1952 Democratic National Convention
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1952 presidential election |
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Nominees
Stevenson and Sparkman |
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| Convention | |
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| Date(s) | July 21–26, 1952 |
| City | Chicago, Illinois |
| Venue | International Amphitheatre |
| Candidates | |
| Presidential nominee | Adlai Stevenson of Illinois |
| Vice Presidential nominee | John Sparkman of Alabama |
The 1952 Democratic National Convention was held at the International Amphitheatre in Chicago, Illinois from July 21 to July 26, 1952, which was the same arena the Republicans had gathered in a few weeks earlier for their national convention. Four major candidates sought the nomination: U.S. Senator Estes Kefauver of Tennessee, Governor Adlai E. Stevenson, II, of Illinois, Senator Richard Russell of Georgia and Averell Harriman of New York.
In 1952, the popularity of television was on the rise with 37% of American households owning televisions. As such, both Republican and Democratic party leaders recognized the rising importance of television and the impact it would have on the political process. A commission was established by party leaders and media representatives to outline rules for the broadcast of their conventions, including guidelines for sponsorships. The commission also oversaw the outfitting of the International Amphitheater in Chicago for the live coast-to-coast broadcast of these conventions, the first time it had ever been done.
At the Republican National Convention held two weeks before the Democratic convention television, cameras were restricted to the sides of the floor which did not allow for close, quality shots. The Democrats took note of this issue and constructed a tower in the middle of the floor for television cameras to capture good shots of the podium. Before the convention, party officials instructed delegates to conduct themselves formally during the convention as the cameras were broadcasting their actions.
The Democrats favored a strong national defense, collective security against the Soviet Union, multilateral disarmament, repeal of the Taft-Hartley Act, equal employment opportunities for minorities and public assistance for the aged, children, blind, and the disabled, expansion of the school lunch program, and continued efforts to fight racial discrimination.
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