Prof. Richard Beeman Appears on The Daily Show

April 29, 2009

"Super villain Bee-Man. Half man, half bee, all t-- . Sorry, Richard Beeman, He's an author. Are you sure it's not Bee-Man? It'd be very entertaining to go up against the Bee--  It's a book about the Constitution. Well, I'm sure that'll be good, too."
    -- Jon Stewart, The Daily Show April 23, 3009.

So enthused Jon Stewart during the lead up to his interview with Penn history professor Richard Beeman. And the interview is good.

They discuss Beeman's new book, Plain, Honest Men, about the compromises and conflicts involved in the making of the United States Constitution. Beeman demonstrates his encyclopedic knowledge as well as the engaging manner that has made him such a hit in the classroom, while Stewart contemplates Twitter for the Constitutional Convention: pocket town criers.

Perhaps it's unsurprising that Beeman comes off so well on national TV -- he's known on campus as a passionate teacher with tremendous presence and a sense of fun. He's even occasionally dressed up as an historical figure, such as Davy Crockett, about whom he's lecturing (though he left the coonskin cap and musket at home for this appearance).

Nor is The Daily Show Beeman's only recent interview. Earlier this month, Beeman talked with Philadelphia radio personality Marty Moss-Coane on WHYY's Radio Times. You can hear Beeman "trash" Alexander Hamilton on air and offer tidbits about the fascinating lives of the founding fathers, as well as getting serious about the contemporary importance of that living document we call our Constitution.

Richard Beeman is making history come alive, both in the classroom and over the airwaves, for students here at Penn and for radio and television audiences across the region and the nation. This isn't just Beeman's personal mission -- it's part of what he sees as Penn's "commitment, a commitment dating back to the Revolutionary Era, to educate an informed citizenry -- a citizenry aware, not only of its rights protected by our Constitution, but also of its responsibility to keep America's experiment in liberty a viable and vibrant one."

That's right -- Penn's task, and Beeman's, is to keep the American experiment alive. This isn't small stuff. But it's what Penn does.

Every day, the University of Pennsylvania is Making History, building upon a legacy of academic excellence and looking forward to shape the future of higher education. Beeman and his colleagues, Penn's amazing faculty, are addressing the great questions, performing the research that changes lives and paradigms, and teaching and guiding the students who will be tomorrow's leaders in every field.

The support of alumni and friends helps make their work possible, through the named professorships that enable Penn to recruit and retain our outstanding faculty.

He's not the "Bee-Man" (whoever that is). He's better.

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