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Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Commencement Speech (June 14, 1964)

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@ Springfield College Archives and Special Collections

Potter, Robert A Springfield College Band

Description

This is the audio from Springfield College's 1964 Commencement Ceremonies. The first side (which is thirty-two minutes long) has roughly twenty-seven minutes of band music. The band opens with The Hebrides Suite and then transitions into Pomp and Circumstance. Around the twenty-eight minute mark, Reverend Robert A. Potter gives the invocation, followed by the hymn God Of Our Fathers. The second side opens immediately with then-president Dr. Glenn A. Olds introducing that year’s commencement speaker: Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. At two minutes and forty seconds, Dr. King begins speaking. In this speech, he talks about social change, poverty, and brotherhood, saying: "We must all learn to live together as brothers, or we will all perish together as fools." There is no audio during the conferring of the degrees—at thirty-three minutes, Dr. King’s speech ends and, after applause, you hear the choir singing A Song for Springfield, followed by Benediction and the Recessional. In 1964, Springfield College shared a moment in history often overlooked by historians with honorary degree recipient and commencement speaker Martin Luther King Jr. Despite significant pressure from prominent shareholders and benefactors of the College, college President Glenn A. Olds, a minister and conscientious objector during World War II, refused to waver from his decision to make Martin Luther King Commencement speaker for the 1964 Graduation ceremonies. When King was arrested the day before, Olds contacted law enforcement officials, telling them that if they continued to hold King, school officials would fly down to tape the commencement...
Type:
Sound
Format:
Sound Recordings
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Text and images are owned, held, or licensed by Springfield College and are available for personal, non-commercial, and educational use, provided that ownership is properly cited. A credit line is required and should read: Courtesy of Springfield College, Babson Library, Archives and Special Collections. Any commercial use without written permission from Springfield College is strictly prohibited. Other individuals or entities other than, and in addition to, Springfield College may also own copyrights and other propriety rights. The publishing, exhibiting, or broadcasting party assumes all responsibility for clearing reproduction rights and for any infringement of United States copyright law.Contact host institution for more information.
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Springfield College Archives and Special Collections

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Digital Commonwealth