“This is a recording of the inaugural Peabody Awards Ceremony, a gala event held in the Commodore Hotel, March 29, 1941 and broadcast live, nationwide, by CBS.”
“The words spoken then by University of Georgia administrators and teachers, by broadcasters and executives still guide the work of the George Foster Peabody Awards Program.”
“We continue to identify programs, organizations, and individuals using electronic media to enrich public discourse and perform outstanding public service. Our judgements still set the standards for excellence in electronic media.”
“The Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication and the University of Georgia provide an exceptional home for the Peabody Program. More than that, however, the stewardship of our great university assures the continuation, the significance, and the integrity of the Peabody Awards.”
“Recorded here is part of our history. The voices, accents, and words offer charm and nostalgia. But most notably, they preserve the beginning of a great experiment recognizing the crucial roles of electronic media. Our goal today, and in the future, is to see that the experiment continues to be successful.”
– Horace Newcomb, May 19th, 2003