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Minnesota Public Radio's Midday to Feature First Public Broadcast of Senator Eugene McCarthy's Oral History
December 4, 2006
"The McCarthy Tapes," a new documentary from Minnesota Public Radio and American Public Media, is scheduled for broadcast at noon on December 8, 2006 on MPR's Midday, hosted by Gary Eichten.
Senator Eugene McCarthy will always be remembered for his unsuccessful campaign for president in 1968. The Democrat from Minnesota didn't even win his party's nomination. Still, he managed to unseat a sitting president, helped turned public opinion against the Vietnam War and inspired a generation of political activists.
In his research for McCarthy's obituary in December 2005, MPR reporter Tim Pugmire uncovered a wealth of recordings at the University of Minnesota's Elmer L. Andersen Library, home to a collection of audio tape, film, video and other artifacts from McCarthy's 1968 campaign. The collection's oral histories, recorded with campaign staff and supporters in the months following the election, have never before been heard by the public. The materials were originally stored at Georgetown University.
"The McCarthy Tapes" includes portions of speeches, radio and television appearances, as well as the oral history interviews. Excerpts from other audio archives and recent interviews help create a close-up picture of McCarthy and the political and social upheaval of 1968. The documentary looks beyond the mythology that surrounds McCarthy to show the candidate during a chaotic nine-month campaign that ended in an election that helped to shape the course of the nation.
Press Contacts:
Jennifer Haugh
Minnesota Public Radio
651-290-1369
jhaugh@mpr.org
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