Greatest Americans

[Morty]

I think my top 5 would be:

George Washington
Lewis/Clark (I count them as one. And throw Saqagaweeah (sp?)in there, too)
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Henry Ford
Abner Doubleday (probably not the real inventor of baseball, but close enough!)

Henry Ford? On what grounds? I think the U.S. has had far better presidents in the 20th century than him. Harry S. Truman, John F. Kennedy, Ronald Reagan, Bill Clinton.

I'd most likely include Abraham Lincoln and Martin Luther King in my top 5. Also Mark Twain, George Washington, of course. I'm no American, so I don't think I'm as qualified as others to speak my mind on this matter.

 

[Stewart]

Henry Ford? On what grounds? I think the U.S. has had far better presidents in the 20th century than him.

Henry Ford was never US President. You're probably thinking of Gerald Ford.

 

[leckert]

Henry Ford? On what grounds? I think the U.S. has had far better presidents in the 20th century than him.

I agree, Morty.

It is hard, however, to establish a great reputation as President, when YOU WERE NEVER ELECTED TO THE OFFICE!

 

[abecedarian]

I agree, Morty.

It is hard, however, to establish a great reputation as President, when YOU WERE NEVER ELECTED TO THE OFFICE!

Tee Hee.. I guess you might say he just fell into the job..and over his own feet, and the dog, and..

 

[Peder]

Better late than never, (maybe):

Top 5, all in First Place
Washington, Lincoln, FDR, Harry Truman, Chief Justice John Marshall

Second place:
Everyone else who has ever contributed.

Last place:
People who have done nothing except be celebrities.

Calls 'em as I sees 'em,
Peder

 

[Libre]

This is taken from a page off my WEB site. I wrote it some months ago. It's fitting that it talks about a great American, and also mentions a great book.

Can you name a GREAT AMERICAN HERO? Would it be an astronaut? A movie star? Perhaps the shortstop for the NY YANKEES? In my view, one of the greatest men that has lived in modern times was named Woodrow Wilson Guthrie (1912-1967). I read his autobiography, Bound For Glory, several months ago. This book was his only published work of literature (to my knowledge) and is a literary masterpiece (in my opinion). He wrote it himself, without the aid of a ghostwriter, OR a word processor.

Woody Guthrie was a modest man, an unassuming man, a man who walked out of the Rainbow Room in Rockefeller Center - and also the recording contract he was being offered - because somebody said, "Maybe we should dress him in a cowboy outfit".

He walked out, and went back to riding the rails with the other hobos (which he makes you understand is NOT the FUN time it sounds like). And this was after he had already become famous.

I can't adequately express my admiration for this man. He courageously denounced the fantastically popular Charles Lindbergh as a fascist and a friend of Adolph Hitler. He stood up for the little guy, the working guy, the poor guy, and refused to be considered a big guy himself. He stood up against the great and powerful, with his mind and his voice and his songs. He illustrated the book himself, might have been a successful artist instead of a folksinger/fighter, shunned fame and fortune, had scads of amazing thoughts and wrote them brilliantly. He wrote the songs that everybody knows by heart, created the style that generations of singers copied, was the major influence for Bob Dylan, Joan Baez, Pete Seeger, and almost every other folk singer that followed him. His singing style, like his personality, was unassuming and unpretentious and at the same time, unbelievably powerful.

He died gracefully in 1967, while suffering one of the most brutally debilitating diseases known to medical science.

Read Bound For Glory. It will change you.

http://marcfriedlander.com/Woody.htm

 

[leckert]

Tee Hee.. I guess you might say he just fell into the job..and over his own feet, and the dog, and..

That was Gerald Ford... who took over when Nixon resigned.

Henry Ford, of Ford Motors, created the assembly line and helped fuel, along with Dale Carnegie, the American Industrial Revolution.

 

[leckert]

This is taken from a page off my WEB site. I wrote it some months ago. It's fitting that it talks about a great American, and also mentions a great book.

Can you name a GREAT AMERICAN HERO? Would it be an astronaut? A movie star? Perhaps the shortstop for the NY YANKEES? In my view, one of the greatest men that has lived in modern times was named Woodrow Wilson Guthrie (1912-1967). I read his autobiography, Bound For Glory, several months ago. This book was his only published work of literature (to my knowledge) and is a literary masterpiece (in my opinion). He wrote it himself, without the aid of a ghostwriter, OR a word processor.

Woody Guthrie was a modest man, an unassuming man, a man who walked out of the Rainbow Room in Rockefeller Center - and also the recording contract he was being offered - because somebody said, "Maybe we should dress him in a cowboy outfit".

He walked out, and went back to riding the rails with the other hobos (which he makes you understand is NOT the FUN time it sounds like). And this was after he had already become famous.

I can't adequately express my admiration for this man. He courageously denounced the fantastically popular Charles Lindbergh as a fascist and a friend of Adolph Hitler. He stood up for the little guy, the working guy, the poor guy, and refused to be considered a big guy himself. He stood up against the great and powerful, with his mind and his voice and his songs. He illustrated the book himself, might have been a successful artist instead of a folksinger/fighter, shunned fame and fortune, had scads of amazing thoughts and wrote them brilliantly. He wrote the songs that everybody knows by heart, created the style that generations of singers copied, was the major influence for Bob Dylan, Joan Baez, Pete Seeger, and almost every other folk singer that followed him. He died gracefully in 1967, while suffering one of the most brutally debilitating diseases known to medical science.

Read Bound For Glory. It will change you.

http://marcfriedlander.com/Woody.htm

Woodie Guthrie was awesome. The thing I admire most about him, as you have stated, is that he was unassuming and humble. Which may also be why it is so hard to find his recordings?

Bob Dylan emulated him in his early career, and, in my opinion, along with Pete Seeger, Joan Baez, and others, although they were great talents, robbed Woodie of the recognition he deserved for being the "Father of Modern American Folk Music".

Just my opinion.

 

[novella]

Henry Ford, of Ford Motors, created the assembly line and helped fuel, along with Dale Carnegie, the American Industrial Revolution.

What the . . .? I guess you're kidding?

I think you mean Andrew Carnegie, who--along with Henry Clay Frick--launched the steel industry in Pittsburgh and was a great philanthropist. Particularly a proponent of public libraries.

Dale Carnegie wrote "How to Win Friends and Influence People" in the 1930s, which I guess you could say launched the 'Smarm Revolution' in corporate America.

 

[Libre]

Woodie Guthrie was awesome. The thing I admire most about him, as you have stated, is that he was unassuming and humble. Which may also be why it is so hard to find his recordings?

Bob Dylan emulated him in his early career, and, in my opinion, along with Pete Seeger, Joan Baez, and others, although they were great talents, robbed Woodie of the recognition he deserved for being the "Father of Modern American Folk Music".

Just my opinion.

Many of his recordings are available on Amazon. I tried to post the link, but, something got screwed up. But just go to Amazon and type Woody Guthrie in the search field and you'll get lots of results. I love his songs, and his singing. Nobody does them like he does.

 

[leckert]

What the . . .? I guess you're kidding?

I think you mean Andrew Carnegie, who--along with Henry Clay Frick--launched the steel industry in Pittsburgh and was a great philanthropist. Particularly a proponent of public libraries.

Dale Carnegie wrote "How to Win Friends and Influence People" in the 1930s, which I guess you could say launched the 'Smarm Revolution' in corporate America.

My faux pas. I meant Andrew. Sorry. I recently read Dale's book and guess I had his name in my head.

I have always associated US Steel, Bethlehem Steel, and Ford with the Industrial Revolution. Maybe I need to refresh my brain.

Thanks for calling me on that blunder, Novella...

 

[leckert]

Many of his recordings are available on Amazon. I tried to post the link, but, something got screwed up. But just go to Amazon and type Woody Guthrie in the search field and you'll get lots of results. I love his songs, and his singing. Nobody does them like he does.

Awesome!

Thanks, Libre!

I'll check him out. I have recently been getting into the Blues, and haven't delved into the folk stuff in a while. Just deep-in-the-gut, people music. I love it.

 

[StillILearn]

Well, and I'm still stuck on Oprah Winfrey. A sign of greatness, in my opinion, is when an individual causes others to strive towards becoming the best they can be.

Oprah meets this criterion -- on a daily basis -- and on a scale of millions (of people not dollars.)

Oprah's own personal hero is Maya Angelou. What did that trouble maker Henry Ford ever do for us?

 

[leckert]

Oprah meets this criterion -- on a daily basis -- and on a scale of millions (of people not dollars.)

And she never misses an opportunity to tell the world how great she is.

If she wants to help people, why doesn't she just do it? Why does she have to have a camera crew and a studio audience there? Why doesn't she just pick some random people out of the phone book and send them checks?

Because that would go unnoticed, and would not boost her ratings.

Oprah is a fraud.

 

[StillILearn]

I reckon you've only watched one (or two at the very most) of her programs.

That's okay. You don't have to like her, but I'll bet that Woody Guthrie would have liked her plenty enough for both of you.

 

[leckert]

I reckon you've only watched one (or two at the very most) of her programs.

That's okay. You don't have to like her, but I'll bet that Woody Guthrie would have liked her plenty enough for both of you.

Indeed, he may have.

You reckon correctly. I may be making judgements without enough data. I'm okay with that! I avoid her show at all costs!

I do think she is attractive, and occasionally sexy, though!

 

[Libre]

As far as Henry Ford goes, his diatribes against the Jews turn me off enough to strike him off the GREATEST AMERICANS list.
The problem with this approach is there may not be anybody left on the list at all.
I think I'm safe in this regard with Woody Guthrie.

 

[abecedarian]

I will definately look for Bound For Glory. I've long admired Woody Guthrie too. We learned several of his songs in school. Another reason to admire him is the way he used his talent to make the public aware of the plight of misplaced people from the dust bowl era.

And while we're on a cultural hero jag..how about John Steinbeck? I haven't a clue about his politics, but he too made the world aware of the plight of the down-trodden in the Land of the Free..


Some other American heroes of mine are:

Clara Barton

Frederick Funston

Theodore Roosevelt

Sequoyah

Benjamin Franklin

George Washington Carver

Sacajewea

Robert E. Lee

My dad, and anyone elses dad or mom who served during the various wars for freedom

 

[leckert]

As far as Henry Ford goes, his diatribes against the Jews turn me off enough to strike him off the GREATEST AMERICANS list.
The problem with this approach is there may not be anybody left on the list at all.
I think I'm safe in this regard with Woody Guthrie.

Finding a flawless "hero" is rather difficult, if not impossible.

 

[Libre]

Finding a flawless "hero" is rather difficult, if not impossible.

To be sure. But some flaws are more unforgivable than others, and some hit closer to home.
It's not just Jews, by the way (though I am one). Any racism would bother me.