New Longleaf Studios Film to Air on Alabama Public Television

02/04/2022


Rep. Tom Bevill, second from left, speaks with former Presidents Ronald Reagan and George HW Bush. Bevill is the subject of a new documentary airing on APT on Feb. 7.

The latest documentary produced by JSU Longleaf Studios, "Tom Bevill: Servant Leader," will air on Alabama Public Television on Feb. 7 at 9 p.m. The one-hour film remembers the remarkable life of Rep. Tom Bevill, who represented Alabama in Washington from 1967 to 1997.
 
“APT is proud to bring this uniquely Alabama story about US Rep. Tom Bevill to our viewers,” said Phil Hutcheson, APT interim executive director. “Rep. Bevill served 15 terms in the US House and was truly a servant leader.”

The film includes interviews with family members and colleagues, who provide insight into Bevill’s service in World War II and his long career in Washington. Extensive archival footage provides a glimpse of Bevill’s personable nature. In one clip, he remembers how his father – who ran a grocery store – helped out his neighbors during the depression, instilling in him the values of servant leadership.  
 
“Dad wanted to be remembered as someone who tries to help people,” said Bevill’s son, Don.
 
Seth Johnson, head of JSU's Department of Art and Design, served as executive producer of the documentary. Other films produced by Longleaf Studios for APT include "Forever Wild: The James W. Martin Story," "Lagarde: Making Natural History," "Bluegrass on the Rim" and "A Fire in Anniston: A Freedom Riders Story," which has been nominated for two Emmys.