"The way you sell a program is, you call them up and you badger them until they carry it," Roberts says with a grin. "That's just about the way it's done."

Roberts isn't in it for the money; indeed, except for Garrison Keillor and those guys on "Car Talk," no one is making much money in public radio. Rather, Roberts is committed to the show because he believes it is an important national vehicle for communicating information.

"'A Moment in Time' does precisely what we do here at Richmond, which is teach people the humanities," says Roberts, who once wrote in the University of Richmond Magazine about an "alarming ignorance" among Americans concerning the influence of the past on current events.

Bill Clough, program director of KEDT-FM in Corpus Christi, Texas, agrees with Roberts. "In an age when today's youngsters think LP records, manual typewriters and the Vietnam War are all ancient history, it's important to have a program like 'A Moment in Time' that helps to keep history alive," Clough says.

"Those in possession of an understanding of the past need to get that information out," says Roberts. "Professional historians must continue to produce clear and accurate historical work, but they also must be willing to get that work out to a wider audience."

A calling
If "A Moment in Time" sounds like a calling to Roberts, that would be appropriate given his background in the ministry. Both his grandfathers and many of his uncles were ministers. When Roberts was in high school, he made what he calls a faith commitment to become one as well. Yet after graduating from Presbyterian College in Clinton, S.C., in 1969 with a bachelor of arts degree in history, Roberts took a detour through the U.S. Army.

"All the men at my school were in ROTC," Roberts says. "And it was in the middle of the Vietnam War. I felt it was better to go in as an officer, because I probably would have had to go in anyway" as a draftee.

Roberts spent a year as a company executive officer at the U.S. Army Training Center in Fort Knox, Ky. After, he volunteered for service in Vietnam, where he served as a platoon leader and liaison officer. He received a Bronze Star for meritorious service and after completing his tour of duty, left the service in 1971 at the rank of first lieutenant. He also got married that year.

After leaving the service, Roberts entered Princeton Theological Seminary. He received a master of divinity degree in 1974, then spent the next several years pastoring Presbyterian churches in Tennessee and South Carolina. He also did some graduate study in church history at Vanderbilt University. Along the way, he and his wife had three children: Heather was born in 1974; Kate, in 1976; and Daniel, in 1978.

In the summer of 1986, Roberts served as guest chaplain of the U.S. Senate. Yet the demands of his profession were taking a toll on his family life, and Roberts believed a teaching career might be a better fit. He took leave from the ministry in 1987 and entered the University of Richmond as a graduate student in history. He received a master of arts degree in 1990 after writing his thesis, "London on the Eve of War, 1642."

In 1990, newly divorced, Roberts began doctoral studies at the University of Virginia. He lived in the Richmond area and commuted to classes in Charlottesville, working as a teaching assistant at U.Va. By the fall of 1992, he also was teaching at the University of Richmond as an adjunct professor. Still, it was tough making ends meet, and Roberts began exploring creative ways to make money.

"What does a minister do to support three teen-agers when he can't preach?" Roberts says. "I surveyed my skills and abilities," which included singing and playing the piano, organ and guitar. "I needed to do something that would allow me to go to school during the day and work at night. So I developed a side career as an entertainer. I played piano and sang American standards, jazz, show music.

"I played in most of the major hotels in Washington, and I even had an agent," Roberts says. "I had a pretty good living, as a matter of fact. But it was always a means to an end. I could get in, play, make some money and get out."

Chance meeting
It was during one of his nightly piano gigs that Roberts struck up a conversation with a senior producer for National Public Radio's Morning Edition. Unexpectedly inspired, Roberts asked the producer if he could put together some commentary for the show; she agreed. The commentary received favorable response, and he and the producer established a professional relationship.

Roberts was further inspired. "I thought, 'Maybe there's a hunger for a more systematic approach to the teaching of history,' " he recalls. "Then, driving to Richmond from D.C. in the middle of the night [after another piano gig], I began forming the idea. By the time I got to Ashland, I had pretty well laid all of this out, in my mind."

What Roberts had in mind was a program he originally called "A Minute in Time." In the fall of 1993, he discussed his idea with Dr. John L. Gordon Jr., chair of the University history department, and several other colleagues at Richmond. Then he set up a meeting with Steve Clark at Richmond public radio station 88.9FM, WCVE.

Clark liked what he heard, and kept in touch with Roberts when Roberts traveled to London to continue work on his dissertation. When Roberts returned in December 1993, he began writing. Clark, now also the technical director and producer of "A Moment in Time," taught Roberts the nuts and bolts of radio broadcasting.

"We went on the air in January 1994," with programs airing three days a week, Roberts recalls. The show was put on the National Public Radio satellite and by March 1994, an outlet in South Carolina began airing it. A month later, the U.S. Armed Forces Network started airing the program on its outlets, enabling "A Moment in Time" to be heard around the world.

"'A Moment in Time' is a terrific show that offers information in such a palatable way that listeners don't know they're getting educated," says Rick Crawford of Armed Services Radio. Roberts' show also is heard internationally on Voice of America. The program, played five times a week on almost 500 broadcast outlets, is enjoyed by approximately 2 million listeners every day. (There's also a Web site: www.amomentintime.com.)

Jim Meyers, program director of KVPR-FM and KPRX-FM in Fresno, Calif., explains why he started carrying "A Moment in Time": "I wanted to replace a two-minute natural-science feature that wasn't making much of an impact on listeners. Or, to be less polite, it had gotten boring. 'A Moment in Time' had content that would be of real interest to our listeners, and the style of writing and delivery fit very well with NPR's 'Morning Edition.'

"Dan Roberts sounds authoritative without being pretentious," Meyers adds. "And according to our listener comments, he inspires people to want to know more. We've carried 'A Moment in Time' since 1995 and have received a fair number of comments about it -- but not a single complaint."

Roberts received his Ph.D. in history from U.Va. in 1997, the same year he became a full-time faculty member at the University of Richmond. His radio program has become a valuable educational tool, not only for listeners but also for students in his classes.

These "research associates" prepare briefing files of potential topics for "A Moment in Time." The files include notes from books, scholarly articles, encyclopedias, historical journals and other reference materials; and a three- to five-page analysis of the topic complete with names, dates, relevant details, and the student's own ideas about interpretation and how to approach the subject.

Roberts likes to take each state alphabetically and examine its history, in particular searching for stories that shed light on the contributions of women and minorities. Recent shows have explored former first ladies Frances Cleveland, Caroline Harrison and Lucy Webb Hayes; the Black Sox and television quiz-show scandals; and the impeachment of Andrew Johnson.

Roberts's history students are not the only ones on campus learning from the experience. Students in marketing classes have helped devise strategies to bring "A Moment in Time" to a wider audience. Volunteers from the community and interns are also welcome to help out on any aspect of the show, Roberts says.

"I sense a real pride at Richmond in this project," he says. "Colleagues have told me that at academic conferences and meetings they attend, people will walk up and say, 'Isn't your school the one that does that little history show?' That's very gratifying to me. I just think that's neat."

Pied piper
Roberts has become a pied piper of sorts, drawing people who believe in his cause to help him. "Dan has a distinctive and rare ability to formulate complex materials into clear and succinct reports that capture listeners' imaginations," says Gordon, who has searched out financial contributions to keep the momentum going.

"In a brief moment, an interest in and knowledge of history is sparked and advanced. 'A Moment in Time' is a wonderful example of public history, bringing the work of academic historians to the public arena."

The University is the program's major underwriter, but recently Virginia's giant electric utility corporation, Dominion Resources, signed on for a multiple-year underwriting commitment. "Dominion Resources is committed to contributing to philanthropic causes, especially in the area of education," says William C. "Bill" Hall Jr., B'75, vice president for external affairs and corporate communications. "This program is a perfect educational vehicle, and supporting it meshes well with our corporate business strategy of being out in front of the top tier of decision makers. We've found 'A Moment in Time' is well known and highly respected in any city where public radio airs the show."

Hall adds, "I'm an avid listener of public radio myself, and I think the show is a great way to pick up history. Dan Roberts is a natural storyteller."

Patsy Arnett, a local public relations and marketing consultant, is another supporter. Arnett was driving along River Road one day when she heard Roberts's "A Moment in Time" segment on George Westinghouse. Coincidentally, Arnett had been searching for someone to write a book about Westinghouse that the company could use as a public-relations vehicle. Arnett arranged a meeting with Roberts and, after an animated lunch, not only hired him for the Westinghouse project but also volunteered her expertise for growing "A Moment in Time."

Roberts is juggling more than just his academic workload and the demands of the radio show. He writes newspaper columns and op-ed pieces on current events and how they relate to history, and he lectures to the public. He has developed other history-based public-radio shows, including "Climbing Jacob's Ladder: Milestones in African-American History," which will air again during February 2000.

"I love what I do," Roberts says. "I concentrate not just on my own field -- early Modern England -- I have the privilege of examining all the wonderful work being done by both public and academic historians on a wide variety of subjects."

"He is a legitimate historian, and his enthusiasm is contagious," says Marvin Granger, general manager of Yellowstone Public Radio in Billings, Mon., whose four public radio stations and 28 translators air "A Moment in Time" throughout Montana and Wyoming. "Each program is like an exciting tidbit from the past, whetting listeners' appetites to look further into things. That's what public radio is all about.

"The program gets your attention," Granger adds. "And it's obvious to listeners that it has Dan's attention."

Although Roberts is satisfied with the public radio forum, he is making plans to branch out into commercial radio and perhaps even television. "Public radio is like preaching to the choir," he says. "Why not history on MTV? I am unashamedly ambitious for the creative teaching of history."

Laura S. Jeffrey is the editorial assistant for the University of Richmond Magazine.

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