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Presidential Thanksgiving

The Thanksgiving Holiday has many spiritual and political implications, but it is also a time for fun.

Presidential Thanksgiving

53 old time radio show recordings
(total playtime 8 hours, 28 min)
available in the following formats:

1 MP3 CD
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8 Audio CDs


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Text on OTRCAT.com ©2001-2024 OTRCAT INC All Rights Reserved. Reproduction is prohibited.

Truman
JFK
Trump
There is no direct record that turkey was on the menu when the Pilgrims shared the first Thanksgiving Feast with their Wampanoag neighbors. Plymouth Colony Governor William Bradford did send four men on a "fowling" mission in preparation for the feast to supplement the five deer which were killed for the event. The fowlers were successful, and the woods surrounding the Colony were teeming with wild turkey, but the hunters may just as likely harvested ducks or geese for the occasion.

Days of Thanksgiving had been declared by Presidents and the Congress on several occasions in the early Republic. Amid the Nation's most harrowing crisis, the Civil War, President Lincoln formalized the idea in 1863 by declaring the formalized national holiday falling on the last Thursday of November.

A few weeks later, Lincoln was involved in the White House's first turkey pardon. A bird was being raised on the White House grounds to be slaughtered for the First Family's Christmas dinner, but the President's son, Tad became enamored with the bird and made a plea for his life to be spared, which the President eventually granted.

After the War Between the States, farming became more industrialized. Rhode Island poultry farmer Horace Voss began presenting the White House turkeys from 1874 until his passing in 1913. The First Families did not always consume the Voss birds, but the poultry-man still used the White House connection as an important part of his marketing.

The fun tradition of Pardoning the White House Turkey is part of what is formally referred to as the National Thanksgiving Turkey Presentation. To support relief efforts in the aftermath of WWII, the Truman Administration began promoting "Meatless Tuesdays" and "Poultryless Thursdays". The National Poultry and Egg Board saw the (voluntary but widely ignored) prohibitions as an attack on their industry. After all, Thanksgiving was celebrated on a Thursday, and in 1947 both Christmas and New Years' fell on that day. The Administration tried to counter with "Eggless Thursdays" until it was pointed out that a prohibition on hen-fruit meant no Pumpkin Pie.

Documents in the Eisenhower Presidential Library indicate that the birds presented to the next administration wound up on the White House table. John F. Kennedy was presented a spectacular 55-pound bird on November 19, 1963, adorned with a sign around its neck reading "Happy Eating Mr. President". The President stated "we'll let this one grow" which the press reported as a pardoning, although Kennedy never used the term. Just days later, Kennedy was cut down by an assassin's bullet.

Nixon spared some of the turkeys donate to his White House. First Lady Rosalyn Carter arranged for the turkeys presented to her husband but no public ceremonies were held. As supposition swirled over whether or not President Reagan would pardon LtCol Oliver North during the Iran-Contra Affair, the President quipped a joke about pardoning a turkey to deflect attention, but this did not become part of the National Turkey Presentation.

The first time that a "presidential pardon" became a part of the Turkey Presentation came when a speechwriter inserted the phrase for George H.W. Bush. President Bush later said that whether the term used was pardoning, reprieve, or 'keep him going', it probably did not matter to the turkey as much as the fact that he did not end up on the Presidential Table.

Text on OTRCAT.com ©2001-2024 OTRCAT INC All Rights Reserved. Reproduction is prohibited.

These classic recordings are available in the following formats:

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  • MP3 CDs are delivered by mail. These archival quality MP3 CDs are playable in your computer and many MP3 player devices.



    53 recordings on 1 MP3 CD for just $5.00. Total playtime 8 hours, 28 min
    53 recordings on 1 MP3 CD for just $5.00
    total playtime 8 hours, 28 min
    Add MP3 CD Collection to Cart

    1. 53 shows - total playtime 8 hours 28 minutes
    2. 19361126 FDR with Eleanor Thanksgiving Gathering.mp3
    3. 19381124 FDR Thanksgiving Message At Warm Springsga.mp3
    4. 19811118 Regan Ceremony Pardoning Thanksgiving Turkey.mp3
    5. 19821122 Regan Ceremony Pardoning Thanksgiving Turkey.mp3
    6. 19851128 Regan Talks To America.mp3
    7. 19861122 Regan Address To Nation On Thanksgiving Day.mp3
    8. 19871123 Regan Ceremony Pardoning Thanksgiving Turkey.mp3
    9. 19891117 George HW Bush Ceremony Pardoning Turkey.mp3
    10. 19901122 George HW Bush Thanksgiving Visit with the Troops.mp3
    11. 19931124 Clinton Ceremony Pardoning Thanksgiving Turkey.mp3
    12. 19961127 Clinton Ceremony Pardoning Thanksgiving Turkey.mp3
    13. 19971126 Clinton Ceremony Pardoning Thanksgiving Turkey.mp3
    14. 19981127 Bill Clinton Thanksgiving Day Message.mp3
    15. 20001122 Clinton Ceremony Pardoning Thanksgiving Turkey.mp3
    16. 20011119 Geroge W Bush Ceremony Pardon Thanksgiving Turkey.mp3
    17. 20031124 George W Bush Ceremony Pardoning Turkey.mp3
    18. 20031127 George W Bush Surprise Visit To Troops In Iraq.mp3
    19. 20081127 George W. Bush Reflects on Thanksgiving Time.mp3
    20. 20091125 Barack Obama Ceremony Pardoning Thanksgiving Turkey.mp3
    21. 20091125 Obama Thanksgiving Greetings.mp3
    22. 20101124 Obama Ceremony Pardoning Thanksgiving Turkey.mp3
    23. 20111123 Obama Ceremony Pardoning Thanksgiving Turkey.mp3
    24. 20111124 Obama Thanksgiving Greetings.mp3
    25. 20121121 Obama Ceremony Pardoning Thanksgiving Turkey.mp3
    26. 20121122 Obama Thanksgiving Greetings.mp3
    27. 20131127 Obama Ceremony Pardoning Thanksgiving Turkey.mp3
    28. 20131128 Obama Thanksgiving Greetings.mp3
    29. 20141127 Obama Thanksgiving Greetings.mp3
    30. 20141128 Obama Meaning Of Thanksgiving Turkey.mp3
    31. 20151125 Obama Ceremony Pardoning Thanksgiving Turkey.mp3
    32. 20151125 Obama First Family Serving Frdshp Place Soup Kitchn.mp3
    33. 20151126 Obama Thanksgiving Greetings.mp3
    34. 20161123 Obama Ceremony Pardoning Thanksgiving Turkey.mp3
    35. 20161124 Obama Thanksgiving Greetings.mp3
    36. 20161124 Trump Thanksgiving Day Message.mp3
    37. 20171121 Trump Ceremony Pardoning Thanksgiving Turkey.mp3
    38. 20171123 Trump Thanksgiving Visit To Coast Guard.mp3
    39. 20181120 Trump Ceremony Pardoning Thanksgiving Turkey.mp3
    40. 20181122 Trump Thanksgiving Day Call To Troops.mp3
    41. 20191126 Trump Ceremony Pardoning Thanksgiving Turkey.mp3
    42. 20191128 Trump Surprise Visit To Troops In Afghanistan.mp3
    43. 20201124 Trump Ceremony Pardoning Thanksgiving Turkey.mp3
    44. 20201125 Biden Thanksgiving Message To Nation.mp3
    45. 20201126 Biden Thanksgiving Day Message.mp3
    46. 20201126 Trump Thanksgiving Day Call To Troops.mp3
    47. 20211119 Joe Biden Pardons the Thanksgiving Turkey.mp3
    48. 20211122 Joe Jill Biden Celebrate Friendsgiving Serv Members.mp3
    49. 20211123 Joe Biden Pre Thanksgiving Statement.mp3
    50. 20221121 Joe Biden Pardons the Thanksgiving Turkey.mp3
    51. 20221121 Joe Jill Biden Celebrate Friendsgiving Serv Members.mp3
    52. 20231119 Joe Jill Biden Participate in Friendsgiving Dinner.mp3
    53. 20231120 Biden Pardons Thanksgiving Turkeys.mp3
    54. 631128 Lbj Thanksgiving Message After Kennedy Assassination.mp3
  • MP3 downloads are available instantly after purchase!



    53 recordings on 1 MP3 Collection Download for just $5.00. Total playtime 8 hours, 28 min
    53 recordings on 1 MP3 Collection Download for just $5.00
    total playtime 8 hours, 28 min
    Add Instant Download Collection to Cart

    1. 53 shows - total playtime 8 hours 28 minutes
    2. 19361126 FDR with Eleanor Thanksgiving Gathering.mp3
    3. 19381124 FDR Thanksgiving Message At Warm Springsga.mp3
    4. 19811118 Regan Ceremony Pardoning Thanksgiving Turkey.mp3
    5. 19821122 Regan Ceremony Pardoning Thanksgiving Turkey.mp3
    6. 19851128 Regan Talks To America.mp3
    7. 19861122 Regan Address To Nation On Thanksgiving Day.mp3
    8. 19871123 Regan Ceremony Pardoning Thanksgiving Turkey.mp3
    9. 19891117 George HW Bush Ceremony Pardoning Turkey.mp3
    10. 19901122 George HW Bush Thanksgiving Visit with the Troops.mp3
    11. 19931124 Clinton Ceremony Pardoning Thanksgiving Turkey.mp3
    12. 19961127 Clinton Ceremony Pardoning Thanksgiving Turkey.mp3
    13. 19971126 Clinton Ceremony Pardoning Thanksgiving Turkey.mp3
    14. 19981127 Bill Clinton Thanksgiving Day Message.mp3
    15. 20001122 Clinton Ceremony Pardoning Thanksgiving Turkey.mp3
    16. 20011119 Geroge W Bush Ceremony Pardon Thanksgiving Turkey.mp3
    17. 20031124 George W Bush Ceremony Pardoning Turkey.mp3
    18. 20031127 George W Bush Surprise Visit To Troops In Iraq.mp3
    19. 20081127 George W. Bush Reflects on Thanksgiving Time.mp3
    20. 20091125 Barack Obama Ceremony Pardoning Thanksgiving Turkey.mp3
    21. 20091125 Obama Thanksgiving Greetings.mp3
    22. 20101124 Obama Ceremony Pardoning Thanksgiving Turkey.mp3
    23. 20111123 Obama Ceremony Pardoning Thanksgiving Turkey.mp3
    24. 20111124 Obama Thanksgiving Greetings.mp3
    25. 20121121 Obama Ceremony Pardoning Thanksgiving Turkey.mp3
    26. 20121122 Obama Thanksgiving Greetings.mp3
    27. 20131127 Obama Ceremony Pardoning Thanksgiving Turkey.mp3
    28. 20131128 Obama Thanksgiving Greetings.mp3
    29. 20141127 Obama Thanksgiving Greetings.mp3
    30. 20141128 Obama Meaning Of Thanksgiving Turkey.mp3
    31. 20151125 Obama Ceremony Pardoning Thanksgiving Turkey.mp3
    32. 20151125 Obama First Family Serving Frdshp Place Soup Kitchn.mp3
    33. 20151126 Obama Thanksgiving Greetings.mp3
    34. 20161123 Obama Ceremony Pardoning Thanksgiving Turkey.mp3
    35. 20161124 Obama Thanksgiving Greetings.mp3
    36. 20161124 Trump Thanksgiving Day Message.mp3
    37. 20171121 Trump Ceremony Pardoning Thanksgiving Turkey.mp3
    38. 20171123 Trump Thanksgiving Visit To Coast Guard.mp3
    39. 20181120 Trump Ceremony Pardoning Thanksgiving Turkey.mp3
    40. 20181122 Trump Thanksgiving Day Call To Troops.mp3
    41. 20191126 Trump Ceremony Pardoning Thanksgiving Turkey.mp3
    42. 20191128 Trump Surprise Visit To Troops In Afghanistan.mp3
    43. 20201124 Trump Ceremony Pardoning Thanksgiving Turkey.mp3
    44. 20201125 Biden Thanksgiving Message To Nation.mp3
    45. 20201126 Biden Thanksgiving Day Message.mp3
    46. 20201126 Trump Thanksgiving Day Call To Troops.mp3
    47. 20211119 Joe Biden Pardons the Thanksgiving Turkey.mp3
    48. 20211122 Joe Jill Biden Celebrate Friendsgiving Serv Members.mp3
    49. 20211123 Joe Biden Pre Thanksgiving Statement.mp3
    50. 20221121 Joe Biden Pardons the Thanksgiving Turkey.mp3
    51. 20221121 Joe Jill Biden Celebrate Friendsgiving Serv Members.mp3
    52. 20231119 Joe Jill Biden Participate in Friendsgiving Dinner.mp3
    53. 20231120 Biden Pardons Thanksgiving Turkeys.mp3
    54. 631128 Lbj Thanksgiving Message After Kennedy Assassination.mp3
  • Standard Audio CDs are delivered by mail on archival quality media with up to 60 minutes on each CD and play in all CD players



    53 recordings on 8 Audio CDs. Total playtime 8 hours, 28 min
    53 recordings on 8 Audio CDs
    total playtime 8 hours, 28 min

    Presidential Thanksgiving Disc A001

    1. 19361126 FDR with Eleanor Thanksgiving Gathering
    2. 19381124 FDR Thanksgiving Message At Warm Springsga
    3. 19811118 Regan Ceremony Pardoning Thanksgiving Turkey
    4. 19821122 Regan Ceremony Pardoning Thanksgiving Turkey
    5. 19851128 Regan Talks To America
    6. 19861122 Regan Address To Nation On Thanksgiving Day
    7. 19871123 Regan Ceremony Pardoning Thanksgiving Turkey
    8. 19891117 George HW Bush Ceremony Pardoning Turkey

    Add Audio CD to Cart - $5.00
    Presidential Thanksgiving Disc A002

    1. 19901122 George HW Bush Thanksgiving Visit with the Troops
    2. 19931124 Clinton Ceremony Pardoning Thanksgiving Turkey
    3. 19961127 Clinton Ceremony Pardoning Thanksgiving Turkey
    4. 19971126 Clinton Ceremony Pardoning Thanksgiving Turkey
    5. 19981127 Bill Clinton Thanksgiving Day Message
    6. 20131127 Obama Ceremony Pardoning Thanksgiving Turkey

    Add Audio CD to Cart - $5.00
    Presidential Thanksgiving Disc A003

    1. 20131128 Obama Thanksgiving Greetings
    2. 20141127 Obama Thanksgiving Greetings
    3. 20141128 Obama Meaning Of Thanksgiving Turkey
    4. 20151125 Obama Ceremony Pardoning Thanksgiving Turkey
    5. 20151125 Obama First Family Serving Frdshp Place Soup Kitchn
    6. 20151126 Obama Thanksgiving Greetings
    7. 20161123 Obama Ceremony Pardoning Thanksgiving Turkey
    8. 20161124 Obama Thanksgiving Greetings
    9. 20161124 Trump Thanksgiving Day Message
    10. 20171121 Trump Ceremony Pardoning Thanksgiving Turkey
    11. 20171123 Trump Thanksgiving Visit To Coast Guard
    12. 20181120 Trump Ceremony Pardoning Thanksgiving Turkey

    Add Audio CD to Cart - $5.00
    Presidential Thanksgiving Disc A004

    1. 20181122 Trump Thanksgiving Day Call To Troops
    2. 20191126 Trump Ceremony Pardoning Thanksgiving Turkey

    Add Audio CD to Cart - $5.00
    Presidential Thanksgiving Disc A005

    1. 20191128 Trump Surprise Visit To Troops In Afghanistan
    2. 20201124 Trump Ceremony Pardoning Thanksgiving Turkey
    3. 20201125 Biden Thanksgiving Message To Nation

    Add Audio CD to Cart - $5.00
    Presidential Thanksgiving Disc A006

    1. 20201126 Biden Thanksgiving Day Message
    2. 20201126 Trump Thanksgiving Day Call To Troops
    3. 20211119 Joe Biden Pardons the Thanksgiving Turkey
    4. 20211122 Joe Jill Biden Celebrate Friendsgiving Serv Members

    Add Audio CD to Cart - $5.00
    Presidential Thanksgiving Disc A007

    1. 20211123 Joe Biden Pre Thanksgiving Statement
    2. 20221121 Joe Biden Pardons the Thanksgiving Turkey
    3. 20221121 Joe Jill Biden Celebrate Friendsgiving Serv Members
    4. 20231119 Joe Jill Biden Participate in Friendsgiving Dinner
    5. 20231120 Biden Pardons Thanksgiving Turkeys
    6. 20001122 Clinton Ceremony Pardoning Thanksgiving Turkey
    7. 20011119 Geroge W Bush Ceremony Pardon Thanksgiving Turkey

    Add Audio CD to Cart - $5.00
    Presidential Thanksgiving Disc A008

    1. 20031124 George W Bush Ceremony Pardoning Turkey
    2. 20031127 George W Bush Surprise Visit To Troops In Iraq
    3. 20081127 George W. Bush Reflects on Thanksgiving Time
    4. 20091125 Barack Obama Ceremony Pardoning Thanksgiving Turkey
    5. 20091125 Obama Thanksgiving Greetings
    6. 20101124 Obama Ceremony Pardoning Thanksgiving Turkey
    7. 20111123 Obama Ceremony Pardoning Thanksgiving Turkey
    8. 20111124 Obama Thanksgiving Greetings
    9. 20121121 Obama Ceremony Pardoning Thanksgiving Turkey
    10. 20121122 Obama Thanksgiving Greetings
    11. 631128 Lbj Thanksgiving Message After Kennedy Assassination

    Add Audio CD to Cart - $5.00

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