This week on q a, our guest is margaret macmillan, author of nixon and mao the week that chnaged the world. Cspan margaret macmillan, but if you think a book about nixon and mao would so . Guest my father was a good subject and i love the good storiestoriesof history and thou have two extraordinary personality is with great falls and talent and it was an interesting moment that ended the period but in the United States and china and started Something Else so my next book i wanted to do something manageable has a good story. Cspan did he rely on to tell you what that moment was like . Guest that the documents. Theres a record now of all the transcripts of the first memoirs. Bob haldeman did a diary that is helpful, Henry Kissinger wrote them and thereve been lots of interviews, so i gathered whatever i could from those that have been there. Cspan did you learn anything they dont already know . Guest i learned something i didnt know. I think i learned a great deal more about Richard Nixo
Canonized her, she was my wife. It is quite remarkable, despite the fact that she has not had a particularly positive people remember her as being dignified, they remember her as one devoted to her family. They remember her as one who might not have worn designer gowns, but she was blessed with Natural Beauty so she didnt need them, she was criticize. She shouldve considered why didnt she make speeches . That shows she didnt have a mind of her own. But she is smart. She knows you cant have to voices out of the white house. She had her ideas and she express them privately. Critics among the leaders of the past, they wouldnt understand, they wouldnt appreciate it all, she was self assured, selfconfident, she didnt have such a big ego that she had to go out and prove that she had her own right, to her what was important was the career of her husband. We hear a lot of criticism about the president , the former president that much have went, in an friendly media. Thats not surprising, thats
Esther, right up here in the front row. [ applause ] and hugh hewitt, the president of the Nixon Foundation who youll hear from in a few moments. We have many distinguished guests with us here, many former officials from the nixon and other administrations, and staff and friends of the nixon frustration and were honored to have you here tonight. This year marks the 50th anniversary pa tish s patricin become first lady of the united states. The significance of this will be discussed in tonights program, but its very important to us here at the White House Historical association as a core part of our mission which was inspired as most of you or all of you know by first Lady Jacqueline kennedy to be the private partner to the white house for conservation, preservation, restoration of those beautiful state rooms in the white house, for the acquisition of items for the Permanent Collection at the white house as well, and for our education programs, programs like this, where we teach and tel
So this is quite unusual for me but i did want to thank all of you for your friendship and your loyal support and for this wonderful evening for me. I shall remember it always. And thanks to the young people for this great welcome. Pat nixon, the first republican first lady to address a national convention, miami, 1972. She went from a hardscrabble background to the white house. As first lady, she traveled more widely than any before her, made volunteerisms her issue, and was a chief supporter and behindthescenes political adviser to her husband, president Richard Nixon. Good evening, and welcome to cspans series first ladies influence and image. Tonight, well tell you the story of pat nixon, although her time in the white house was really eclipsed by her husbands resignation from office in the wake of watergate. So were going to tell more about her record and learn more about her life before the white house, what she did while she was there, and her legacy. Here are our two guests to
Following hughs remarks and a brief video presentation, our panelists will join us here for tonights program. Those of you on this side of the room, no worries. This podium is going to be removed, so you will have a clear shot of our panelists. And i cant end without a little bit of selfpromotion. Our shop is open until 8 30 tonight. Its right at the top of the ramp from the door where you came in. And everybody here will get a 10 discount on anything that you would like to take home with you tonight. You could finish your Christmas Shopping right here tonight. So, thank you very much. Hugh, welcome. [ applause ] thank you, stewart, and welcome to all of you on behalf of the nixon foundation, which i became the president of only in july. And what a great first event celebrating mrs. Nixon to be a part of. I want to get out of the way of the experts and get them up here in a hurry. We all know the definitive biography of mrs. Nixon was written by julie nixon eisenhower. I am pleased to