A Call to Adventure: Charlie Melcher, Ed O’Keefe and the Brand New Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library

Ted comes to this conversation not just as a host, but as a Roosevelt. And he’s sitting down with two people he’s worked alongside for years: Edward O’Keefe, CEO of the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library, and Charlie Melcher, CEO of the Future of Storytelling, as they reflect on what they’ve built together.  The Library opens its doors on July 4th, 2026,  the nation’s 250th birthday, and these two men are most responsible for bringing it to life. Together they trace the arc from vision to reality, including the moment on a snowy Badlands butte when everything clicked. This conversation includes a candid look at how far they’ve come and a preview of what awaits visitors. At the heart of it all is a radical proposition: that TR’s story exists not to glorify one man, but to ignite something in the rest of us.   Learn more at TRLibrary.com and futureofstorytelling.org For more, visit goodcitizenpodcast.com. Follow us on Facebook @TRPresidentialLibrary Instagram @trlibrary X @TRPresLibrary. And sign up for our newsletter at trlibrary.com/newsletter to stay up-to-date on the TRPL! -- Good Citizen is hosted by Ted Roosevelt V and produced by The Future of StoryTelling in collaboration with Charts & Leisure, on behalf of the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library Foundation. Learn more about T.R.’s presidential library at www.trlibrary.com.  Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library Foundation 350 Third Avenue Medora, North Dakota 58645   Future of StoryTelling Founder and CEO, Charles Melcher Director, Carolyn Merriman Producer, Alison Byrne  Assistant Producer, Madison Brown Production Assistant, Tsuki Carlson   Charts & Leisure Executive Producer, Jason Oberholtzer Producer, Meghal Janardan Editor, Garrett Crowe Mix, Andrew Atkin Music and Final Assembly, Michael Simonelli With special thanks to Lor Simpson, Nicole Turchin, WTF Media Studios, Robbie Lauf, Courtland Miller, and Matt Briney.