Meet 'The President's Announcer'

Charlie Brotman has been a familiar voice to Washington sports fans since the Washington Senators were losing games in the 1950s, but his voice is also familiar to presidents and citizens alike because for the past 44 years he has served as "the president's announcer" for the inaugural parades from Dwight Eisenhower to Bill Clinton.

On Saturday, installed in his traditional perch opposite the White House, Brotman will once again be the man behind the microphone as the nation installs a new president.

"I'm a native Washingtonian and to think that an ordinary guy is given this opportunity to do something so newsworthy and important and historic is a big deal," says Brotman, now a public relations executive.

"What I've learned over the years," says Brotman, "is that the President's personality is reflected in the inaugural parade." His first parade assignment was in 1957 for the second inauguration of Dwight Eisenhower. "He was a military man, a conservative man, so it was kind of short and simple. 'Let's just get on with it. If we have to do it, each state will have one band, one military unit, one float and that's enough.' He caught a cold while he was watching."

John Kennedy's parade was particularly memorable, says Brotman, 73. "Now here was a man with personality, and the parade showed it. Kennedy was gregarious, the ultimate extrovert. This was the inauguration for top hats and high fashion. It turned out to be a four-hour parade. He had so many friends, and show biz personalities and everybody else. It was very exciting."

In fact, it was a bit of cliffhanger. The night before, Washington, a city that can't even handle a dusting of snow, was blanketed with six inches . "About 3,000 service men, 700 trucks and Army flame throwers worked all night," says Brotman, "and they also had to remove 500 cars from Pennsylvania Avenue that were parked on the street. But the next day Pennsylvania Avenue was ready for a parade. Mrs. Kennedy stayed just one hour. It was so cold. She was not having fun. But Robert and President Kennedy stayed the entire time. That was a good parade."

LBJ's inaugural was tense, a situation not helped by the president's antics. The assassination of President Kennedy was still fresh in the minds of most Americans and security was high. "When his alma mater, the Texas State College band came by, they stopped and played the school song. President Johnson left the confines of a bullet proof glass enclosure and walked down middle of Pennsylvania Avenue. I think every Secret Service agent had a nervous breakdown. He shook hands and embraced a couple of people. It was tension galore. Incredible. That was definitely a no-no. He probably even got reprimanded a little bit."

After Jimmy Carter became the first president on Brotman's watch to walk all the way down Pennsylvania Avenue (with Rosalynn and Amy), there was a huge contrast when the Reagan's arrived in town. Brotman recalls Reagan's first inaugural as the "ultimate in luxury and commercialism." The first parade ran so long that by the end, the Mormon Tabernacle Choir was marching in almost pitch-black darkness. "No one could see who was passing by, including this announcer, because this is a daytime parade and they don't have any floodlights."

But Brotman also remembers an act of consideration on the part of Reagan when extremely cold temperatures forced a cancellation of his second inaugural parade. Brotman, who usually rehearses from a script, got a call at midnight telling him that the parade was off, but an indoor event would be substituted. "I give Reagan all the credit because everybody said, 'It's 30 degrees below freezing. All of these cheerleaders and musicians will get frostbite.' He said, 'Well, let's do something.' They've had fund-raisers to get here.' I thought that was good."

Brotman normally prepares by drinking hot water and lemon and honey for two or three days beforehand, just to ensure that his voice will be in good order. Ordinarily it takes two months to work out the script, which he usually has finished by early January so he can begin rehearsing and making sure that he pronounces things correctly — but not this year. "I've gotta give them credit since so much was left to the last minute, but I think it will be tomorrow [Friday] before I have the script. It's just one of those things. No time."

On Saturday afternoon, Brotman will once again take the best seat in the house, "eyeball to eyeball with the President," for his 13th inaugural parade and his ninth president. He sits directly across from the President, who is on a reviewing stand in front of the White House, on the roof of a specially built three-story media complex. Only he and Secret Service agents are allowed on the roof. "I'm 'the President's announcer.' It's just like being a manager in baseball, the President has the worst vantage point for a parade. He's at ground level and can't see a lot. I'm the eyes and ears for the President." From his commentary, "the President knows when to laugh and sit and stand."

Brotman usually wears two or three layers of thermal underwear for the task, but he can't wear gloves because he wouldn't be able to turn the pages of the script. "I must be a glutton for punishment because I love it," he says. "But having your little toe in presidential history is a big thing. My adrenalin is pouring out of my body. It's a fun assignment."