Remember the Lusitania

04/19/22 • 27 min

In this episode of Consolation Prize, we investigate the role of consuls in dealing with wartime disasters and the toll they took on them. Consul Wesley Frost was stationed in Queenstown, Ireland during the early years of World War I. As part of his responsibilities, Frost assisted survivors from more than 80 German submarine attacks including the SS Lusitania, which at the time resulted in the greatest loss of civilian lives. Frost’s response to these attacks helped establish the processes the United States Department of State still uses today in crises involving civilians. Consolation Prize is hosted by Abby Mullen. This episode was produced by Jeanette Patrick. Show notes, including full transcript, available at consolationprize.rrchnm.org.

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The Art of Diplomacy

Irena Wiley was a diplomat's wife. But she was also an artist who used her art to reflect the humanity of the many people she encountered all around the world. Bill Adair is an artist who purchased Wiley's pieces at a junk auction nearly 35 years after she died. This special episode of Consolation Prize is their story--how Wiley's work brought the humanity of devastated people to the fore, and how Bill's work has brought Wiley's work to the fore. Consolation Prize is a podcast of R2 Studios at George Mason University. This episode was produced by Abby Mullen and Frankie Bjork. Show notes are available at consolationprize.rrchnm.org; for more about Irena Wiley's work and life, visit irenawiley.com.

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Pacific Salmon Run

In this mini episode of Consolation Prize, we complete our tour of the world by going to the last continent where the United States had consuls: Australia. Alexander George Webster was a consul in Hobart, a port city on the island of Tasmania, but he also served on the Tasmanian Fisheries Commission, a group that was very concerned with making sure that Tasmanian rivers were stocked full of fish. In this episode, we see how Webster used his position as consul to move salmon halfway around the world, from the rivers of California to the rivers of Tasmania. This episode was produced by Abby Mullen and Kris Stinson. Show notes available at consolationprize.rrchnm.org.