Anita McBride is one of the foremost experts on the legacy of American first ladies. Colleen Shogan served as the 11^thArchivist of the United States. Together, they’re bringing forward a new project called In Pursuit, which offers up a series of essays on Presidents and First Ladies by some of today’s most accomplished historians and political leaders. In this episode, Anita and Colleen join Ben and Bob for a discussion about how the project came together, the exciting (and surprising) list of authors and subjects they’ve assembled, and why the format they envision holds a lot of promise for public engagement.

In Pursuit’s first essay- a piece on George Washington written by George W. Bush – will launch on substack on February 16, 2026. Make sure to sign up by clicking here!

This episode was edited by Gary Fletcher.