Inheritance

Inheritance was a highly patriotic old-time radio series that revisited amazing people, times, and events in American history. Premiering on April 4, 1954, the show was produced in cooperation with The American Legion and opened each week with the introduction: “Inheritance! The National Broadcasting Company in cooperation with The American Legion, presents a story out of that great composite of visions, struggles and victories of the American past, our Inheritance!”

Each episode covered a number of important historical events, with exciting tales including the creation of the Liberty Bell, Dorothea Dix’s fight to improve conditions for the mentally ill, the men who opened up the trails to the west, the building of the Panama Canal, the determination of Elizabeth Blackwell as a pioneering female surgeon, and the legend of Davy Crockett.

The shows were written by well-known radio writers Karl Swenson, George Lefferts, and Ernest Kinnoy, who were frequent script writers for major NBC radio and television dramas of the 1950s.

The Stars

Inheritance did not have any regular stars, as each episode focused on different historical figures and events. The show featured a variety of narrators and voice actors to bring these stories to life.

Key Dates

• Inheritance premiered on April 4, 1954 and ran for over a year.
• The final episode aired on May 24, 1955. There were no significant breaks in the show’s run during this period.

Other Information

Inheritance was produced in cooperation with The American Legion, a patriotic organization, and the series was intended to celebrate and educate listeners about important moments and figures in American history. The show’s focus on patriotism and historical drama made it a popular addition to NBC’s programming at the time.