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Interview with David McCullough, Jim Rees, Director of Mount Vernon

Aired April 26, 2002 - 11:41   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: One of America's best loved homes is getting a bit of a makeover. George Washington's Mount Vernon will undergo a restoration. The estate will also add an $85 million education center and museum on the grounds. Ground breaking is next year with the completion set for 2006. The theme of this project, "George Washington: to Keep Him First." Scholars and historians are increasingly alarmed at the lack of knowledge, especially among young Americans about the first president.

And to talk about this an what is going to be done about it, two men at the forefront of the campaign to promote George Washington's legacy. They are joining us from the mansion this morning, Jim Rees, executive director of Mount Vernon, and David McCullough, the Pulitzer Prize-winning biographer of John Adams and Harry Truman, currently working on a book about the Revolutionary War. Gentlemen, good morning. A pleasure to have both of you with us.

JIM REES, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, MOUNT VERNON: Good morning.

DAVID MCCULLOUGH, BIOGRAPHER: Thank you.

KAGAN: Mr. Rees, let's start with you. Kind of a situation of very little respect for George Washington, of all people, and trying to turn that around.

REES: You know, I think that among scholars George Washington is still number one. But the problem is, among everyday people, Washington is not number one any more. I think is he down there, seven or eight, in terms of our surveys of great presidents, and we need to get him back on top, because if people don't think that George Washington is not just great but also fascinating, it is not his fault, it is ours. We are not doing a good job of teaching people about the real George Washington.

KAGAN: Well, Mr. McCullough, few people know how to sell history better than you do. You know how to package it. And I guess, in the end, it comes down to telling a great story. That's why people were so fascinated with your John Adams biography.

MCCULLOUGH: Well, history is about people, and the people who made the way of life and the freedoms and the blessings of this country that we enjoy everyday, and to be ignorant of them is sad, but to be indifferent about them is really an expression of a gross ingratitude. And there is no problem about interesting people in history, and particularly students, and particularly young students. Barbara Tuchman, the great historian, just said it in two words, "tell stories." And there are few better stories than the story of George Washington.

KAGAN: Well, of course, our time is limited, but I'm interested in a couple of stories, and I understand from both of you, I would like to hear on this. Part of this restructuring and, kind of, makeover will be to bring out some of the more exciting stories and the images of George Washington as a young man. David, let me start with you, and what is it, what is the one nugget about George Washington the young man that -- especially young people in this country aren't aware of?

MCCULLOUGH: Well, when he was still in his very early 20s, he made an extraordinary expedition into the wilds of Pennsylvania, very nearly lost his life in the Allegheny River, virtually drowned in the Allegheny River in the middle of winter, spent a night on an island there that would have killed most people, and managed to get back to Virginia having succeeded with his mission against all odds. And was overnight somebody who was seen as a leader of exceptional ability. And it was the story of much of his life, and that he was determined and fearless.

KAGAN: So the adventure hero might come out in this revamping. Jim, I was also fascinating with some of the expertise you are going to call on to make this new image come to life, and actually kind of recreate George Washington as a young man using forensic experts and a plastic surgeon?

REES: Well, you know, I should say first of all that what you are seeing behind us today, the authentic 18th century historic area of Mount Vernon will not have any of these new buildings. It will stay even more authentic than it is now. But what we are going to do to really show people what we think George Washington looked like in the 18th century is in our education museum, we want to do some models of Washington as he appeared at age 20, at age 30, at age 40, at age 60, and we are going to put together a team of experts that includes a forensic scientist, an art expert, a plastic surgeon, and try to take the one life mask of Washington, the life-made statue, and take the years off of that statue, so we can figure out just what George Washington looked like when he was 23 years old, and was our highest ranking officer of the colonists in the Virginian War, was a real action hero, if you will, of the 18th century.

KAGAN: And how do you think that will help, David?

MCCULLOUGH: Well, we are, alas, raising a generation of young Americans who, to a very large degree, are historically illiterate. And it is not just sad situation, it is one that is potentially dangerous. We have to know who we are, and where we came from. And the more we can bring people to a place like Mount Vernon, the more we can understand what those people endured, what they sacrificed for us, the stronger will be our understanding of who we are, and it's particularly important now, since September 11 to turn -- to see our history as a source of strength. A reminder of what we have been through, what we have accomplished as a people, and what real leadership can do and mean.

KAGAN: An admirable project and pursuit indeed. Jim, quickly, as we go, this is not cheap. $85 million. Where is that money coming from?

REES: We have to raise every single penny of it, and fortunately, a lot of various generous people like the Donald W. Reynolds Foundation, and the Ford Motor Company have already come through with very, very important gifts, but we have got to get up to 85, so we are still looking for generous, patriotic Americans to come forward and help us to do this, because we really do want to keep George Washington as first in the hearts of his countrymen.

KAGAN: And more than just the man we see on the dollar bill, because he was just so much more than that. Jim Rees, David McCullough, thank you so much. Pleasure to have both of you with us today, sirs. Thanks so much.

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