it is a hope for the brave. this is the hope that beckons us onward in this century of trial. this is the work that awaits us all, to be done with bravery, with charity, and with prayer to almighty god. my citizens, i thank you. [applause] >> this senate recording studio newsreel features highlights of president dwight d. eisenhower's second inauguration in 1957. the official oath was taken in private in the white house because january 20 fell on a sunday. the next day, a public inaugural ceremony was held.

this video, provided by the dwight d. eisenhower library and presidential museum, also shows highlights of the parade and balls that evening. >> the honor of your presence is requested at the ceremonies for the inauguration of the president and vice president of the united states, january 21, 1957. the committee of arrangements, senator theatre francis green, senator sparkman, speaker of the hearth, house majority leader, house minority leader. ♪

special musical score by the united states marine band. captain albert albert director. music composed by technical sergeant donald hunsberger, staff arranger. ♪ in the fall of 1956, our hand cameras were allowed to briefly cover a meeting of the joint inaugural committee as they met to discuss plans for the coming inauguration. chairman of the committee, senator stiles bridget of new hampshire. speaker sam rayburn of texas. senator theodore francis green of rhode island. house majority leader john mccormick of massachusetts.

senator john sparkman of alabama. house minority leader joseph w martin junior of massachusetts. secretary to the committee and to the senate minority market price -- mark trice. ♪ installation of the special steel platforms for television and newsreel cameras was immediately begun. approximately 540,000 feet of lumber was used to provide seating for 12,000 of the

invited guests. on january 3, 1957, the flag flew over the capitol as both houses of congress met to begin the first session of the 85th congress. several days later, the president made an unprecedented address to a joint session of congress to apprise the membership of the then serious mideast situation. he requested congressional approval for his middle eastern policies and received such a resolution from congress a short time later. on january 20, the president and mrs. eisenhower again attended the national presbyterian church as they had four years ago.

the irreverent -- reverend lr nelson gave an inspiring and timely sermon on the subject a nation under god. the president and misses eisenhower left the church for the white house, where the president and the vice president were officially sworn in for their second terms of office. since by law the president cannot serve more than two terms, this would be the beginning of the last four years of occupancy of the white house by president eisenhower. typical of the many receptions held throughout washington for the visiting dignitaries attending the inaugural ceremonies was this reception given by senator and misses bridges in honor of the governor of new hampshire. the senator in the receiving line with lovely misses bridges.

with champagne music supplied by this marine quartet directed by lieutenant king. the morning of january 21 dawned cold and overcast. the capitol plaza as seen from a navy blimp hovering overhead. as the president and maymie came out of the white house, he paused and thought back to his first inauguration, when he came to the white house to be accompanied by president truman on his first ride to the capital. -- capitol. the president continued down the steps the vice president waiting

. and as the presidential caravan leaves the white house grounds, the president starts his second historic journey down pennsylvania avenue in four years. the waiting crowds heralded his arrival to the capitol, where the ceremonies are to be held. ike, ever the gallant, helps mamie from the car as they enter the capitol escorted by senator bridges. ♪

the dignitaries descend to the inaugural platform and received the members of the house of representatives. carl hagan, dean of the senate, leads the senators with the minority leader and majority leader lyndon johnson very close behind. representing our mighty military service is the joint chiefs of staff's. senators humphrey and dulles lead the cabinet members. followed by the nine black robed justices of the united states supreme court. former president herbert hoover. and an outspoken champion of the eisenhowers administration, governor and misses dewey. the chairman of the republican national committee. and now accompanied by members of the joint inaugural committee , the vice president of the united states richard nixon

takes his place on the platform. the moment everyone has been waiting for has now arrived. the president of the united states steps interview, and a tremendous ovation resounds across the capitol from the thousands who have gathered from near and far to witness his solemn oath of service to the american people and to assume the leadership of this great country of ours for another four year term. an expectant hush envelops the throng. >> the oath of office will be administered to the vice president by senator william f. noland of california. ♪

>> raise your right hand and repeat after me. >> i, richard m. nixon, do solemnly swear that i will support and defend the constitution of the united states against all enemies, foreign and domestic. that i will bear true faith and allegiance to the same. that i take this obligation freely without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion. and that i will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which i am about to enter. so help me god. >> congratulations, mr. vice

president. [applause] >> the solemnity of the occasion fills the air with an electric silence. people from all over this country and, yes, the world watch, wait, and listen for the moment when ike will step forward. ♪ >> you, dwight d eisenhower, do solemnly swear -- >> i, it dwight d. eisenhower, do solemnly swear that i will faithfully execute the office of the president of the united states, and will to the best of my ability preserve, protect, and defend the constitution of

the united states. so help me god. >> thank you very much. >> as the president looked out about the gathering, he thought about the year 1953 when he offered the now famous eisenhower prayer, the first time any president had ever prefaced his inaugural address with such a prayer. pres. eisenhower: give us, we pray, the power to discern clearly right from wrong and allow all our work and actions to be governed thereby, and by the laws of this land. especially we pray that our concern shall be for all the people, regardless of station, race, or calling. pres. eisenhower: mr. chairman,

mr. vice president, mr. chief justice, mr. speaker, members of my family and friends, my countrymen, and the friends of my country wherever they may be, we meet again, as upon a like moment four years ago, and again you have witnessed my solemn oath of service to you. i, too, am a witness, today testifying in your name to the principles and purposes to which we, as a people, are pledged. before all else, we seek, upon our common labor as a nation, the blessings of almighty god. and the hopes in our hearts fashion the deepest prayers of our whole people. may we pursue the right, without self-righteousness.

may we know unity, without conformity. may we grow in strength, without pride in self. may we, in our dealings with all peoples of the earth, ever speak truth and serve justice. and so shall america, in the sight of all men of good will, proof true to the honorable purposes that bind and rule us as a people in all this time of trial through which we pass. we live in a land of plenty, but rarely has this earth known such peril as today. in our nation, work and wealth abound. our population grows. commerce crowds our rivers and rails, our skies, harbors, and highways. our soil is fertile, our agriculture productive.

the air rings with the song of our industry, rolling mills and blast furnaces, dynamos, dams and assembly lines, the chorus of america the bountiful. now this is our home, yet this is not the whole of our world. for our world is where our full destiny lies. >> at the completion of his address, the president and mamie waved at the cheering crowd. the presidential party was led from the stands by zeke johnson, sergeant at arms of the house, on the left, and joseph dukes, sergeant at arms of the senate, on the right, to a special luncheon, held at the old supreme court building.

♪ this beautiful centerpiece greeted ike and dick in the midst of a sumptuous buffet, a sneak preview of the food. the president and misses eisenhower ate a hearty meal. the vice president and his wife, with mrs. john eisenhower, followed by the nixon's two children. even a solemn ceremony such as inauguration could not dispel the humor of julie nixon's black eye. what are little girls made of? sam rayburn, joe martin, and mark trice.

chief justice earl warren and misses warren. former president uber -- hoover. sender and misses styles bridges , along with members of the joint inaugural committee and their wives were host to the presidential party. as the president and mamie waved the cheering multitudes, they start the drive from the capitol to the revealing stand in front of the white house. down pennsylvania avenue, the inaugural parade is led by a platoon of washington metropolitan motorcycle police.

the president in an open car waves to them all, the thousands who line the parade route cheering wildly from windows and buildings and on the street. as the parade approaches the treasury building, they turn up the street. the president and mamie are followed by the vice president and pat nixon. ♪ [cheering]

the amassed colors of the 48 states, the district of columbia, and territories. earl warren, chief justice of the united states supreme court, followed by members of the president's cabinet. the president with mamie have arrived at the stand where he will review the hundreds of units which compose the inaugural parade. the united states military academy cadets from west point lead the first division. and as the cadet colors pass in review, perhaps the president thought back to the time 44 years ago when he marched as a cadet before woodrow wilson, not realizing been what pattern

destiny was to weave for him. the united states naval academy band, followed closely by the brigade of midshipmen, men who will soon lead the united states navy in this time of watchful peace. and, for the first time ever to appear in an inaugural parade, the cadets of the newly constituted air force academy, the backbone of our final defensive air arm. and a public display of the latest weapons in our defense arsenal, the guided missiles,

awesome and foreboding in appearance, yet comforting in the knowledge they stand as a deterrent to aggression from any source. weapons of defense relying upon a retaliatory effect so devastating that aggression will serve no purpose. ♪ new jersey's float, reminding everyone of the fight against polio, was awarded the title most unique. georgia depicted the golfing retreat in augusta, georgia.

the best design award was captured by florida, with its very beautiful creation and the usual pretty girls. liberty and strength drew the consent -- through the consent of the governed was portrayed in the themed float of the 1957 inaugural parade. the longest float of any kind ever to appear anywhere, it measured 407 feet long, representing many states and many industries. guam's entry was awarded the

best float depicting the theme of the inaugural parade. pretty girls were in abundance throughout, and of course, those who appreciated this fact. from ohio came burma, the elephant, a traditional symbol of the republican party. even burma saluted the president with upraised trunk and a blast of steam, showing the temper of the day, cold and damp. throughout which ike stood for hours on the reviewing stand. and uncle sam. ♪ band after band in their colorful uniforms and stirring marches.

♪ the cowboy who didn't get the rope right this time, as he did in the much heralded 1953 parade. and what american scene would be complete without our indians? the governor of south dakota drew immediate attention when he stopped to take a picture of ike for his son. as the end of the parade approached with the eisenhower bandwagon, a tribute lasting three hours and stretching for many miles had passed before him. throughout the parade, the president stood for them all, the thousands in the line of march you came to pay homage, attesting his popular appeal to the millions who crossed the breath of our nation. the sun slowly settled behind the capitol as the daylight hours drew to a close.

one by one as the lights came on, the stage was set for the gala celebration that was to follow as official washington turned out in all her splendor for the inaugural ball's to be held in honor of the president. to accommodate the thousands who wished to attend, four separate balls were held. the president and capitol visited them all. at the mayflower hotel, we see mrs. dowd, mamie's mother, and her sister. a jubilant secretary humphrey. senator styles bridges and mrs. ?

>> the president and misses eisenhower were escorted into their box by their hosts. ♪ >> as the officer salutes the president, we bring to a close a salute by the american people to their leader, the president of the united states, dwight david eisenhower, and his beloved mamie. ♪ >> c-span now is a free mobile out during your unfiltered view of what's happening in washington, live and on-demand. keep up with the day's biggest

events with live streams and for proceedings and hearings from the u.s. congress, white house events, the courts, campaigns, and more from the world of politics, all at your fingertips. you can also stay current with the latest episodes of washington journal and find scheduling information for c-span's tv networks and c-span radio bus a variety of compelling podcasts. c-span now is available at the apple store and google play. scan the qr code to download for free today or visit our website, c-span.org/c-span now. c-span now, your front row seat to washington. any. re. >> we continue american history tv's look at historic inaugural speeches. the year is 1961, january, senator john candy had defeated incumbent vice president richard nixon in one of the coast this elections in u.s. history. at age 43, mr. kennedy became the youngest person ever elected president.