Monday Night Movie: "From Sea to Shining Sea: Katharine Lee Bates and the Story of America the Beautiful"

This program is part of our year-long celebration of 'America 250,' the Semiquincentennial of our country's founding.  

Darien Library presents: Monday Night at the Movies!

This week we are showing "From Sea to Shining Sea: Katharine Lee Bates and the Story of America the Beautiful.”

“America the Beautiful may be America's most beloved song. But few know about the fascinating life of the writer behind it: poet, long-time professor at Wellesley College and social reformer Katharine Lee Bates.

The first words of her poem America (later set to music and called America the Beautiful) came to Bates as she surveyed the Great Plains and the Rocky Mountains from the broad summit of Colorado's Pike's Peak on July 22, 1893. Bates penned lyrics that reflect both a love for her country and a desire for reform. The song does not ignore the fact that the United States has often not lived up to its promises and ideals, yet it honors the unbroken chain of Americans who, living up to those ideals and loving their country deeply, strived to make it all it can be.” – Bullfrog Communities 

Director: John de Graaf

Year: 1978

This movie is 37 minutes and is not rated. 

Watch the official trailer.

The President's Series

Welcome to the President's Series —an engaging collection of special events hosted by Darien Library in collaboration with the President of the Board and members of the Library Board of Trustees.

On July 4, 2026, the United States celebrates the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. This act, which formally separated the 13 colonies from British rule, shook and reshaped the world. The “American experiment” rested on the revolutionary idea that legitimate government rests on the consent of the governed. Independence did not come easily or without grave cost. The American Revolution last seven long years, with tens of thousands of lives lost. 

Today, historians, philosophers, and people worldwide continue to study the Founding, the principles of democratic republicanism, and its evolution over the past 250 years. Darien Library joins museums, libraries, educational and cultural institutions nationwide in commemorating the semiquincentennial, known as “America 250,” through a series of public programs that celebrate American history and reflect on our nation’s continuing pursuit of a more perfect union.

We invite you to join us for this 6-part special series featuring films, history talks, folk music, and more.