In Depth: Forrest McDonald

C-SPAN2 BookTV ^ | July 3, 2004 | C-SPAN2

[petitfour]

Description: Forrest McDonald is Distinguished University Research Professor emeritus at the University of Alabama. His new book, "Recovering the Past: A Historian's Memoir," recounts the story of his life and his career as a professor, historian, and author.

Mr. McDonald's previous books are
"Let There Be Light: The Electric Utility Industry in Wisconsin, 1881-1955" (American History Research Center, 1957),
"We the People: The Economic Origins of the Constitution" (University of Chicago Press, 1958),
"Insull" (University of Chicago Press, 1962),
"E Pluribus Unum: The Formation of the American Republic, 1776-1790" (Houghton Mifflin, 1965),
"The Torch Is Passed: The United States in the 20th Century" (Addison Wesley, 1968),
"Enough Wise Men: The Story of Our Constitution" (G.P. Putnam, 1970),
"The Boys Were Men: The American Navy in the Age of Fighting Sail" (G.P. Putnam, 1971),
"The Last Best Hope: A History of the United States" -- 3 volumes, co-authored with Leslie Decker & Thomas Govan (Addison Wesley, 1972),
"The Phaeton Ride: The Crisis of American Success" (Doubleday, 1974),
"The Presidency of George Washington" (University Press of Kansas, 1974),
"The Presidency of Thomas Jefferson" (University Press of Kansas, 1976),
"Alexander Hamilton: A Biography" (W.W. Norton, 1979),
"A Constitutional History of the United States" (Franklin Watts, 1982),
"Novus Ordo Seclorum: The Intellectual Origins of the Constitution" (University Press of Kansas, 1985),
"Requiem: Variations on Eighteenth-Century Themes" -- co-authored with his wife, Ellen Shapiro McDonald (University Press of Kansas, 1988),
"The American Presidency: An Intellectual History" (University Press of Kansas, 1994), and
"States' Rights and the Union: Imperium in Imperio, 1776-1876" (University Press of Kansas, 2000).

During the program, call in to talk with Forrest McDonald or e-mail your question to booktv@c-span.org.

[petitfour]

SUNDAY, JULY 4, 2004 12:00 TO 3:00 EASTERN ON C-SPAN2: 3-hour interview and background with and about Dr. Forrest McDonald, the nation's premier constitutional historian and a wonderful person, despite his profound eccentricities.

The C-SPAN article does not include that President Reagan appointed Dr. McDonald the 16th Jefferson Lecturer, the nation's highest honor for the humanities.

ROLL TIDE!

[Petronski]

"...despite his profound eccentricities..."

Oh, do tell.

[john_virtue]

to boot, the man supports patriots!

[petitfour]

Welllll, one of 'em he admitted to during his first Brian Lamb broadcast interview was his wardrobe of choice on his farm. He lives in the middle of nowhere, and he doesn't bother with clothes. Who is gonna see him?

I am told that CSpan took their cameras to his farm and filmed him doing some of his farm chores. I am assuming he was fully clothed. At least, I hope he was. :)

I suppose hubby and I could come up with a few other eccentricities of which we are aware, but we shall wait. Dr. McDonald is a wonderful man, full of wisdom. We can't wait to see him on television again. He was quite excited about doing the show a few months ago when last we spoke. His better half says the footage they took in preparation for the show was very good. She is equally excited.

[petitfour]

Dr. McDonald used to tell a story about going to speak at Colorado College years and years ago. He told the students before him how all the congressmen in DC were scumbags or some such and how worthless and dishonest they all are/were. Afterward, a young female came up to him and introduced herself as one of Dick Cheney's daughters. (I think it was the younger one.) He then told her that there were about three exceptions, including Dick Cheney. I think Dick Armey was another, but I'm not certain. From what I recall him saying in classes, he is rather choosy when it comes to supporting political candidates.

[petitfour]

Ping!

I'm not sure if you have a UA ping list, but if you do, ping away! Or if you know of others who would appreciate a wily and wise old man's take on the liberal world of academia.

[leadpenny]

Bump!

BTW, this program will be rebroadcast at 5PM and Midnight Eastern Time.

[leadpenny]

He told the students before him how all the congressmen in DC were scumbags or some such and how worthless and dishonest they all are/were.

I'm curious what he might have to say about one of my favorites, Jeff Sessions.

[petitfour]

I'm pretty sure he supports Jeff Sessions because he is one of the most conservative senators in DC. I don't know if we have ever discussed Senator Sessions with Dr. McDonald, but he is such a huge improvement over Howell Heflin!

(this is sure making me feel old because I was so young and innocent back when Howell Heflin retired and Jeff Sessions took over!!!)

[StriperSniper]

Thanks for those times, I'll probably miss both and have to watch it online later. ;-)

[leadpenny]

Prof. McDonald says the left doesn't have as much influence over academia as they think they have. He says in 1980 100% of the U of A faculty voted for Carter. 80% of the voting student body voted for Reagan.

[StriperSniper]

Those students are the ones that have elected the Republican majorities of late. I doubt today's data is nearly as good, but I do hope to be surprised on the upside this November

---

I love how he flatly will name names of the 'hate America crowd'. :)

[leadpenny]

Caller: Why do so many seem to enjoy writing and talking about how they hate America?

McDonald: (thinking pause) . . . because they hate themselves! I really don't understand it.

[StriperSniper]

Heh, heh, he said "straight poop", I really like this guy. ;-)

[FoxPro]

On C-Span now.

[justshutupandtakeit]

MacDonald is the most informative historian of that era I have ever read. His book on Hamilton explains the financial program more clearly than any other ever written. His books on the Washington Presidency and the Jefferson presidency are excellent. Those are my favorites but all I have read are outstanding.

[worrywart]

Thanks for posting this, petitfour. I was privileged to have been in one of Dr. McDonald's classes at UA before he retired. I missed the 12:00 show, but have my Tivo set up to catch it at 5:00.

Roll Tide bump!

ww

[Quaker]

I asked one of the last questions on the show about Clinton's legacy.

I didn't hear the whole answer.

[worrywart]

I flipped over just in time to hear your question, and with the magic that is Tivo, I rewound it to transcribe the answer for you.

He said "Clinton would be remembered as the president who got impeached, and I daresay very little else. The personality disappears as time goes by, the prosperity disappears as time goes by and you look and see what happened. Well, what happened? Well one of the things that happened was there was a good deal of deregulation going on but that was after Newt Gingrich ran the first national contest for the election of the House of Representatives and won it, and the Republicans gained control of Congress. So, a number of the positives took place on his watch, but not because of his watch. On the other hand however historians tend to overlook such things as that, they give the credit to the President for anything that happened while he was President. There was a comic strip "Pogo" years ago and Congressman Frog claimed that there'd been awful good weather in the swamp, a lot of rain lately, and Pogo asked him what did he have to do with that, and Frog replied, nothing, but it happened while I was a Congressman."



ww

[Quaker]

Thank you..

And thanks for the miracle of Free Republic!