Skip to main content
Massachusetts State Seal
Commonwealth Museum   Secretary of the Commonwealth William Francis Galvin
Commonwealth Museum Secretary of the Commonwealth William Francis Galvin

The Television Age 

“

“TV has altered drastically the nature of our political campaigns, conventions, constituents, candidates, and costs.”

- Senator John F. Kennedy, 1959

”

“I Like Ike” - The First Television Ads in Presidential Politics
In 1952, Dwight Eisenhower accepted advice from television advertising pioneer Rosser Reeves to produce 30 second television ads. Democrat Adlai Stevenson disdained the superficiality of 30 second spots and bought 30 minute blocs late in the evening (when rates were cheaper and fewer people watched). Eisenhower won.

Photo of Rosser Reeves
Rosser Reeves created the first television ads in a Presidential campaign. In an ad for M&M’s he also coined the phrase, “Melts in your mouth, not in your hands.”
- Matvy

The advent of television after World War II forever changed campaigns and public policy.

Witnessing Events from the Living Room
Television illuminated some dark corners of American life. Reporting from Vietnam, America’s first “living room war,” eroded support for continued fighting. Television news segments showing the beating of peaceful marchers in Selma, Alabama increased support for Civil Rights legislation, including the Voting Rights Act of 1965.


Crowd campaigning for voting rights.
Campaigning for voting rights.
- Library of Congress

Vietnam War, Operation Hue City, 1967.

Vietnam War, Operation Hue City, 1967.

The Election of 1960
The election of John F. Kennedy was a milestone for Massachusetts and the nation. The first Catholic elected to the Presidency, his election pointed toward a future where religious affiliations, ethnicity, and race were not automatic disqualifiers. He was also the first president to fully master the new medium of television.


Richard Nixon

Richard Nixon  

That’s Debatable
 Kennedy and Nixon had four televised debates. The first made the deepest impression. John Kennedy dressed in a dark suit and appeared relaxed and confident. Nixon’s grey suit blended into the background on black and white television. Exhausted from campaigning, he appeared haggard. Apparently glancing at a wall clock from time to time, Nixon’s eyes seemed “shifty” to some. Before each debate Kennedy arrived early to check on lighting and studio temperature. While not a single factor explanation, Kennedy’s debate performance was critical.

Twenty-Sixth Amendment
In 1971, the Twenty-Sixth Amendment lowered the voting age to 18 in response to the Vietnam Era draft. It was argued that those who were old enough to fight were old enough to vote.

Congressional Joint Resolution for consideration of the Twenty-Sixth Amendment.
Congressional Joint Resolution for consideration of the Twenty-Sixth Amendment.
- Library of Congress