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Mrs. Kennedy’s Televised Tour of the White House
Jacqueline Kennedy’s efforts to restore the executive mansion won enthusiastic national support. For three days in January 1962, CBS correspondent Charles Collingwood was filmed interviewing Mrs. Kennedy on a behind-the-scenes tour of the history, rooms, and contents of the White House. An estimated 56 million viewers watched the hour-long tour broadcast on all three national networks on Valentine’s Day that year.
During the tour, Mrs. Kennedy reiterated that the White House is not merely a residence, but should also be a place of pilgrimage for Americans: “I think if [young students] can come here and see…this building and—in a sense—touch the people who have been here, then they’ll go  home more interested. I think they’ll become better Americans. Some of them may want to someday live here themselves—which I think would be very good.”
The Academy of Television Arts and Sciences subsequently presented Jacqueline Kennedy with an honorary Emmy award for her achievement in the infant business of television. You’ll be able to watch a segment of the tour in the exhibition, shown with a copy of the script with Mrs. Kennedy’s own notations.
Continue with White House Receptions. >>
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