Chestnuts Roasting On An Open Fireside Chat

Technically, FDR's "First Fireside Chat" is named "On The Bank Crisis." But you know, since that name could provoke an epidemic of yawns to rival the epidemic of bank failures (and since the media immediately realized the significance and strength of the speech), it quickly became known as the "Fireside Chat."

It also has a bonus pithy name: the speech has also been called "More Important than Gold," after a famous line found at the end of the chat.

The name came from Robert Trout, a radio broadcaster who used it on-air, although he gives credit to Harry Butcher, a CBS vice president for the name's original conception.

Once FDR started stringing together his radio speeches, "On The Bank Crisis" became known as the "First Fireside Chat." There were thirty total speeches, stretching from 1933 to 1944, covering everything from daily economic conditions to capitalism to drought conditions to progress in World War II. The talks were very popular, and part of Roosevelt being so well liked by the public can be attributed to these Fireside Chats.

Truly, FDR was the original Mr. Rogers. So soothing. Such nice sweaters.

While in total there were thirty of these speeches, the first became the most important and well remembered. In fact, other Fireside Chats aren't really know as Fireside Chats 1-30—only the first one gets the benefit of this cozy, cocoa-scented moniker.

Why? A couple of reasons.

First, this speech launched the series of subsequent speeches that would follow the same theme of informative plus personal. Also, "First Fireside Chat" came at a crucial time for the president and his people: FDR had just been elected, the banks had been closed, and people were demanding answers. Roosevelt set the tone with his first speech, and people instantly began to believe in him and in their government.

Aww. That still gives us warm, fuzzy, fireside feelings.