Documentary About Wheaton History Wins National Award

Stories of Wheaton’s history are making some history of their own. The Video Division of Wheaton’s Communications Department received a 2011 Government Programming Award in the documentary profile category from the National Association of Telecommunications Officers and Advisors.

The Video Division’s “Wheaton Remembers” series received its second national award, this time for the edition profiling longtime resident Robert Macht, who grew up in Wheaton in the 1920s and 1930s, when Model Ts graced the streets and cows grazed the fields of small-town Wheaton. In the documentary, Macht recalls Wheaton back when having a phone or a car were luxuries and silent films played on the screen at the Wheaton Theatre.

The Communications Department produces “Wheaton Remembers,” a recurring television series where longtime residents share their stories to educate residents and preserve Wheaton’s history for future generations. In 2009, the Video Division received an Honorable Mention for the first edition of the “Wheaton Remembers” series.

“I felt that the stories Robert Macht told would resonate not only with people who grew up in his generation, but even with people today, especially during these tough economic times,” said Richard Sagen, municipal producer for the City of Wheaton. “It’s very rewarding to be able to tell residents’ stories as a way of making history real.”