ladies and gentlemen, the first lady of the united states of america, nancy reagan. [applause] [applause] mrs. reagan: thank you. thank you. thank you. [applause] thank you. thank you. thank you. [music concludes] [cheers and applause] mrs. reagan: thank you. thank you. thank you very much. thank you. i have to tell you that there is no experience like watching yourself on film that you had done 30 years ago. [laughter] it s an experience. but i know you have obviously heard a lot of political speeches. but i would like to shift gears with you for just a minute if i could, because it gives me the chance to say something to you i have wanted to say for a long time. i d like to thank you very much for all the support and the hard work, and the kindnesses that you have extended to us over it appeared of years over a period of years. i know you are not aware of it, but i drew on your strength many times, particularly the first year in the white house. [applause] i a
an aide and friend said without nancy, there would have been no governor or president reagan. here are her brief remarks to the delegates of the republican convention 36 years ago. ladies and gentlemen, the first lady of the united states of america, nancy reagan. thank you. thank you. thank you. thank you. thank you. thank you. thank you. thank you. thank you. thank you very much. i have to tell you that there is no experience like watching yourself on film that you had done 30 years ago. [laughter] it is an experience. but i know you have obviously heard a lot of political speeches. but i would like to shift gears with you for just a minute if i could, because it gives me the chance to say something to you i have wanted to say for a long time. i would like to thank you very of the support in the hard work and the kindness overave extended to us years. it,ow you are not aware of but i drew on your strength many , particularly the first year in the white house. [appla
hillary, and michelle obama. in nancy reagan had been for first lady four years when she spoke at the republican national convention in 1984. she was a film actress when she met ronald reagan. she became first lady of california when her husband was governor. later, she became first lady of the united states when he was elected the 40th president. michael dever, aide and friend of the reagan s, said without nancy, there would have been no governor reagan and no president reagan. here are nancy reagan s brief remarks to the delegates at the republican convention 36 years ago. [applause] ladies and gentlemen, the first lady of the united states of america, nancy reagan. [applause] thank you. thank you. thank you. [applause] thank you. thank you. thank you. thank you. thank you. thank you. thank you very much. i have to tell you that there is no experience like watching yourself on film that you had done 30 years ago. [laughter] it is an experience. but i know you ha
tonight s guest was a full-time speechwriter for president gerald ford and a consulting writer to george h. w. bush. he served as founding president of the freedom of expression foundation in washington, d.c. he has won numerous awards for his research, including an award for political communication. it is with pleasure that i welcome dr. craig smith. would you please welcome dr. craig smith. [applause] yous nice to be back in lawrence. back in lawrence. you have written for some of the most powerful people in the world. can you tell us about your early life and how you got to be a presidential speechwriter. dr. smith: the way i became a presidential speechwriter could only happen in america. i was an undergraduate, i got a lot of training in how to make cases, how to sift evidence and build arguments. i went on for a phd in communication studies, where i focused on aristotle. all of those things are incorporated in the speechwriting craft. i then became a professor o
welcome dr. craig smith. ladies and gentlemen, would you please welcome dr. craig smith. [applause] dr. smith, it s a pleasure to see you, thanks for being here with us tonight. you have written for some of the most powerful people in the world. can you tell us a little bit about your early life and tell us more about how you get to be a presidential speechwriter. i became a presidential speechwriter can only happen in america. i was an undergraduate debater got a lot of training in how to make cases, how to sift evidence, how to build arguments. i then went on for a phd in communication studies where i focused on the ancients, aristotle on rhetoric, cicero on oratory. all those things are incorporated in the speechwriting craft. professor of a communication studies, focusing on rhetoric and public address. at sanp after starting diego state, i wound up at the university of virginia and i was at the university of virginia in 1976 and i was invited down to the university of