Martin Luther King's 45-year-old speech found

Dayton (Ohio), Apr. 12 (ANI): As the city of Dayton gets ready to observe 41st anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King Junior's assassination, halls of Dayton University echoed with his speech whose recordings had been lost 45 years ago.

The November 1964 speech was powerful and passionate in its optimism.

"I must say that we have come a long, long way in the struggle to make civil rights a reality," King had said who was in Dayton, Ohio to raise funds for his civil rights agenda.

Ted Clark was 28 at the time and was one of the few whites in attendance. He remembers exactly where he sat, the CBS news reported.

"You could just feel the electricity in this place it was unbelievable," Clark said.

"I have to admit there was some apprehension. I am convinced today that segregation is on its deathbed," he added.

Over time, the recording of King's Dayton speech had been forgotten, until Dayton professor emeritus Herb Martin stumbled across it.

Martin collected old reels to re-record his performances of poet Paul Lawrence Dunbar.

"I was gonna tape over it, but luckily fate kept me from doing that. That's how Schock and I came to hear the King speech. You think, 'Wow, this is really something of value," Martin said.

Now, Martin has donated the tape to the university archives. (ANI)