The Four Freedoms speech delivered by President Roosevelt 75 years ago rallied Americans to defeat evil and to project a new vision of human rights. Freedom from want and fear and freedom of religion and speech were together the foundation of America's fighting spirit. Norman Rockwell illustrated this vision when he lived in Arlington, deploying Vermont values and Arlington models. His illustrations for Roosevelt's speech inspired hundreds of millions of people, then and now. Brian Allen, a scholar of American art and Arlington resident, talks about Roosevelt's speech, Rockwell's interpretation, and the role of Arlington in this unique project.

Brian Allen was the curator of American art at the Clark Art Institute, the director of the Addison Gallery of American Art, and the museum director at the New-York Historical Society. He has a BA from Wesleyan, a MA from Williams, and a Ph.D from Yale. He lives in Arlington.