Presidents Day — George Washington and Medals of Freedom

Washington expert and Elizabethtown College presidential historian appear on Smart Talk

• Scott LaMar
  BioRecent Stories

  

  Scott LaMar has worked in both radio and television for more than four decades.
  
  Currently, LaMar is the Host and Executive Producer of The Spark program on WITF-FM, 89.5 & 93.3 in Harrisburg, Pa.
  
  Previously, LaMar was WITF TV’s Sr. Public Affairs producer and produced the station’s award-winning weekly public affairs TV program, Smart Talk.
  
  In addition to his on-air duties, LaMar has moderated political candidate debates, including those for candidates running for Pennsylvania governor and the U.S. Senate and was a regular contributor to BBC World News TV before and after the 2020 U.S. Presidential election.
  
  LaMar often emcees or moderates local events and has gone as far as California to emcee a national event.
  
  The American Society of Civil Engineers honored LaMar with their national Excellence in Journalism award in 2020. He has been nominated for five Mid-Atlantic Emmy Awards.
  
  LaMar and The Spark have been recognized throughout the Central Pennsylvania community including ADVOZ Lancaster’s “Dignity in Dialogue Award”, the South-Central Assembly’s “Regional Citizen Award” and was named a “Humanitarian Hero” by The Humane Society of the United States/Pennsylvania.
  
  A native of Coatesville, Pa., LaMar has also worked as a broadcast news anchor, sports play-by-play announcer and manager.

Monday is Presidents Day. Actually, the federal government still recognizes the Monday holiday as Washington’s Birthday but some time in the past 50 years, the holiday has been expanded to honor and recognize presidents other than George Washington.

Monday’s Smart Talk goes back more than 200 years and also discusses more contemporary stories of presidential history.

Two-hundred-twenty years after his death, there still is much to learn about the nation’s first president — George Washington. In fact, there are so many myths about Washington and facts that don’t get as much attention. For example, on the fact side, Washington played a large part in starting a world war. How about a myth? Washington didn’t have wooden teeth, even though he did have dental problems his whole life.

One of the nation’s foremost Washington re-enactors and experts — John Koopman III appears on Smart Talk.

John Koopman III appears on Smart Talk on February 17, 2020. Photo courtesy of Koopman’s Facebook page.

Also, when President Trump awarded conservative talk show host Rush Limbaugh with the Medal of Freedom two weeks ago, it surprised and angered some who thought Limbaugh wasn’t worthy of the medal that recognizes “those people who have made an especially meritorious contribution to the security or national interests of the United States, world peace, cultural or other significant public or private endeavors.”

Elizabethtown College Professor of Political Science Fletcher McClellan has written about Trump and the Presidential Medal of Freedom and is on Monday’s Smart Talk.

Elizabethtown College

Fletcher McClellan appears on Smart Talk on February 17, 2020.