Radio: History on the Beam

The results of most history quizzes indi cate that history in general is dully written, dully taught. Yet historians and teachers, who have plenty of excuse for being complex and controversial, have very little excuse, considering the pulsing nature of their material, for being dull.

Last week a radio course in American history was proving once again that instruction in mankind’s development can be, as it should be, full of lively, personal provocation and free of academic dead weight. The course was The World and America, produced by TIME’S Radio Programs Department, which last week had reached the American Revolution and its 14th out of 52 weekly 15-minute broadcasts. The program is locally sponsored in New York City by the Eagle Pencil Co. (WQXR, Sun., 2 p.m., E.W.T.).

The World and America puts history teaching on a basis quite as informal as that of the fabled Mark Hopkins and the student on the other end of the log. It consists in easy, familiar discussions be tween a fictional businessman, Sam, and his librarian friend, George. As the series opens they are waiting for something tall and cool at the 19th hole.

Sam confesses his embarrassment at not being able to make a reasonable showing when his son Timmy asks him why Columbus discovered America. George undertakes to tell Sam what a reasonable answer might have included. The discussion soon ranges casually from business conditions in the Age of Discovery to Ptolemy the map maker.

By the time the drinks have arrived Sam and George have hit on a hobby —brushing up Sam’s American history. As the series continues, Sam and George meet at Sam’s house, at George’s shack in the woods (this mail-order shelter quite natu rally sets them talking about the pioneer log cabin), and gradually they trace the rise of the Republic to world power and world responsibilities. A specially prepared history atlas of 17 maps is available to listeners.

The World and America was conceived and co-authored by TIME Radio Programs Department’s director, Frank Callan Norris, a TIME Inc. staffman ever since he left Princeton in 1929, managing editor of the radio March of Time since 1941. A redhaired, wry, witty compendium of universal fact and theory, Norris is also a not able Aberdeen Angus cattle raiser and barbershop tenor. Co-author of The World and America is Folklorist Carl Carmer (Listen for a Lonesome Drum), a specialist in local American history ever since he left a northern professorship to teach at the University of Alabama.

The World and America is available for other local sponsorship beginning Oct. 1, the rental depending on the size of the community and power of the station used.