Abraham Lincoln

The Mercury Theater on the air. The Columbia Broadcasting System takes pleasure once again in bringing you Orson Welles and the Mercury Theater on the air in the unique summer series which signalizes Radio's first presentation of a complete theatrical producing company.

In tonight's performance, the sixth in a group of nine weekly broadcasts, the regular CBS stations are joined by a costic off network of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. Here is Orson Welles himself, the director of the Mercury Theater, star and producer of these programs, to tell you about tonight's play.

Mr. Welles. Whatever you are in the world, an hour and a half from now, there will come to you through these same radio facilities, the voice of the President of the United States. Until then, here is another president.

His words at least, which on Monday, August the 15th, 1938, are still entirely alive. And his person, preserved in a fine and very famous play. His words will be collected for this broadcast from many sources, from letters and speeches, dates and proclamations and from the written record of his own private conversation.

They amount to a testament of his abiding faith in this, our land of the free, much of which you will recognize and much of it is as new as though this microphone were in the White House tonight.

February 12th, 1809 in Hardin County, Kentucky. My parents were both in Virginia, one distinguished family, second families, perhaps I should say. My mother, who died in my 10th year, was of a family of the name of Hanks, some of whom now reside in Macon County, Illinois.

My paternal grandfather emigrated from Rockingham County, Virginia to Kentucky, where a year or two or later he was killed by the Indians. When I came of age, somehow I could read, write, and cipher to the rule of three.