GBH's Emily Rooney talks with historian and writer Jon Meacham about his book, ["The Soul of America"](https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/554220/the-soul-of-america-by-jon-meacham/). Listen to their conversation covering the importance of researching history and how understanding past events can illuminate and help solve issues of today. This discussion was recorded as part of the virtual 2020 [Making History Gala ](https://www.masshist.org/gala) organized by the Massachusetts Historical Society.
Since *Greater Boston*'s debut in January of 1997, host and executive editor Emily Rooney has brought her journalistic credentials and deep knowledge of Boston to the program. Emily was director of political coverage and special events at Fox Network in New York from 1994 to 1997. Prior to that, she was executive producer of ABC *World News Tonight with Peter Jennings*. Before that, Emily worked at WCVB-TV in Boston for 15 years, from 1979 to 1993, where she served as news director for three years and as assistant news director before that. Since being with *Greater Boston*, Emily has picked up a number of awards, including the prestigious National Press Club's Arthur Rowse Award for Press Criticism, a series of New England Emmy Awards, and Associated Press recognition for Best News/Talk show for *Beat the Press* and *Greater Boston*.
Jon Meacham is a renowned presidential historian, contributing writer to The New York Times Book Review, contributing editor at TIME, and Pulitzer Prize-winning author.