American History
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The White House Rose Garden
When President Kennedy asked gifted horticulturalist, Bunny Mellon, to redesign the Rose Garden, Mrs. Mellon hesitated. She did not have an advanced degree.
What she did have was tremendous talent.
Learn more here.
The New York Yankees
Building a Brilliant Brand
When Jacob Ruppert bought the NY Yankees in 1914, the team was languishing at the bottom of the League. Ruppert transformed the Yankees into the world's most valuable sport franchise.
How did he do it? What can we learn from him?
Visit the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, NY!
The Founding of Washington, D.C.
It's a well-worn myth that Congress established America's capitol on the banks of the Potomac River in honor of George Washington.
As you'll see, nothing could be further from the truth. This unlikely story started with a band of soldiers marching to Philadelphia to demand their back pay from Congress at gunpoint!
America's Star-Spangled Banner
America's flag didn't always have stars and stripes and it wasn't always called "the star-spangled banner."
Our flag got that great nickname one memorable
early morning in Baltimore harbor.
Learn more here.
The Statue of Liberty
Her official name is Liberty Enlightening the World but we all know her as the Statue of Liberty - a beacon of freedom who has awed countless Americans, immigrants and visitors.
Whose idea was she? Who built her? What does she represent? Let's find out!
Reagan's Journey
Lessons from a Remarkable Career
Ronald Reagan’s early life was a rollercoaster of new towns, new homes and new schools. His father was an alcoholic who could barely hold onto a job.
Forced to look outside his family for role models, Ronald Reagan found heroes in books, at church, at school and at work.
Thanks to a mentor, within months of graduating from college at the bottom of the Depression, Reagan was his way to spectacular success in his dream career. How did he do that? What can we learn from him?
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A Soldier's Tale - World War I
What was it like to be working in real estate in lower Manhattan one day and shipped off to boot camp the next?
My grandfather's letters to his "sweetheart" provide a vivid picture of exactly what it was like - sweeping floors, getting inoculations, on trains, on ships, on the front lines.
Frank Morrell had terrible eyesight so he was put to use clerking for a medical unit. During the Argonne-Meuse offensive, he retrieved wounded soldiers from the front lines.
Learn more here.
A Mariner's Tale - The Civil War
What was it like to serve in the U.S. Navy in the 19th century?
My great, great grandfather, George Price, was
born in London, went to sea with the merchant navy, jumped at the opportunity to join the U.S.Navy in 1848 to fight the Mexican - American War.
He then spent 30+ years at the Brooklyn Navy Yard and served at the Battle of New Orleans in 1862. He was injured at Vicksburg in 1863.
Learn more about a 19th century mariner's life here.