Transcripts For CSPAN2 Presidential 20240704

President john adams ultimately lost to Vice President Thomas Jefferson. While the transfer of power was ultimately peaceful, adams did forgo his successors inauguration. I think that has also happened d another time or two. They remained at odds for many, many years. Itit was only later during their retirement did they actually rekindle their friendship. Discussing many different topics in their correspondence including the topic of death. Adams actually wrote to jefferson in 1822 these words quote i answer your question is death and evil . It is not an evil it is a blessing to the individual and to the world. Yet we ought not to wish fort to life becomes insupportable. He was 86 years old when he wrote this note. Perhaps adams had become comfortable with the idea of leaving the world. But it was four years later that both men adams and jefferson passed away on the same exact day july 4, 1826. While he was not present when his father died John Quincy Adams later recorded his fathers last words three very poignant words Thomas Jefferson survives. He had no way of knowing jefferson had died in the very same day. As americans then gathered across the country to honor the 50th anniversary of the declaration of independence news of adams and jeffersons passing spread. What had begun as a mop up celebration was now one of morning and commemoration. The citizens began to listen to eulogy speeches and tributes in churches, government buildings and public spaces. Whileir jefferson and adams had their own opinions on how they should be remembered it would be up to those living in 1826 in successive generations eat up and until now to define and to shape their memory. While, president ial sitequ suchs ours are frequently called upon to discuss the legacies of people who have held the highest office in our country. And one way, one very important way and iconic way we know these men will eventually die. It is how that death is marked and remembered that it becomes very important. W our next panel will provide wonderful and different perspectives on this process. Plan to president ial funeral one is a historian and the other overseas president ial site defined by traffic tragedy. These three participants will grieve greater insight and how these rituals and how these events changed over time and how we what she is moments like this to better understand the relationship as well as how president ial morning politics, and culture our moderator for this session is giant high bushh executive director of the Ronald Reagan president ial foundation and institute. Take a moment of personal privilege of the approach of working for and with john for several years and planning the reagan centennial. And he was a great friend. A great leader. And it certainly has been extraordinary in transforming the work of the Reagan Foundation and preserving and continuing todvance the legacy of our 40th president of the United States. So congratulations john for your great achievement. [applause] joining john onstage are my friend jean becker former chief of staff to president george h debbie bush and first lady barbara bush. Lewis by his storied board trustee for the cleveland birthplace memorialso associatin and author of grants tomb the epic death of Ulysses S Grant and the making of an american pantheon. Executive director of the sixstory museum daily plaza, thank you for welcoming so many of our guests the other days are wonderful museum. Please welcome us and our panel as we continue the market mornings program. [applause] thank you so much, stuart. As stuart mentioned he and i have had the chance to work in the past, both at the red cross and stuart was just an absolute remarkable head of the reagan centennial in 2011. He saved me from one disaster and another. Or at the reagan library. Its wonderful to be with you all this morning. I had a little trepidation when stuart told me what he wanted to discuss with the panel wasnt death and destruction and tragedy. And i thought okay this will be quite a challenge. When i saw who were panels were this morning, were going to learn a lot. For all americans. I did a little bit of homework im not a g good mathematician. On theop very topic of president ial funerals,io assassination, morning and the like. So math today we have six living president s today including our current president in the white house. Theyve died in the whiteness of various national causes. Eight president s died while in office. Four of those assassinated. You can depending upon the circumstances very, very different which in respect to america and morning particularly on that particular president. These experts have studied just about every one of them. Ns i think we know today a lot of difficulty unifying comingju together on just about anything. But when you experience, when you plan, when you study the death of United States president , we find some these very rare moments where americans actually come together as a people to mourn. Whether its the incredible shock of the assassination of a president or the natural passing of a president. The morning is there. I read one of the papers talked about how the quotes is no greater shock for the country than the passing of a president. And i remember that for example probably one of the elder statesman here today. Our member the passing of john f. Kennedy. I was amiri five years old but it is very first memory i have as a young boy. I remember i was living in arlington, virginia i saw heard this thunderous noise outside of our home. Iran out into our backyard. Overhead with the jets that were flying with the missing man formation. And then iran downstairs to our big black and White Television sets to see those very same jets on television. I thought a lot about it. Standing up on our panelists, what you will find is that president ial funerals president ial morning is all about processions. Write a list horses, teams of six white horses. In the modern Day Television or road block coverage across all the networks. President ial library burials. I would like to start with the a show of hands. Can everyone who is fully planned and executed, involved in president ial funerals please raise your hand . [laughter] you are setting me up. [laughter] i am. Now, everyone who has been to a president ial funeral. One of the events are watched one on tv raise your hand. Okay theres a lot more of the second than the first. I would like us to start out by talking with someone whos done it all. Jean becker. Jean, take us behind the scenes of what it is like to plan and involve yourself in a fullblown modern day president ial funeral . It is complete chaos. What you see on tv i hope looks really organize a very together. It is chaos. It is a process that goes on for years and years. M i decide the best way to answer your question im not here to promote my book but my editor would want me too show this. The last chapter is called the long journey home. And im just going to read something i put in the book. Talk about planning the funeral this is before president bush died. One day on i had worked all day on the funeral i came home to houseguests who were ready to do his thing fun for the evening. I was exhausted and a little frustrated that some of the problems i knew i hadwa to solve it. All i wanted to do is drink a bottle of wine and collapse. One of my friends was not amused with major attitude she said i dont understand what the big deal is . You have been planning this fina for years. How is that youre not done yet . What is the big deal . My answer, i had a lot of attitude. Just imagine youre in charge of the event that will take place over six days and three maybe four if he died in maine it wouldve been for, different cities and about the cast of thousands including president s, kings and queens and members of a very large family that live all over the United States who need to be moved from where they live to houston, to washington, back to houston, two collegees statement back to their own homes. All of which will be carried live on Television Morning noon and night for six days. And you have no idea when is going to happen. Then, when it does happen you have about 48 hours before it all begins to pull it all together before the show begins, again alive on television for the next sixyo days. You wont sleep, he wont eat, you wont really think you will just do. My friend never asked that question again. [laughter] on some of the dumbest fights i ever had was a man who was in charge of the super bowl. We had a fight about whose job is harder. I said you know when the super bowl is. And he said, i know youre going to agree with me since but teams until two weeks out. You know whos going to die. [laughter] because seriously . Jean and i have a very close mutualal friend. What she works at the Reagan Foundation library. One of t the very first things that she showed to me when i took on this job was a three ring binder. About this thick about 6 inches thick. It was the plan the staff put together for president reagans funeral. I know of what you talk about and mrs. Reagans was just as thick. Could i just added quickly after president reagan died,an after president ford died, after nancy reagan died, all joanne wrote long memos too me. President fort greg willard wrote me a long memo. They became my bible of how to do a funeral. It saved my life. And i did the same for the staff and president bush 43, obama, clinton and carter. I wrote a long memo what went right, what went wrong and we can talk about later some of those big challenges. In a moment well talk about the sharing of those. But this is one of the best laid plans of mice and. I want to put a photo up and ask jean to comment, here we go. The unexpected moments in here is just one. On the bt unexpected moments. Many of you will remember presidt bob dole or bit rivals they had a nasty 81988 republican primary contest. Both said some things that prably wish they had not said. They became huge frien. And when senatorhi dole this isn president bush was lying in state in the rotunda. He insisted on standing. And saluting the casket. He is in a wheelchair now. I had an opportunity to ask him why he did this . Whyy he insisted on standing . And i cannot tell you the answer without crying. He said i had to stand and tell salute that great man. This was for the big pictures of the funeral that went viral. It was such a wonderful moment. Why some spectacle . Undulant passes at some time or another. But why the pomp and circumstance . What is the history behind it . Thats a good question is something that is build up over time. Hes hinting all these plans going into six days of the funeral, going back to the beginning with George Washington of the very first president ial funeral in 1799 is to show how far we have come. George washington in his will ask for no funeral or oration but he did not want any funeral. And one of the reasons i surmise is that washington had such a strong sense of republican virtue. That in america our leaders are citizens first. We are much different from the monarch and the tyrants. He had asked for no funeral. It was the freemasons of the referring nations asked martha that they could hold a modest funeral for him. They did and i think maybe theres an image of the funeral. It was a couple hundred marchers that were in the funeral. He died and was interred at mount vernon. But in practice today. The military the 21 gun salute, the writer list horse that we still see today. Now, over time with advances in technology and as the country grew for most began to become more elaborate. Significantly when the president died in officee like William Henry harrison in the first president to die in office in washington d. C. There was a funeral procession which might a little that resemble what we see today with hundreds of marchers that marked from white house to Congressional Cemetery where he was temporarily interred. And then over time once again advances in Technology Like the train and with involving with Abraham Lincoln there can be these more elaborate elongated ceremonies before the president was insured. But still these modest funerals would still be in practice even into the 1900s. Over clevelands funeral from beginning firm in the funeral first started at his home whenas he was placed in the ground was barely one hour in princeton, new jersey so extremely modest. Calvin coolidge was probably thl last of the modest funerals in 1932 which was several hundred guests attended his funeral in northampton, massachusetts. After that we see where franklin died in office driven because his unplanned unexpected candidate. And today. That leaves us into john f. Kennedy the next president to die. Very quickly after john f. Kennedy who also died unplanned is when president started to do the preplanning of funerals. And wondering binder that turn into three but grew over time. Estimates of the modern based state funerals that we are so familiar with now. Its the first one had the preplanning. As you have pointed to the planned element of it its a genius saying okay, you dont know when its going to happen. My gosh with john f. Kennedy you really, really dont know when its going to occur. Yet a funeral still needs to take place in these take place relatively quickly. So if you could talk to us youve got a fabulous museum the Six Floor Museum that covers jfks funeral. How are they able to do that . The last thing a president ial couple expected was to have the four days and the National Funeral and uniting the world. Was inspired by lincolns a funeral and went to great details. Time that within normas grace and support from her team. The six museum was a fascination days leading up to the aftermath. While there still questions today. I remember at the time i found a book on our shelf at home it was the torch is passed. About the jfk funeral. And i am a member at leafing through it in seeing Iconic Images of the funeral. I thought the one thing about the question would be giving donated so many wonderful images. For innocent bystanders. This was taken who actually was a doctor before and after the assassination. He was here documenting this tragic very sad moment just before little johnjohn raised his hand in salute. We have a lot of materials we have been not able to put on display but this is one example he wanted to express thees powerful memories. But it adds so much rick texture and dimension to the story were able to do the programming. Tell me, we use the word tourist sites. Whether we are doing with fords theater or the lincoln assassination or your own exhibits, tell me how do museums exhibits evolve dealing with an assassination when youre rubbing up against something that is so extremely delicate. How does the Community Come together and decide its time for us to commemorate this . Does it take a long while . Does it happen instantly . Is it takes a very long time but the day of the assassination became an instant memorial site. That said he was overwhelmed with mourners coming to try to understand what is happened. Our story has been a very long one of endurance as the decades in the fascination took place in 1963. The exhibit did not open until 1989 and in 1993 was designated as a National Historic landmark district. The Museum Opened after at least a decade of struggle trying to throw at you with that building. Thank god theur county save the building and turn it into the ministry of offices. The sixth floor was left vacant. A wonderful lady who ended up becoming our fairy godmother wat the chair of the Dallas County commission she, along with leaders lobbied throughout dallas to gain support to create an exhibit to explain to the world things that led up to the assassination. When you find a way to address all the people trying to seek their own meaning there. This tragic piece of history. I did not figure this out until i went to the reagan. Thats on the tip of your tongue. How do you approach a president to say it listen its time to Start Talking about your death and we have got to get on this thing. How soon will a president engage in this sophisticated its a delicate moment. In so many ways i have the best job in america being george bushs chief of staff. He loved it talking about his funeral. [laughter] first of all fans are part of your question, i think this is because of the assassination of kennedy. Give your first funeral meeting in the white house when you are president. I obviously was not part of that meeting. I know they make sitting president s at least to some kind of at light of the funeral in case he dies in office. So when i became chief of staff i inherited a very small folder of plans. By the time we were done he, after he became 80 once a year is that we need to talk about your funeral. Hes like oh good. [laughter] it was really odd. The other thing he did is every president ial funeral he attended, he would change his mind about something. After president nixons is when he decided to be buried in the library. He and mrs. Bush were being buried. After president reagan he decided he did not want to have a writer list horse that is too dramatic. After president he ford he wanted all the same music. Two favorite phone calls was brent and Henry Kissinger after president ford. They inform me no one who is 80 or older should be honorary pallbearers because they were exhausted, they were old and they were hungry. So i told president bush on their pallbearers of the captains of the uss george h. W. Bush we kicked at all the old people. My other favorite was the 43rd president denies a zoo called me immediately after john mccains funeral. Er jean, everyone at that funeral talk too long except for me. [laughter] at dads funeral moment talks more than 10 minutes, 10 minutes. Got it . I said yes, sir. But president bush is it time to talk but the trains . Will get to that biker to say that for later . Will say that for later. He enjoyed talk about the funeral. One quick story this is a little bizarre. Even the National Media has to get really organized. Because i also hit the ground running. The networks divide up whos going to be the pole camera for the big event. Fox news was the pole came at ct the gravesite they call the motor permission we ended up closing it to the media. The burial turned out to be one her private. For a while it was going to be a pull camera. So i told president bush as an fyi youre not going to believe this but fox news is advancing your gravesite at the library today and he said i have an idea. [laughter] he said im going to go and when they get out there ill be lying on top of the grave [laughter] with my arms crossed like im dead. [laughter] i said no. [laughter] you are not doing that. [laughter] cooks i told her this should not be all about morning. Lewis . How is it that in america the death of a president drives ever so briefly i wonder why so briefly these moments of nationalia reconciliation. The president is one person who unites everyone. We all vote for president for the present represents everyone. President ial funerals traditionally when the nation is divided is something that unites us. Throughout history there have been periods of reconciliation, some briefly. Some more permanent that have come out of it. With the president ial funeral has been the catalyst. One of the brief examples and we can go back to washingtons funeral again when the country was becoming greatly divided over the formation of political party. In George Washingtons funeral briefly brought together the federalists and the democratic republicans. Ultimately bigger than George Washingtons death. A couple of successful examples of how president ial funerals of the catalyst for change one of after James Garfield died. When he was assassinated. One of the issues of the time was a service report. Out of that assassination, shortly after the act was signed andak Civil Service reform begis to take shape. Perhaps by the not so potent examples of reconciliation being spawned by a president ial death and funeral is Ulysses S Grant. Grant died 20 years after the civil war so generation of the civil war over the country still greatly divided but grant was perhaps the one individual that was beloved north and south of the masondixon line. Im dying a generation after the civil war the nation was ready for reconciliation. It was really the perfect man that almost the perfect time to really bring about some of the reconciliation. There are confederate marchers who met march with not only them but confederate. And his tomb which comes 12 years later in 1897 really becomes a place where all sections of society come to mourn and pay respects at the same location there is north and south of the border. There is white americans, there men and women democrats or republicans. He is the one man and this comes perhaps the one place to bring about this reunification. We have a history of reunification it was largely also the reunification of the north and the south was built upon African Americans in the south losing their civil rights. Thats a very important part of the story. That was the point that began to reform the United States of america. That still been greatly divided in 1885. Fax back to the assassinations for a moment. Due to the leg and library portrays which is an attempted assassination. But and jfks case death of a president you go about determining what artifacts, what objects involving a nation are appropriate for public display. Im sure it must be a difficult situation because ill get back at the a moment but i will say the i attempted to assassinate president reagan looked it up. Thats of the shock still meant reeling from the effects. President kennedys assassination happed at the dawn the television and satellite broadcasting the news ricocheted all around the world. There was this outpouring of interest all across the world since the assassination. And finding out what happens. People come trying to seek meaning. The careful casting of the original exhibit of john f. Kennedy was designed to reach people at during this traumatic time. The idea this was not a museum or a memorial this was a and to allow people to find their own solace and reflect. They had no idea 33 years later there be a sixth flooror museum thats an accredited museum and also ordering artifacts the exhibit had very few artifacts. It was designed to be a floating chronological look at the events leading up to president kennedys trip to texas. Pt the anonymous welcome reception was designed as a wpa project at the gateway it still works as such. And nobody could have imagined what would happen. But the investigation the responsibility of the original project was to address the controversy but walk very fine line to be structurally based forgot to tell you what to believe but to lead the visitor through and come to their own conclusion of the very end. We try to update the exhibit and quickly more artifacts were lucky with the donations. Theres a gentleman here has a very important artifact that would havees been at the trademk for the president. We have taken the display of artifacts not to be a display of curiosity. Its not ripleys believe it or not. Most of evidentiary materials in the nationall archives we wont allseated our lifetime. The most controversial artifact we put on display in operation for the 50th Anniversary Commemoration was the rifle it was an exact copy of the one. Its carefully displayed another artifact was the wedding ring we have left on the nightstand it was all of his cash 187. To save these things promote questioning whats behind these had he not left his ring and money in a teacup and had not argued with his wife the night before would he have taken the drastic actions he did that cause such tragedy . We have talked about big binders and the rest of that. You also touched on how different staff are different president and they might be president s of opposite parties, there seems to have developed into modern times like a calm lottery almost as it were amongst president s reaching out to help each other in these really difficult times. Talk about that a little bit. It really is that we have each others back. And as i mentioned earlier, certainly president reagans chief of staff and relate president fords lawyer who planned his funeral. They give you a heads up of the landmines that are ahead. And without those mike they saved my life. How to organize and how to stay sane during. One of the bigger challenges that i face is this is a good time to talk about what i learned from both president reagan and president ford. The state funeral in washington ond. C. , all of congress is invid and their staff. All the governors are invited and their spouses. In the diplomatic corps is invited. They do not all come. What happens is about 5 00 p. M. Before the funeral you find out how many tickets come back to you at 5 00 p. M. The night before the reagans were caught so flatfooted by this for a couple of reasons they bust in best inboy scouts. I was ready because they warned me too be ready. I way over invited. And for about 12 hours we had 281 people coming that it did nt have seats four. The funeral scene was very nervous. I was a size six when president bush died. [laughter] i am just saying. [laughter] but sure enough at 5 00 p. M. The night before thehe funeral and i was ready 281 and already been invited. I wont go into detail but we filled every seat. There is a b list that immediately got invited. One of the pieces of advice they gave me was to identify a group of people that you can invite at the last minute to be your seat fillers. Someone who meant something to the president. So we chose the cia. They had a very close relationship with the cia. So i asked them if they could use some tickets in the end and they were thrilled. I had 75 seats left. And i gave them to the cia. I said i will need names because security was very tight as you can imagine. Those are my favorite moments that week. The person answer the phone said yes, dont worry about that. [laughter] you know, youve got to love those guys. [laughter] thats just an example of working together. So all the chiefs of staff know to be ready for this to come back. You mentioned, as did you come in june, the whole concept of funeral trains. Im in a put up a photograph for people to see. Where did the tradition start made it stop and go from there. The first president president same are placed on a train was William Henry harrison. The first funeral train was 1848 when John Quincy Adams died. He had died in washington d. C. He was also temporarily interned but for a shorter term. Before being being brought up north to boston to buried in quincy. I was not really meant to be a funeral train. It was meant to be a form of transportation to take north. But meanwhile people would gather at the track. Men would take off their hats when the train hit. It really became a place of morning the funeral track. People who did not have the memes to go to the funeral in d. C. Or did not have the wherewithal to go to quincy for a ceremony able to have their brief moment with the former president to pay their respects. Abraham lincolns funeral in 1865 is probably the funeral train the intersection of railroad technology. Married todd when her husband buried in springfield which was 1700 miles away from where he was assassinated. Theres a long funeral train that expand for two weeks, stopped in multiple cities. It was removed from the train and put out for public viewing. In a prominent building. But, during the 1700 miles or hundreds and hundreds of displays and bonfires that would be singing hymns to pay their respects. In the end the millions and millions of people who either saw one of the many processions or were along the railroad tracks. It was a very personal way people could pay their respects to the president. In the coffin will be placed on display with windows. I see the coffee when they pass by. Now, over time again with Technology Changing the funeral train kind of went out of style if you will. Dwight eisenhowers funeral in 1869t was the last funeral train before president bush. One of the reasons reportedly. She preferred p this train its really important because it really creates a way for everyday citizens to be able to pay their respects. By the late president eisenhower train my grip on a farm in missouri. His train through my home town at 10 00 p. M. At night. And we went. We definitely went. Can they see n the pictures were seeing . Quick ski hold that up . There you go. President bush loved trains he was in love with trains. His second Funeral Service was in houston for those family and friends funeral. He was buried in his library about 90 miles away in college station, texas. He loved trains. He left talking about the trains. Please do not judge me but one day we are talk about the trains and he was so excited. He really viewed his funeral as a big event. He said it will be exhausted from all the events you can have lunch on the train, they can visit and rest and relax before the burial. I do not know why but i said sir, your family will. But you are not. He said jean, i will be on the train i may not eat lunch but ill be on the train. [laughter] anyway this is a Union Pacific train. Union pacific was amazing. They had this while especially made. Theyve now donated it to his library in college station. It is under a tarp. It will p be unveiled on presidt bushs 100th birthday, june 12, 2024 you are all a invited. It was an amazing train. This is one of the more touching moments. The track was passed just like all the stork trains theres of cowboys waiting on the horses. The train went by they took their cowboy hats. When i did not know until later theres about 20 cowboys the engineer decided to tooth the horn to greet them and most of the horses ran off. [laughter] these are the only five left. But we all cried. It was really special. There were 20 of them i dont know what we wouldve done then. It was a really special part of his funeral. Great story. Ive got 100 more questions. I bet a few of you and the audience do as well. We bring it microphones up front. I promise if you are too afraid to ask a question im not and i got a lot more. But if you would be of 20 minutes for questions. Please feel free to come forward. I dont have a question but i wanted to give you an eyewitness account of being in the capitol when they brought the casket in. My father was United States senator from the state of wyoming. And on the day of the capitol event he put the family in the car and said lets go down. Let me see if i can get you into the capitol. So we drove downtown and couldnt get anywhere it was total gridlock. He leaned out the window and said to a policeman, i am senator mcgee i need to be in the capitol. And immediately he got us a Police Escort who took us over too constitution avenue. The site that Jackie Kennedy would be on just a few minutes later. So we drove by all the faces that she would see. We were taken up behind the capitoll for all of the dark cas were parked. My dad drove a blue and White Chrysler with big fins. And our car was parked right in there and appeared in all the pictures as just one light cart. We were taken up the steps, into the capitol right behind a rope line for the casket was. That is right where mrs. Kennedy and i think only caroline came up to the casket. And it was just that far away for me. Its the first time i had ever experienced death. I was trying to hold back tears, i did not wannacry in front of my father. But i started to cry and write as i was wiping a tear away the reporters not my picture. I had a copy of the picture. My parents never told me it appeared in different places around the country. It is become a treasured one. Then my father told me however many days later, they put the senate in the bus, all the senators and drove them out arlington. And he was there. And when he turned around and ive never seen this report, president nixon was standing by himself under a tree behind all this people. Anyway i just wanted to relay that story because its very personal. I dont know if im the only one on oneof the room that was ther. Can ask how old you are the time . Is probably that 16. If i could thank you so much for sharing that story. This is still very much living memory. Its important to record all of these memories. We would be delighted to do an oral history with you we have 2000 oral histories in this ad so much dimension and texture to our story. We do wonderful Public Programs they are all on youtube. But the shameless promotion for looking at our Youtube Channel four all the wonderful programs. People like you showing the memories. Thankk you. Whats you know how important is oral histories are to our museum. Really do hope you get together with her. Good morning my name is tracy messer with the Calvin Coolidge president ial foundation. Thank you all for being here this morning. On three occasions mr. Foolish or a black as a symbol good morning on the death of his predecessor Warren G Harding on the death of a 16yearold son calvin junior and on the death of his father colonel coolidge i was wondering many of you could comment on the tradition of wearing a black armband as a sign good morning . When did it start in winter it seemed go to fashion . I know i should be able to comment on this but unfortunately i do not know the history of that. It is something thats not really in style now you do not see it now. But yes unfortunately thats a really good question i didnt have the answer. Her . Thank you sir. Nikolai, of marching in president kennedys inaugural parade. That was my year at the naval academy. In my first class year i had the privilege of leading the Honor Company that marched in his funeral procession. And the marine van the u. S. Naval the National Geographic magazine took a picture at the Lincoln Memorial it was the marine band for west points. The naval academy. The air force academy, and finally the coast guard academy. The honor companies. And that is a memory i will take to my grave. I was the class of 1964. And of course this was the september 25 , 63. And i can remember the people on the streets and in the trees to get a better view of the funeral procession being in tears my only question for you is, we all remember johnjohn salute in front of the catholic church. We know any background on that salute . I cant verify that. I think that is the case yes. Jackie had prompted him to salute his father. It was his birthday actually two. Happy to be johnjohns third birthday. I do want to thank you again for sharing your memories. This is just an example it was created in 1989 after a decade, a lot of controversy there still controversy after it open. We are not afraid of controversy we walk a very fine line. But when it adds power and meeting to our story the story that you shared. We its we reach out to younger generations of the 20th century and white still wcontroversy appeared why president kennedys legacy still inspireso of back to the conversation we had about engagement, citizenship, educating our youth. These are all points will take through to the tune of 50th anniversary of the country. Week correspond one of the topics we wrote about was the kind of moments we are seeing here were these exhibits from the museum really provide an opportunity for closure. I sense that the case for so many that participate in these events. To help provide closure. But its been generational shift to more diverse audiences and be more inclusive. So many work touched by the assassination. And where the difficult challenges we have here in dallas is getting schoolchildren from north texas to come. There are multiple facets we have for opportunities. We are shaping the museum as we have more space to expand and share more artifacts. I think all of us are trident relevancy. How do we empower youth to be curious about the past and find meaning in the present and take action with a friend so the declaration of independence so and so is this bit of evidence or soandso saw this. Not evidence new photographs of that day of people who come forward you have people come out and say photographs youre still getting now . Believe it or not yes we do. Im looking right here to guilty connections in education. Surprisingly we do still receive wonderful things that have never been seen before. A lot of people unfortunately there is a huge private collection, collecting of candidate memorabilia. Some of things come up for auction a lot. They belong in a museum but they are not in the museum and are in private hands. We went our artifacts and so multidimensional. The 90000 things we have the collection are original most of which have never been on display. Our home movies, people dont think but to understand the peace in a moment there theres eyewitnesses. Quickly see you came in 2005. Being so immersed in what you do every dayve do you personally believe there are other films out there that may show what happened . Or do you think abraham is owen rolling . [inaudible] good answer. It is possible but unlikely. I think everyone is hoping something will surface after all of these years. Every year goes by and something is not surfaced. I think the one commission we weworked very hard over the yeas because it was so controversial and polarizing. To confront conspiracy a little bit more directly especially with the one commission every month that were going to be a tawdry exploitative. We have worked very hard. Thank you very much. I had read since 2018 still over 60 of americans believe theres a broader conspiracy at play than lee harvey oswald. Is a complicated story. During the morning. , the shock has the assassination of perez on Live Television it was just absolute life crisis one after the other bit down people do not understand that chaos and how we came through. You mentioned prior to hoovr most of these were unplanned. I was a born if you could shed some light on the 25th amendment ning for president s who died in office with also the obligation to continue to provide governance to the american people. They i mean they managed to do both there was always the transition of power. I mean after lincoln Edwin Stanton probably had more power than than president johnson for a while, but the but the funerals were paramount they were away. There was this urge especially in the case of president ial assassinations like garfield and lincoln that was just this this mass mass public urge to see the president one last time where they managed to do both. The president wasnt largely involved in it he was going about the business of government notably harry truman was thrown in after fdr and he had a crash course off what was going on wih the government while on the funeral train. So they managed to uphold the tradition and expectation of the public, but the work of government went on and lbj did the same thing very quickly, took over command p of power evn on air force one while they were still at low field so theres always been that balance of retaining the succession of power to make sure that that wasnt disturbed while also giving attention to the public. I live here in dallas and this is more of a story and honor that i had. Gwendolyn adams near the end of the 80s came to the office and i worked for the Business Bureau that is now dallas and was the head t of the service departmen. We had the great privilege she was taking us there to the sixth floor before anything was done and this is exactly how it looked supposedly lee harvey all sprawled shot president kennedy so we brought that a whole department there was about seven of us and they said to enter back to come up the back steps and they would meet us there so we get to the back steps, we stand there. Theres seven of us and we are ready to open the door. Everything is the same way it was. You goou g first, no you go fir. None of us wanted to go in because it is a part of history so since i was the head of the department, i went in and the boxes were the same and it was one of the best experiences i had a place in time a place in history and he walked us through where the boxes were so if you didnt get to the experience, take the time tomorrow to do that. It is an unbelievable exhibit. Our whole purposeor because we t to work the whole year with her and the conventions to come into the city and how to see a piece of this history and get the children from the school so we ran to the school and how we told the story and had all the conventions to come into the city. Thank you for sharing that. I have to say that the voting as you mentioned we couldnt tell our story in another place. I think theres tremendous power in that fight. We are very fortunate that it was left pretty much in its original state andte if it is thanks to the preservation. I think weve got time for one last question. The Benjamin Harris society, so Carolyn Harrison is one of the first few ladies who passed away while serving as first lady. This conversation made me curious k to know more about president s but do they also have a plan to start that conversation much and as they have those plans in place as well . Its simple or because of one service in their home church typically. She took me with her to betty fords funeral. She had two funerals, one in california and one in michigan. But she wanted me to go with her and we talked about the funeral all the way home and it was the first meeting we had about the funeral. She was very hands on with planning her funeral and was just like her husband. They thought it was another event. I would add to that the three ring binder was almost as thick as president reagans sophisticated set of events that we had to execute and as noted use to make it a practice about once a year for eight, nine years to approach mrs. Reagan to update the plan and discuss to see if there were any changes that she would want to make. Perhaps she might have changed her mind over the years. But i think first ladies give a tremendous amount of attention. Im going to turn to any data anitabecause shes in charge. [laughter] i think weve got six seconds left. If you could comment on one particular photo. I wanted you to talk about. After mrs. Bush died, he was sad and obviously we came up with the idea his medical aid arranged for him to have a service dog named solely who became quite famous. This was at the funeral home and then took solely to the funeral home with them to go check on everything so they went in front of the casket, cant make it up. He took a pitcher and came to the office and said do you think we should send this out and release it a to the media and i said yes, i do. It will touch the nations heart. This is how famous solely was, but i was telling the story, baker and o Lindsay Reynolds wee great members of the team and i was telling them we took them the next assignment was walter reedbl hospital and we had a problem of who was going to take care of solely during the funeral. I said lets take him with us so we got permission and i was algiven the job of walking them off air force one for some reason so i walked them off air force one and the press came over to me and said the press wants to know and for a minute i assumed she was going to say they would like to interview you. [laughter] she said at the press wants to know if you could not be between the camera because you are blocking him. [laughter] it was a humbling moment. He has an instagram account, 5,000 followers and im one. But that and bob dole are possibly theam two iconic photos that came out of the funeral. On behalf, thank you for your time. [applause] we believe that what you learn here or right here or way out in the middle of anywhere, you should have access to past reliable internet. Thats why we are leading the way. Along with these television companies, supporting cspan2 as a public service. Welcome to white house history live. For those joining in person welcome to the Decatur House and White House Historical association. My name