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This Hollywood Hero achieved the biggest role on the world’s biggest stage and went on to literally change the world.  To a majority, his 8 years were successful but also full of challenges inside and outside of our borders.  Ultimately, he’s received the biggest award any actor-slash-president could ever want, the everlasting admiration of millions to this day.  The Teflon President, The Gipper, Dutch, The Great Communicator – whatever you want to call him, we call him our 40th POTUS and he’s the star of this episode of American POTUS!

If you thought modern elections were tight, we present to you – the election of 1876!  The outcome was so close and so contested, some say a back room deal ultimately gave Hayes the White House by a margin of just 1 electoral vote.  Hayes did the best he could with his 4 years in office, but the formidable challenges of Southern reconstruction have tarnished his legacy to this day.  We’re taking an objective look at the highly contested presidency of Rutherford Hayes on this episode of American POTUS

Sharing presidential history with your kids that’s both fun & accurate is vitally important.  Washington, Lincoln, Roosevelt, JFK – their All-American stories are ripe with genuinely heroic tales…but also some embarrassing missteps that every young American can learn from.  Put the standard issue school history books aside, we’re looking at the presidency with a modern-day kid-centric storyteller and illustrator!  Their action-packed best-selling stories of 4 presidents and their influence on the world is on this episode of American POTUS!

From a young age, life kept throwing hurdles in front of a determined Bill Clinton, but he always worked and charmed his way over, around or through them – finding success and new opportunities.  And when he ultimately won the presidency in 92, when no one thought it was possible, he brought the same tenacity to his 8 years in The White House.  The personal stories of intelligence, compassion and world-famous charisma of William Jefferson Clinton is on this episode of American POTUS.

The Supreme Allied Commander who would become Commander-in-Chief, Dwight Eisenhower.  If titles were a true description of the man, you’d think his ego would shine as bright as the stars on his old uniform.  But this quiet statesman seemed to find the perfect balance between gentle and tough, cautioning the world’s communist leaders he would fight them every step of the way with not just weapons, but calm, civil negotiated peace.  The most famous of war-time generals who believed it was his #1 job to keep us out of war!  Dwight Eisenhower is on this episode of American POTUS.

Jimmy Carter's 1 term was full of challenges foreign and domestic; including inflation, fuel shortages and The Iran Hostage Crisis.  Ultimately, those issues were too big to overcome and he was shown the White House door a bit earlier than he would’ve liked.  But his idea of retirement is different than most, working around the globe to ensure fair elections and building homes for those less fortunate.  The Peanut Farmer from Plains who changed the world during and after his presidency, Jimmy Carter is on this episode of American POTUS

The 2 founding fathers who would be friends, enemies and then friends again – John Adams and Thomas Jefferson.  The 51-year relationship between these Frienemies is complicated but telling, offering critical insight into the very delicate and increasingly political first couple decades of our nation.  Looking back, it’s proven to be one of our republic’s best examples of respectful disagreement.  The mutually perplexing association between President’s number 2 and number 3, is on this episode of American POTUS.

By all accounts FDR appeared to have every advantage in life: family prestige, money, wit, and wisdom.  But it may have been his life-changing disadvantage that gave him the inspiration to win The White House.  And once he got there, it was no easy task – dealing with a global war on 2 fronts and an economic mess at home.  Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s affliction with Polio and his inspirational rise to the presidency is on this episode of American POTUS

As we look back on our first 13 episodes, we’ve learned that while the personalities and political parties may be vastly different, the patriotism of each POTUS is the common denominator.  In every case, these office holders & the people they’ve surrounded themselves with, have all had one goal in mind – to further the great American experiment the best way they knew how.  Before we begin our second term, we’re going through the best and brightest of our first on this special episode of American POTUS!

The presidency and tragic ending to the JFK era is well known, but how did POTUS 35 grow into the legend that inspires and haunts many to this day?  His path to the White House included family privilege, luck, disease, heartbreak, but most of all – personal perseverance.  We're covering the All-American story of how a young John Fitzgerald Kennedy went from supporting role to top billing on Pennsylvania Avenue.

A multi-million dollar post-presidency book deal hasn’t always been the norm for an ex-President.  Believe it or not, there was a time when who-wrote-what didn’t really matter – it was more about the importance of the document and ultimately the effect it had on advancing the nation.  But times have certainly changed, and so has the appetite to know who-said-what-where-when!  The surprising history of presidential autobiographies from The White House and beyond is on this episode of American POTUS!

From the first First Lady on, these unelected but essential White House residents have each made their own mark on the presidency.  Charm, etiquette, culture and champions of social causes, they’ve brought attention to our nation’s most important challenges and unique qualities - all while raising a family and being their husbands most trusted advisors.

From his very modest beginning, folks knew young Abe was going to be someone big, and boy did he prove them right.  When he took office, he was dealt probably the worst cards any president could imagine.  But his personality, patience and persistence helped him lead our nation through a terrible Civil War and to a new birth of freedom.  And while his tragic death kept him from overseeing reconstruction, his legacy continues to inspire other Presidents to this day.

He was the first to raise his hand and take the oath, George Washington.  When this national hero reluctantly took the job, he quickly realized he wasn’t just a figurehead, he had to figure out what exactly the presidency was.  So like any good leader, he recruited some of the country’s best and brightest to help him, and while they didn’t always get along, they did create a brand new, uniquely American Executive Branch, that is still somewhat familiar today!

Calvin Coolidge was a man who achieved resounding success by famously saying very little!  His accidental presidency began with an unexpected middle-of-the-night swearing-in ceremony.  By morning, this small-government minded politician was cutting the budget and reducing taxes.  And when government action was called for, he stepped in when he had to, but controversially stepped out of the spotlight when private solutions existed.  The ironically quiet presidency of the roaring 20’s, Silent Cal, Calvin Coolidge.

The very first political dark horse, James K. Polk.  He paid his dues in state government and in the US Congress before unexpectedly finding himself up for the top spot in the 1844 election.  He went on to win, and changed the make-up of the country quite literally from sea to shining sea.  Expansion, War, Banking, he even implemented the whole idea of the postage stamp…and he did it all in just 4 years.  So why is he commonly known as “the least known consequential president?”

He was one of the most effective presidential cabinet members in modern history – James A Baker.  He was in the middle of the national political scene for over 25 years, most notably as White House Chief of Staff and Secretary of State.  His keen sense of compromise helped him navigate the many pitfalls of Washington politics, proving time and again that behind every successful POTUS, is a strategic power broker who knows how to get things done.

Lyndon Johnson's experience leading the U.S. Senate ultimately made him one of the most consequential Accidental Presidents in history.  When he took over for JFK, he made it his mission to get more done with his limited time in office, than anyone thought possible.  But at the same time, he sunk deeper and deeper into the quagmire of Vietnam, a tragedy that became part of his complicated legacy.Mark Updegrove, President & CEO of the LBJ Foundation, helps us dive into the extraordinary perseverance of POTUS 36.

In this inaugural episode, we're talking about the man destined for a life of public service from the time he was born.  World War 2 pilot, U.S. Congressman, Ambassador, CIA Director, and after 8 years as the #2 man in the White House, he earned his shot as President.  His lifetime was spent defending, representing and leading the United States through challenges foreign and domestic.  We’re talking about 41’s All-American life and who just might be, the nation’s most successful 1-term president.  Dr. Jeffrey Engell, Director of the Center for Presidential History at SMU, joins us to share his insight and personal stories about George Herbert Walker Bush.

Part 1 of our discussion about the controversial life of Andrew Jackson.  From the time he was born, Old Hickory was fighting for a better life.  He took on the British first as a teenager, and later as a renegade General.  Never one to back down from a fight, he then went up against the traditional D.C. bureaucrats and won, changing the presidency forever.  Professor Mark Cheathem, nationally respected expert on Andrew Jackson, joins us to talk about the turbulent and undeniably popular POTUS #7.