History That Doesn't Suck - Bonus: Eleanor Roosevelt "Over Our Coffee Cups"

Episode Date: November 3, 2025

Today Professor Jackson tells the story of Eleanor Roosevelt’s “Over Our Coffee Cups” weekly radio show. Starting in the fall of 1941, the First Lady took to the airwaves with this cafe-style program to provide information and comfort as the nation began mobilizing for war.  This short story is an example of the extras you can get as an HTDS premium member. HTDS will always be widely available, supported by ads. However, our membership program offers ad-free episodes delivered early, plus extra stories just like this one. Click here to start a free seven day trial. Cancel anytime. Connect with us on HTDSpodcast.com and go deep into episode bibliographies and book recommendations join discussions in our Facebook community get news and discounts from The HTDS Gazette  come see a live show get HTDS merch or become an HTDS premium member for bonus episodes and other perks. HTDS is part of Audacy media network. Interested in advertising on the History That Doesn't Suck? Contact Audacyinc.com To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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This is big. Get the new iPhone 17 Pro at TELUS.com slash iPhone 17 Pro on select plans. Conditions and exclusions apply. Hello, my friends. This is a special bonus episode. Why? Well, to be honest, I'm at the finish line with a book I've been writing for the past two years. And at this particular moment, that's made it difficult to keep up with podcast writing.

But, if you're not, HTDS episodes are my first priority. There's a new one coming next week with a fascinating interview with Ken Burns about the American Revolution and his World War II documentary, The War. Also this month, a new narrative episode will take us to the Pacific, where we'll experience a date that will live in infamy, to quote FDR. Speaking of Roosevelt, FDR wasn't the only one to give radio addresses to the nation. Today, I'd like to tell the story of Eleanor Roosevelt's Over Our Copy Cups Weekly Radio Show. Starting in the fall of 1941, the First Lady took to the Airways with this cafe-style program to provide information and comfort as the nation began mobilizing for.

war. This short story is an example of the extras you can get with an HDDS premium membership. HTS will always be widely available supported by ads. However, our membership program offers ad-free episodes delivered early, plus extra stories, just like this one. You can learn more at htDSpodcast.com slash membership, or click the link in the episode notes to start a free seven-day trial. And to now, here's Madam First Lady, Eleanor Roosevelt, giving a coffee talk. It's Sunday, September 28th, 1941. Eleanor Roosevelt is preparing for her first radio broadcast in a soon-to-be weekly series. It seems like the first lady is getting her own form of a fireside chat,

and she's going to talk about real American issues, like politics or the state of threatening world war. Or perhaps she'll interview other important leaders. We're not sure yet. So let's listen in on the first of these broadcasts to see what they're about. Over NBC Airwaves, famed radio host Ernest Carroll introduces Eleanor and reminds listeners of their duty to keep sipping their coffee. After all, this whole thing is sponsored by the Pan American Coffee Bureau.

But enough of that. It's time to listen to the first lady. Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. Tonight I am beginning again a weekly talk with unseen listeners throughout the United States. I've been asked to comment on current event topics during the coming weeks. Sometimes we will do this through discussion, so I may bring some people to the microphone with me who are especially interested in various phases of what's going on in the world today.

And you may hear more than one point of view. Sometimes I shall insist on having the chance to talk without interruption or a difference of opinion. Eleanor attempts to clarify misconceptions that Americans may have about words that are floating around the news and public discourse. Pan-Americanism, service, defense, and democracy. And it's on that final word, democracy, that the First Lady pontificates. Wrapping up a discussion of the Gettysburg Address, she reminds countries, men and countrywomen, that just as Lincoln suggested at that hallowed ground, America must rededicate itself to its ideals in order to ensure that a democratic government shall not perish

from the earth. To quote her, one can forgive these sincere idealists, but one cannot forgive those who, for personal and selfish reasons, insist on being blind and advocate a course which would destroy us as a nation, and which seems to endorse the principles which hold sway in other nations, because their leaders consider them necessary to their national life. Sometimes I think that some of the isolation leaders forget that if they begin to break up this country into self-conscious racial and religious groups, they will destroy the nation which they profess to want to preserve. for we are made up of racial strains from every part of the world and we allow people to

practice whatever religion they wish we have built a nation around this word democracy and it will melt away if certain of these so-called leaders are acceptable to any appreciable number of people we may hope the human race will be wise enough this time to join together in a real effort to eliminate war. But in the meantime, we do again what we have done in the past. Dedicate ourselves to the fulfillment of the promise that this nation, under God, shall not perish from the earth. Democracy shall triumph. H.DDS is supported by fans at HGDSPodcast.com slash membership.

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