In 1948, education in the United States became more than a local concern of school boards and parents; it emerged as a national issue tied directly to democracy, economic stability, and the growing ideological struggle between America and the Soviet Union. In the years immediately following World War II, Americans
Whittaker Chambers Testifying before House Un-American Activities Hearings – Among other things, gave the world “The Pumpkin Papers”. With hearings becoming an almost daily spectacle, with no doubt no stopping anytime soon, it’s good to know neither America nor Capitol Hill find the goings on unusual. Disturbing; yes, but unusual;
Fifth Annual AIDS Conference In Montreal – With a Jumbo Helping Of Protest. Continuing our look at CBS Radio News throughout the years. Newsmark was probably one of the last “Golden Era” documentary series done by the network, and it was a memorable one. CBS Radio’s Newsmark was one of
Portrait of your average law-abiding citizens In the summer of 1948, as Americans gathered to celebrate Independence Day, the radio discussion program Northwestern Reviewing Stand turned to a question that had become increasingly urgent in the early Cold War era: “Just what is a democracy?” The discussion reflected a growing
In May of 1943, with the outcome of the Second World War still uncertain, political thinkers and commentators were already debating the shape of the postwar world. Programs such as the university discussion series Northwestern Reviewing Stand reflected a growing awareness that military victory alone would not guarantee lasting peace.
The issue of Universal Military Training (UMT) occupied an important, if often overlooked, place in American political debate during the early Cold War years. By the time of the 1952 presidential campaign between Dwight D. Eisenhower and Adlai Stevenson II, the United States had already experienced World War II, the
The American automobile industry in 1938 was emerging cautiously from one of the most difficult decades in its history. Although the worst years of the Great Depression had passed, the economy remained uncertain, consumer confidence was fragile, and automobile manufacturers were still struggling to regain the momentum they had enjoyed
In the years just before the explosion of Rock ’n’ Roll and the rise of Top 40 radio in the mid-1950s, the American youth market was still emerging as a distinct cultural force. Teenagers had begun to acquire spending power and social influence after World War II, but the entertainment
America votes – for the first time since the end of the War. There was a change afoot. The congressional Primary elections of 1946 were among the most significant midterm elections in modern American history. Held only a year after the end of the Second World War, they reflected a
In this 1958 lecture on obsolescence in American education, given at The University of Illinois on October 2, 1958, Margaret Mead addressed a growing concern that the rapid pace of social and technological change was rendering traditional educational models increasingly outdated. Speaking at a moment when the United States was
