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Documentary on Hechler to air Sept. 9
The television premiere of “Ken Hechler: In Pursuit of Justice,” will be at 8 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 9, on West Virginia Public Broadcasting.
The two-hour documentary focuses on the career and legacy of the former West Virginia congressman and secretary of state, and was created by filmmakers Russ Barbour and Chip Hitchcock.
Part 1 of the documentary will be shown Sept. 9, and Part 2 will be shown at 8 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 11.
Marshall University Libraries served as fiscal agent for the film, and Barbara Winters, dean of libraries, was executive producer.
Winters said the program also documents the development of Hechler’s views on government and his commitment to helping the public through his political office. The production traces Hechler’s political philosophy and actions to the progressive movement of the 1900s, and to the model President Theodore Roosevelt presented through his efforts on behalf of poor and discouraged Americans.
The program features some of Hechler’s former colleagues, including U.S. senators Tom Harkin, Bob Dole and George McGovern, as well as U.S. congressmen John Brademas and James Symington. The documentary also features labor historians, reporters and several of Hechler’s former students, staffers, constituents, friends and family.
“Ken Hechler’s life provides a great backdrop for illustrating President Theodore Roosevelt’s progressive ideals in a real and practical manner,” Barbour said in a press release from Marshall. “The son of devout believers in progressivism, Hechler enthusiastically embraced and put into practice the governmental principles popularized by T.R. and his cousin, President Franklin Roosevelt. Through the extensive use of archival images, Hechler’s journey through the 20th century also presents an ideal opportunity to document significant events in 20th century America, from beginning to end, in a compelling and remarkably visual manner.”
A DVD of the biopic will also be used as a “premium” for donors during the station’s fall fundraising effort.
