Join us by the fireplace in the library as we kick off our new series, Fireside Chats: Exploring the Roosevelt Legacy. President Franklin Roosevelt broadcast his first Fireside Chat on March 12th, 1933, just eight days after his inauguration. During his 12 years in office he delivered dozens of Fireside Chats, guiding America through the Great Depression, and guiding a global audience through the horrors of World War Two. What differentiated his Chats from his other radio addresses, was a combination of focusing on a single topic, and using simple, clear language. FDR’s Fireside Chats were a new form of political communication, using radio to connect with Americans in an intimate setting – right in their living rooms. His compelling and persuasive broadcasts encouraged Americans to believe in democracy and its future. FDR’s mastery of language was so effective that his first chat ended the banking crisis. Paul Sparrow, the former director of the FDR Presidential Library and Museum, will host this series of programs that build on the foundation laid by FDR’s Fireside Chats, and find their relevance to our world today.

In this first program, which takes place on the 90th anniversary of the first Fireside Chat, Sparrow will explore the context of the first Fireside Chat – the terrifying banking crisis that threatened to bring down the American economy. The presidential election of 1932 between Roosevelt and Herbert Hoover took place during the depths of the Great Depression, and millions of people were unemployed, homeless and desperate. Roosevelt’s approach to solving the problem, his careful construction of the script for the broadcast, and its historic results make for a compelling story with parallels to recent financial crises. Film and audio of the period will add an emotional component to the presentation.

Paul Sparrow is a nationally recognized expert on Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt and the former director of the Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum. He has written articles and blogs on them, and has appeared on the CBS Evening News, CNN, CSPAN, the History Channel, and the Washington Post’s Presidential podcast. Sparrow began his career as a documentary and news producer at KPIX in San Francisco. He went on to be the producer of America’s Most Wanted, and executive producer for shows on TLC, Discovery, and public television. After 20 years in TV he went to the Newseum in Washington, D.C. where he became the Deputy Director and head of digital media. He has produced more than 400 hours of programs and documentaries, and won two Emmy Awards. 

NOTE: seating is limited so registration is required.