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Eleanor Roosevelt Papers Project

Columbian College of Arts & Sciences

Over Our Coffee Cups

On the air between 28 September 1941 and 5 April 1942, the Over Our Coffee Cups record includes Eleanor Roosevelt's program from the evening after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, as well as many episodes wrestling with America's mobilization for war and especially with issues on the homefront. The program aired on the NBC Blue network. The fifteen-minute program aired at 6:45 pm on Sundays. Click on episode numbers to read transcripts of the program.

  • Episode 1: September 28, 1941. In the opening episode, ER discusses the meanings of "pan-American," "service," and "democracy."
  • Episode 2: October 5, 1941. ER talks about the rising cost of living and other news stories of the day.
  • Episode 3: October 12, 1941. ER discusses the relationship between the president and Congress, the attack on the merchant ship I. C. White, American defensive preparations, and conditions in Europe.
  • Episode 4: October 19, 1941. ER discusses several topics, including a Congressional investigation into the motion pictures industry, the death of Louis Brandeis and his impact on freedom of speech, the US Navy, and industrial accidents and their effects on wartime production.
  • Episode 5: October 26, 1941. ER discusses civilian defense, German actions, and price control.
  • Episode 6: November 2, 1941. ER expresses her opposition to cuts to New Deal programs like the National Youth Administration and the Civilian Conservation Corps. ER interviews Agnes King Inglis about her research on refugees from Europe.
  • Episode 7: November 9, 1941. ER discusses Armistice Day, "National Defense Week," and the responsibilities of civilian defense.
  • Episode 8: November 19, 1941. ER and George Hicks discuss isolationism, her trip to the Midwest, and poverty as a problem for national defense.
  • Episode 9: November 23, 1941. ER interviews Daniel Arnstein about the Burma road.
  • Episode 10: November 30, 1941. ER discusses the United States' relationship with Latin America and the "good Neighbor" policy with her guest, Nelson Rockefeller, who is head of the Office of Coordinator of Inter-American Affairs.
  • Episode 11: December 7, 1941. On the day of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, ER discusses what the nation must do to face this international crisis. ER also interviews Corporal James Cannon.
  • Episode 12: December 14, 1941. Recorded in Seattle five days after the attack on Pearl Harbor. ER discusses the civilian defense efforts she observed during her west coast trip. She also discusses what to do in the evenit of an air raid and the upcoming Bill of Rights Day.
  • Episode 13: December 21, 1941. ER discusses expectations for civilian life and work during the war. She also implores her listeners to donate to the Red Cross for Christmas.
  • Episode 14: December 28, 1941. ER discusses Winston Churchill's visit to Washington D.C., the formation of local defense councils, and other issues of civil defense, especially in Puerto Rico and other "outlying possessions."
  • Episode 15: January 4, 1942. ER talks about American children in war, and interviews Mrs. Ernest K. Lindley, a "typical mother with young children," about the role of mothers at home and work during the war.
  • Episode 16: January 11, 1942. ER discusses the American atitude toward its neighbors in the Western hemisphere, as well as civilian morale and defense. Transcribed from a script (no audio available)
  • Episode 17: January 18, 1942. ER interviews Secretary of Agriculture Claude Wickard on food shortages, programs to maintain nutrition, and food supply on the homefront.
  • Episode 18: January 25, 1942. ER discusses community involvement in the defense effort.
  • Episode 19: February 1, 1942. ER talks to the homemakers of America on the importance of their work.
  • Episode 20: February 8, 1942. ER discusses American youth during wartime. She also reads a letter from a mother who lost her son in a plane crash.
  • Episode 21: February 15, 1942. ER discusses several topics, including the treatment of "enemy aliens," the preparation for the relocation of Japanese Americans to internment camps, the need for women in war work, and the need for Americans to act as global citizens during wartime.
  • Episode 22: February 22, 1942. ER interviews Leo Rowe, the director general of the Pan-American Union. ER discusses civilian mobilization.
  • Episode 23: March 1, 1942. ER discusses the national budget and the draft. Transcribed from a script (no audio available)
  • Episode 24: March 8, 1942. ER discusses the Farm Security Bureau.
  • Episode 25: March 15, 1942. ER recounts her travel to the west coast and her observations on war preparation there. ER also defends food stamps and school lunch programs from budget cuts.
  • Episode 26: March 22, 1942. ER defends the president and his administration from attacks over wage and price freezes. Transcribed from a script (no audio available)
  • Episode 27: March 29, 1942. ER encourages Americans to stay healthy during wartime and gives tips on how to do so. Transcribed from a script (no audio available)
  • Episode 28: April 5, 1942. In the final episode, ER urges the retention of labor rights. Transcribed from a script (no audio available)