Documentary highlighting FDR’s deep connection to Georgia to air on GPB Tuesday night

A documentary focused on President Franklin Roosevelt’s connection with the Peach State is set to air on GPB Tuesday at 7 p.m.

Based on the book by Kaye Minchew of the same name, “A President in Our Midst: Franklin Delano Roosevelt in Georgia” highlights FDR’s deep connection with Georgia, a state he visisted 41 times between 1924 and 1945.

The day in Barnesville in 1938 that FDR “turned on” electricity for rural communities with the Rural Electrification Administration is one of the stories shared in the documentary. Atlanta is featured with Roosevelt’s visit to Georgia Tech, Clark Atlanta University, Oglethorpe University and the Fox Theatre.

A native New Yorker, FDR called Georgia his “other state.” Seeking relief from the devastating effects of polio, he was first drawn there by the reputed healing powers of the waters at Warm Springs. FDR immediately took to Georgia, and the attraction was mutual. Nearly two hundred photos show him working and convalescing at the Little White House, addressing crowds, sparring with reporters, visiting fellow polio patients, and touring the countryside. Quotes by Georgians from a variety of backgrounds hint at the countless lives he touched during his time in the state.

In Georgia, away from the limelight, FDR became skilled at projecting strength while masking polio’s symptoms. Georgia was also his social laboratory, where he floated new ideas to the press and populace and tested economic recovery projects that were later rolled out nationally. Most important, FDR learned to love and respect common Americans-beginning with the farmers, teachers, maids, railroad workers, and others he met in Georgia.

In January of 2019, Kaye Minchew and executive producer Dan White approached GPB with a proposal to create a documentary about FDR’s life in Georgia based on Minchew’s book, “A President in our Midst.” With the assurance of a broadcast platform, efforts began to secure the financing and technical resources necessary to complete the film.

In 2020, Georgia Humanities agreed to be the official sponsor of the documentary and Georgia State University TV agreed to provide the technical expertise necessary to create the film. Filming began in September last year in locations throughout Georgia. LaGrange, Gainesville, Athens, Atlanta, Warm Springs, Thomaston, Barnesville as well as Harris, Meriwether and Upson County are all featured in the film. Using drone photography and location shooting, combined with archival photos and historical film clips, “A President in Our Midst” brings to viewers a contemporary image of life during the period 1921 to 1945.

Financing for the film was privately raised through public donations. In addition, the combined talents of over 70 Georgians helped create the finished product. Carol Howington Cain, James Fowler and Bill Murray are featured performers in the documentary. Oral history narratives from a variety of Georgians whose lives and institutions were profoundly shaped by FDR and the New Deal in Georgia are also featured.

The documentary recently received two awards from the Southern Film Festival, held in LaGrange.

This story was originally published September 20, 2021 at 11:30 AM with the headline "Documentary highlighting FDR’s deep connection to Georgia to air on GPB Tuesday night."