Consolation Prize
Consolation Prize is a podcast about the history of the United States in the world through the eyes of its consuls. Hosted by Abby Mullen, the show discusses the complicated lives and careers of the front-line diplomats that were largely responsible for the United States’ reputation in the world.
Episodes
Consolation Prize: Trailer
Aug. 6, 2020
Consolation Prize is a podcast about the history of the United States in the world through the eyes of its consuls.
Episode 1: Burroughing into Mexico
Sept. 1, 2020
In this episode, we travel to Vera Cruz, Mexico, to learn about how American consuls helped American businessmen assert their rights in contradiction of Mexican law.
Episode 2: An Impressive Consul in Liverpool
Sept. 22, 2020
In this episode, we meet Liverpool consul James Maury, whose job included helping American sailors who had been shipwrecked, were out of work--or were kidnapped by the British navy!
Bonus Episode 1: What is a consul, anyway?
Oct. 7, 2020
In this bonus episode, we delve into questions like "What is a consul?" "How do you get a job as a consul?" and other things. Listen to this if you feel adrift when listening to our regular episodes!
Episode 3: Havana Hard Time as Consul
Oct. 13, 2020
In this episode, we travel to Havana, Cuba to meet the consul Nicholas Trist, as he struggles between the dilemma of morals and money.
Episode 4A: A Webb of Connections, Part 1
Nov. 3, 2020
In this episode we meet Alexander Russell Webb, U.S. consul to Manila in the Philippines turned Muslim missionary to America.
Episode 4B: A Webb of Connections, Part 2
Nov. 4, 2020
In this episode we continue our story of Mohammed Alexander Russell Webb from his decision to resign as an American consul to his inauguration as an honorary consul-general for the Ottoman Empire!
Episode 5: Uncertain Waters in Zanzibar
Nov. 24, 2020
In this episode, we learn about Richard Waters who served as the first consul from the United States to Zanzibar.
Episode 6: Making a Good First Empression
Dec. 15, 2020
Within a year of the end of the American Revolution, the United States sent a ship to China, where the government hoped Americans could start a robust (and lucrative) trade.
Bonus Mini-Episode 1: Yeah, That Poinsett
Dec. 21, 2020
In this bonus holiday episode, we explore the consular life of Joel Roberts Poinsett, everyone's favorite holiday historical figure.
Episode 7: Selah in Jerusalem
Jan. 26, 2021
We go to Jerusalem to find out more about Selah Merrill, the longest-serving consul there before 1948.
Episode 8: Eden to Ashes
Feb. 16, 2021
In this episode, we venture into the tragic story of the 1902 volcanic eruption of Mount Pelée on the island of Martinique. Consul, Thomas Prentis and his family were among the 30,000 victims of this natural disaster.
About the Hosts
Kris Stinson
Kris Stinson was a producer on Consolation Prize. He was a PhD student and Presidential Fellow in George Mason University’s Roy Rosenzweig Center for History and New Media. His research interests revolve around the religious and intellectual culture of the early American republic.
Brenna Reilley
Brenna Reilley was a research and production assistant for Consolation Prize. She was an undergraduate student at George Mason University studying History and Nonprofit Studies. Her work includes social and cultural history projects, such as Women Tavern Keepers, Medical History in the Americas, and East German Cinema.
Jeanette Patrick
Jeanette Patrick was a producer on Consolation Prize and the Senior Producer for R2 Studios at the Roy Rosenzweig Center for History and New Media. She holds a MA in Public History and works to find engaging ways to bring the past to the present.
Deepthi Murali
Deepthi Murali was a producer on Consolation Prize. She was a postdoctoral research fellow at the Roy Rosenzweig Center for History and New Media. She has a PhD in Art History specializing in transcultural art and encounters of South Asia in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries.
Alison Langford
Alison Langford was the studio administrator. She was a fan of the show before she came to work at R2 Studios. She helped organize the studio and track guest info. She has a BA in English from GMU.
Andrew Cote
Andrew Cote was our composer-in-residence. As a composer of acoustic and electronic music, his compositions have been performed and recorded across three continents. His works have been featured at the Navy Band International Saxophone Symposium, the Midwest International Band and Orchestra Clinic, the World Saxophone Congress, and various other festivals and conferences. His latest album, Ulterior Motives: The Saxophone Music of Andrew Cote, is available on iTunes, Amazon, and most other online retailers. Andrew previously taught music composition, orchestration, music technology, and directed the new music ensemble at George Mason University in Fairfax, VA. Andrew began teaching at Merrimack College in the fall of 2020, where he teaches courses in music theory and music technology.
Bridget Bukovich
Bridget Bukovich was the Promotions Specialist for Consolation Prize. She was the Community Engagement Coordinator for the Roy Rosenzweig Center for History and New Media. She has a MA in Applied History, which she combines with her social media expertise to help share history with the public.
Megan Brett
Megan Brett was a producer on Consolation Prize. She was a digital history associate at the Roy Rosenzweig Center for History and New Media. She holds a PhD in American History from George Mason University. Her dissertation examined citizenship and identity in the United States through the lens of the Maury family, one of whom was a consul in Liverpool.
Frankie Bjork
Frankie Bjork was a producer on the second season of Consolation Prize. She was a graduate student at George Mason University studying Applied History with a focus in United States History. Her specialties include studies of influential people and groups in social and cultural movements, like Dorothy Height during Second Wave Feminism.
Abby Mullen
Abby Mullen was the host and executive producer of Consolation Prize. She was a term assistant professor in the Department of History and Art History at George Mason University. Her work focuses on the First Barbary War, where she encountered the four consuls who inspired this podcast: Richard O’Brien, James Leander Cathcart, William Eaton, and James Simpson.
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