Our American Heritage


Our American Heritage is a series of TV specials broadcast on NBC from 1959 to 1961.
Mildred Freed Alberg produced the program with the cooperation of American Heritage magazine. Lowell Thomas was the narrator. Directors included James Lee, Jack Smight and Alex Segal Writers included Morton Wishengrad, Tad Mosel, David Shaw, and Mann Rubin.
A total of thirteen episodes were aired on the National Broadcasting Company from October 18, 1959 to May 13, 1961. Actors who were featured included Raymond Massey, Dean Jagger, Walter Matthau, Roddy McDowall, Christopher Plummer, Susan Strasberg, Melvyn Douglas, Robert Redford, and Teresa Wright.
On January 27, 1960, the Thomas Alva Edison Foundations recognized Our American Heritage as "the television program best portraying America". The program was sponsored by The Equitable Life Assurance Society.
Episodes of the program included those shown in the table below:
DateTitleSubjectStar
October 18, 1959"Divided We Stand"Thomas Jefferson, Alexander Hamilton, George WashingtonRalph Bellamy, Arthur Kennedy, Howard St. John
November 22, 1959"The Practical Dreamer"Eli WhitneyBurgess Meredith
January 24, 1960"Destiny, West"John C. FrémontJeffrey Hunter
February 21, 1960"Shadow of a Soldier"Ulysses S. GrantJames Whitmore
April 10, 1960–––Andrew CarnegieDavid Wayne, Judith Anderson
October 21, 1960"Not Without Honor"Alexander HamiltonArthur Kennedy, Ralph Bellamy
December 2, 1960"Born a Giant"Andrew JacksonBill Travers, Barbara Rush
January 13, 1961"The Invincible Teddy"Theodore RooseveltGeorge Peppard
March 11, 1961"The Secret Rebel"John HoneymanHugh O'Brian
May 13, 1961"Woodrow Wilson and the Unknown Soldier"Woodrow WilsonJudson Laire, Don Ameche