Ken Burns & Walter Isaacson Build The Mount Rushmore of US Non-Presidents

Welcome to the Rushmore Podcast, where legends join Ari Emanuel and Ben Persky to debate the ultimate Mount Rushmore of any topic.Two of America's greatest historians, Ken Burns and Walter Isaacson, sit down to build the Mount Rushmore of U.S. non‑presidents from 1900 - present. The result is a breathtaking conversation about the inventors, artists, activists, and innovators who truly shaped modern America. Walter champions the giants of science and technology: Louis Armstrong, Philo Farnsworth, John Mauchly, and Steve Jobs. Ken counters with moral and cultural titans: Louis Armstrong, Eleanor Roosevelt, Martin Luther King Jr., and Henrietta Lacks. From the improvisational genius of jazz to the immortal HeLa cells, from the Marshall Plan to the iPhone, this debate explores who actually changed the way we live, think, and see ourselves. Four brilliant lists. One unforgettable Rushmore.Special thanks to KenBurns & Walter Isaacson for joining our Non‑Presidents (1900s‑Present) episode.