Robert Vaughn to Portray FDR in 75th Anniversary Salute

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 14, 2007

Media Contacts:
Gina Doyle, MBC, 312-396-0103
Heather Hahn, L.C. Williams & Assoc., 312-565-4612

Robert Vaughn to Portray FDR in "75th Anniversary Salute" Planned for Chicago

Chicago - Likely the only actor to portray five presidents during his career, television icon Robert Vaughn is the ideal choice to play Franklin Delano Roosevelt during the 75th Anniversary Salute to FDR in Chicago on July 2, 2007. Presented by the new Museum of Broadcast Communications (MBC), the event will include Vaughn?s re-enactment of one of Roosevelt?s most famous speeches, as well as FDR?s induction into America?s only National Radio Hall of Fame (NRHOF).

On that exact date in 1932, Roosevelt accepted his first Democratic Party nomination for president at the Chicago Stadium ? introducing his ?New Deal for America? to both the party faithful gathered in the arena and the millions listening to his speech on the radio.

Vaughn, perhaps best-known for his character Napoleon Solo in the hit 1960s television show The Man from U.N.C.L.E., will help turn back the clock 75 years by delivering Roosevelt?s history-making acceptance speech from the stage of the landmark Auditorium Theatre of Roosevelt University. The Theatre itself will be transformed into the convention floor of 1932, with bunting-draped boxes, state delegate signs, and the song Happy Days Are Here Again welcoming guests.

This is not the first time that Vaughn has played Roosevelt, having starred in the one-man stage show FDR, which subsequently aired on the HBO? network in 1982. Vaughn also has portrayed Richard Nixon, Harry Truman, Theodore Roosevelt, and Woodrow Wilson ? winning a second Emmy Award? nomination for his role as Wilson in the 1979 television mini-series Backstairs at the White House.

?We are honored that Robert Vaughn will be stepping up to the microphone as FDR for this historic night honoring a remarkable leader,? said MBC President Bruce DuMont. ?While it?s been nearly three-quarters of a century since Franklin Roosevelt first took office, he continues to be remembered not only for his four-term presidency, but also for his pioneering use of radio to communicate with his fellow countrymen. Mr. Vaughn possesses an intimate knowledge of Roosevelt?s voice and mannerisms, and also shares the impeccable timing and panache that made FDR such a popular radio personality.?

In addition to his celebrated acting career, Vaughn was one of Hollywood?s leading political activists during the 1960s. He holds a Ph.D from the University of Southern California and his book, Only Victims, a study of show business blacklisting, is considered one of the definitive works in the field. A former chairman of voter registration and the speaker?s bureau for the Democratic Party of California, Vaughn also is a past member of the American Academy of Political and Social Sciences. In 1972, he served as a floor reporter for ABC Radio at the Democratic National Convention in Miami.

"I am very excited to revisit the life of FDR,? said Vaughn. ?He is a man who I have followed for decades."

The 75th Anniversary Salute to FDR is being produced by JAM Productions. The event is underwritten in part by the Tawani Foundation, with promotional support provided by American Airlines and the Hilton Chicago.

All proceeds will support the ongoing operations of the MBC, a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization, and the creation of an online exhibit on political communications.

General admission tickets to the 75th Anniversary Salute to FDR are $25.00 each and can be purchased at the Auditorium Theatre box office, online at www.Museum.TV, or by calling Ticketmaster at (312) 902-1500.

For additional information, or to request an interview with Robert Vaughn or Bruce DuMont, please contact Heather Hahn of L.C. Williams & Associates at 312-565-4612 or hhahn@lcwa.com.