U.S. History

Appetite for America: How Visionary Businessman Fred Harvey Built a Railroad Hospitality Empire that Civilized the Wild West

Stephen Fried

About the Program

Stephen Fried, adjunct journalism professor at Columbia University Graduate School, recounts the life of Fred Harvey, one of the earliest innovators of the American hospitality industry.  Mr. Harvey, was the proprietor of sixty-five restaurants and lunch counters along the Santa Fe Railroad and several hotels from Chicago to Los Angeles.  Mr. Fried examines how Fred Harvey's restaurant and hotel locations dovetailed with  westward expansion and how the Harvey House became a part of the American lexicon and a precursor to today's fast food franchises.  Stephen Fried discusses his book at Union Station in Kansas City, Missouri.

About the Authors

Stephen Fried

Stephen Fried is the author of several books including, Bitter Pills: Inside the Hazardous World of Legal Drugs.  Mr. Fried is a two-time recipient of the National Magazine Award and his writing has appeared in several publications, including Rolling Stone, Vanity Fair, and The Washington Post Magazine.  For more information, visit stephenfried.com.


Buy the author's book from: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Indiebound

Program Information

Appetite for America: How Visionary Businessman Fred Harvey Built a Railroad Hospitality Empire that Civilized the Wild West

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Past Airings

  • Saturday, July 10th at 9pm (ET)
  • Monday, May 3rd at 4am (ET)
  • Sunday, May 2nd at 8:15pm (ET)
  • Monday, April 19th at 2:15am (ET)
  • Saturday, April 17th at 5pm (ET)
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