Libraryand the truman institute. Following the program, here gerald fords 10minute speech here on American History tv. Hello, and welcome to the kansas city public library. I am director of public affairs. I want to thank you in joining us for the latest iteration of our hail to the chief lecture series, cochaired by our partners at the Truman Library institute, the Foundation Arm of the Harry S Truman president ial inrary and museum independence. As many of you know, we here at the library just love to do programs commemorating anniversaries, and such is the case tonight. 40 years ago, well, technically, butars and 363 days ago work with me on this, gerald ford became the first and to date the only unelected president of the United States. At outcome that would have been beyond conception just two years earlier, when Richard Nixon was cruising to his landslide victory over george mcgovern. To tell us more about that and the administration that ensued, we have brought back for the dr.
Hyannisport with the kennedy compound, it seemed like a summer camp. Compared to what other president s have done on their vacations, what sort of activities did john f. Kennedy do . Time magazine in august, 1962, said that not since the days of Theodore Roosevelt had the nation witnessed what the magazine called such a hard pounding, muscleaching round of activities. And hyannisport, which was besieged by tourists, the president , his children, his nephews, his nieces scrambled on the lawn, splashed in the water. At times, when i read about it, i thought it resembled the olympics. Time described it this way sitting down is somehow considered that form. Touch football has rest periods. Between tennis, swimming, water skiing, sailing and dragging. Dragging as an attempt to avoid drowning while being towed by a life preserver tied to the president s schooner. Look magazine put a picture of the president on a golf cart loaded down with nieces and nephews. What did this image say . It cert
Up next on booktv after words with guest host bob woodward of the Washington Post. This week former white House Counsel john dean and his latest book the nixon defense what he knew and when he knew it. In the book the man his congressional testimony led to president nixons resignation presents a more indepth look at the watergate scandal based on newlyreleased audio tapes. This program is about an hour. Host hello. Its great to be here with john dean. I was recalling coming in here today at the studios which are on capitol hill. It was 39 summers ago when you it held the country and the world mesmerized with four days of sworn testimony before the Senate Watergate committee and there has really been no news story like that sense. One of the things that happened when the secret taping system was disclosed in the nixon offices and phones which you didnt know about,. Guest suspected. Host you suspected that you didnt know and in those tapes came out and they vindicated almost 100 exactly
Put on hold by the request of marias mother because of her age, and the two honored that. It was if you read theq letters, youll know that the tone of the letters has the kind of effect of a tutor and a student. Maria had actually been in bohnhoffers confirm make class when she was 12 or 13 and ufailed the confirmation class, and eventually was passed by someone else. And they had very different termerments, very different tastes. He found quite bizarre some of the rather provincial practices of the rural aristocracy that her family maintained, and its impossible to say what would have come of that engagement had he survived the war. I just dont know. This will be the final question. You guys are wonderful. I have one question. What did you think of Adolph Hitler . What did you think of him . What did what did you what did i thick of thick of him . Right. Well, what did i thick i think of him . Yes. Bohnhoffer called him the antichrist without a hint of irony. And bohnhoffer, as you ma
Diplomatic entrance downstairs. There is the man who will be president in another couple of hours, gerald ford, and his wife, betty ford. Phil jones is on the south lawn. Phil . As you can see, mr. And mrs. Ford have joined the nixons as they make the last walk out to the helicopter. Just before the nixons appeared at the south portico, his personal secretary came out with tears in her eyes. Ron ziegler, the press secretary, fighting back tears. The president s personal physician moved out ahead to get pictures of mr. Nixon as he leaves the white house to board the helicopter for the flight to california. Vice president ford, this morning as he left his home to come here for this occasion, said it was indeed one of the saddest incidents he has ever seen. There is the president waving goodbye to applause. [applause] followed in by Richard Nixon, her husband, edward cox. We will be seeing the president again at Andrews Air Force base. We are set up there. There will be another short fare