In writing about President George Washington’s American vision in January, former President George W. Bush stepped off a series of ongoing essays distilling the leadership lessons from America’s presidents and selected first ladies during this 250th anniversary year of the founding of the United States.
On Tuesday, the lessons from the In Pursuit essays series will be presented in a new documentary In Pursuit: Lessons of American Leadership, that will premiere at 10 p.m. ET (check local listings) on PBS, PBS.org, and the PBS app.
“Public media plays an important role in helping audiences better understand the stories that have shaped our nation,” said Margaret Ebrahim, Senior Director, Programming & Development at PBS in a press release, adding that the documentary “brings history to life through the voices of respected leaders, scholars, and historians, inviting viewers to reflect on the leadership that continues to shape our country.”
The film, produced by Retro Report, weaves together interviews and archival material in a storytelling format.
“Presidents and first ladies provide an accessible window into American history,” said Colleen Shogan, CEO of In Pursuit and former Archivist of the United States, in the release. “This film brings those lessons to life in a way that is both entertaining and deeply relevant. As we celebrate our 250th anniversary, we hope it sparks a national conversation about what we can learn from the past to write the history of America’s future.”
The In Pursuit essay series—an initiative by More Perfect and published weekly on Substack throughout 2026—features contributions from three living former presidents and first ladies, the chief justice of the Supreme Court, and seven Pulitzer Prize winners. In addition to President George W. Bush writing about George Washington, President Barack Obama wrote about Abraham Lincoln and President Bill Clinton wrote about Theodore Roosevelt. Michelle Obama wrote about Jacqueline Kennedy, Hillary Clinton about Eleanor Roosevelt and Laura Bush on Lady Bird Johnson.
The special and digital series feature segments inspired by the essays and interviews of some of the nation’s most respected voices, including retired General Stanley McChrystal, who reflects on Ulysses S. Grant as a model of leadership grounded in service rather than personal ambition. Secretary of the Smithsonian Lonnie Bunch considers Martin Van Buren’s role in building the modern American political system. And documentary filmmaker Ken Burns reflects on Franklin Roosevelt’s empathetic leadership during the Great Depression and World War II.
Additional insights feature Chief Justice John Roberts on William Howard Taft, Judy Woodruff on Rosalynn Carter, Douglas Brinkley on Barack Obama, David Brooks on Ronald Reagan, Anita McBride on Bess Truman, Sean Wilentz on Bill Clinton, and Lindsay Chervinsky on John Quincy Adams.
“We call it the ‘American Experiment,’ but we could do far more to learn from our past to improve our country’s future,” said John Bridgeland, Founder and CEO of More Perfect, in the release. “These essays and this film share powerful lessons relevant to leadership, democracy, and character, and can serve as guides to a more perfect union.”
In addition to the broadcast special and digital series, Retro Report has developed free educational resources tied to the In Pursuit project, available at retroreport.org, designed to bring civic learning into classrooms nationwide. The In Pursuit essay series is accompanied by a companion podcast, “In Pursuit with Colleen Shogan,” produced by PRX and available on all major podcast platforms.
The Weekly Wrap
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