E. R. Murrow Interviews Sarah Blanding

In 1959, legendary broadcast journalist Edward R. Murrow featured Vassar president Sarah Gibson Blanding on his "Person to Person" television show. According to the Museum of Broadcast Communications, Murrow's aim on "Person to Person" was to "revive the art of conversation." Twice a week, he interviewed public figures — artists, writers, politicians, scientists, athletes, industrialists, educators — intentionally avoiding politics and current events and focusing instead on their everyday lives. We don't know how or why he chose Blanding as one of his subjects, but the interview offers an interesting and amusing glimpse into the character of Vassar's sixth president.

Courtesy of the Archives and Special Collections Library at Vassar College.