“You can’t know who you are as a nation or a people, unless you know where you have been. -Eric Sevareid
In this glorious autumn season, with the brilliancy of yellow and gold everywhere, a unique, first ever of its kind, symposium was held in Bismarck, ND to reflect and to further understand the life of Eric Sevareid, Velva’s own larger than life hometown boy who "did good."
Together the North Dakota Humanities Council and The Dakota Institute created this amazing symposium, Not So Wild a Dream: The Legacy of Eric Sevareid. The purpose was to explore the life of a man whose deep thought and love of the written word were what he was all about. It was extraordinary for me and those who partook in the four day event, to explore his life and of course, all the history so deeply entwined with his era.
Eric was born in 1912 and lived out the first twelve years of his life near the little brown river that curved around the edge of our town, to borrow the opening line from Sevareid’s 1946 book, “Not So Wild a Dream." After his father’s Velva bank failed they moved on to Minot for a year and then to Minnesota. Sevareid attributed his childhood in Velva, and later Minnesota, as the significant places that shaped him into the man he became.
As a young adult just out of Minneapolis Central High School, Sevareid and friend Walter Port, a few years older than he, canoed 2,250 miles from Minneapolis to Hudson Bay. He wrote of his tales in a book entitled, Canoeing With the Cree. The canoe trip has been accomplished by others, but none tagging the journey an easy “ride.” Two young Mankato students presented their slide show of their trip to recreate for the audience a small taste of what Sevareid did so many years ago.
Eric went on to Europe in 1937 and became a war correspondent with the now famous Murrow's boys: Edward R. Murrow, William Shirer, Charles Collingwood, Howard K. Smith, to name a few. Broadcasting live from London, Paris, Italy and other European theaters had never been done before. Its authenticity captivated America. Sevareid wanted the listener to feel, hear, taste, what the soldiers were experiencing. But sadly he came to understand that, “only the soldier lives the war.” He knew he had options, the soldier didn’t.
For a man so tied to the love of writing, only two books were written by Sevareid: his canoe trip and Not So Wild a Dream. The latter is a stunning book of his life up to 1944, after World War II. I have only read parts of it and plan to settle into the rest of it as life around here slows down for our long Dakota winters. What I have read is enthralling for his use of prose, thought and the ability to make me think. No fast read; it would disgrace what this contemplative author had put together.
The daily symposium speakers took to the stage at the Sydney J. Lee Auditorium on the campus of Bismarck State College. Evening events with Bob Schieffer, Bob Edwards, Nick Clooney and Dan Rather (yes, Dan Rather!) were held at the stately Belle Mehus Auditorium in downtown Bismarck.
The venerable broadcasters Rather, Schieffer and Marvin Kalb (Kalb had to be interviewed via Skype or some such technology, as he was unable to come to Bismarck) gave wonderful accounts of their years with Sevareid, as well as just great stories of the days before 24/7 news casting and Lindsey Lohan headlines. It was nostalgic for me. I am also old enough to remember Sevareid and his two minute commentaries on the CBS nightly news, even though the Snyder household was staunch NBC due to my father’s earlier years at WDAY.
Let me share with you some of the pictures I was able to take of this amazing event.
The visible cogs Clay Jenkinson, moderator and Director of The Dakota Institute and Brenna Daugherty, Executive Director of the Humanities Council. But there were plenty of behind the scenes people hard at work. The event was web cast for computers. I tuned in on Friday from the comforts of my recliner.
This is Bob Edwards, whom I listen to on Sunday morning, PBS. I love his slow voice on the radio but when I saw him in person he reminded me of the kids' pediatrician, the late Dr. Dormont.
The interview stage at the Belle.
Bob Schieffer, who this past Sunday on Face the Nation, mentioned his visit to North Dakota and comments about Eric Sevareid. I really enjoyed him. He told a fabulous story of his involvement as a rookie journalist in Dallas the day President Kennedy was shot; it was like a Ripley's Believe It or Not Tale, or a Paul Harvey: The Rest of the Story.
Suzanne St. Pierre, the widow of Eric Sevareid and my symposium partner, Suzy Lee. Suzanne was a producer at CBS 60 Minutes when they met and became his third wife, despite a 23 years age difference. She was a very gracious lady and commented one of her favorites of the three days was talking with the people of Velva and North Dakota. I wish we could have heard her "Eric" story as told at a noon luncheon on Saturday. We were enroute to Bismarck from Velva (football and senior night the evening before).
Nick Clooney, father of George and brother of Rosemary Clooney. He was the interviewer for the night of Dan Rather. He was most enjoyable to listen to.
A picture of Dan Rather and Eric Sevareid in, what I believe, is Vietnam.
Dan Rather. What an icon in television broadcasting!! I have always been a fan of his. He choked up at least five times during his interview, which made him even more human to me and, I think, everyone else.
And Sunday was the grand finale. A trip to Velva to see the boyhood home of Eric Sevareid. A motor coach bus left with about 40 people and a convoy behind drove the 100 or so miles to our little hamlet by the brown river.
Iris Swedlund, our school and public librarian, was the queen pin of this final leg of the symposium. She pulled her end of the deal together with such finesse; it was a delight, for me, to be a part of the host entourage.
Velva was able to sweeten the deal with area businesses contributing to the symposium. Remarkably, outside of the bus ride and daily lunches, it was free to the public. And the bus and lunches were hardly expensive arrangements.
Michael Sevareid
Eric Sevareid had three children, a set of twins Michael and Peter with his first wife, and Christina his second wife. Michael attended the four day event and concluded in Velva. He had never seen his father's childhood home. He was given a special tour by its current owner. Michael was very cordial and seemed to enjoy the symposium.
Michael autographed books that were for sale. I did buy my own copy of "Not So Wild of Dream." During this autographing moment, one can only imagine what I was telling him. Something with visual dramatics involved I guess.
The childhood home of Eric. I was able to go in the house a number of years ago, under different ownership. It was full of character, and my mind surely wandered to another time, when Velva and Eric were young. The house was also red at that time.
Prior to the symposium Suzanne St. Pierre had send a box of over 200 photographs of Eric. The Humanities Council had them scanned and enlarged for display. As attendees we were able to see them throughout the auditorium. Later on Sunday, three large photographs were given to the library, which has an extensive Sevareid collection, under the curatorship of Iris.
Eric is in the middle and Bill Francis (Journal editor)on the right. No one was able to discern who the guy on the left is/was. Eric kept up his friendship with Bill, and he would occasionally call his old girlfriend, Helen Bloomquist Kramer, a life long Velva resident.
Sevareid's last CBS broadcast was November 30, 1977 as CBS had a mandatory retirement age of 65. He died in 1992 of stomach cancer. He was 79.
To conclude, a noon meal of the potluck variety was served to the visitors. During this time it was announced that when the Sevareid documentary is completed in 2012, the premier showing will happen in Velva.
In writing about Eric Sevareid, after listening to the wonderful symposium, I feel so inept at writing about this signal event. I guess I wouldn't be following one the hallmark rules of Eric Sevareid journalism:
"Never underestimate the intellegence of your audience or overestimate their information."
As feeble as my account is I just had to share the story and photographs. And remember one of my rules of journalism: "Whose blog is it anyway??"
