We would like to post audio versions historical speeches (e.g.,
Inauguration addresses, other Presidential addresses, etc.) on our
website.  For material that is copyrighted (e.g., Martin Luther King's
address) we realize that we will need to obtain permission directly. 
However, for material that is not copyright (e.g., Presidential
speeches) my understanding is that it is in the Public Domain and can
be freely used.

What I'm wondering is what a good source is for this material.  There
are some websites that offer this material.  However, that won't work
for our purposes.  Instead, we need direct access to the audio files
for these recordings.  Does anyone know how to go about obtaining
them?

Please post any proposed answers here as a comment first so I can evaluate them.

Thanks!

---

Request for Question Clarification by tutuzdad-ga on 17 Oct 2005 10:00 PDT

Would you like me to give you the contact information for the NATIONAL
ARCHIVES? The appears to be the most "official" direct source.

tutuzdad-ga

---

Clarification of Question by jpbischke-ga on 17 Oct 2005 10:14 PDT

The key thing would be that there would need to be a way for us to
obtain audio files directly and that the content we could obtain would
be what was listed in my post (e.g., Presidential speeches,
inauguration addresses, etc.).  If both those conditions hold then
posting the contact information would qualify as a satisfactory answer
for this question.

---

Request for Question Clarification by tutuzdad-ga on 17 Oct 2005 10:25 PDT

Your term "historical speeches" is quite broad. Since these recordings
can be found in a variety of sources but not necessarily all in one
source, I can provide you with direct sources to a substantial number
of such speeches commensurate with the price you are offering (keeping
in mind that there will likley be many other sources that I did not
mention if we take into account the large number of "historical"
recordings archived around the world).

Is this ok?

tutuzdad-ga

Dear jpbischke-ga;

Thank you for allowing me to answer your interesting question. Here I
have compiled a list of direct sources that have a controlling
interest or official curatorship of many historical speeches:

THE NATIONAL ARCHIVES AND RECORDS ADMINISTRATION
8601 Adelphi Road
College Park, MD 20740-6001
1-866-272-6272 (or 1-86-NARA-NARA)
Fax: 301-837-0483
http://www.archives.gov/presidential-libraries/research/
http://www.archives.gov/research/guide-fed-records/groups/064.html#64.7
Ordering information
http://www.archives.gov/publications/finding-aids/guides.html

LIBRARY OF CONGRESS
101 INDEPENDENCE AVE, SE
WASHINGTON, DC 20540
http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/help/view.html

The recordings of modern Presidents are in large part in the hands of
the various Presidential Libraries, each of which make speeches
available to the public through a variety of forms of media for
purchase and use:

HERBERT HOOVER
http://hoover.archives.gov/contact.html
Herbert Hoover Presidential Library and Museum
P.O. Box 488
210 Parkside Dr.
West Branch, IA 52358
Phone: 319-643-5301
Fax: 319-643-6045
E-mail: hoover.library@nara.gov

FRANKLIN D. ROOSEVELT
Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library
4079 Albany Post Road
Hyde Park New York 12538 
Phone: 1-800-FDR-VISIT or (845) 486-7770
email : roosevelt.library@nara.gov
http://www.fdrlibrary.marist.edu/site.html

HARRY S. TRUMAN
Harry S. Truman Presidential Library and Museum
500 West U.S. Highway 24
Independence, MO 64050-1798
Phone:    816-268-8200 
Fax:    816-268-8295 
Toll Free:    1-800-833-1225
http://www.trumanlibrary.org/

DWIGHT D. EISENHOWER
Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Library and Museum
200 SE 4th Street
Abilene, KS 67410-2900
Phone:    785-263-6700 
Fax:    785-263-6718 
Toll Free:    1-877-RING IKE
http://eisenhower.archives.gov/

JOHN F. KENNEDY
John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum
Columbia Point
Boston, MA 02125-3398
Phone:    617-514-1600 
Fax:    617-514-1652 
Toll Free:    1-866-JFK-1960 (1-866-535-1960)
TTY:    617-514-1573
http://www.jfklibrary.org/

LYNDON B. JOHNSON
Lyndon B. Johnson Presidential Library and Museum
2313 Red River Street
Austin, TX 78705-5702
Phone:    512-721-0200 
Fax:    512-721-0169
http://www.lbjlib.utexas.edu/

RICHARD M. NIXON
Nixon Presidential Materials Staff
National Archives
8601 Adelphi Road
College Park, MD 20740-6001
Phone:    301-837-3290 
Fax:    301-837-3202
http://nixon.archives.gov/index.php

GERALD R. FORD
Gerald R. Ford Library 
1000 Beal Avenue 
Ann Arbor, MI 48109 
telephone: (734) 205-0555 
fax: (734) 205-0571
http://www.ford.utexas.edu/
http://www.ford.utexas.edu/library/speeches/listpres.htm
GUIDE TO HISTORICAL MATERIALS IN THE GERALD R. FORD LIBRARY
http://www.ford.utexas.edu/library/guides/guideav.htm

JIMMY CARTER
Jimmy Carter Library and Museum
441 Freedom Parkway
Atlanta, Georgia 
30307-1498
Tel: 404-865-7100
Fax: 404-865-7102
EMAIL: carter.library@nara.gov
http://jimmycarterlibrary.org/

RONALD REAGAN
Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum 
40 Presidential Drive
Simi Valley, CA 93065-0600
Phone:    805-577-4000 
Fax:    805-577-4074 
Toll Free:    800-410-8354
http://www.reagan.utexas.edu/

GEORGE H. W. BUSH
George Bush Presidential Library and Museum
1000 George Bush Drive West
College Station, TX 77845
Phone:    (979) 691-4000 
Fax:    (979) 691-4050
http://bushlibrary.tamu.edu/

BILL CLINTON
William J. Clinton Presidential Library and Museum
1200 President Clinton Avenue 
Little Rock, Arkansas 72201
Phone:    (501) 374-4242 
Fax:    (501) 244-2883
http://www.clintonlibrary.gov/

GEORGE W. BUSH:
The Audio-visual Archives at the George Bush Presidential Library
http://bushlibrary.tamu.edu/photos.html
The George Bush Presidential Library and Museum
Attn: Audio-visual Archives
1000 George Bush Drive West
College Station, Texas 77845
Phone: (979) 691-4025
Fax: (979) 691-4020
e-mail Photos.Bush@nara.gov

In addition, the MILLER CENTER OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS at the University of
Virginia, the founding entity of the Presidential Recordings Program,
appears to hold a large number of historic multimedia:
http://www.whitehousetapes.org/
http://millercenter.virginia.edu/programs/prp/index.html

PRESIDENTIAL SPEECHES
http://millercenter.virginia.edu/scripps/diglibrary/prezspeeches/
Roosevelt http://www.whitehousetapes.org/pages/tapes_fdr.htm
Truman http://www.whitehousetapes.org/pages/tapes_hst.htm
Eisenhower http://www.whitehousetapes.org/pages/tapes_dde.htm
Kennedy http://www.whitehousetapes.org/pages/tapes_jfk.htm
Johnson http://www.whitehousetapes.org/pages/tapes_lbj.htm
Nixon http://www.whitehousetapes.org/pages/tapes_rmn.htm

The AUTHENTIC HISTORY CENTER also controls some notable speeches and
public statements of historical value available on CD:

AUTHENTIC HISTORY CENTER
http://www.authentichistory.com/donations/list_0300_history.html

As does the CENTER FOR PRESIDENTIAL STUDIES
Center for the Study of the Presidency
1020 Nineteenth Street, NW - Suite 250
Washington, DC 20036
Tel: 202-872-9800
Fax: 202-872-9811
E-mail: center@thepresidency.org
http://www.thepresidency.org/psq/

Finally, you may find a number of additional sources listed here:

A&B PUBLIC SPEAKING
http://www.abacon.com/pubspeak/histsit.html

I hope you find that my answer exceeds your expectations. If you have
any questions about my research please post a clarification request
prior to rating the answer. Otherwise I welcome your rating and your
final comments and I look forward to working with you again in the
near future. Thank you for bringing your question to us.

Best regards;
Tutuzdad-ga ? Google Answers Researcher



INFORMATION SOURCES

Defined above


SEARCH STRATEGY


SEARCH ENGINE USED:

Google ://www.google.com


SEARCH TERMS USED:

Speech

Speeches

Addresses

Audio

Archive

Library

President

Presidential

Record

Wow.  Phenomenal answer.  This was exactly what we were looking for
and we really appreciate it!