COLUMBIA -- Beginning Thursday, June 26, the South Carolina Center for the Book at the South Carolina State Library will present "Presidents, Politics and Power: American Presidents Who Shaped The 20th Century," a summer lunchtime video series looking at six U.S. presidents who redefined the presidency and shaped their time.

During the 19th century, some contend that the powers of the American presidency nearly atrophied. But the 20th century brought wars, depression and cultural revolution that demanded strong leadership. This six-week program of award-winning documentaries and essays studies the legacies of the six men who defined a strong modern presidency: Theodore Roosevelt, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Harry Truman, Lyndon Johnson, Richard Nixon and Ronald Reagan.

A series of weak presidents since the Civil War had damaged the powers of the office until Theodore Roosevelt led the country to victory in the war with Spain, starting the emergence of the U.S. as a world power.

Roosevelt's legacy influenced Franklin D. Roosevelt in his battle against the Great Depression and World War II. In turn, both Roosevelts served as role models for strong presidents through the century, facing different, but difficult, issues: Truman and the Cold War, Johnson and Nixon and the Vietnam War and Reagan's war on communism.

"Presidents, Politics and Power" will take place on Thursdays from noon to 1 p.m. at the South Carolina State Library, Room 309, 1430 Senate St., Columbia. Attendees can bring a bag lunch.

The schedule of presidents featured includes:

* Thursday, June 26: Theodore Roosevelt

* Thursday, July 10: F.D.R.

* Thursday, July 17: Harry Truman

* Thursday, July 24: Lyndon Johnson

* Thursday, July 31: Richard Nixon

* Thursday, Aug. 7: Ronald Reagan

The S.C. Center for the Book is a cooperative project of the S.C. State Library, the University of South Carolina School of Library and Information Science and The Humanities Council S.C.

Special to The T&D

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