Sounds Familiar

“A politician needs a wife, and other people too regrettably. Little elves and sprites to do his bidding, even unwitting pawns who don’t know who they serve… and of course one needs a sympathetic ear amongst the men and women of the press, those valiant seekers of the truth.” – Francis Urquhart (Ian Richardson), HOUSE OF CARDS

Monday Montage

What’s happening, what’s on and what’s interesting this week …

Revisit 1970s Boston, when Black and White students were bused for the first time to comply with a federal court desegregation order – unleashing violence and racial unrest that would escalate and continue for years. Don’t miss THE BUSING BATTLEGROUND on AMERICAN EXPERIENCE – tonight at 9 on PBS NC.

David Tennant (Doctor Who) talks about returning to the sci fi show for its 60th anniversary.

Celebrate stories of impact at North Carolina’s Historically Minority-Serving Institutions. Meet the students, faculty and staff behind crafting the next generation of future leaders on THE INNOVATORS – Tuesday at 8:30pm on the North Carolina Channel.

Wednesday Trivia Question

Who was the first subject of BIOGRAPHICAL CONVERSATIONS?

BIOGRAPHICAL CONVERSATIONS was a long-running recurring series in which notable people shared their life stories. It was created out of “a commitment to capture on tape the biographical reminiscences of extraordinary North Carolinians whose impact and vision have earned them national prominence and a place in the history of our times.” The North Carolina Department of Cultural Resources was an early partner, which makes sense.

Over the decades, 26 people have sat down for extensive one-on-one interviews that aired in multi-part programs. These subjects included people from the world of politics, business, sports, the arts, the military and more. These were famous people with names that carry a lot of clout and gravitas, as befitting the series’ mission. Names like John Hope Franklin, Junior Johnson, Bill Friday and Mary Duke Biddle Trent Semans.

UNC-TV aired the first episodes in 1998. The subject was a politician well known both within North Carolina and nationally. He served our state in Raleigh and Washington and overseas in World War II. His legacy is incredible and his achievements still impact our lives today. He passed away in the late 1990s.

I can’t say too much more without possibly giving it away but you should have enough information to guess that first BIO CON subject. So who was it? Who was the first person to sit down for our series of BIOGRAPHICAL CONVERSATIONS?