|
Franklin Pierce's wife, Jane, had the most tragic story. She never wanted her husband to run for president. Two of the couple's children died before age 5 and the lone survivor, 11-year-old Benjamin, was killed in a train accident while traveling with his parents two months before inauguration. Jane Pierce spent most of her time in the White House residence and didn't make an official appearance as first lady until two years into her husband's term. "Even if that hadn't happened, I'm not sure she would have been prepared for the role," said Farkas, who has also produced C-SPAN series on presidents, unsuccessful presidential candidates and the Lincoln-Douglas debates. Each new episode premieres Monday at 9 p.m. and is also shown on C-SPAN3. C-SPAN and the White House historical group are collaborating on a website to accompany the series. As a public service network, C-SPAN has never been about ratings. Farkas said, however, he hoped the first lady series would attract an audience beyond those who like to check up on congressional hearings. "To me, it's sort of an untapped audience for us," he said. "My daughters might not watch all 35 of them, but they'll watch some of them."
[Associated
Press;
Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
News | Sports | Business | Rural Review | Teaching & Learning | Home and Family | Tourism | Obituaries
Community |
Perspectives
|
Law & Courts |
Leisure Time
|
Spiritual Life |
Health & Fitness |
Teen Scene
Calendar
|
Letters to the Editor