One of the nation’s most cherished patriotic symbols was the subject of a recent “MTSU On the Record” radio program.

Dr. John Vile

Host Gina Logue’s interview with John Vile, dean of the University Honors College and a professor of political science, first aired April 28 on WMOT-FM Roots Radio 89.5 and www.wmot.org. You can hear their conversation above.

Vile is the author of “The Liberty Bell and Its Legacy: An Encyclopedia of an American Icon in U.S. History and Culture,” a new reference book documenting the history, replicas, pop culture references, literature, court cases and social movements connected with the famous bell housed near Philadelphia’s Independence Hall.

In his research for the book, Vile discovered that from 1885 to 1915, the bell took seven trips around the United States, many to the South as part of the post-Reconstruction reconciliation, and one as far away as California.

“It would stop in stations all along the way, and it was very typical for people either to hand a piece of jewelry to the person guarding the bell to rub up against it, or to lift their children up, and the children would either hug or kiss the bell.”

To hear previous “MTSU On the Record” programs, visit the searchable “Audio Clips” archives at www.mtsunews.com.

For more information about the radio program, contact Logue at 615-898-5081 or WMOT-FM at 615-898-2800.