Issue 13 September 2004 Eleanor Roosevelt in Liverpool 1 American Studies Today – Issue 13 September 2004 which women were making to the war effort, and From the this point is further illustrated by the student essay on women and war. In a presidential election year, we also have a very personal reflection on the editor’s electoral process from Edward Weeden, a former American high school teacher now resident in the chair UK. This will be backed up by the ASRC annual schools conference, for which we enclose a o, the last episode of “Friends” has been programme. So, welcome to a bumper edition of aired on our screens. What are we going to American Studies Today. S watch now on Friday nights? The United States is still bogged down in Baghdad, battling to build a post-Saddam Iraq. Coca-Cola and Big Macs are among the foods being blamed for an obesity time bomb which threatens to wipe out the In this issue flower of Britain’s youth in its prime. Wherever you ASRC plays host to US visitors look, from international politics to popular culture A welcome return from an old friend and to the food on our plates, the United States visit from a prize winning writer and 3 dominates the agenda. How did it get this way? academicwere among the highlights of What is the key to the American psyche which has the centre’s year led to its being the world’s cultural, economic and political superpower? These issues are explored Eleanor Roosevelt in Liverpool in the wide range of book reviews in this bumper A dramatic personal account of an edition of American Studies Today. Read the fascinating episode in Anglo-American 4 reviews, buy the books, and you will begin to relations acquire an understanding of a large and complex Simon goes to Washington society which affects us all for good or ill. This is th what American Studies is about, and we hope that An account of a trip by a group of 6 6 our magazine makes an effective contribution to form students from Manchester in the discipline. We also have a fascinating memoir February from a time when our relationship with the United Women and War 1941-1975 States was far less ambiguous, recounting Talya Schneider considers the effect of Eleanor Roosevelt’s war-time visit to Liverpool. In wars from the Second World War to the 9 her speech she commends the vital contribution Vietnam War on the status of women American Studies Today Fictional Presidents as is the official journal of the American Studies Antagonists in American Resources Centre, The Aldham Robarts Centre, Motion Pictures Liverpool John Moores University, Mount Pleasant The portrayal of fictional presidents in Liverpool L3 5UZ American film has changed dramatically 16 Tel & fax: 0151-231 3241 over the last half century. Ralph R. e-mail: [email protected] Donald shows how presidential office is web site: www.americansc.org.uk now fair game for criticism, satire and earthy humour Editor-in-Chief: Ian Ralston Editor: David Forster Letter from New York Layout and graphics: David Forster Our regular correspondent from New York, Lenny Quart, has sent us these 24 The views expressed are those of the contributors, two personal views of life in the Big and not necessarily those of the centre, the college Apple or the university. © 2004, Liverpool John Moores University, Remembering the C's In Liverpool Community College and the Contributors. Presidential Elections Articles in this journal may be freely reproduced for In a presidential election year, retired use in subscribing institutions only, provided that high School teacher Edward T. Weeden 26 the source is acknowledged. looks back on the 2000 election and Please email us at [email protected] with considers what lessons it holds for the any changes of name or address. If you do not forthcoming election wish to continue receiving this magazine, please Book reviews send an e-mail with the word Unsubscribe and your Over 20 pages of reviews from politics subscription number in the subject line. 30 2 to media, literature to sociology ASRC plays host to US visitors he ASRC has again this year welcomed visits from CL Henson, former Director of TS pecial Education at the Bureau of Indian Affairs and the renowned academic and writer Professor Dan T. Carter from the University of South Carolina. CL has become a regular visitor since his retirement from the BIA and this year returned to meet with students from JMU’s American Studies degree programme, as well as presenting a lecture to American politics students at Cheadle Hulme School in Manchester As well as discussing the role of the BIA and the problems now faced by many of America’s native Tony Tibbles of the Merseyside Maritime Museum communities, CL was also ‘grilled’ by Cheadle talking to Dan T. Carter Hulme students and their teacher Steve Pagan, on the forthcoming Presidential election. It is likely For Dan T. Carter, this was his first trip to that CL will be returning on an annual basis and Liverpool despite being a regular visitor to the UK schools wishing to contact him to check on his for many years. Perhaps best known for his availability for presenting lectures can contact him Bancroft prize-winning work Scottsboro: a at [email protected] Tragedy of the American South (later made into an award winning documentary) Professor Carter is one of the leading American academics on the history of the South and its politics. His 1995 work on George Wallace, The Politics of Rage: George Wallace, the Origins of the New Conservatism and the Transformation of American Politics not only won the Robert F. Kennedy book prize, but was also the subject of a stimulating lecture to a packed audience of staff and students at JMU. During his visit, Professor Carter also visited the Trans-Atlantic Slavery Gallery at Merseyside Maritime Museum, where he was guided by the Gallery’s Keeper, Tony Tibbles, as well as taking in other sites of the city. CL Henson with students from Cheadle High School The Presidential Election 2004 A one-day conference for A-Level and Access students of American Government and Politics, American History and Media Studies. Wednesday October 13th 2004 The Electoral Process and 2004 Dr.Eddie Ashbee, Center for the Study of the Americas, Copenhagen Business School. The Media and Presidential Elections Dr.Niall Palmer, Brunel University. Foreign Policy and the 2004 Election Prof. John Dumbrell, University of Leicester Speakers from the Republican Party and the Democrat Party Look for the flyer and booking form in your magazine 3 American Studies Today – Issue 13 September 2004 Eleanor Roosevelt in Liverpool – a historical memoir By Ralph Shepherd arlier this year the American Studies Resources Centre was visited by a local man, Ralf Shepherd. There then unfolded the story of his fascinating personal quest to uncover events E that had taken place over sixty years ago in wartime Liverpool. The ASRC was pleased to assist Ralf in this and the background to his search for details of Eleanor Roosevelt’s visit to Liverpool is recorded below by Ralf himself. We would like to thank Bob Clark, a senior she recalls meeting the C in C of the Western archivist at the National Approaches, Sir Percy Archives and Records Noble, in Liverpool, and also Administration in Hyde Park later with WRENS following NY, for his support and help the broadcast. She notes in uncovering this ‘lost’ with some affection the piece of history. Bob in fact singing of popular songs, informed us that Mrs. such as ‘Just a song at Roosevelt had left the US twilight’ and ‘A bicycle made on October 21st 1942 to visit for two’ which provoked the UK. The purpose of her happy childhood memories. visit was to observe the Earlier in the day Mrs. wartime work of British Roosevelt had taken lunch women and to meet with US in the Adelphi Hotel with military personnel based Lord Derby. here. She toured many communities as well as Although now retired, Ralf meeting with British Shepherd remains active as government officials, a volunteer worker for members of the royal family Merseyside Maritime and leaders of foreign Museum and he also retains governments in exile. a lively interest in Liverpool’s Events of that day were also shipping and wartime recorded in a newspaper history. article by Mrs. Roosevelt Ian Ralston (‘My Day’ column) in which 8th November 1942 - a day in the life of a young telephone engineer ne day in 1942, as a trainee telephone be used for a broadcast by the US First Lady, engineer with Post Office Telephones, Eleanor Roosevelt, who was to visit the building, the gang I was with at the time, on which, incidentally, was the headquarters of the O overhead construction duties, was sent WRENS from Royal Navy Western Command. to Sefton Park in Liverpool to erect cables from a distribution pole at the rear of the synagogue in I remember listening to the broadcast with my Greenbank Drive to Ackerley House, a large parents later that evening. Her speech included Victorian house in Greenbank Lane. her assessment of the work that the women of Great Britain were doing to help the war effort. It was well into the afternoon when we started and Where she was speaking from was not disclosed, with the co-operation of two other gangs we but this was not unusual for the war time period. completed the job in the dark. At that stage, no one knew what the cables were to be used for; I was eventually called up for military duty and even the gang foremen weren't told.