GOLDEN YEARS: How Americans Invented and Reinvented Old Age: James Chappel

Welcome to The Not Old Better Show, Smithsonian Associates Interview Series. on radio and podcast. I’m Paul Vogelzang, and today, we’re talking about something that affects every single one of us—aging. But not just the personal experience of getting older. We’re talking about how old age itself was invented—how retirement, security, and dignity in later life were shaped by policies, culture, and economics, and why, for many, those promises now feel uncertain.

My guest today is Smithsonian Associate, historian James Chappel, author of the remarkable new book, available at Apple Books Golden Years: How Americans Invented and Reinvented Old Age. Dr. James Chappel will be appearing at Smithsonian Associates coming up. The title of his presentation is The Golden Years. Please check out our show notes today for details. It’s an eye-opening look at how, for much of history, Americans worked until their final breath. Then, with Social Security, employer pensions, and rising prosperity, a new era of retirement emerged—one that allowed millions to live out their later years in security. But that era is fading. Today, older Americans are working longer, facing financial precarity, and navigating a system that feels increasingly fragile.

James Chappel unpacks how we got here, the figures—both celebrated and forgotten—who shaped the story, and the pop culture that influenced how we see aging, from The Golden Girls to Grace and Frankie. He also challenges us to rethink the future. Should we accept the instability of old age as inevitable? Or is there a better way forward?

This conversation is about history, but it’s also about us—our parents, our children, and the future we want to build. So stay with us, as we dive into Golden Years with Smithsonian Associate, historian James Chappel.

My thanks to Smithsonian Associate, historian James Chappel, author of the remarkable new book, available at Apple Books Golden Years: How Americans Invented and Reinvented Old Age. Dr. James Chappel will be appearing at Smithsonian Associates coming up. The title of his presentation is The Golden Years. Please check out our show notes today for details. My thanks to the Smithsonian team for all they do to support the show. My thanks to Sam & Miranda Heninger for their help on the show. Thanks, guys. My thanks to you, our wonderful audience here on radio and podcast. Be well, be safe, Let’s Talk About Better™ The Not Old Better Show, Smithsonian Associates Interview Series on radio and podcast. Thanks, everybody and we’ll see you next time.