Lets started does not make covid seem like a very distant memory. This is great to be back again with lets ndget started. Does this not make covid seem like a very distant memory . It is great to be back again with all of you. You know . Just to be able to talk to so many friends. Well, i am just delighted to greet you and the audience in grand rapids, michigan, as well as our cspan audience added four. I am the executive director of the gerald r. Ford foundation. It is my honor to be your host, along with a lot of other good people today and to welcome you to our 2023 addition of americas first ladies luncheon. This years event is centered around. It is first ladies pat nixon and betty ford. Leadership, courage, and grace. Three great words to describe these remarkable women. Our nations longrunning first ladies series is the brainchild of the first daughter, susan ford bales, who is here with us from texas. Susan, thank you for your dedication for all these years. And joining susan are a number of special guests. I would like you to hold your applause till the end, please. Mrs. Nixons soninlaw is with us. She joins us in the will of the son, christopher, was originally on the program but cannot make it today. Then we have mrs. Nixons and mrs. Fords chief communication specialists, patty. Thank you for being here. Members of the White House Historical association, among whom are Anita Mcbride who is a film your face to this event and also dr. Colleen shogun was president bidens nominee to become the 11th arctic vest of the United States. We hope you get all the way to that senate process. Also, trustees of the gerald r. Ford president ial foundation, who in addition to susan are here and include david hocker and fred luger. Brooke clements is with us, also. And west michigans veteran political reporter rick alvin is with us. Lets give all of these distinguished guests a hand. I also want to think the many, many generous donors and sponsors who made this luncheon possible. Again, please hold your applause. Fifth third bank. That joan secchia, the wife of the late ambassador peter secchia, is us. Thank you so much for being here here. There are many additional sponsors who are listed on the back of your program. And we appreciate and thank you. Well, id now like to reverend lynette sparks, Senior Pastor at Westminster Presbyterian church, to come forward and offer a benediction, an invocation. Thank appreciate and thank you all. I would now like to invite reverend lynette sparks, Senior Pastor of the Presbyterian Church to come forward and offer a benediction and indication. Thank you. Participate today. So as we begin, i invite you to join me thank you, and to all of you at the Gerald R Ford foundation for the intimate invitation to participate today. As we begin i invite you to join me in prayer. Holy and almighty one, source of all that is good and noble and gracious, you gather your people together in communities for mutual support and for pursuit of the common good. We come to this gathering thankful for the community assembled here today. We come with gratitude for all those who have committed their lives to Public Service and to the betterment of our city, our state and our nation. Become especially thankful for the lives of first ladies pat nixon and betty ford and for the ways that they have leadership, courage, grace to their families, their loved ones , to our country and to the world. We are grateful for the presence of susan ford bales, for ed cox and rick altman and ask your blessing upon them as they reflect on the life of these first ladies, as we remember their legacies today, help us all to take to heart the lessons from their lives, inspire us to live our own lives with integrity, honesty and courage. Give us the will to combine our gifts and abilities, to put aside all that would divide us and to work handinhand to where the flourishing of all people. We give thanks for all who have made todays gathering possible, for the meal we are about to share, and for all who have had a part in preparing it and bringing it to our tables. Through it, strengthen us for service to one another and to all the citizens of the world. We offer these prayers and all of the holy names of god, amen. Not subtle that were about to begin. Now, the Proper Program here. Well, its that time of year again, three weeks after betty fords bi not too subtle, is it . Nd not too subtle that we are about to begin now for the Proper Program here. It is that time of year again. Three weeks after betty fords birthday and her namesake daylilies are popping up in the beautiful gardens outside of our general are. Ford president ial museum. Also spring has seen the publication of Richard Norton smith much heralded biography, an ordinary man which by the way is an ironic title which reveals a number of surprises about president ford. His private life and his historic presidency. Once you delve into the book, you realize a good sequel to an ordinary man would be an extraordinary woman. And of course i am referring to betty ford. That title would also apply to pat nixon. For these two remarkable women who became friends, who encouraged each other to live their best lives in the Pressure Cooker of public life, in the glare of the white house , with us to give deeper insight into pat nixon and betty ford, we have some distinguished people on this stage. Susan ford bales, only daughter of president and mrs. Ford, susan is the sponsor of the Aircraft Carrier uss gerald r. Ford, in recognition of her Extraordinary Service as the ships sponsor, susan was named an honorary naval aviator by the United States navy, becoming only the 31st american ever to receive this distinction. And, the first woman ever to be so honored. She is the recipient of three honorary doctorates and is the author of two novels set in the white house. I am waiting for those novels to get on tv. Netflix, we need to clean up a little bit. Ed cox next to susan, the son inlaw of president and mrs. Nixon, many of you may recall that the on stein center and the ford held a joint program, i figured it out, 12 years ago, you ask, when was it . 2011 where we were at the ford museum and featured ed cox talking about what is like to work with president s. He has worked with four of them, he is a corporate lawyer, finance lawyer, and he and tricia nixon met, i found out the story last night, they met in new york at a class dance in 1963 when they were seniors in high school. They married eight years later, of course the famous marriage in the rose garden that we are all familiar with, and they just delivered in their 50th anniversary in 2021, so congratulations. Patty mattson, who is next to ed, worked closely with both mrs. Nixon and mrs. Ford, she served as the assistant press secretary and speechwriter in the White House Office of the first lady. That is during the ford administration, Nixon Administration, patty traveled extensively. She travels not only domestically but internationally, she was an advanced person. She later worked at Abc Television for 25 years including a Senior Vice President of communications. Last but not least, todays conversation will be moderated by rick allen, veteran political report. Are you senior, veteran . We have got to be careful and we are our age, rick. Veteran political reporter for news eight, he has long been associated with wood tv which has given him the platform to cover politics on radio and television across five states and in d. C. , and rick has interviewed every president since president ford. Ladies and gentlemen, please join me in expressing appreciation for our great thank you, and good afternoon, everyone. I take a quick moment to think the foundation as they have the better part of 30 years inviting me to be part of these very special events and this one i promise you will be extra after listening to the conversations that we have had since i have been here and a special thanks to the ford family because they too have allowed me to do things, but most reporters dont get a chance to do, and particularly to susan who we have spent so much time together between the ship and some of these events, it is always great when you are back in town. It is nice to have you all here. Lets get started. I want you to think for a minute about these two remarkable women. We all know them, we can think about the high points, but think about what they did, how they did it and when they did it, and think about this title. Wives of leadership, courage and grace. Both of these women had very distinct examples, all three of those wonderful traits. Think about being a relatively young mother in the 1950s. When women did not have the same, for the lack of a better word, privileges, that are extended now. You did not just go out and become that kind of a strong voice unless you came from a very strong place. These two families were also linked in so many ways, and susan i want to start with you on this. We had a Conference Call earlier, and i had never really thought about it but all the way back to congressional days, the time of mr. Nixon being Vice President , your father being in congress, and then the obvious choice of Vice President and ascending to the presidency, talk to me about your mother and mrs. Fords mrs. Nixons relationship and how your families were kind of intertwined. Well, president nixon was a congressman when my dad became a young congressman in 1948. Then, so that relationship and friendship began then. President nixon welcomed my dad, helped him along, find his way, all those things as a young, new congressman. But then also mrs. Nixon back in the day, which, we are coming up on 50 years of all of this, was because she was the Vice President s wife, she became head of the senate wives club, that was part of your job. And saw my mother and pat worked together for years working in both the senate club, the congressional wives club, they did fashion shows, they rolled bandages, it was a very active group. When you think about the two similarities, did they keep in close contact, even post white house . They did. That was one of the things i remember my dad visiting president nixon after he had has surgery and the phlebitis issue, my dad left a vent and went to go visit him at the hospital, he was very ill at the time. But my mother was close to pat. They had been through so much together, just like my mother became good friends with nancy reagan. There are only so many people who have been in this fishbowl that understand where youre coming from. So they become dear friends. Lady bird was another one who was a dear friend. Talk to me a little bit about pat nixon and how multifaceted she was from promoting volunteerism, really being on the early edge of focusing on reading and all of that but she also traveled with the Vice President and then president. She was a bona fide world traveler. She was, as Vice President she traveled with the president to i believe 53 countries. Excuse me, with the Vice President , 53 countries. The first was a trip around the world, which president eisenhower asked Vice President to take, and mrs. Nixon went with them and the couple secret Service Agents and the one aid, and that was it. They were on their own and they went to allies in east asia, allies in south asia, in the mideast in europe, and of course there were customs, from white tie to regular business suits and of course women have to do what is necessary to dress according to it and yet they did it on their own. It is quite extraordinary. She was a real trooper in doing that, but she was brought up working. Just to get through college, she went university of southern california, she had nine different jobs from sweeping the floor of a bank to being an extra in a hollywood film. Her brothers on the other hand had football scholarships. Why shouldnt women have a scholarship too . Guess what, president nixon passed title ix which makes women equal womens sports equal to mens sports. Her mother passed when she was 13, 14 years old . And her father 17 years old, exactly. She actually took care of him. She was taking care of her brothers and they had a small farm, exactly. One more note, as i read all of this was making my head spin, shortly after her father passed, she graduated from high school. Pardon me. Some relatives wanted to go to new york city. She drove them, she drove them, she it is very interesting. She did like to travel so she took a job that did not pay very much to take these two elderly people in an old car and drive across the country to new york city. Where she found the job as a secretary, and among all the other thing she did, she could touch, type and could do stenography. She spent a year in new york city before she went back to california but that was her first real trip. She liked to travel. But she, in traveling, she likes to communicate with ordinary people wherever she went. On her tombstone at the nixon library, and i paraphrased a little bit, but it is well you may not speak the same language, you always know love in your heart. That is the way she likes to communicate, wherever she traveled, not go to the big fancy things but to go out and meet the people, even if they did not speak the language, she could communicate with them. Patty, you worked for both women at our table, youre talking about these great experiences and i will just let you start where you want to. I dont want to pick a particular story because they are all charming but they are also very indicative of the kind of women they both were. I think you described both of them as kind and that is a trait not listed, but one implied. It has really struck me in preparing for this and rereading a lot of the things that i was involved in, that the main thing they both had was this great empathy for people and their kindness. So, they faced their jobs and responsibilities, but you always sensed that in its. And a lot of the things they did , i think really because they understood how much it meant to people to have any kind of contact with the white house. And i know it affected mrs. Nixons really, revamping and having the white house available to so many more people. For International People that came, the brochures were in several languages, and she was continually thinking about things that could make the experience more memorable and really meaningful to people. Most important to her were the volunteers who came. That is what she focused on. People are giving back to their community, she wanted them to come to the white house. There was one little boy who came to the white house and he said, i dont believe you live here, where is your washing machine . So she took the little boy and show the little boy where the washing machine was. Because he cant live in a house without a washer. The other thing they had in common was their sense of humor. Mrs. Ford, you know, she loved to have a good time, as well. And she was always saying seeing the humor in everything. And then her quiet, elegantly, mrs. Nixon did the same thing. Their personalities would seem to be a little bit different but , they both had that humor and the kindness. Susan, i want to talk about a moment that showed grace and courage with your mother and it happened never a good time for any diagnosis, but at such a Pivotal Moment in your familys life, you had just moved into the white house. And your mother got a diagnosis of breast cancer. And if we were doing this panel 50 years ago, i would not have said breast cancer, because you did not say that in public. And she could have and others would have kept it as quiet as possible, had people who do communications gloss over it, she had people taking pictures of her after her surgery in the hospital room, the first lady of the United States, speak to me about what that was like for her, once knowing she had just taken on the role of first lady of the United States, and now is literally battling for her life. You know, rick, i was at the lbj library the other week. Lexi and i were talking because lucy and linda and her mother came to visit that day, as mother was leaving that afternoon and evening to go check herself into bethesda. Lucy said, i dont know why your mother just did not have somebody else let us see the white house. It is a real privilege to go back to the house and see the house after you have left. I have only been back once and been allowed to go upstairs to my bedroom and see my bedroom and what it looks like now who knows what it looks like now, but anyway, you do not normally get to go upstairs into the family quarters. So we were letting lucy and linda see their old rooms and all of that. They were unaware that mother was headed to bethesda Naval Hospital that afternoon which i am sure patty was involved in writing that press release, and she said to me, she goes, your mother was so gracious because she could have, you know, changed i said, but lucy, you and i now know how special it is to go back to the house. And why would my mother take that away from you and linda and your mother . Because it is a unique experience and because my mother and later bird were also longtime dear friends and had their hasbeens had worked together for years and years and years. What was it like as you try to get a handle on what your lives were like ask what your moms life was going to be like, having these two big events happen very close in proximity to each other . How tough was it for her to grasp the role of first lady while she is still obviously, has very Serious Health issues . It is interesting. I worked my first job ever was for the White House Historical association, selling guidebooks. To the tourists who came through, that was my first job. So, i knew when the nixons were inhouse, the screen was up so that you could not go to the west wing, this is exactly what i am talking about, you knew they were inhouse or out of house. So, when we moved in, which was about 10 days later, because julie and david were packing their things and getting them moved, i was cocky, lets just say that. Well, mom, i worked here, let me just show you how it was. And but lets also remember i was 17. Lets put it in perspective. So anyway, my mother was extremely gracious because she had been to the white house many times. She was there during the Kennedy Administration and we went to church when the nixons would have Church Services on sunday at the white house, i remember going to that. So, you know, the transition from being Vice President s wife to president s wife, i think it was a matter of housing because we were still living in alexandria. It was an upgrade in housing for sure. I want to ask you about the congress. Because 10 days earlier, you were standing beside the first lady and the president as he talked to you and the rest of the white house staff, just before he walked out in that fema shot, got on the helicopter and flew out to air force one, you also accompanied him on that flight and that was a moment that had to be particularly difficult for everyone but how did the first lady navigate a moment like that . Actually that question was raised by steve boll who is organizing the event. He asked me, should the family be there with the president . Of course i thought of mrs. Nixon, and of course, she has always been there with him. Whether it was the Funding Crisis where he was not sure what he would do and she said you have got to go fight it, and he did, and he won that. In all these tough moments she was there, she was a real fighter, and for her not to be there would have just not been right. I think steve was asking which she be able to control the emotion . Yes, there is no doubt about it. She was that type of a person, so we were all there, it was the night before i was in asked me to be in the city room with him as he was preparing his talk, very calm about it. He asked me to get a book, the quote that he used about roosevelt, teddy roosevelt, about his past life and that tribute that he read, so i bought that book with me. And then we got on the helicopter and your parents accompanied us there, julie and david stayed behind, and we went to sam clemente with the president and mrs. Nixon. He passed by the washington monument, the president is there and i am sitting here, mrs. Nixon is next to him, and i told him, what do you say . As you are going by and in marine one . I said mr. President , 10 years, you will be back. Because that is the type of person he was, and mrs. Nixon was, they were fighters. 10 years later, by order of catherine graham, who ordered him give a speech, he was on the cover of newsweek saying he is back. Because everyone wanted to seek his advice and mrs. Nixon was very much a part of that. There are a couple things, your take as a young staffer at that Pivotal Moment but before that, something much happier, and i wanted to ask you earlier, we moved along, you talked about mrs. Nixon loved to have one on one time with people to be able to look them in the eye, to make them understand not her importance but the importance of the office and the presidency and the first lady, how many of you all have ever taken a tour of the white house . A bunch of us . We should have done it during the Nixon Administration because what would she do when there were tourists coming in . In the last month, when they were not traveling so much, she was able to be there and be a hostess, if you will, to people who wanted to come. So particularly with the womens groups that would come to see washington, she would have them invited into the white house. She would stand there and sometimes three and four times a week, she would greet them at the door, she would look them in the eye, talk to them, and shake their hand and everybody left walking on air. And you know that those people still have that as a memory of a highlight of their life but she understood how much it meant to people to have a sense of the kinds of people who run the country and who are in the white house. So, she also was known because she got so much mail. She had, do you remember . Is, it was piled up outside her door for her to write her replies and she did it personally. Not only i mean, she never allowed anybody else to sign the letters, but at any rate, she understood what mail meant to people and she made sure that everything was answered and, you know, sometimes its, what Government Agency do you go to . He cannot believe the volume and how much time they took because she understood what it meant to people to have that kind of relationship. Susan, being in the white house, being the first lady, being a congressional life in the 50s, having all of that pressure, your mother did not lose her sense of humor. The picture of her standing on the cabinet room table that david took, it remains one of my favorites. How did she cope with these kind of pressures . It is not an easy place to live. There is a lot going on. But she is still in, what you talk about her, and trying to get others to be the same, we told you about the picture i saw day after the election, your father had lost the entire family, standing in the oval office, she tried to get jack to smile, you know . She is physically like, trying to get him to smile because obviously people are unhappy, you know . But she wanted people to feel better. As patty knows, she was quite the prankster. She loved good pranks. I think some of that comes from having two older brothers and having three boys and then she got me. So you had to roll with the punches and, i mean, my dad was gone probably 200 some odd days a year. So you just learn to roll with the punches. But we were always doing pranks at the white house and that was just mandatory to keep the spirits up. Inflation was this and with inflation now buttons and the sweater that some woman wonderfully knitted for my father. I remember the picture of him wearing it on christmas, but you are so beaten down, living there by the press and the american public, your numbers are up one day and down the next, you have to laugh. You have to laugh. My mother was a great prankster and she loves to be involved in a prank. I mean, patty, i am sure you are part of maybe a prank or two along the way. But, my mother was one of those that patty showed me a picture last night at dinner that, what birthday was it for you . 30. 30, she has not changed a bit. And my mother really honored and respected her staff who worked for her and they became part of the family because they are insiders and they know you can trust them and they are not going to talk and im sure at can say the same about president nixon and mrs. Nixon. Become friends. Tell the story about your 30th birthday . Mrs. Ford reconnected with the famous woman who had taught her how to dance, and dancing was quite an important part of her life when she had been young. So, we went to new york, her escort was woody allen who was a tuxedo with kind of tennis shoes , and it got quite a bit of it wears her reuniting with martha graham. So, we had had a wonderful weekend up there, we came back and they had given us a little plane to come in and we were, you know, just sitting there going over the day and how much fun it is then and that kind of thing. In walks this cake. It was my 30th birthday, i did not know anybody knew it was my 30th birthday, and she had gotten as a surprise, it was such a sweet thing to do, this beautiful cake with candles. So that is how i celebrated my 30th birthday. This is my least favorite thing when it comes to these, we are almost out of time. I hate it because i can sit here the rest of the afternoon, but i know you have schedules. So im going to make sure we stay with them, and, i am going to start with you, i am going to go to each of you and this is a challenge but try to tell me something about this is nixon that nobody else in this room knows. You have got two chance of, patty. Well, she was a wonderful mother in law to me. And, we were married in 1971. In 1972 i graduated from law school. And you are required in order to practice law to take a thing called a bar exam. The law school i went to, harvard, doesnt really get you ready to do that. Mrs. Nixon somehow understood that, perhaps from her husband. And she made available to me the solarium of the white house and set it up for me so i could study their nonstop for the six week sprint that you do to cram in order to pass the bar exam. That was very kind of her to do that, and to think of my predicament and what i had to do , because, by the way, failing was not an option. So, she was that thoughtful, a wonderful motherinlaw. Great story. What dont we know that you know about either of these great first ladies . I think with mrs. Nixon, the people do not understand that one of the things that made her so effective was that she had worked. She started working, as you mentioned, a couple of the things but she worked in a hospital for two years. All these things, and it meant that when she came to the white house, she knew how to get things done. That is what drove her ability to bring more people into the white house and all these other things. But she never wanted any publicity for herself. I think people do not understand how much she was responsible for and i regret that but she really did it on behalf of the nixon, what would you say, the nixon community. She wanted people to understand that the government was doing something for them. Susan, same question to you, i apologize, we did not get a chance to talk about the leadership and courage true mother showed after she left the white house, specifically to substance abuse, it is well documented and certainly worth noting that what is something about your mom that we dont know . She was a anchor, i can attest to that. I know you cant do that anymore so, i would also say that my parents were horrible drivers. Horrible drivers. I was never so happy as for them to get secret service and not be driving. On that note, we will end with so many more stories to be told. Thank you all very much, i appreciate what you do, thank you all. I do want to thank the ford president ial foundation for putting a spotlight on mrs. Nixon here. As he said, she never really wanted that recognition but she was the kind of first lady who deserves it, so thank you very much, it is very much appreciated, on behalf of the nixon family. Thank you. Since we are passing out thanks, i never like for us to leave an event like this without saying thank you to all the people who work hard behind thescenes to make Something Like this happen. I want to thank the wonderful staff of the gerald r. Ford residential foundation for all they did behindthescenes to pull off a big event like this. It as months and months in the planning. I would also like to thank all the people here at the jw who prepare the meal and served so beautifully, so thank you all for all you did to make this a great event. [ applause ] and of course, we thank you, the four panelists to digest an exceptional job of humanizing what so often is just in a history book or textbook or local clip on the history channel, you got behind the scenes and underneath the exterior of these wonderful people, and humanize them for us in a very special way. So, i think each of you for bringing your a game to us today and i also want to make sure now that nicole, please come forward. This is a small token of appreciation [ inaudible ] will be able to remember us this day and at the same time, i want to bring susan ford forward because she is going to present a very special gift. Thank you. The white house belongs to the American People and dont ever forget that. But the history of the white house is a national treasure. And, the White House Historical association is essential in being the keeper of that white house history. With us today, he had mentioned we have several guests from the association on behalf of the president and my mother, i would like you to please stand and accept our boundless gratitude for all that you do every day as the keepers of the white house history. [ applause ] 40 years ago, the White House HistoricalAssociation Began a tradition. Each year, they produce an ornament that pays a tribute to a selected president and his family. This years ornament honors dad and our familys christmas celebrations. The ornament is wonderful and it portrays special parts of our milestones. One of this years attributes that meant so much to my dad was the uss Gerald R Ford cvn 78. To our friends from the White House Historical association, thank you for all that you do to preserve the history of americas white house. And, please accept my gratitude for this very special 2023 ornament. Ladies and gentlemen, please enjoy the video about this years ornament. Thank you all very much. The White House Historical association was founded in 1961 to help collect and exhibit artifacts of American Culture at the white house. And, to open the door to the rich history of the executive mansion. To support these educational efforts, the official White House Christmas ornament program was started in 1981. Each ornament is designed and assembled in the United States by a veteran founded family business. These ornaments honor president and significant anniversaries and white house history. The official 2023 White House Christmas ornament features president gerald r. Ford. The front of the race highlights the ford White House Christmas decoration theme which focused on american handcrafts. Turn the ornament around to see emblems representing president fords legacy of service. From his time in Boy Scout Troop 15 where he earned the rank of eagle scout to his College Years playing football for the university of michigan. After graduating from yale law school, ford served in the United States navy during world war two, achieving the rank of lieutenant commander. One of the last honors that my dad received six weeks before he passed was the naming of cvn 78, it is probably one of the highest honors he ever received. Following his military service, ford met elizabeth warren, they married in 1948 and had four children. Michael, John Gerald Ford took office august 9th, 1974 after president nixon resigned. Ford declared in his remarks upon taking the oath of office i am acutely aware that you have not elected me as your president by your ballots. So, i ask you to confirm me. As your president , with your peers. God helping me, i will not let you down. Thank you. During their time in white house, the fords made and celebrated history, such as their participation in the bicentennial, including hosting a state dinner for Queen Elizabeth ii. Although one of the most famous families in the country, the fords enjoyed ordinary moments, the president was often photographed with the familys golden retriever, liberty park liberty and my dad had a really unique relationship, dad taking her to the office and she just got right underneath his desk and made herself right at home. Like Many American families, christmas was also a special time for the fords. The white house was so exceptionally beautiful during christmas. And, coming up with the themes, you know, the year of the bicentennial, we had bicentennial ornaments and mother was very involved in recruiting people to help make those ornaments. The official 2023 White House Christmas ornament helps you to create your own white house inspired holiday memories. This years ornament is so special, when i look at it, it brings back so many things and memories of my white house days, of my parents and they will always have a very special place on my tree. Purchase the official white house ornament and help preserve our shared american stories, for generations to come. Isnt that a beautiful isnt that a beautiful ornament . Good afternoon, my name is rachel, i am the Deputy Director of the gerald r. Ford president ial foundation. I am thrilled that each of you will be bringing home an ornament that is a reminder of the ford white house. There is a secondguessed gift in your gift bags, autographed books, gigi in the white house. The book was written by giovanna , gigi mcbride, illustrated by john hutton and published by the White House Historical association. This Childrens Book is based on the real Life Experiences of gigi visiting her mother, who is here today, who worked in white house during the bush administration. Unfortunately, gigi could not be with us today, she is finishing this semesters college courses. Anita is here along with her fourth colleagues, albert lee, meryl mccarson, kimberly osborne, and colleen shogun. Thank you for joining us today. If you would like to purchase additional ornaments or copies of the book, gigi and the white house, be sure to visit the White House Historical associations website. Their online store has many unique gifts for the special people and occasions in your life. Thank you to todays sponsors, fifth third bank, the steve and amy manhandle foundation, blue cross, blue shield, Blue Care Network of michigan, the secchia family foundation, grand valley state university, the center for president ial studies, aquinas college, mary free bed rehabilitation hospital, 13 on your side, bhs insurance, wilcox farms trucking. Pioneer constructions and allegra. If you are not a member, please consider becoming a member of the Gerald R Ford president ial foundation. We call our members friends of ford. There are envelopes at the table for you to consider your level of membership. Sponsorships of our programs and your membership help support the many initiatives of the foundation. That includes the Educational Programs of the divorce Learning Center and the ford leadership forum. In addition to important activities at the president ial library and museum that are not funded by the federal government. Temporary exhibits, noted speakers and Community Events are just a few examples of the activities supported by your membership. Please join us at our next event on may 16th with author john locke who will be discussing his book, the good country, a history of the american midwest. Finally, i hope you enjoyed the centerpieces at your table. Nathan and his team at green envy created todays look based on photographs from state dinners during the Nixon Administration. One person at each table will take him a centerpiece. The winner is the person at each table whose birthday is closest to nixon, march 16th. Congratulations, thank you for joining us today and have a wonderful afternoon. [ applause ] weekends on cspan 2 are an intellectual feet. Every saturday American History tv documents americas stories and on sunday,