Our American Stories

On this episode of Our American Stories, few players in baseball history match what Ted Williams accomplished at the plate. Called the “John Wayne of sports,” he carried a secret, one he was told to bury: his Hispanic heritage. Williams was the last player to bat .400, a 17-time All-Star, a two-time Most Valuable Player, and a two-time Triple Crown winner. Ben Bradlee Jr., author of&nb...

On this episode of Our American Stories, when Bruce Paddock bought a bankrupt pharmaceutical company at 29, most people thought he was making a terrible mistake. What followed was the slow, difficult building of a business that helped expand access to generic drugs at a time when brand name drugs still dominated the market. Support the show ( https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate) Support the...

On this episode of Our American Stories, Tiffany Jenkins built a large following as a mom influencer and creator of Juggling the Jenkins, but her story doesn’t match the polished version of motherhood people see online. She shares what it felt like to become a mother while rebuilding her life, including the reality of postpartum depression and the pressure that comes from comparing yourself...

On this episode of Our American Stories, Mike Gideon started out doing what he loved, working on cars and restoring classics with the expectation that it would be his career long-term. Over time, the work inside his shop began to take on a deeper meaning. Mike joins us to discuss how his relationship with God helped transform his life's work. Support the show ( https://www.ouramericanstories.com/d...

On this episode of Our American Stories, the story of Queen Esther, told in the Book of Esther in the Bible, is usually read as a story of courage and survival. Less often, it is connected to the ideas that shaped American liberty. Rabbi Stuart Halpern, co-author of  Jewish Roots of American Liberty , explains how this Old Testament story, including Esther, Mordecai, and King Xerxes, carried...

On this episode of Our American Stories, at the height of his career, Pat Boone was one of the most recognizable figures in American music, known for his success on stage and on television. Behind it all was his marriage to Shirley Foley Boone, which remained at the center of his life. The legend himself joins us to tell the story of how he balanced stardom with his personal faith and family. Supp...

On this episode of Our American Stories, Major General “Mook” Mukoyama volunteered and served in both Korea and Vietnam, building a long career in the U.S. Army during some of the most defining conflicts in American military history. In 1986, he became the youngest general in the Army at the time, and soon after was promoted to Major General, where he went on to command the 70th Traini...

On this episode of Our American Stories, most people set out to run a single marathon and call it a lifetime achievement. Karen Thomson and her son, Joe Meilink, decided to take it much further. Together, they ran a marathon in every state, turning long miles and early mornings into something more than a physical challenge. Along the way, the journey became a shared pursuit, one that brought famil...

On this episode of Our American Stories, Andrew Thompson shares another slice of his guide to understanding the baffling mini-mysteries of the English language, this time diving into how the phrase “back to square one” came to be. His book,  Hair of the Dog to Paint the Town Red: The Wonderful Origins of Everyday Expressions and Fun Phrases , is a must-read. Be sure to check it ou...

On this episode of Our American Stories, Abraham Lincoln often spoke about God, especially during the darkest days of the Civil War. But what he believed, and how he arrived there, is more complex than many assume. He did not belong to a church for most of his life. He wrestled with loss, read widely, and thought deeply about providence, suffering, and the role of faith in a nation at war. Richard...

On this episode of Our American Stories, Brian Jay Jones, author of  Jim Henson: The Biography , tells the story of how some of America’s most beloved characters—the Muppets—got their start in advertising and television commercials. Support the show ( https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate) Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate See omnystudio.com/lis...

On this episode of Our American Stories, in the early days of hip-hop, the music grew out of Black and Latino communities in New York City. It was local, raw, and deeply rooted in the neighborhoods where it began. So when three white, Jewish kids from New York entered that world, it raised more than a few eyebrows. Greg Hengler shares the story of the Beastie Boys, how they found their place in a...

On this episode of Our American Stories, in the middle of the Civil War, when battlefield medicine was rough, dangerous, and often improvised, one doctor refused to stay on the sidelines. Dr. Mary Edwards Walker served on the front lines, treating wounded soldiers under fire and crossing enemy lines to care for those in need. Along the way, she was captured, held as a prisoner of war, and ultimate...

On this episode of Our American Stories, General Ulysses S. Grant led the Union Army to victory in the Civil War and later served two terms as the 18th president of the United States. Today, he is buried at Grant’s Tomb in New York City, the largest presidential tomb in the country and one of the city’s most important historic monuments. By the late twentieth century, however, the memo...

On this episode of Our American Stories, as a boy growing up in Kansas City, Roger Rench’s life changed suddenly when his father took a job as a golf pro in the small town of Sheridan, Iowa. The move meant trading city life for a tiny community and living inside the clubhouse of the Lakeview Country Club. It also meant giving up something Roger loved even more than the golf course: his dog,...

On this episode of Our American Stories, when the Constitution emerged from the Constitutional Convention in 1787, its future was far from certain. The document still needed to be ratified by the states, and fierce debate quickly followed. Supporters argued that the new framework of government would stabilize the young republic, while critics warned that it gave too much power to a distant nationa...

On this episode of Our American Stories, acts of kindness often begin in ordinary moments. For Paul Kotz, a regular contributor to Our American Stories , one of those moments started behind a building with a deck of cards and a brief conversation with a homeless man. What followed was unexpected: Kotz climbed into a dumpster so the two of them could sit down and play a few hands. The game itself w...

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. As the series comes to a close, Mitch reflects on what those years have taught him about f...

On this episode of Our American Stories, around the world, access to clean water is something many take for granted, but for Manny Singh, it was a problem he experienced firsthand growing up in India, where water shortages were a daily reality. Now, as president of Koch Membrane Systems, Singh is helping develop technologies that can turn wastewater into safe, usable water—addressing one of...

On this episode of Our American Stories, Amy Palmiero-Winters is one of the most accomplished athletes in adaptive sports. She holds 13 world records for distance running, completing marathons and endurance races using a prosthetic leg. Her journey into competitive running began after a life-changing accident that could have ended her athletic ambitions entirely. Instead, it pushed her toward a ne...

On this episode of Our American Stories, Kimberly McCullough shares the beauty, and heartbreak, of walking through the foster care and adoption process. Through her experiences as a foster mother, McCullough reflects on the tension at the heart of foster care: the hope of reunification, the deep bonds formed with children, and the painful reality of letting them go. From courtroom adoption days fi...

On this episode of Our American Stories, as part of his ongoing series on the origins of everyday expressions, Andrew Thompson, author of Hair of the Dog to Paint the Town Red , shares the fascinating backstories behind the phrases “knock on wood” and “kick the bucket,” among others. These familiar sayings carry histories shaped by religion, literature, and everyday life in...

On this episode of Our American Stories, Tom McManus thought he understood hard work. As an NFL rookie with the Jacksonville Jaguars, training camp pushed him to his limits. But during one quiet conversation with his father, he discovered what real hardship looked like. At the same age Tom was grinding through football practice, his father was flying combat missions over Europe in a B-24 Liberator...

On this episode of Our American Stories, Doc Holliday is one of the most famous figures of the American Old West, known for his friendship with Wyatt Earp and his role in the gunfight at the O.K. Corral. Movies and television have turned him into a legend, but the real Doc Holliday was far more complicated than the popular portrayals suggest. Historian Roger McGrath joins us to tell the true story...

On this episode of Our American Stories, behind many successful people is someone who helped guide them along the way. For Stephen Ross, owner of the Miami Dolphins and founder of Related Companies, that person was businessman and philanthropist Max Fisher. Ross explains how Fisher’s mentorship shaped the decisions he made in business and in life, leaving an impact far greater than money or...