Double Major | Father Figures

Wil Smith enrolled as a freshman at Bowdoin College at the age of 27 with his infant daughter, Olivia, in tow. He had kept his daughter a secret until his arrival out of fear that the college would not allow him to attend. Wil balanced his studies, a night job, and basketball, all while raising his daughter. As a teenager, Olivia sat down with her dad to hear more about their days as college roommates.

This all-new animated short is presented as part of the new StoryCorps animation season, Father Figures, where father figures and their children share the strength and wisdom that they draw from each other.


Directed by
Richard O’Connor

Executive Producers
Dave Isay
Rachel Hartman

Producer
Savannah Winchester

Senior Audio Producer
Michael Garofalo

Audio Produced by
Jasmyn Morris

Supervising Sound Recordist
Jud Esty-Kendall

Audio Mixed By
Jarrett Floyd

Animation by
Ace & Son Moving Picture Co., LLC

Design
Keenon Farrel

Animators
Taisiya Zaretskya
Natalie Greene

Original Music
Joshua Abrams

Music Performed by
Joshua Abrams
Hamid Drake
Marquis Hill
Emmett Kelly
Adam
Thornburg

Music Mixed by
Joshua Abrams
Neil Strauch

Outro Music by
“Sage the Hunter” by Blue Dot Sessions
From the Albumm Landsman Duets
Published by Blue Dot Sessions

Special Thanks
Wil Smith
Olivia Smith

In Partnership with
American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress
NPR
POV

Funding Provided by
Corporation for Public Broadcasting [logo]

A private corporation funded by the American people.

Copyright © StoryCorps 2020. All Rights Reserved.