Inauguration Day 1993 for President Bill Clinton
Object number2015.072.0001
Date01/20/1993
ClassificationsArtifacts
ObjectPin
Credit LineThe Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza Collection
MediumMetal
Dimensions4 in. (10.2 cm)
Collections
DescriptionMetal pin made for the 1993 inauguration of Bill Clinton as President of the United States.
Appearing on a blue background are eight color portraits of past Democratic presidents. In the center is Bill Clinton, labeled "42nd President." Around him are portraits of Presidents Thomas Jefferson, Andrew Jackson, Woodrow Wilson, Franklin Roosevelt, Harry Truman, John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson. The text inside a gold banner at the top reads: "In the Great Democratic Tradition." The text along the bottom reads: "Inauguration Day - Jan. 20, 1993."
The pin has a metal backing with a clasp pin. Text along the bottom edge reads: "N. G. Slater Corp. NYC." next to a union logo.
Curatorial CommentaryPresident Lyndon Johnson recognized the power of the Kennedy legacy in the immediate aftermath of the assassination, and he used it to great political effect during the 1964 election. Virtually every Democratic presidential candidate since that time has included the image or the words of John F. Kennedy in their campaign materials, holding up the late president as a shining example of party leadership -- and also tapping into the unfulfilled hope and promise that Kennedy represents. Some candidates, including Bill Clinton and Barack Obama, have been specifically compared to John F. Kennedy in terms of their optimism and soaring rhetoric. - Stephen Fagin, Curator
