Our American Stories

On this episode of Our American Stories, Tom and Lillian Lyons married in 1946. They lived a long and loving life raising a family on the south side of Chicago.  Lillian was singing opera professionally when she and Tom met, and her voice first made Tom fall in love.  After Lillian’s death, an unexpected discovery would reunite Tom with Lillian’s voice on Tom’s 97t...

On this episode of Our American Stories, in the 30th Episode of our Story of America Series with Dr. Bill McClay, author of Land of Hope , Bill reads and explains one of President Lincoln's greatest accomplishments—The Emancipation Proclamation. Support the show ( https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate ) Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate See omnystudio.com/listen...

On this episode of Our American Stories, in the 27th episode of our Story of America Series with Dr. Bill McClay, author of  Land of Hope , Dr. McClay tells the remarkable story of how a little-known trial lawyer from Illinois who had lost an election against the most famous politician in America became President of the United States.  Support the show ( https://www.ouramericanstories.co...

On this episode of Our American Stories, the Civil War soldier, William Scott, fell asleep at his post, at the time a transgression punishable by execution. What happened next changed military history. Support the show ( https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate ) Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Our American Stories, George Washington’s Bible was on loan to a famous Revolutionary War tavern mere blocks from the World Trade Center on 9/11. Just as the search for bodies ended, the search for the Bible began… Support the show ( https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate ) Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate See omnystudio.com/listener fo...

On this episode of Our American Stories, veteran Vince Benedetto delivers the awe-inspiring story of our first president. Support the show ( https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate ) Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Our American Stories, in 1902, the first successful, commercially available gun silencer was invented by Hiram Percy Maxim. He also developed mufflers for internal combustion engines using much the same technology. Maxim was an American inventor, graduate of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and son of Sir Hiram Stevens Maxi—inventor of the first portable, fully a...

On this episode of Our American Stories, Tom Zoellner purchased a diamond engagement ring and proposed. His girlfriend said "yes," and then suddenly walked out of his life, making Tom the owner of a used engagement ring. Instead of hitting the self-help shelves of his local bookstore, he hit the road to discover the true worth of this shining gem. He then wrote  The Heartless Stone . Support...

On this episode of Our American Stories, Dr. E. Wesley Ely of Vanderbilt University Medical Center shares intensely meaningful experiences, spiritual and all, from a patient's suddenly shortened last days in this life. Support the show ( https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate ) Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Our American Stories, Old West historian Roger McGrath is here to tell the story of a time before the world knew Samuel Clemons by his pen name, Mark Twain. His time in the American West helped Clemens develop a distinctive Western voice and provided him with material that would make him America’s first celebrity author. Support the show ( https://www.ouramericanstories.co...

On this episode of Our American Stories, The Confederates didn't have the industrial might to build their own ships. As a result, cash crops proved king once again....or at least for a little while. Here's the story of a mystery 'blockade runner' and how it met its demise.  Support the show ( https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate ) Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/dona...

On this episode of Our American Stories, Valentine’s Day began as a feast to celebrate the decapitation of a third-century Christian martyr. So, how did we get from beheading to betrothing?  Support the show ( https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate ) Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Our American Stories, Beverly Gage, author of the definitive biography of J. Edgar Hoover,  G-Man, J. Edgar Hoover, and The Making of the American Century , tells the story of the most important lawman of the 20th century—and how he created an entire government agency in his own image.  Support the show ( https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate ) Support the sh...

On this episode of Our American Stories, Kevin Samy, the son of Indian-American immigrants who appeared on Forbes' 30 under 30 for law & policy in 2016, tells the story of how he was molded by his upbringing and playing football.  Support the show ( https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate ) Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for priva...

On this episode of Our American Stories, it’s been multiple decades since a 9-year-old kid shared his Coca-Cola with Pittsburgh Steelers star “Mean” Joe Greene in one of the most famous commercials in history. Support the show ( https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate ) Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy informati...

On this episode of Our American Stories, when Osiris Hoil lost his construction job in 2008, he thought his American dream was over—but through his fantastic cooking, a generous neighbor, and the high standards he learned from his mother in Mexico, he started District Taco—D.C.'s best taco chain. This is his story. Support the show ( https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate ) Support...

On this episode of Our American Stories, Bill Koch tells the stories of leadership lessons he took with him for the rest of his life. Support the show ( https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate ) Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Our American Stories, Earl Smith shares his story, warts and all. Earl survived a violent youth and eventually served as a Chaplain in San Quentin Prison. Then he came face to face with his past once again. Support the show ( https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate ) Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information...

On this episode of Our American Stories, Lorna Jean, the woman who needed that prescription, tells the story of how the wife of the doctor helping her with her mental health struggles filled that prescription and changed her life.  Support the show ( https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate ) Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy...

On this episode of Our American Stories, our own Greg Hengler (and others) tell the story of a grocery store founded in Los Angeles in 1967 that expanded to hundreds of locations across 42 states and revolutionized how we shop for groceries. Support the show ( https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate ) Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for pri...

On this episode of Our American Stories, meet Nancy 3 (that's the numeral '3' not the word 'three') Hoffman, an accordionist, world traveler, and owner of the world's only Umbrella Cover Museum in Peak's Island, Maine. That's umbrella covers, not umbrellas. Nancy shares the story of how she came to open such a specific museum, what her museum is like, and how her museum taught her to find joy in t...

On this episode of Our American Stories, it might surprise you to hear that CPR was only invented in 1960. Here to tell the story of the man who invented it, Peter Safar, is Kevin Hazzard, author of American Sirens: The Incredible Story of the Black Men Who Became America's First Paramedics .  Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy...

On this episode of Our American Stories, Chris Siriano tells the story of a baseball team formed out of a religious commune in Benton Harbor, MI. The long-haired men played anywhere and with anybody-including those who had been excluded from major league venues because of the color of their skin. Support the show ( https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate ) Support the show: https://www.ourameric...

On this episode of Our American Stories, renowned biographer and author of  The Innovators,  Walter Isaacson, tells the story of the teams that created the internet—and the computer.  Support the show ( https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate ) Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Our American Stories, He was one of the greatest coaches of the 20th century. Behind a stone face and beneath his trademark fedora was a brilliant football mind. As head coach of the Dallas Cowboys for 29 years, Tom Landry compiled an impressive record of 13 division titles, five Super Bowl appearances, and two championships. The Cowboys would eventually be dubbed "America's tea...