Presidents in Florida, a documentary by WΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½ TV based on a book of the same name by ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½ history faculty member James C. Clark, will premiere Thursday, Dec. 10.

Florida has had a far-reaching effect on the presidency dating all the way back to George Washington, before the region was even a state. The film, written and produced by WΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½ veteran television journalist Buddy Pittman ’74 and senior lecturer Clark, looks at the long-standing connection between the state and the White House.

The 50-minute documentary examines the environmental efforts spearheaded by several president, the space program, and landmark political moments that occurred here, including Richard Nixon’s Watergate β€œI am not a crook” speech and George W. Bush’s Sept. 11, 2001, press conference following the World Trade Center attack. The film also uncovers some of the little-known Florida stories that have involved presidents.

Clark wrote the book in 2016 as the presidential campaign got underway.

β€œI had worked with Buddy Pittman on the [WΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½] Road Trip series for several years and when I suggested a documentary, Buddy embraced it,” Clark says. β€œWe realized we had tremendous resources on campus.”

Appearing in the documentary with Clark, who is the author of nine books, are ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½ faculty members Amy Foster, Barbara Gannon, David Head, David Morton ’14MA ’19PhD, and Lori Walters.

The film is narrated by long-time CBS News radio reporter Peter King, who is known for his coverage of NASA and the space industry.

β€œWΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½ has dedicated itself to telling community stories as Central Florida’s Storytellers. It’s our commitment to the community to educate, engage and inspire through our content,” says Phil Hoffman, WΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½ executive director. β€œPresidents in Florida comes at an interesting time in history, with Florida taking a major role.”