The University of Texas at Austin’s Dolph Briscoe Center for American History and the LBJ Presidential Library and Museum have announced a new exhibit “Cronkite: Eyewitness to a Century,” opening May 15 at the LBJ Library.
As one of the nation’s preeminent broadcast journalists, Walter Cronkite brought almost every major news story of the last half of the 20th century to the American people. “Cronkite: Eyewitness to a Century” is the first exhibit to explore his experiences with some of the most crucial moments in history, including D-Day, the assassination of John F. Kennedy, the civil rights movement, the Vietnam War, the Watergate scandal and the space race. The exhibit runs through Jan. 3, 2011. The LBJ Library is open every day from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and admission and parking are free.
The exhibit brings Cronkite’s personal and professional experiences to life, featuring never-before-seen items from the Briscoe Center’s collections. It also explores the integrity, accuracy and devotion to the larger ideals of journalism that made Cronkite one of the most respected public figures in the country.
“As home to Walter Cronkite’s professional and personal papers, the Briscoe Center is uniquely equipped to create the first exhibit dedicated to the life of this remarkable journalist,” said Dr. Don Carleton, executive director of the Briscoe Center, curator of the exhibit and Cronkite’s oral historian and close friend, “We’re extremely grateful to the LBJ Library for the opportunity to share Cronkite’s legacy in such a wonderful exhibit. Visitors will not only get to know more about Cronkite — they’ll have a front-row seat to some of the most important people and events in 20th century history.”
“The LBJ Library and Museum is delighted to partner with the Briscoe Center for American History and provide for our visitors a glimpse of the life and formidable legacy of this remarkable journalist,” said Mark Updegrove, director of the LBJ Library and Museum.
Riggs Ward, an award-winning firm based in Virginia, designed the exhibit. With a dramatic, elegant design and strategic use of large-format photographs, the exhibit features carefully chosen archival and material culture items, including personal artifacts, letters, diaries, journals, ledgers, newspapers, broadsides and other ephemera. Visitors will experience Cronkite’s unmistakable voice and screen presence via the incorporation of film and video footage throughout the exhibit space.
“Cronkite: Eyewitness to a Century” was made possible through the support of the exhibit’s sponsors: University Federal Credit Union, media sponsor KEYE-TV and The McCombs Foundation.
