Guests examined the history of the Progressive Era, the publishing industry, and social reform through the writings of Theodore Dreiser. He wrote several works including Sister Carrie and a trilogy of novels based on the life of transportation magnate Charles T. Yerkes entitled The Financier, The Titan and The Stoic. His first big success was An American Tragedy and his semi-autobiographical works are entitled The Genius and The Bulwark.
This program was telecast from the Chicago Historical Society.