years ago in january 1969. work,we hear about her interests and track -- contributions. the white house historical association and richard nixon foundation cohosted this event. >> good evening, everyone. to all of our friends here and those watching by c-span and on facebook live, my name is stuart. and i am the president of the white house historical association. it is my privilege to commute to the historic house as well as to the white house historical association. tonight's

we had to fear many former officials from the and other administrations have the print of the validation and were honored at you here tonight this year marks the 50th anniversary of patricia nixon becoming the first lady of the united states under her leadership white house collection added over 600 paintings and furnishing elements to the white house collection which is the most of the significance of this will be discussed in tonight's program but it's very important lost here at the white house of our mission which was inspired as most of you were all of you know by first lady jacqueline kennedy to be the private nonpartisan private partner to the white house for conservation and preservation

restoration of those beautiful staterooms in the white house for the acquisition of items for the permanent collection at the white house as well and for education programs programs like this where we teach and tell the stories of the white house and its wonderful history going back to 1792 with george washington selected the right across the street for the white house is today in higher the young irish pigment toames open commemorate the occasion of his victims 50th anniversary is first lady the white house historical association has also undertaken an additional partnership with the richard nixon foundation and this is where we had created a digital exhibit highlighting business mix of efforts to restore the blue room in my 72 to the original french empire style

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being the first woman designed to cover the white house for network television is known to everyone in this room. ist may not be known extensive contributions such as ours and the university of virginia and many others. i think it is also fitting to knowledge this particular week with tomorrow being the 18th anniversary of 9/11 here in a unique place on that tragic day as you are the only broadcast

reporter on air force one with president bush to report on thelf of the press of american people, so thank you for your career and technology that -- in a knowledge and that -- acknowledging that. we have three other distinguished guests on our panel tonight. in addition to being on our board of directors, she chairs and sheation committee chairs the committee were every two years we convene across the country, it will happen again on september 2020 in dallas. anita is a leading of 30 --

authority and she has worked for four presidents and was chief of staff to laura bush. we have patricia with us tonight who is a speechwriter and assistant for patricia next and -- patricia nixon. she has had an extremely distinguished career including many years in senior roles. our dear friend who works for more than 30 years in the office of the curators retiring as chief generator and is a great colleague for us here at the withiation and has worked us and continues to work with us on many projects. she authored our book on decorative arts in the white house which is available in our bookshop and she is a consultant

to our quarterly magazine which we are very proud of and that he is a master of knowledge, so we have a wonderful panel tonight. before comes up, i would like to someone records and -- representing the next and foundation and -- the nixon foundation. you will recognize him as a frequent guest on many news networks and programs. he has written extensively for the new york times, wall street journal and the los angeles times and you will also be familiar with him as host of a nationally syndicated radio program.

following his remarks and a brief video, our panel will join us for tonight's program. those of you on the other side of the room, the podium will be removed so you will have a clear shot and i cannot and without a little bit of self-promotion. it is right on the top where you can in an everyone here will get a 10% discount on anything you would like to take him. thank you very much. [applause] thank you and welcome to all of you on behalf of the nixon foundation. .hat a great first event i want to get out of the way of the experts and we know the definitive biography.

will be available on audiobook. it was written by her granddaughter. i was lucky. after three or four months, i for kavanaughork and barbara franklin. in their retirement, they were not a lot of people around it i got to know misses nixon. -- -- missus -- mrs. nixon. i was invited to casa pacifica when i was 22.

it was that first dinner when i was 22 years old and i don't know what i'm doing. the former first lady and president and their children. person the most gracious to me. it was only five years later, when my wife and i moved to d.c. to work for president reagan. helen smith lived in the dresden. i got to know her well. we took over her parents in the summers. me thatll explain to the graciousness i had experienced was not unique to me. she was gracious to every single person she had ever met. in every capacity, young and small. she traveled the world relentlessly in 1953.

she set the pattern for the second lady, which was unique. she was the first first lady to visit america -- africa and south america. was the first time she went to china and the ussr. she was insisted on seeing people. children, schools, orphanages. she wanted to get out of the diplomatic protocol and talk to people. onwas there she exhibited behalf of america, the same kind of kindness i experienced firsthand. [applause] >> wasn't she an amazing first lady in so many ways? i want to start with pat nixon,

who i covered at the beginning of the for administration. you had already been hired as a speechwriter and deputy press secretary for pat nixon. she had a keene for what was appropriate, and she was shaped by her growing up. how hard she worked. the work ethic. >> it was one of those things that was so important about her. i have been in television and politics. i have known a lot of people who work hard. this one takes the cake. she was in full bore. noticed, thing i really my first day on the job, can you hear me? her you set something up to

that needed her input overnight, it was literally on your desk the next morning before you had gone in. it not matter if there was a state dinner the night before. she had a job. she treated it as such. the day-to-day handling of constituents was so important to her. it was one of the first things she said to me and our interview. she considered people to be her project. want a pet cause. that was not her. to make life better thepeople who came to visit white house, who wanted to

connect to their government. i used to watch her stand in some of these lines, and she was never one of these people. shake these people who hands and pushes the people through. you can see her looking directly at the person in front of her. a meeting of minds and the taking of times to shake our hand and say a few words. she had all the energy in the world to do that, because she understood how much it meant to people to have someone who cared about them and government in washington. she felt very strongly. she also -- it spoke to how she, requestsof us, that get filled quickly, that mail

was returned quickly. it was quite a gift. we used it for -- she used it for the presidency. it was a very rare gift. >> she had been the public eye for so long before she arrived to the public warehouse. -- public eye. -- to the white house. >> people thought she was shy. she did not seem that way to you. -- reserve.reserved she was a very elegant woman. we don't see so much of that era anymore.

not one that was going nowi guess the going thing and confideurself in america on whatever's going through your mind. a little bit of that goes along way, if you don't mind me saying. she was appropriate, always. ability to beate that way. it was wonderful to behold. >> you were president -- present for all of this. thank you for all you have done for the white house as curator and a lasting legacy that you have helped create. ladies, theut first more traditional role of worrying about house and home. she felt strongly about doing more with the white house,

including opening some of those doors. >> i think the film mentioned her tours for the blind --. instrumental in participating in this as well. to open thedy grounds for garden tours in the spring and fall. those have continued. in the christmas candlelight tours in the evening. could come see the house in the heart -- during the holidays. the lighting of the exterior of the house, she had gotten a lot of inquiries from people talking tours by the house in the evening. they could not see the house, it was so dark.

using inaugural funds from the first inauguration. she worked closely with the national park service. and having the design plan and implement the house. that is the legacy that endures today. >> the idea that she brought in more works of art then any first lady. how did that moment in history happen? >> she nixon had gone to the thee department and reception room in 1969. she called the curator at the state department and asked if she would be willing to be the curator at the white house. he had a job of state department.

mrs. nixon invited him. we walked through all the rooms down to the ground for, through the private quarters. he thought about it for a few days. he was a strong supporter of this program. there has been tremendous receptions and a lot of crowds in the 60's had taken place. ambitious person who knew how to raise funds and appeal to donors. write lettersld to donors and have receptions nt-- and teas for people who are potential donors or museums that might have objects such as the dolley madison portrait.

it was hung in 1971. he was a big supporter. he went up to philadelphia to the pennsylvania academy to thank them for lending that painting. she put herself out a great deal. she worked very closely and became very attached to a consulting architect. what patty said about her graciousness, we were not a part of their white house staff, but once she invited her staff to go out on a yacht. she included our staff. that was very generous.

of a gilded french chair that rezoned -- belonged to the suite. it was mrs. nixon's birthday. we invited her to our office and showed her the chair and had a birthday celebration with her friends. some of the buttons and household staff came in. there is a wonderful for -- butlers and household staff came in. there is a wonderful picture of -- holding a placard that is you are not quite 49. she had a lot of energy and was extremely gracious. you have worked over a period of several presidencies. you can see threads today that were begun by pat nixon.

>> two of these wonderful women who had the opportunity. i would have liked to have sat with pat nixon. because of her impact, the theilege she felt to be in white house and anybody who works in the white house sees the impact on the wall of the things they have been able to acquire. i worked for several first ladies. correspondence was important to them. -- of the good things about

the things about mrs. nixon, as she came from a small town. envelope fromt an the white house, the president of the united states, what it is andeceive in their mailbox, that is what to have her mail responded to and that anyone who wrote to her would get a letter from the white house. how much that means. that she took that so personally is one of her great legacies. they know what they're talking about. misses roosevelt, eleanor roosevelt, established the first formal correspondence office at the white house. she was the eyes and ears for her. she really understood what that

connection to the american people would be through mail they wrote to her or the president. talk about the threat of history. it's a wonderful example to the connection to the constituents. you can never forget that. >> she had a mindset that almost approached a member of congress, in terms of having a constituency. they had grown up with them. she was a hard-working person. from the time she was 13 years old, her mother died. she was working on the farm in the morning. taking care of her older brothers. raising her older brothers. cooking for them. she went on to start working as a teenager.

she understood how people felt about something like the white house. how can they leave about feeling better about themselves and what was going on. >> opening the white house at night meant people who had day jobs could come. it would give them access. from my years, i covered seven presidents, starting with gerald ford. during all the way through president obama. -- going all the way through president obama. noald reagan had "there is limit to what you can accomplish if you don't care who gets the credit." that is pat nixon. >> she lived that.

she was the embodiment of that. you could see it. it was never about her. i ran into a quote, and it was a barber brush quote. -- barbara bush quote. >> barbara bush was not shy. [laughter] not seekixon did credit, which is probably why she is not fully appreciated as she should be. recognition for herself. those who knew her always wished she had gotten the recognition she needed over a lifetime of service. she didn't care about getting credit. she genuinely did not. -- did not." >> you once told me the role of first lady adapts to the woman as much as the woman adapts. how does that work? >> someday, it will be a man.

that is the white house in general throughout our history. the occupant adapts to the the office adapts to the occupant. nixon, like all first ladies, the thread that binds all them together is there is no person that cares more about the president -- presidency then their spouse. that does bind all of them together and what they share. person who single had experienced the ups and it into the day, is not like any other advisor. nixon does not get credit

for for what -- does not get credit for what a mastermind she was. she is the hardest working person on the president's campaign. in six years, she went from congressman to senator, to vice president, and six years. in all these campaigns, many of them which were very difficult. many running for vice president see when the scandal on the finances erected. how that personally wounded her. it was a challenge to their integrity, not so much a challenge to policy and projects. but to their integrity. person, and there is the voice in the room. i was watching this wonderful tape that was done, and it

encapsulates everything she was about. i was watching it and thinking, i wish she could have seen that. then i thought, get a grip. she never would have let you do something like that. [laughter] >> never in a million years. she was too modest to think about letting you do something with that. >> one thing she has not gotten adequate credit for is the pandas. who can tell a panda >> she is going with her husband to daybreak breakthrough opening in china and a remarkable, really a seminal moment for theycan relations and [indiscernible] hairdresser -- andy -- and the

hairdresser. somebody tell the story. remember -- said these are wonderful i will send you to -- two. >> i heard a wonderful story. the actualthat cigarette is an artifact that you will now have at the library and the little pack of cigarettes was found.

[no audio] >> so much tension and onearation that when in, no could have scripted that that would be the outcome of that visit, but look at the legacy it has left behind. nixon secretary told me a wonderful story about the logistics of getting here to .ashington >> one thing that i know

pertained to mrs. nixon and is in the same subject, i think people don't realize that whether it is a state dinner for you are doing a foreign trip, for one thing, for years, there were no jet airliners, so you can imagine what it was like going for -- going to some of these places, but the amount of time and work that goes into read the guidance because if you are sitting next to a head of state, you are talking to that person on their level and you have to know what you're talking about or what you're not supposed to be talking about, level and you hat phone it in. you have to very conscientiously and makebriefing books sure you can handle something

along those lines. she was someone who worked very hard on that and understood the nuance of why you had to do that . there were so many things to admire this woman for and she just took it in stride. and sheart of her job excelled. she was comfortable talking with heads of state, very comfortable . for example, the trip earlier when there was that earthquake , she landed in a the wife of the president there and they walked through the muck

and everything that had been involved in that. it was something and it all happens because she read the stories to begin with and the government sent our plane with some things and three weeks later she was noticing all the coverage of it had stopped and she went to the president and said i would really like to be helpful. i would really like to do something and within a week, she was on a plane headed for peru fact, had to sit in a makeshift chair in the aont because it was obviously plane that was taking as many things as they could load up. >> cargo. >> exactly.

the wife of the president met and walked through five hours -- walk for five hours through this muck. were 50,000 people that died in this earthquake and something like 800,000 without a home. it was wrenching and she spent the day talking with everyone that she could see and hugging it had this consequence. the diplomats were very nervous because the president of the some overt made soviets, so ite was one of those moments you do not know which way was going to go and buy the end of the day he heard everything that happened and how everyone adored her and

what she had gone through to initiate this and go over there. not even a week later, the soviets sent 60 planes of materials to help these people so it was not only her own government supporting her, the arnie was that it also ended up getting them more support from another country. the time that she was in the public eye was so dramatic and by the time they got to the white house with the civil rights movement, the war in vietnam, the women's rights walked backt nixon careful line without getting

overly political into her husband's decisions in yet she would stand up, she and her successor would stand up and say yes, you should pass the equal rights amendment. she would talk about that and talk about women running for office, winning getting -- women getting involved. when they were in the white house, the ivy league's were still all-male universities. sandra day o'connor could not get a job out of law school except for a secretarial one. barbara was running the office of women's issues and those who worked in the white knew how she worked

within the white house office and the departments there, thanks to leadership with armstrong and others that were very conscience of the women's movement and mrs. next and realized republicans were losing some ground and democrats were built to legislation support women and she worked very closely with the office of women's issues to help get more appointments of women in the federal government and as you .aid road -- spoke publicly she was disappointed that was not the president's decision and discuss that private sleep -- privately. charactert was her

and the appropriate way to do it, but she was responding to what was going on in the country. >> can you come up in and join us? we have a chair up front for you. it, sheno mistake about was what i would call quietly politically astute. abouts not about to brag what she could do were not do. she was very quiet about her sophistication in terms of doing things appropriately or politically. >> the times she lived and worked dramatic ones, but there are some things that don't change. house overhe white 40 years and there have always

been for every administration tension between the east and west. does it come with the territory? it is constantly evolving. >> a lot of the way that this is handled, it comes with the leadership and the way mrs. nixon comported herself [inaudible] her personal interests and her character and her integrity and do what she could to be a representative of the president and of the american people. i think people respected in the

white house. it is constantly an evolving relationship between the east and west wing and in some cases it is better than others. i don't think there's any secret that mrs. next and was frustrated -- nixon was frustrated. he did not stop her from doing what came next to her and what she felt she could do to make a contribution, so i would say my experience was the same way and i remember when i interviewed with her, the first thing she said is not here for myself, i'm here for george and because of , it helpedwith that me get access to the things i needed to help and people knew that and for that reason we had

a successful run. othersome point you and got the title assistant to the president. there was some recognition in the east wing that they had a role to play. early days, k writes that no first lady had a more fraught relationship with west wing than pat because bob wanted to run everything. houseme to the white after they were gone, i think. >> i miss them.

>> there were those in the administration who clearly saw .ow important she was she actually wrote to the president at some point, saying that pat nixon had broken .hrough where we failed parade magazine wrote just five years ago, saying despite his aputation for being neglecting husband, he was a sentimental partner. in 1969, he summoned the secretary to the white house and they helped plan a surprise party for his wife. he was so excited he sang the entirety of happy birthday to

you. pat once told a reporter he is very dear personally. i don't think they would have stayed with him otherwise. >> there were other interesting voices that come up about that need to have a seen as a partner and you will recognize the name memo ailes who says in a , pat nixon wrote saying please tell the president to talk to her and smile at her and he wrote back, you tell him.

.he had backbone greg she deftly had backbone and just a backup minute, there has to be a genesis for the word manse planning and i think it may have originated in the west wing. i'm not sure. she just continued on with what was on her agenda and did herlet bob halderman deter or even slow down. always andcious as did what she thought she should do. >> i think in the early 1970's, it is hard to imagine now, but there was a white house east wing press corps of women and it was a very different time. they looked at it much more than , so herional manner

[indiscernible] you can speak to that. >> it was very gradual. in the beginning, just a core of women --women -- 45 four or five women. 53 foreign had done trips. that is unbelievable. she may have been the most prepared woman first lady that there has ever been in history. -- so muchmits experience at a young age and was very confident of the things

she needed to do and could enhance the position and also role.e the stature of the -- acceptance pat nixon, so many of you involved with the nixon foundation come up are going to open this up into questions and just a moment and i want to ask all three of you, just pat nixon come back to the white house? did she come to visit for once they left and went back, did she leave that behind?

>> i don't recall that she ever came back to the white house. another first lady did and i would give her a lot of credit for her graciousness. i think it was 1971 when two portraits were completed and mrs. nixon wrote asking what she would like to do at a ceremony and zero act that she was not up so mrs. nixon invited mrs. kennedy and they -- the house was locked down that day. enter into the east kennedy toey invited

look at portraits and locations they would be. they showed the children the and then were invited to a lovely private dinner and i thought that was one of the most gracious things they could've done at that time to preserve the privacy and give her the one time she ever came back. >> she wrote the most touching and beautiful letter you could imagine, saying that the next and had made the day she most dreaded a wonderful experience it her and her kids and would bring a tear to your eyes to see this letter. she was also very complementary

about how the white house had been improved and she said there were no dark corners anymore in the white house and she had done a beautiful job and she also complemented their ability raising their two lovely she said they had and to raise the young women in the public eye is dirt -- very difficult. >> there's a portrait of pat nixon. tell us about that. >> it is an extremely beautiful and it was painted in 1978. she went out there to paint her it came to thed

white house. that she sent to julie about her impression of her mother while she was painting this portrait and i would like to read a little bit because i think it is so beautifully [indiscernible] of whom mrs. nixon was. her mother has eyes that are like no one else is. the eyes reveal an unusual spirit. they are the eyes of the 16-year-old girl with great sweetness and in that expression, occasionally the doors closed and the lights go out. always the feeling of something beyond, desire for the

unobtainable. she has maintain a fragile beauty about her life. ,hen she looked out the window i like the impression -- expression then in her eyes, she still will be despite injustice. i thought that was a beautiful tribute. >> ladies and gentlemen, let's hear from you. we have a microphone. can we break in -- bring a knife ?can we bring a microphone mrs. nixon's about support of women's rights. back in 1972 at the republican national convention, they had a and for themittee

first time it had to be 50% men and 50% women. the majority for women wanted to do something about childcare and support things financially. they got very far as the all of a sudden, all of the tension went away and they supported it, funding for federal childcare and i asked why? people just looked at me and said the east wing said it was time. this is a lively crowd. thank you. story here tonight, is there another one you care to share? i don't know if there's a

favorite, i think mrs. next and [inaudible] she also hosted a very large reception at the time that the adams family gave the portrait and it had been in the family for over 150 years. .he gave a wonderful reception remember ms. johnson had worked on trying to acquire a portrait him about it did not come into the white house until the nixon and ministration and she decided to jump back to the ceremony and that was unveiled .n 1970 i remember when the blue room

was unveiled in 1972, that was a major project and mrs. nixon had house here inoric georgetown which was then copied and advocated and so they were having this enormous reception and it happened to be the evening that doors loss shot here, but they went on with the , speaking at that reception that night. question. mrs. trump recently went to active combat zones. mentioned mrs.s

nixon going to one and mrs. bush. i was wondering if you could tell us what that was like and did miss nixon -- mrs. nixon get much press coverage? >> that is one of the first things that i really learned and admired about mrs. nixon, the she went to an active combat zone and it was while i was working for mrs. bush and went to the national constitution center and there was an exhibit about for slater's -- first ladies. she i did not know is that is the most travel first lady in history, 81 countries and no one has eclipsed that and then really studying more and peeling

back the layers. in terms of coverage at the time , i'm not sure. i will say that ireland commends the nixon foundation because the last couple of years you are seeing so much more attention paid to the contribution of this much she did, but theimpact she had and impact on women and women's rights and the fact she is the only first lady that was given the title of personal representative of president so as a global diplomat no one comes close.

we had difficult time hitting coverage that traveled with us and i don't know what it was like for mrs. nixon. thatther thing to note is she had never been in frightening situations and she and president and i believe when she was priced -- vice president had gone to south america and they were in the middle of a right -- a riot that was so close because they were not told how close they were to death. she had had close calls before this and she was undeterred. >> we have a question right over here.

>> this is television. you worked in microphone like that. i read a few quotes and i would like to hear from each one of your panels. she was quoted as saying she gave up everything that was precious and dear to her to support the president. she was quoted as saying that. >> the thing that was most dear and sheas her privacy did certainly give that up for her husband. encourage everyone to watch this and find it on youtube. there were days in california, --of abc.mente

it was a wonderful interview and she was asked that question about what bothered her the all the places she has traveled, what bothered her the most? and she said she always had to be so guarded all the time and surrounded all the time again, giving up her privacy. anyone in public life would say that is a hard thing to do. theythink that is why protected that privacy in their private quarters. a sanctuary. >> the other thing that came out in that particular interview was virginia sure what asked her -- why aren't you talking about everything you are doing to redo the white house? a wholetotally doing it

scale project and we don't see anything around about it. explainedixon just that she did not think comparisons on that were relevant. that she was very grateful to really bringing the nation's attention to the white house and lifting it up and having people understand how important it was but she did not want to get into making comparisons with other first ladies. >> gracias. that whenember too jacqueline kennedy did so much to improve the white house, then we went through the period of intense, really kind of -- i remember i was in college at the time and the fabric of america was fraying under the pressures of the war in vietnam, political opposition. >> kent state.

>> the civil rights strain and it was not the time when decorating the white house was considered an important priority to promote. years, wheng those it was not as much of a priority did mrs. nixon common to find a white house -- i think the story was that lucy winchester would go around with little manicure scissors in her handbag and snip the straggly strings off the furniture. >> that was part of it. >> and so forth. >> she worked hard at that project. as i said before. and gave it her full support to do that. but i do recall that there were when a broom was refurbished or a painting would be donated and there was a

ceremony, there was press coverage but it did not seem to get much out of the white house unfortunately. whenose were the days there were three televisions. and no internet. and no twitter. i'm not sure and would have gone on twitter. [laughter] more have time for two questions. -- ok,go to the way, way this gentleman here and then i will get you next. >> i had the privilege of ess ables,ng thab andson's social secretary she told me it was protocol for the outgoing social secretary to leave a gift and note for the incoming social secretary which in this case was lucy winchester. she said to is very surprised that mrs. winchester never

responded to her note. she said she only found out several years later that she had ton informed not to respond the note under threat of termination. you can pretty much guess what her reaction to that was. i won't tell you but you can use your own imagination. youuestion was what do think pat nixon would have thought if she had found out that this had occurred. >> i find that very surprising. of people that are close social secretaries and they are still around and get together very regularly. and so i find that hard to believe. >> question way in the back, please. >> good evening and thank you for the presentation. it is most enjoyable. buff. history i want your input if you know the answer to this.

in one of his books, president he wasrote that in 1940 a trustee at whittier college in california and at the same time, he was the trustee, lou henry hoover'sherbert wife was also a trustee. i wonder if any of you know if the first two ladies ever met? >> i don't know but i would like to find that out. we would have to do a little research on that. you are talking to the right people. two moree time for questions. way in the back. with the lights, it is tough to say. there is a hand there. >> you were speaking about mrs. nixon's jealously guarding her privacy. i am surprised you have not brought up how she had to give

that up for one of the biggest events of their family life, trish's wedding at the white house. how did she handle all of those preparations? and opening that event to the world. >> good question. >> it was trish's desire to have it in the garden. and she went with it. i can only say that i am certain that she handled it very graciously. and certainly with all of the photos and i saw subsequent to that that she looked radiant. she made it look easy. what can i say. bighite house weddings are events, as you know, and i remember when president george herbert walker bush and barbara was goingghter dora to get married at camp david. i saw mrs. bush and i said -- what can you tell me?

and she said, absolutely nothing! [laughter] that firstome things ladies stand firmly on. every president that serves brings a family that also finds itself in the line of fire, in the very public glare of public life. and how the nixon daughters and sons in law and their children whatflourished so despite they went through, especially the last couple of years of his administration. betty? >> i do remember working a lot with julie when she was living. i think it must have been somewhere else. i think it was overseas -- i think he was overseas or something and she was living and the house at the time but she became very involved with the projects mrs. nixon had

encouraged her to become a part of. i remember reviewing her scripts that she was writing. she was very active. likeinterested in people, her mother, very outgoing while trish was very reserved. she did tutor a student while she lived there but she was not there too long. >> and it would be good to note at the firste -- possible moment, they all got out of town. they all chose a place to live where they could have that privacy. around them in terms of standing bear when they were eating dinner or going out to a movie or that kind of thing. you do what you need to do to get through a period and they did a graciously in the white house but it was not what they chose to do for the long haul. >> well said. haveita, some families

become sort of political dynasties but that was not the mold for the nixon family. -- no, of course not and i think even for any family whether there are multiple generations in politics, it is still very hard to see any of them hurt or wounded or challenged and i do remember president bush 41 saying after all that he had been through, the campaigns, and the difficult way that he left in 1993, the thing that still hurt him the most where the attacks on his son. and george w. bush would say after everything he had been through, the thing that hurt him the most worthy challenges and attacks on his dad. is family andmily that is the sanctuary that you

depend on. your backbone and strength. no matter what your political life is, it is your personal life that lives on. not your politics. shownl, we hope this has new illumination on a very fascinating time in american history. hard to believe it has been 50 years. please thank this remarkable panel. [applause] you're watching american history tv. all weekend, every weekend on c-span3. talks aboutffner the photos he took on may 4, 1970 when national guard troops shot and killed four students at kent state university in ohio during an anti-vietnam war protest. a student and photographer for the college newspaper at the me