George Colburn

Independent producer of history-based documentaries

About Starbright Media Corporation and Dr. George A. Colburn Starbright Media Corporation (SMC) is the administrative, production and marketing arm of a group of companies founded in the early 1980s by George A. Colburn. SMC specializes in documentary television productions and related media-based educational programming through its non-profit associate company, Contemporary Learning Systems, Inc. The group is based in Walloon Lake, Michigan, with satellite offices in East Lansing MI, Santa Fe NM, and Washington DC. Colburn holds a doctorate in history from Michigan State University where he has served as a visiting professor in the History Department and in the American Studies Program. As an adjunct professor of history at Gettysburg College, he has taught courses there on film and history. He has also been a Senior Research Fellow for the Douglas Dillon Fund and in this capacity has begun preparation of a book on Douglas Dillon (pictured at right with Colburn), Ambassador to France, and Undersecretary of State for Economic Affairs in the Eisenhower administration; then from 1961 - 1965 the Secretary of Treasury for JFK and LBJ. Colburn’s best known national television credit is as SMC’s writer and producer of a major documentary series on Dwight D. Eisenhower’s military and political careers, 1941 - 1961. Produced in association with Gancie Television, and entitled "The Eisenhower Legacy," the five-hour series was hosted by Gen. Colin L. Powell (U.S. Army, retired) and aired on The Disney Channel and, later, on The History Channel. It also was the basis of a 20-part educational series for Disney Educational Productions entitled "The Eisenhower Era." Along with his television production work, Colburn is recognized nationally as a leading producer of distance education programming linked to major television series. His credits at the University of California and as an independent producer from 1974 - 1994 include more than two dozen national, media-based educational programs, including THE ASCENT OF MAN (Jacob Bronowski), CONNECTIONS (James Burke), COSMOS (Carl Sagan), and THE HEART OF THE DRAGON (International Emmy winner). Colburn has completed research and development of "Making It New: Invention, Innovation and Entrepreneurship," a multimedia. web-based and interactive course of study for colleges and universities nationwide. The project, funded by the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, includes an electronic text and study guide, web-enhanced video programs from the Harold Evans PBS series, "They Made America," and an interactive website. Colburn has interviewed approximately 150 witnesses to the Eisenhower era for the ongoing Eisenhower Legacy series on "Ike," including Presidents Nixon, Bush, Reagan and Ford, who all knew Ike. Also interviewed were General John S. D. Eisenhower, his son, and other close observers of the major events of the era, including Pamela Churchill Harriman, former CIA Agent (later Director) William Colby, Ike’s Attorney General, Herbert Brownell, and numerous British, French, German and officials of the USSR, including the son and son-in-law of Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev. With major funding from the Pew Charitable Trusts, an educational series of 20 video programs was produced for school use. In addition to this video component of more than seven hours of programming, "The Eisenhower Era" educational package includes an illustrated timeline/poster, teacher guides, student self-study computer programs and a 200-page Resource Book of original essays and key historical documents. Colburn is currently in post-production on "Eisenhower's Secret War: Covertly Waging Peace, 1950 - 1960", a two-hour Special on the Eisenhower Presidency. He is also directing post-production of "Tomorrow’s America," a television special on the great wave of immigration that is now transforming the nation. A recent production credit for Colburn is "Navajo Code Talkers: In Their Own Words"," a television special that covers the return of several Code Talkers® and their family members to the Pacific islands of World War II where their unbroken battlefield code helped turn the tide of battle against the Japanese armies. Colburn began his work in the communication field as a journalist for the Grand Rapids Press and the Detroit Times when he was in college. After completing his studies, he worked as managing editor of a San Francisco suburban newspaper group for several years before entering graduate school in Michigan. During his graduate studies, he continued to work part-time for the local weekly newspaper group covering local government and politics. He earned a Pulitzer Prize nomination in the Community Journalism category in 1969 for his stories on the nomination and selection of a new President at MSU during a time of unprecedented student turbulence on campus. After earning his Ph.D. in history in 1971, Colburn became head of staff for the Speaker of the House in the Michigan legislature and was elected to the East Lansing City Council. In 1973, he returned to journalism for the Chicago Tribune Co. In 1975, he was chosen to lead the national "Courses by Newspaper" project at the University of California's San Diego campus and, later, to direct the development of a National Media Programs division at the university. The newspaper project, funded by the National Endowment for the Humanities, ultimately included almost 500 newspapers across the country, and more than 300 colleges and universities. In 1981, Colburn left the university and moved to New York City where he worked with producers, public television stations, foundations and corporations on developing and distributing educational programs linked to outstanding documentary series appearing on public television. He began his work in television production in 1983 by creating and producing "The Communications Revolution," a three-part series featuring Arthur C. Clarke on the island nation of Sri Lanka. Dr. George Colburn Post Office Box 309, Walloon Lake, MI 49796 231/535-2440 or 202/258-4887 gac@starbrightmc.com Home Eisenhower Legacy Young Hemingway Making It New Code Talkers Contact © 2012 Starbright Media Corp.

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