Edward Bok

Originally Aired: January 9, 1939 Cavalcade of America #147, "Edward Bok," presents the inspiring story of a Dutch immigrant boy who rises from poverty through hard work and determination in his adopted homeland. Six-year-old Edward arrives in America with his brother William, and despite William's protests that their respectable family shouldn't stoop to manual labor, Edward learns his first American lesson: honest work is honorable, no matter what kind. He boldly offers to wash a bakery window in exchange for five cents and a current bun, launching a series of jobs that includes newsboy, lemonade seller, and office boy. As Edward grows, his industriousness and ingenuity shine through. He pitches story ideas to the Brooklyn Eagle newspaper, cleverly understanding that printing the names of party guests will sell papers to their families. He recruits friends to gather names at social events, paying them for their help while building his reputation. When his father dies, Edward works even harder to support his widowed mother, taking a clerk position by day while continuing his newspaper work at night. His big break comes when he's assigned to cover a banquet featuring President Rutherford B. Hayes, relying on his shorthand skills to capture the speech.