McCartney. 

Program and proclamation for Astronaut Day, 1962. Mayor Wagner papers, NYC Municipal Archives.

The Public Events files also include several folders of letters from school children (and their parents) urging the Mayor to close public schools for the day to afford students the opportunity to see the festivities. A short news clipping summed up the story: “There will be ticker-tape and brass bands for Lt. Col. John H. Glenn Jr. in New York on Thursday, but the city’s million school children will see none of it—except by way of the TV screens in their schools. Supt. of Schools John J. Theobald and the Board of Education today decided that the youngsters will get more out of the celebration at school than if they tried to elbow their way through the crowds along Broadway. They vetoed the suggestion that the schools be closed for the event.”

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Press badges for Astronaut Day, 1962. Mayor Wagner papers, NYC Municipal Archives.

In the coming years, New York City continued to celebrate the nation’s space program. Two of the astronauts feted in 1962, had the honor of participating in a second ticker-tape parade. On May 22, 1963, Maj. L. Gordon Cooper Jr., received the city’s traditional welcome after orbiting the earth 22 times, and on March 29, 1965, the city feted Maj. Virgil I. Grissom along with Lt. Comdr. John W. Young. Their Gemini III mission was the first U.S. space flight in which two astronauts went into orbit in the same capsule. In 1969, the City celebrated the Apollo astronauts in two parades; Apollo 8 on January 10, 1969, and finally the Apollo 11 astronauts Neil A. Armstrong, Col. Buzz Aldrin, and Lt. Col Michael Collins for the first manned moon landing, on August 13, 1969.

Not to be outdone, Lt. Col. John H. Glenn Jr., marched up Broadway in a parade one more time. On November 16, 1998, then Senator John Glenn and fellow crew members of the US Space Shuttle Discovery had their achievements celebrated in the traditional parade.

Look for future blogs featuring audio from the WNYC collection or visit https://www.wnyc.org/series/archives-preservation/archive-shows

The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in New York City

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The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Mayor Wagner, City Hall, December 17, 1964. Official Mayoral Photograph Collection, NYC Municipal Archives.

The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. accepted the Nobel Peace Prize in Oslo, Norway, on December 11, 1964. Upon his return from Europe the following week, Mayor Robert Wagner presented Dr. King with the Medallion of Honor, the city’s highest award.   

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Mrs. Alberta Williams King, Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Mrs. Coretta Scott King, and Mayor Robert Wagner, City Hall, December 17, 1964. Official Mayoral Photograph Collection, NYC Municipal Archives.

“This city has officially welcomed many world‐renowned figures,” Mayor Wagner said at the City Hall ceremony on December 17. “I can think of none who has won a more lasting place in the moral epic of America. New York is proud of you, Dr. King.” 

The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Mrs. Coretta Scott King, and Mayor Wagner, City Hall, December 17, 1964. Official Mayoral Photograph Collection, NYC Municipal Archives.

New York City has a long history of honoring special guests—athletes, aviators, astronauts, royalty, world leaders, even a virtuoso piano player—all celebrated with memorable receptions. Since the early years of the twentieth century, bureaus within the Mayor’s Office have been responsible for these welcoming events. During the Wagner Administration, the Department of Public Events had this responsibility.   

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Program for Presentation of the City of New York Medallion of Honor, to Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., December 17, 1964. Mayor Robert Wagner Collection, NYC Municipal Archives.

Examining files in the Public Events series within the Mayor Wagner papers, reveals extensive documentation regarding Dr. King’s reception. On December 1, 1964, Department of Public Events Commissioner Emma Rothblatt convened a meeting of twenty-six people to discuss arrangements for the day’s activities. The resulting multi-page minutes of the “Planning Meeting” detailed the necessary preparations. The press release subsequently issued on December 15, provided the finalized schedule for the day’s ceremonies: “Dr. King will be driven in an official limousine heading a five-car motorcade, with police escort from the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel at 11:30 a.m. on Thursday.” Proceeding down the East River Drive, the motorcade will arrive at City Hall where Mayor Wagner will present the Medallion of Honor. Later in the evening, at 6 p.m. “Mayor Wagner will tender an official City reception to Dr. King in the Empire Room of the Waldorf Astoria and present a desk set, bearing the seal of the City of New York.”

Program for Presentation of the City of New York Medallion of Honor to Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., December 17, 1964. Mayor Robert Wagner Collection, NYC Municipal Archives.

Correspondence in the files demonstrates the thoroughness of the preparations. The December 15 memo to Public Events staff member Colonel Paul Armus is typical:  “Subject: Lincoln Cars. To: Colonal Armus. Please make the necessary arrangements for the release of the three Lincoln cars for Thursday, December 17th, from approximately 9:30 A.M. until midnight.” Other memos discussed gifts to be presented to Dr. King’s father, mother, and wife. On December 4, Commissioner Rothblatt notified Armus that “The Mayor has decided that the Silver Letter Opener for Dr. King’s father and the charm key for Dr. King’s wife and mother will be presented at the reception on December 17. Just to be certain however, I will have the awards ready at City Hall should the Mayor call for them.” 

Seating Arrangement for Dr. King’s Motorcade, December 17, 1964. Mayor Robert Wagner Collection, NYC Municipal Archives.

Other folders contain documents concerning the evening reception at the Waldorf Astoria. Labeled “Very Special Attention,” a checklist specified the beverages to be served (Scotch, Rye, Bourbon “on-the-Rocks” and Highballs, Gin and Tonic, Old Fashioned, and Dry Martini Cocktails to be freshly made as needed”), gratuities (“No Tipping” signs to be displayed”), decorations, flags, music (“Provide one well-tuned Baby Grand Piano…”), as well as the extensive menu. It also included a list of the 400 invited guests—Vice President‐elect Hubert Humphrey and Mr. and Mrs. Count Basie, among the acceptances. 

Invitation to Reception for Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., at the Waldorf-Astoria, December 17, 1964. Mayor Robert Wagner Collection, NYC Municipal Archives.

The next day’s New York Times reported on Dr. King’s visit: “Addressing a crowd that packed every corner of the City Council Chamber and overflowed into the corridors of City Hall, Dr. King, in a deep voice and measured tones, said: ‘I am returning with a deeper conviction that nonviolence is the answer to the crucial political and moral questions of our time—the need for men to end the oppression and violence of racial persecution, destructive poverty and war without resorting to violence and oppression’.” 

Memorandum regarding City Hall reception for Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., December 2, 1964. Mayor Robert Wagner Collection, NYC Municipal Archives.

The Times also noted that “Dr. King slipped the medal into the right flap pocket of his dark‐blue suit. In the left inside pocket of his jacket was the small, yellow check of the Nobel Prize Committee, made out for 273,000 Swedish kroner ($54,600).” The Times report added that Dr. King planned to donate his entire prize to the civil rights movement.

On this weekend as we reflect on the life of Dr. Martin Luther King, please take a few minutes to listen to Dr. King’s remarks at the City Hall ceremony: The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. December 17, 1964 at City Hall

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., City Hall, December 17, 1964. Official Mayoral Photograph Collection, NYC Municipal Archives.

“Yes, our souls have been tried in the cold and bitter Valley Forges of the Deep South, and black and white together, we have met the test. We shall overcome.” 

-Dr. Martin Luther King, December 17, 1964.

WNYC-TV Archives: A Public Broadcaster for the Public Good

Over the last year, the Municipal Archives has successfully digitized hundreds of reels of film created from the 1940s through the 1980s by WNYC-TV, the city-owned television station. Although there are thousands more films to digitize, those that have already been preserved indicate the breadth and quality of subjects featured within this vast collection. From 1949 to 1981, WNYC-TV produced more than 4,000 films featuring news-worthy figures, events, developments and places, usually with sound and in full color. In addition to these films, WNYC-TV produced thousands of video tapes in the 1980s and 90s.

WNYC began as a radio broadcast station in 1924, one of the first municipal-owned stations in the country. During the early days of radio, regulatory bodies designated sections of the radio spectrum for broadcast and would lease or sell licenses to specific channels, such as WNYC or CBS. In the 1930s, like many municipalities, New York City anticipated the invention of television networks and created television broadcasting licenses to be leased in the future. Unlike most places, however, City leaders did not sell these licenses during the Great Depression, enabling them to set up municipal television stations like WNYC-TV and WNYE-TV, operated by the Board of Education, in the post-war era. Although WNYC produced several films in the 1940s and 50s, the film production expanded after WNYC-TV Channel 31 officially launched on November 5, 1961.

One of the earliest items in the WNYC-TV collection is City of Magic, a promotional film released in 1949. With a narrator speaking in the classic mid-Atlantic accent, the film celebrates New York City as the center of industry, trade, education and entertainment in the western world. There is a particular emphasis on the City’s prosperity compared with other world cities in Europe, still recovering from the Second World War.

City of Magic, 1949. WNYC-TV: Moving Images Collection, NYC Municipal Archives.

Although there are other productions like City of Magic, much of the WNYC-TV film collection consists of live recordings of public events, featuring local, national and international politicians and figures. President John F. Kennedy speaking at the 1962 dedication of the United States pavilion for the 1964 World’s Fair at Flushing Meadows, is one example. Introduced by Mayor Robert Wagner and Parks Commissioner Robert Moses, Kennedy echoed the sentiments found in City of Magic. In his words, visiting New York City and the 1964 World’s Fair were both opportunities for the world “to see what we have accomplished through a system of freedom.”

1964 New York’s World Fair: United States Pavilion groundbreaking ceremony with President John F. Kennedy, Mayor Robert Wagner and Robert Moses, December 14, 1962. WNYC-TV: Moving Images Collection, NYC Municipal Archives.

Ten years later in 1972, WNYC-TV recorded another historic public event when Shirley Chisholm, the first Black woman elected to Congress, announced that she was running for president. In her speech, she rejected the “political expediency” of the Nixon administration, calling for national unity, electoral reform, environmental rehabilitation, an end to wars abroad and a greater focus on the potential of women and minorities. Our recent blog featured Chisholm’s presidential announcement captured by the WNYC-TV cameras:  Shirley Chisholm

By the 1970s, production at WNYC-TV had increased significantly, including comprehensive documentation of the administrations of Mayors John Lindsay and Abraham Beame. WNYC-TV also focused on interviewing local politicians about their policies, current events and the inner workings of City government. These interviews may have been especially needed by New Yorkers, as the 1970s saw a precipitous drop in the City’s ability to provide services that millions had come to depend on. The City’s fiscal crisis and Mayor Beame’s response are highlights of this collection.

WNYC Golden Anniversary: A. Labaton receiving the United Nations Award, speech by Lee Graham, proclamation and citations by Mayor Abraham D. Beame to Seymour Siegel, Herman Neuman and A. Labaton, July 8, 1974. WNYC-TV: Moving Images Collection, NYC Municipal Archives.

In 1974, Mayor Beame celebrated WNYC’s 50th anniversary with an official proclamation that July 8th would be known as WNYC Golden Anniversary Day. He remarked that New York City’s broadcast system remained “the only municipally owned and operated, non-commercial broadcasting complex in the United States.” This remained true until 1996, when Mayor Giuliani sold off the Municipal Broadcast System, turning WNYC radio into a private entity that is today owned and operated by New York Public Radio and the WNYC Foundation. For better or worse, WNYC’s time as an active part of City government had finally come to an end.

Now, almost a century after WNYC began providing high quality informational and cultural shows to New Yorkers, its original television productions will be made available again. With funding from the New York State Archives’ Local Government Records Management Improvement Fund, staff at the Municipal Archives began a carefully coordinated project to assess, clean, repair and create preservation-quality digital scans of the films in this unparalleled collection. In the next few months, the Municipal Archives will stream more videos from the WNYC-TV collection online. Higher resolution copies are available upon request. You can browse the online collection here and the WNYC-TV finding aid here.