Our American Stories

On this episode of Our American Stories, Mark Metcalf is forever linked to one of the most memorable characters in comedy history: the rigid and relentless ROTC officer Douglas C. Neidermeyer in the 1978 film  Animal House . Acting opposite John Belushi at the height of his power, Metcalf helped shape a movie that redefined American comedy. But  Animal House  was only the beginning...

On this episode of Our American Stories, after the Civil War, a group of freedmen outside Dallas built a church with help from the man who had once enslaved them. That man also worshiped there. White Rock Chapel would go on to survive a flood, resist segregation, and outlast generations of change. But decades later, it faced a new threat: real estate development. Donald Wesson, along with his fami...

On this episode of Our American Stories, in the golden age of late-night television, no seat mattered more than the one across from Johnny Carson. For comedians, musicians, writers, and even politicians, a single appearance could change a career overnight. Mark Malkoff, author of Love Johnny Carson: One Obsessive Fan's Journey to Find the Genius Behind the Legend , shares the behind-the-scenes sto...

On this episode of Our American Stories, Roland Bitcon grew up with a father who could repair anything, build everything, and never needed to say much to say a lot. From a childhood on an Iowa farm to a Navy career that spanned decades and oceans, Russell E. Bitcon lived with purpose, humility, and grace. In this story, Roland delivers the eulogy he gave at his father’s funeral, a moving tri...

On this episode of Our American Stories, after the Tate–LaBianca murders, Charles “Tex” Watson vanished—just not right away. For nearly two months, he remained in Los Angeles as the city searched for those responsible. That’s where this story begins. Our American Stories  listener Patty Kingsbaker recounts the day she unknowingly gave a ride to Manson’s mos...

On this episode of Our American Stories, Andrew Jackson was a duelist, a slaveholder, and a military hero with a serious temper. He was also the first president to claim the White House as a mandate from the common man. He shattered the political elite, crushed the national bank, and left behind a legacy that is still being debated. Dr. Bradley J. Birzer, author of  In Defense of Andrew Jacks...

On this episode of Our American Stories, every Sunday, Our American Stories  host Lee Habeeb speaks with Mitchel "Big Mitch" Rutledge, who has spent more than forty years serving a life sentence in Alabama. Each call traces the shape of faith, regret, and forgiveness inside a place built for punishment. This time, Mitch revisits the uncertain two weeks between his sentencing hearing and the j...

On this episode of Our American Stories, in 1964, Leon Hess set out to give children something fun and affordable at his gas stations—and ended up creating a toy truck that lit up, rolled out, and quickly sold out. Sixty years later, Hess Trucks have become a holiday tradition, with collectors, families, and fans marking each annual release like a mini Christmas of its own. Hess Toy Truck di...

On this episode of Our American Stories, on Christmas Eve 1968, the crew of Apollo 8 became the first humans to orbit the Moon. Joined by astronomer and broadcaster Steve Kates, known as Dr. Sky, they recall the moment the astronauts read from the Book of Genesis, uniting millions of listeners on Earth during a tense and historic holiday season in the midst of the Cold War. Support the show ( http...

On this episode of Our American Stories, Our American Stories  listener and regular contributor Stephen Rusiniak shares the story of the time he worked in a nursing home as a teenager and what happened when Santa made an unexpected visit. Support the show ( https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate) Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for pr...

On this episode of Our American Stories, on Christmas Eve in 1818, in a snow-covered Austrian village, a broken organ forced a last-minute change. What came next was history. Two men—one a priest, the other a schoolteacher—scribbled out a carol for guitar and voice and performed it that night by candlelight. “Silent Night” would go on to become the most beloved Christmas hy...

On this episode of Our American Stories, in the chaotic weeks following Hurricane Katrina, John Rogers never planned to become Santa; he simply found himself in a position to help and chose to act. What followed was an unexpected Christmas for children who had lost their homes, their routines, and nearly everything familiar. Support the show ( https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate) Support the...

On this episode of Our American Stories, for generations, “White Christmas” has served as the soundtrack to the holiday season. Its lyrics and melody helped define what Christmas sounds like in America, shaping holiday music for decades. Yet the man who wrote it, Irving Berlin, did not celebrate Christmas. He arrived in the United States as a Jewish immigrant from Russia and built his...

On this episode of Our American Stories, Christmas today feels timeless. December 25 arrives with trees, carols, family dinners, and familiar rituals passed down for generations. But in early America, Christmas caused trouble. Celebrations spilled into the streets. Drinking, violence, and disorder followed. Some towns had had enough; they banned Christmas outright. So how did a holiday once viewed...

On this episode of Our American Stories, before  Christmas Under the Stars  became a Hallmark Channel staple, it was a quiet story written by a Chicago-area janitor. By day, Rikk Dunlap fixed leaky faucets and gym bleachers. By night, he wrote fiction, never expecting one of his midnight works to become the hit it is now. Rikk joins us to explain how one Christmas tree lot, one unforgett...

On this episode of Our American Stories, Luke Mickelson, founder of Sleep in Heavenly Peace, tells how a meeting in his church turned into a Boy Scouts project, a Christmas tradition, and 50,000 free beds for needy families every year. Support the show ( https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate) Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy in...

On this episode of Our American Stories, Ashley Freeman came home from overseas determined to help people in her own town. When she asked her neighbors for Christmas donations for a family in crisis, the response was overwhelming. Gifts, decorations, and support came from across the state and beyond. One act of generosity led to another, and what started with one woman turned into a community-wide...

On this episode of Our American Stories, dealing with a small budget and a short deadline, A Charlie Brown Christmas was released to critical acclaim on December 9, 1965. While audiences loved it, there were many doubters behind the scenes at CBS. Our host, Lee Habeeb, tells the story. Support the show ( https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate) Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.co...

On this episode of Our American Stories, in what would be Bing Crosby’s final Christmas special, he teamed up with glam rock legend David Bowie for a duet that defied expectations. “Little Drummer Boy / Peace on Earth” went on to become one of the most cherished Christmas songs of all time. Discover how this strange and beautiful collaboration almost fell apart—and what mad...

On this episode of Our American Stories, in the final Christmas of World War II, American soldier Keith Ginther found himself behind enemy lines in a German POW camp. But on that quiet night in 1944, something unexpected happened. Shared through journalist Kristen Inbody, this story is a rare glimpse into how faith, music, and memory helped carry one man through one of the darkest seasons of war....

On this episode of Our American Stories, before Michigan and Ohio State ever lined up on the football field, their rivalry started with a fight over land and a cartographer’s mistake. Known as the Toledo War, this little-known border dispute between the two states set the stage for what would become one of the most heated rivalries in college football history. Tedd Long, founder of Holy Tole...

On this episode of Our American Stories, it’s not every day a U.S. president’s funeral has to be paused because of a swearing parrot—but then again, Andrew Jackson never followed the rules, even in death. As guests gathered to mourn the seventh president, his longtime pet had other ideas. Historian Mark Cheatham, a professor of history at Cumberland University and a leading schol...

On this episode of Our American Stories, when Ruth McKeaney and her husband stepped into a historic home that was falling off its foundation, they had no idea it would be the first of many. Over the years, they’ve raised five kids while flipping one broken house after another, including a 300-year-old home once tied to William Penn, the founder of Pennsylvania, himself. Ruth shares how trial...

On this episode of Our American Stories, for years, Johnny Carson and Joan Rivers defined late-night television. Carson ruled The Tonight Show as its steady center, while Rivers became his most trusted guest host, winning audiences with her sharp timing and fearless comedy. Night after night, viewers came to see them as a natural pairing, shaping what a late-night talk show could be. Then, in nine...

On this episode of Our American Stories, born into the nation’s first political dynasty, John Quincy Adams spent his childhood in the shadow of revolution and his adulthood navigating diplomacy, Congress, and his presidency. But his defining stand came late in life, when he returned to the House of Representatives and refused to look away from slavery’s grip on the republic. As the las...