As years went, 1957 would probably go down as one of the most dramatic of the 1950s. The Cold War turned into the Space Race with The Soviet Union leaping ahead with the launch of Sputnik 1 and 2. The Cold War also spread to the Middle-East with Soviet dabbling in the affairs of Egypt as it was all throughout Europe. Echoes of the Hungarian Uprising of 1956 still reverberating around what were known as the Eastern Bloc countries. Europe’s confidence in America was on shaky ground because of Sputnik and it was up to the Eisenhower Administration to put a best foot forward to shore up flagging support overseas.
America was having its fair share of drama in 1957. President Eisenhower suffered a stroke and speculation was rife over what would happen should Ike no long be able to run the country – he had suffered a heart attack in 1955. The issue of school segregation, which had been settled by the Supreme Court in 1954 was becoming a hot-button issue in Arkansas with a storm of protest and eventual quelling of tensions by U.S. Troops over the flashpoint at Central High in Little Rock.
Congressional Hearings were still going on – this time the focus was on Labor racketeering within the Teamsters Union and its President Dave Beck with Beck and his associates pleading the 5th repeatedly. Like most Congressional Hearings during the 1950s, the Racketeering hearings were televised and it made for riveting viewing.
And along with the Cold War, a lot going on in 1957 and this 80 minute wrapup of the year from CBS Radio covers a considerable amount of ground, and like the Teamsters hearings, makes for riveting listening.
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