Note: This episode was launched April 1, 2019. It was an April Fools gag, but we hope you enjoy it anyway!

Rufus Allan Sevier was born on December 7, 1916 in the mountains of eastern Tennessee. More than a century later Rufus is in incredible health and is one of the few people alive today who vividly remembers life before the Great Depression. His personal story, however, diverges in significant ways from the historical narrative most of us learned in history class, and provides new insights into American history that have thus far been hidden from view. In the first episode of our RTN Voices series, Bob & Ben speak with Rufus about his life and the ways that outside forces have worked to bury the stories that he has kept alive for a century.

RTN Voices is a series that documents the history of the United States through the unique stories of Americans who personally experienced the times and events that few of us today can remember. The conversations are unedited to reflect the lived experience. We hope that in documenting these voices, we can recover lost stories and alternative perspectives on our nation’s past.