Were talking to you that the White House Historical associations here in washington d. C. We are here because you work with the organization while so you descend then two president s. Tell me your family story well im related to over cleveland whos the 22nd and 24 United States president and on my father side on the paternal side of William Mckinley in the Great Britain few William Mckinley and the great great grandson over cleveland. How did those two families get together . Its half a chance because my parents married and the two became one. Interesting lee enough we are parents aware of their lineage when they were married . Had no clue. My father was a longtime history professor at uja. So there over the course of time, at breakfast day when we talked about president ial politics. We talked about president ial descendants we learned so many stories about both families from those conversations that i had with him. Two are very different today . They are they are. Absolutely. Lets talk about one of the family name you have mckinley. What do you want people to know you studied some of his legacy is the most important thing to know i think everyone remembers he was assassinated in buffalo. But the most important thing susan and i think robert maries book has brought that to life have an impact his presidency gave the country. As we had industrial revolution, we had expansion around the world, we had tremendous growth. I think a lot of times sadly enough both Grover Cleveland and mckinley are often forgotten. Three books that are written about, especially about mckinley course remember carl rose book you wrote about carl mckinley. I think is always been revered but in times past weve been forgotten. My hope is that the course of time, and through the great efforts of the White House Historical association, Jacqueline Kennedy founded in 1961, through those efforts of education, preservation and legacy, learning about those president s they will certainly be remembered. Trying very hard to do that. We have visited the mckinley memorial in ohio wow what a structure. Tell our audience the story of how that came to be. William mckinley memorial way back in the day, people revered him and of course you know the significance about the roses that they wore back in the day, when he was assassinated. The citizens of ohio, especially since several were assassinated thought that it was befitting, to actually come together and create a memorial of his legacy and his memory. Of course he is probably in my opinion, ohios most revered United States president. Because he was not only a house member, susan the last u. S. Civil war president. I think the legacy that produced in addition to the fact that he was assassinated, probably contributed to him having this wonderful memorial. It truly really is. Its impressive. The amount of space that it takes, and the size of the memorial itself. If i understand the force that he was very much involved in. The first ladies Memorial Museum is also on the same campus. Would you talk a bit about mrs. Mckinley and her legacy and her role in the white house . Absolutely. Wonderful mate, wonderful supportive wife of william. Know the story about her having epilepsy. The fact that mckinley was such a wonderful has been, when she had, he just graciously would kidnapped in place it over her face. And she would recover they would go on with the dinner. She definitely because they lost both children. Thats the reason why he has no direct descendants. Because the young daughters died in infancy. I think she, because of the death daughters and certainly the assassination of William Mckinley caused her to really want to memorialize mckinley. And to the white house first ladies home is actually her home. Did you know that . No i didnt. It absolutely is. Its actually 16 we can leasehold. Its a beautiful structure. I think Hillary Clinton inaugurated that home in the day. Look at that period time it was a time of great disruption and technological change there are a lot of parallels to today. We are going through the digital revolution, theres challenges with immigration as there was back in that time. The purpose of studying history is to help us understand our time today would you take away from the mckinley era people get help to understand the time were going through . I think like you said, the technological advances we are expanding at rapid speeds. Money was being poured into the country where industrial expansion. I think we can learn from that and that today, we could take strides and make sure we have the infrastructure to be able to proceed. And you can understand how important that is because i think, they were doing that i have a chance and hoping for the best. And sometimes that does not work out. We can learn from the past, we can learn from those mistakes especially during that time. We radically change in the 18 or rather the 1900s. Remember that he was americas only non sequential president. What else should they know . You know that he had a beautiful wife. Theres a great story thats been passed down for my family for many many years. Francis rover were so side after they were defeated after the first election. They told the white house which they dearly love to take care of the china because will be back in for years and they were back in four years. I think the romance that they had, prior to them getting married in the white house story that will endure the test of time she was married in the white house. Beautiful gown susan was funded by George Cleveland was actually at this event. Hes the grandson of grover. And mary in cleveland cohen they found the dress that actually exists the Wedding Dress that exist in the white house election house first ladies collection thats just a powerful display of how wonderful and how again she was. How does the Family Process that . I think it was a love story that was kindled by francis his father. I think upon his death, i think grover felt the need to make sure francis was taken care of for the rest of her life. They love each other think definitely definitely a lot of. The stretch of 25 to 30 years. But i think in time she trusted him he was a guardian for many years. Prior to that. I definitely feel they had they love each other had a wonderful family. They really did not like life inside the white house. They really wanted to protect their family how did they do that . Thats correct. A lot of times francis would actually take the children by carriage, the sites off campus of the white house. And to the press or anyone that was around. They would actually really do that. Midday, or sometimes probably in the evenings would be suspect that they would be around. She was just very much she controlled how her children would be seen. They also built a house, as i understand, what is called the cleveland part. Her family more or less live there. There is a ton of correspondence that exists from that particular time. He was a voracious reader and writer. As you well know at the time, we did not have the archives like we do today. When he left off, all those letters and all those documents were taken by him. I was talking to george just yesterday about how much fall you of papers still exist. Theyre trying to give those to the museum and institutions like princeton. To preserve and indefinitely keep those. It is a lot of information. Where are the bulk of his papers. In princeton. What is the princeton connection . Princeton was the place that grover and france this retired to. On never forget the story. Its a great story. Ive been told this many many times. Grover did not like will joe wilson. At the time, Woodrow Wilson was the president at that time. He did not allow his children or woodrows children to play together. There was a rift. They did not play together. He actually retired to princeton. We are talking about the clevelands children. They had a daughter that became very famous. She unfortunately also passed away in her youth. Baby ruth. We have a candy bar named after baby ruth. Tell us what you know about the family stories about baby ruth. The actual Candy Company contacted cleveland to actually put the images of the baby and also francis on that. We have actual i have tons of political memorabilia. Tons of souvenirs that have been given away. They actually contacted the family to allow both images on the candy bar. Sadly, like you said, ruth passed away, and sadly, susan, she was pregnant with a child at the time. Both happened almost at the same time. She did not get a chance to say goodbye to ruth before she passed away. I think she was in her very early childhood. Correct. They were afraid that the disease i think it was depth area. That it would certainly affect the child. She lives on through she does. Everybody thinks that that candy bar was named after babe ruth. But that was long past that time. You hear it from the Candy Company. They will actually say that it is named after baby ruth. You see the likeness on a lot of the candy wrappers. Both were beautiful. She was a beautiful child. Francis was a beautiful woman. Why not put that on the display . Lets talk a little bit about you and your interest in politics. You mentioned that the family used to talk about the Family History around the kitchen table. When did you take a real serious interest in the american political history . I would say probably not until junior high. My dad always talked about it. I have two other brothers. He always talked about politics. He always talked about presidency and president ial descendants. I think junior high really picked my interest. I wanted to take a greater look at it. The fact that i had the legacies of both families. I certainly want to research and read as much as possible. Probably, my junior high years were probably the timeframe that i became really really interested. That showed an even greater interest and we went to a lot of the historical sites of the Mckinley Museum and library and of course glover clevelands grave site. In new jersey. I would say i really was not as familiar with it in the early years, but junior high, high school, college and the interest that i had in that probably caused me to become to have an even greater interest in. That is it a coincidence that your profession is political communication . I have been privileged to write for some of the great her people. John boehner and also, the current speaker, paul ryan. Very specific speeches. I do not do daytoday stuff. But it has been a thrilled to be able to write for them on some policy things. I thoroughly enjoy it. Most of my work is corporate communications. What is it like being part of the community of president ial descendants . Its there a lot of interaction among you . I had to say it, susan. Years ago, we attended the new york mayors president ials descendants luncheons that they used to have. This is probably 20 or 25 years ago. Probably in the last five years, people have become more interested. I approached stewart the White House Historical association about six months ago about wanting to do, to create an event for the president ial descendants, because i think it is something that is just kind of not been done. Hopefully, going forward, we will actually have more reunions. I am in hopes that we have an annual dinner. That we actually will have them indifferent look actions around the country. I hope that we will, because i think it is so important. You learn so much. You share experiences. You share stories about the president ial families. I just love to be around people that are a lot like me. If you had to say your perception being a president or wife in the white house is different than folks who do not have this history because of what you know. Your family stories. How did be different . Do you have a different appreciation for the job . I think i really do. I think, probably the greatest word would be respect. Two men gave of themselves. They have spired to greater office. Grover and cleveland. What a sacrifice during this period of time where it was quite strenuous in this country. I think i do have a greater respect for the office. I have a greater respect for the people that occupied that office and the sacrifices that they make each and every day. Name missed family time a lot of the times. I know for a fact that, mckinley is the way they had to travel back then, they lost a lot of time with their daughters because they traveled by road. He was apart from his wife or a good bit of time. That was traumatic because of her illness. Thank you for visiting with us during this white house summit. Nice to meet you. Same. Pleasure. Next on lectures in history, a class examines white house myths. We will hear about the realities and elections and refuted story such as the tunnel system, decorating traditions and Dolly Madison saving washingtons portrait. This is one hour and a half. Todays topic, white house mitts and popular culture. Youve probably come across these things multiple times. Whether you are researching things on the internet. Maybe you came across them as you were doing research for your papers and this class that there are a number of stories that continue to get circulated and perpetuated