participated in the unsuccessful revolution in guatemala. few cubans, even in the middle class, ever and tion never took place, the government became an instrument of coercion. is a success. ♪ >> in 1983, former president richard nixon sat down with frank gannon, his former white talk special assistant to at least of his political career.

were nine conversations over the span of six months. coming up next, gannon draws on clips of the footage to focus on the days leading up to and right after nixon's departure from office. he recalls working with nixon on his memoirs. this event was sponsored by the richard nixon foundation. have mark updegrove, the director of the lyndon b. johnson presidential library. he is a presidential historian. with him, the start of our show, frank gannon. nixon aid.white house [applause]

>> thank you. >> well, thank you. see some e're going to very interesting interviews with richard nixon, conducted by the man to my left, frank gannon. i have seen the clips that we will see tonight. these trikes me about clips -- it is a richard nixon that i've never seen before. i have seen richard nixon talk about some of things that he will address in the clips that you will see, but i've never seen richard nixon as relaxed i see him in these tapes. -- very patna ed

when it came to the media. had was the case when he his interviews with frost. i think the reason that we see a different nixon and his case is because the manicures begin with, and his great comfort with frank gannon. and at ery relaxed, times very emotional. he provides insight that, again, i have not seen in interviews. it is a testament to the relationship that he had with frank. frank, i want to start off by asking you a little about the relationship. you were in the white house during the latter part of president nixon's administration. what led you to the white house and to work for the 37th the united states? be seeing photographs of frank which will take him

down memory lane, and will provide cues for talking about his experience in the white house. this is our first. >> just to wake everybody up. much is pretty self-explanatory -- i went directly to the white house from the adult entertainment industry. [laughter] was the -- the official -- everybody when you join the to an office down -- the photographer's office, and you get an official publicity photograph. i have several thousand of them. ever used ink it was anywhere, they disputed several thousand copies to me.

have been taken -- i began as a white house fellow. the , the director of johnson library, who has come austin today -- and i'm done that ful you've -- this year is the 57th anniversary of the white house program, proposed by president kennedy and enacted by president johnson. i was a white house fellow in class of 70, i came down to york.hite house from new move on quickly. this was meeting the president. this is obviously an oval office in december 1973.

it is just outside not making this up -- well, i make a lot of, but i was actually there. these were tough photos. that oval office picture in december 73, this is of the the 74, the date in sident resigned, i'm ziglier's office. the white house photographer just roamed around the west wing taking pictures of what he saw. with the sitting death watch. the photograph behind, you can at by the curtain, is nixon

the pyramids, taken just five or six weeks before. in the last several weeks before the president nixon the gned, he had gone to east, cairo, alexandria, and then went to syria, the first president to visit syria, then to saudi arabia, and israel. for one came back week, and went to russia. no idea why i have i was sent in there, there's nothing i could do -- this was the oval office. i wanted to supervise the people who knew exactly what they were doing, and had done it before -- these were the text were setting up the oval office for the resignation speech.

thing was -- ng wanted to speak, he was the 37th president, and this is the 37 times the here speaking from the oval office. they are putting on paper is to protect the road, then they from behind -- cover ear to the desk to the bookcase, and then they in a scrim -- donna by the curtain, and on the desk -- r been talking from a ramada inn, but that was the president was done on the oval office.

this is ron ziegler's office after the resignation speech. ron, and iane sawyer, me. >> so, we will now see some from the interviews that frank conducted with president nixon. all then deal with the period to the resignation, and the very dark days of eearly august 1974. frank, talk about what we will see. sets are four different of clips. frank will give some context on them, then we will roll them. talk about the first set of clips that we will see. >> these clips are available on

the nixon library website. in preparing them, i think of it as an old mice to ken burns. they are the clips, but they are preceded by title cards which explain what they are. i will be the human title card here to set them up. but if you go to the library website, even see them, and more will have a much succint explanation. we've divided them into four groups. on the first, you will hear, present brings ziglier, his secretary, and heig, the white house chief of staff, acting as a national security

person, although henry kissinger was of course the secretary of state. telling me -- on 23 -- to ust 1 set it up, the house judiciary committee was getting ready to vote on articles of impeachment. the math was unrelenting. there were 38 members, 21 democrats and 17 republicans. of the 21 democrats, 18 were solid votes for impeachment. swing were three possible votes -- people who had not committed themselves that they would vote for impeachment. they happen to be three southern democrats. they were very influential.

if they held, as they did not vote for impeachment, that might affect one or two other democrats. very last-ditch hope -- it was only hope in town. so, the math was -- the people sional relations came up that maybe it was of the 17, hold 16 17 of the 21 democrats. there was math where you could keep one republican and only get to democrats -- the math hail mary fight. gets word 23, he that all the democrats would vote for impeachment. he would try and call the southern democrats and vote against impeachment.

so, next is on the phone and oval office, and it was a very curious conversation. wallace kept saying, i can't hear you. nixon would speak louder, and that he understood what was going on, wallace did not want to hear. and wallace k you, said, i will be praying for you. up the phone, and said there goes the presidency. two weeks before the "smoking gun" tape was released, nixon knew that he cannot survive as president. in the first clip, he describes what he did as a realization of a decision. he decided if he was going to resign, he had to sell his family.

on august 2, the president will talk about bringing the family to the lincoln sitting room. he wants and to read the what becomes "smoking gun" tape -- a tape from the oval office. tape essentially made in operative the statements that nixon had previously made about his knowledge of the cover-up. this was a devastating tape. he wanted his family to read the transcript of the tape so what they would understand would that happen. tape would be released three days later.

the result is, the family think it is survivable. -- that not think the he should resign. >> july 23, i knew that we cannot survive. back to when i got washington, and my usual, methodical way -- people think is methodical -- i decided i should put on the pros and cons of the options that i had. had a sheet of paper. it is rather interesting when i read it today. indicated that one, i could resign now. the house wait for to vote on impeachment. or three, despite the house voting impeachment, i did go to bed house and senate.

that would take about six months. resigning now with what i did to do -- above all, personally. i am a fighter. i thought it would be a mission which it was. also, i thought it would set a terribly bad precedent for the future. i hope no other president of herbicides. the second option was no option at all. it would be putting all my supporters on the spot, and on impeachment -- you do not want to put them through the first thing. the third option, the senate for six in a trial months, i knew that that was unacceptable. unacceptable because on the standpoint of the country, the afford to uld not have a half-time crippled

president. in 1973, the soviet union was a difficult -- i just couldn't risk it. after making those notes, i decided, well, there's no choice. so the next day, august 1, one week before it made my got haig on speech, i and ziegler and i told him i thought there was no choice than to resign. night, i told haig and ziegler, bebe rebozo came down from florida. i told him. he told me, you cannot do it. i said, well, you have to help me with the plan.

the next day, i had to tell the family. it was a painful day. we all met in the lincoln sitting room. came down with julie, patricia, and david. the 23rd tape transcript. i thought was important that they see just what the problems were. let me say, having not been the tape transcript -- before that transcript was ever made, the three democrats had been lost on the committee. nevertheless, this was the final blow. the final nail in the coffin, although, you do not need another nail if you're already in the coffin. she was very quiet about it. she came down very emphatically

against resigning. have to remember -- during one who is, i was the thought, i should give my resignation to eisenhower. she said no you cannot do it. you cannot do it because of its effect on the children. on this occasion, she was a fighter to last. to give up. last the last to give up in 1960. the last to give up this time. batch of r the next clips, they take us to august 5. >> august 5 to august 7. on the 5th, gain

the monday night when the "smoking gun" tape was released. on that night, the nixon family went out to the sequoia. nixon's family, mrs. nixon of and his children, they on the sequoia. was r a while, the tape being released, the present will describe what he did. that is august 5. on august 6 -- he had decided days earlier eral -- when he goes in a cabinet meeting on that morning, he says he has no intention of leaving with his term is up in january 1977. that afternoon, nixon provides a particularly fixing description of the situation at that point.

late that night, he gets to his on his d finds a note pillow. on the 7th, the family had a last dinner in the white house, in the solarium. the s kind of hidden by south portico, you cannot really see it. it is a room that is all glass walls. after that dinner, the president goes to the lincoln room to work. around midnight he caused his secretary ron ziegler to talk about some final arrangements for the next morning.

>> we decided that night to go out for one last ride in the sequoia. rather eerie a ride. talked about everything, but what patricia has called -- talked about movies that julie had seen with david. someone was out how dealing with inquiries from the press. the evening ended rather pleasantly. stretch own the loan to out -- i have had a pretty hard weekend, i thought. call from haig on reactions to the tape.

she read from the shorthand notes, it is about how we expected. i kind of went at some of the names that she read out -- left my support. looked back -- i have campaign for them, supported them. kind of tough. although i did understand it. then, she read out that the cabinet was standing firm for the most part. then, she left the room. and closed he light my eyes. mrs. nixon was very perceptive. i learned later that after that night in the sequoia, even though they had not been officially told that the she had was final, started packing.

for three days, until we left, she did not sleep at all. packing 5 1/2 years of clothes. with a sometimes as it is were very close, you do not have to say anything publicly, or even privately. things unspoken say even more strongly. the cabinet well. i had heard what from haig aand others, some felt that they would like an opportunity to present their make a and lobby me to decision. -- respected the cabinet. i was not going to allow them to make me decide to resign, it had to be my decision. more econd reason was even

important -- i cannot afford to leave. there cannot be a period of even 48 hours in which it was going to resign, and i cabinet was as the concerned, there would be a leak. i know that many of them probably did not appreciate tell them -- just as many did not appreciate what i didn't tell them what is going to china. on the other hand, there were times that you have to keep your counsel. i regret it, because i would like to hold them, but do not think it was the right thing to do. i asked henry to come in, and i told him of course. he said, well, he supported the he regretted it, but asking too much to ask

me to be dishonored by having to go to trial before the senate. >it was tuesday afternoon. i said to general haig that would resign, but it would be with dignity. as worthy ou will be -- your exit will be as worthy as your opponents are unworthy. i thought a minute, and i said, really screwed up. he did not have to answer. in the room i knew it was tense. i can always tell mrs. nixon.

she had a terrible, severe pain neck, she is very stiff 100 tension. when she saw me, she put on a she got up and threw her arms around me. proud id, we're all very of you. i didn't know quite what to say. for me, someone told me that i think it would be good for us to get a picture of you and mrs. nixon in the rose garden. patricia said, i will go with you daddy. so, i went to the rose garden. appropriate to go. we were able to think back to a

happier time, 1971, when she and eddie were married in the borough's garden. we talked about what a beautiful occasion was for all of us. i must say, as i looked at her, as beautiful -- even more so than she was then. the favorite picture was of the whole family. both couples, mrs. nixon, and me. i said that we would have the picture. a false somewhat of front and tried to arrange it in my usual way -- you stand here, you stand here. the white house photographer was quick. we are all uptight, tears were brimming in everyone's eyes. after he's not that picture, tears cannot hold in the any longer.

she rushed over to me and threw her arms around me. she said, i love you so much daddy. say much ime i cannot either. way past midnight. he had been eaving, loyal fellow -- i have never given him a tour of the vicinity -- i wanted to see it through my eyes.

i had all the lights turned on, in the lincoln bedroom, the aand so on. room, i walk through the rooms and explain it to him, told her bit about the history. he seemed to be quite moved by it. he said simply, you have been a great president. >> now we get to the darkest of the dark days. august 8 when president nixon that he is resigning, and august 9, the day that he departs from the white house.

talk about what we will see. separate l see into the august 8, a at 11:00 am, he meets to officially inform the vice 25 n 24 hours -- hours -- he will become the next president. at 9:00 the evening, pm, he gives the resignation speech. after that, henry kissinger comes in. was a tradition for the foreign-policy speeches, henry would walk the present back 500 the oval office to the residence, this night, and

henry asked if he could do the same. >> tough for him. tougher for me. for many rked together years. in many good rattles, we had one most, and lost some as well. i told him i thought the country would be in good hands. i told him that i thought was very important to keep henry kissinger. he agreed, and said that he thought we had a fine cabinet. leaving, i were said, i'm going to tell you so well g -- i remember conversations i had with president eisenhower. as a matter of fact, the last had with him.i

on the phone, he said he wanted to wish me well. then, he said, you know, i only the state -- et on this is the last time that i can never call you dick, mr. president. and i said, this is last time i call you jerry, mr. president. to his eyes tear -- to mine too. after the speech, i went over to the residence. henry was very thoughtful, he said, would you like to walk to residence with me, he has always done that.

as we got to the door of the residence, he said, mr. president, history will remember that you were a great president. i said henry, that depends on who writes the history. david said, i do not see how you did it. he had seen the text in advance. suddenly they all got up, they of e and surrounded me, kind a family embrace, and saying everything. then, tricia said, daddy, you are wet. i began to have a chill. happened was -- the room had been so hot, and the i was n so great, perspiring through the suit. the same suit that i'd worn to

the ow, and spoken to russian people. i went down to the lincoln room calls to people. the chanting outside -- -- jail to as jailed the chief. not bother me. >> i think we have one more. batch of clips that relate to august 9. >> yes, the last day in the white house -- the last and white house.

the present woke up on that friday morning. the family said goodbye to the white house staff, a tearful goodbye. factual staff of the house up in the family quarters, the in the maids were all in a line in the nixons went down and spoke to each of them. then, the president went back to lincoln's sitting room to his farewell speech. the east de at 9:00 in room. it was a farewell speech to the administration staff. at that point, the president was in the lincoln sitting haig came in with one housekeeping detail that had to taken care to -- the present then describe the east room speech, and describes leaving the white house.

>> went to bed. did not sleep very well. i woke up with a start. i wondered if i'd overslept. only k to my watch and was 4:00. to the kitchen, and one of the white house butler is was there. i say, what are you doing here so early. he said, it is not that early, it is almost 6:00. i looked at my watch. it is the watch i have here, it is one of those that the should last two years. the battery had worn out. the last day i was in office. by that date i was one of two. a very emotional speech. i recalled speaking from the

heart. tricia wrote in her diary that for the first time she was glad that people were able to see he really was. from the heart, and thank them for what they had done, and expressed my pride in this ct administration. i told them that they must not allow what happened to me to discourage them. life is not over because you suffer defeat. the philosophical have enriched, and guided my life. my parents -- my mother was a saint, and my old man was not just the common man, he was an extraordinary man. that was about it.

went back down to the lincoln room. -- al haig ot knocked on the door. him, he gives one of the most difficult meetings we had. he had a piece of paper with a you know t, he said, we forgot to do this, will you please sign. it was my resignation from president of the united states. i signed. until ed on that speech the time to go down.

very emotional speech. i recall speaking from the heart. which later her diary, let me see, wrote that for the first time people thought daddy as he really was, from the heart. and expressed the fact that in this administration that had never been anyone profiting financially from serving in office. i told them that they must not allow what happened to me to discourage them.

the fact that we learn from our defeats. life is not already suffered defeat. just some of the philosophical guidelines that have enriched, and sometimes, guided me in my own life. i tried to share them. i spoke of my parents. i said, my mother was a saint, ma old man, he was not just the common man, he was an extraordinary man. was about it. we were almost past the point of knowing what we're doing. we were fortunately guided by the secret service through the crowd. we went down to the diplomatic reception room.

jerry ford, still jerry then, he was going to be present in two hours. he was standing there. betty ford was standing with them. i shook hands with him. i say, when i appointed you, i knew i'd leave the country in good hands. he said, thank you, mr. president. goodbye mr. president. nice ford said have a trip, dick. mrs. nixon came, and we went to the plane. julie was not going to be able california with us. at the ramp, leading up to the entrance of the helicopter. i kissed her, got in the helicopter, mrs. nixon had gotten on board, i turned around, and there are on the lawn.le

i kind of raise my hand, i do not know if it was a salute, or waived, but that was it. and sat down, heard the engine twhirl up, i close my eyes. i was pretty tired, had been up all night. as the helicopter began to rise, i heard mrs. nixon, who next to ing in the seat one in aking to no particular, but everyone. is so sad, it is so sad.

helicopter went i must say, i didn't have bitterness or rancor, or self-pity. i thought of when i made that speech, herb stein, a great i remember seeing him, tears running down his cheeks. i thought how much i owe to all those who would work so hard. how much the country over to them. we are so fortunate to have such marvelous people in the administration. there, ht of julie down tricia, ed, no one had a finer family. no one could have had a more loving, kind family.

helicopter moved on -- my thoughts we go to other times that we went to andrews. we went there on the way to china. we went there twice on the way to the middle east. all the greatest events we participated in. i found myself thinking, this characteristic of me, not of the past, but the future. i do now. see that these o great initiatives that we began would continue. that's the way it was. i think perhaps, the best i felt than, f how and frankly, maybe it is the my philosophy

generally, a little couplet i received -- this is in the spring of 1973, watergate had just exploded -- i received with this card cuplett - aa red, i am hurt, i'm not slain, i shall lay me down and bleed a while, and and fight again. that's the story of my life. >> so, frank, you were a witness to this history. you were there when it happened. the east room

when president nixon did his farewell to the staff. you were at andrews air force base, on air force one, watching the speech. can you talk a little bit about your experience at that time? the resignation speech, we were in the west wing. i was getting ready to go home, and one secret service agent in and said that the to be swept oing a few esident ford in hours, but for the time being it was a free zone, and if i in, i could. so, i went in, and i was alone in the oval office, and sat in his chair.

couple went home for a of hours. andrews d to be out at by 8:00. the only people who could go on the helicopter, which of course, we have right up here were the brary, and the doctor who traveled with every president on every trip. so, the people who would be on air force one, had to be at andrews. so, we watch the speech on the air force one. on i had a curious out of body experience. after the speech finish, we all sitting there, kind

oof half watching the i'm -speech commentary, and my ching it, and in peripheral vision, they show going down -- helicopter his coming down. at 10:17. took off what is a picture of would've been a completely filled cabin. it was later flying dutchman, a ghost plane -- that there's ron ziegler, me, and diane sawyer. it was -- the president says in that earlier saying, by the speech was over, they

did not know what was happening, they just went where people told him to go. i think similarly, we were just numbed at that point. had been surreal -- 24 hour days. mentally, emotionally, and physically draining. onto the plane, it was -- we were exhausted. i think this picture conveys that. like at was that journey from andrews? when you were somewhere over at ferson city, missouri, 12:00 noon, president nixon became former president nixon, was sworn in as east room -- the tthe same room where the president had earlier addresses staff. >> the president had come back in the fight -- and talked -- i

think there were eight of us in quarter cabin -- then the next cabin was empty, it was staff cabin -- and then what would've been the press cabin was empty. the secret was service. came back -- he went back and talk to the secret service, but he stopped and talked to he said that i have the foresight to get the seat next the pretty girl. all of us for what we had done in the white house, coming with him on this trip. told, on monday, had asked ron ziegler me if the president were to i be willing to go to san clemente for one month.

anybody that when would be guaranteed that their job in the white house, in the ford be cabs -- , would so by going, you did not lose your job. keep it quiet. to start preparing quietly. so, i guess we had known from was a onday on that there possibility, but we are only finally told on thursday. flight was surreal. there was a touching moment as we were flying -- we're getting the captain sent word back to look out the window. we could see the

cars were backed up, about a 4 backup of ve-mile cars waiting to get off on the exit to be there. that was very moving. we landed and the president that a few remarks, and was it. worked for nixon, your month extends well beyond and you remain a fixture in san clemente for a while. talk about, if you would, the nixons during the immediate after the resignation, upon returning home to california. real roller was a coaster. we went out for one month, and not extended for various reasons, into the six months of the transition, wwhich every president is allowed. of course, the nixons, though

on months -- he resigned august 8, and on september 8, president ford issued a pardon. there was a flurry of events. i was called on to draft -- or the pardon draft of statement. their only o staff, volunteers. library, your on dozens -- nds we relied on volunteers. then he got sick. put it mildly. he had brushes with death. he went into shock. of touchy a period

health -- pretty much from the the fall of 74, 75 -- for some months there, it was touch and go. the doctors would come out, and say, i do not want your hope of, he might not make it. so, that occupied us. then, as he began to get better, and the period of the transition ended -- for various reasons, mainly financial, he knew that in order to pay his was staggering -- when he left the white house he had half $1 million of legal bills. that was before he left the white house. in order to pay his bills, it was an exquisite dilemma. in order to pay his bills, essentially have lawyers bill, he had to do television, and write a book. essentially that lawyers advice

was, whatever you do, do not do television, and do not write a book. so, he decided, and he knew from the past -- iin graduate and he had worked on the of winston churchill. so, he said his book offices way that winston's book office had been set up. i knew how randolph had said that office up. so, nixon knew that that sort of experience could apply to the writing of his autobiography. ended in e transition february, he asked if i would on an organized the researching and writing of his

memoirs. that's what i did. my parents came to visit. this is as in the former western white house office, where they met the president. >> the man on nixon's right is a clean shaven gannon. good news is ford also gave pardon on gannon's mustache. >> so often you wish you knew -- you knew then what you know now. about my ust talking hair. we will see a picture shortly of the staff. we were wonderful people. he was lucky to have us. but you think, if you would have the nixon staff, it would

the convention center, there would have been 2500 in the executive branch -- to august 9, st 8 this was the western white house staff. you see friends of the library here will recognize the two bookends. and for him from the left, library will e recognize the gentleman. you recognize diane to his right. this is the book staff. judy johnson, researcher.

some people say that shows my best side. >> so these are the sessions produce the memoirs of richard nixon. q talk about the process of writing a book? >> i organized it along the lines of churchill. not rocket science. winston and randolph's idea was history is chronology. on those days, the only man the staff, but they were researchers essentially. they were recruited from universities to produce wrong research. then, there is an actual book staff. what we did in san clemente, in t randolph had done

england -- he got binders, big looseleaf binders for everyday the subject's life. 1913 until , from then, 1974. in some years, when he was four years old, they would be very in the binder. but then when he went to congress, there would be several binders for just one year. into would be divided thirds -- the first third was in nixon's ppening life. the second third would be what was happening in the country. the third third would be what was happening in the world. so, for any day, you can open the binder and find out where he was, and what was going on. in the front of my office, we

put floor-to-ceiling bookshelves, and the binders filled the bookshelves. called a m irvine -- i the essor who i met in churchill project -- he was a the navy -- i called him and asked if he had any outstanding graduate students, and he did. he sent them over. they worked in university library to provide folders of newspaper - clippings, speeches -- to flesh out the chronology. was divided -- t i was the general editor, and i worked on foreign-policy. diane worked on watergate. went through me --

not me, but in the church a general ere was editor, who was in charge of all the text, to prepare to go to the printers. so, we would prepare these books, or folders -- and, when the graduate students put in stuff, there would be an enormous folders for some issues. we would give them to the president, and he went absorbed this stuff for months at a time. then he would disappear for two or three weeks, maybe one month. he would work in the upstairs very small room -- windows looking out over the pacific. he would work there. when he came back to office, he

would have dictated 100,000 or on the subject. that would become the basis of the manuscript. we would take those dictations the researchers to fact check them. we would go to the documents, and add documents to them. that would be refined and given to the president. this process continued. as time went on, his dictations built until we had several thousand words dictated by him. >> nixon described it as catharsis -- writing about the presence unit -- and helped him to heal to some degree. an emotional process ffor him? >> maybe, but not that i

observed. was very rational -- he was not a man that wore his on his sleeve. he didn't believe the presidency should be a soap opera. he didn't believe that how he felt was anybody's business. in many cases, i think he felt it was even his own business. what mattered was the performance. this e approached this book -- he knew, we knew that the publishers were mostly in watergate -- but, it was not his favorite subject. it was very close. there had not been time to think about it. he understood -- i think

writing the book at the time that he did was an act of courage on his part to address he was hings before ready, before he felt he had think about ial to it, and time to assimilate it. but he did not show his emotions. he approached it in a very professional way. about the impetus of interviews to you conducted. >> he is to say, no disrespect but he hern california, had written the book in new hampshire, we would have finished it earlier. it was not invigorating. the ow forgotten

other thing -- know, he wrote book in 1961 -- six crisis. he was an intellectual. process of the writing, but not writing a book. he said, we are going to spend years writing this, roughly 300,000 people will buy it aand a fraction of those will read it -- read all the. of them will begin by looking and ask for the name, get beyond ll not the. so, for television, it was a

hard choice -- that was what he had to do at the time. he felt that he did go on news to on and read people. was not congenial thing for him. -- ly said, he perfected prefer to do on television. with t back and worked john hines, a great man. with the president. mrs. nixon invited me out to was the last supper at the in san clemente. he toasted the book. was the major accomplishment of his years in san clemente.

then, in 81, i worked for one month on the chapter on churchill leaders. by 82, i was able to put together a production company to do what he talked about -- fair television interviews about his life. ask people -- o what rupert murdoch and i have -- that is that roger both of us.rk for in new york roger -- i contracted roger to be the producer and director of these videos. so to the extent that they look great, and i think they do.

they were beautifully directed, that represents rogers artistry. and coming talk about how comfortable nixon felt, i think part of that was that roger was in the mix. had gone back to the 68 campaign, and thence the white house. the we did these at national studios -- wwhich is no longer. were 38 hours. 4 to 5 hour ine sessions. the these videos come from september 10. know about i did not

it, i was talking to why the in the rs on this, and studio, before we came in, been a party, and these big balloons had gone up into the rafters. in the control room, they could see it. the camera men was focused on his balloons coming down. one of the secret service had le in the control room told them, if one of these hit the light, the secret service would take out everybody in the control room. so, one focusing on what i'm this , they are having alternate drama. a hybrid form -- i was had ng him through, he prepped for -- i was talking him through the memoirs. i have ot a journalist,

no reputation in any field, much less a journalistic field. it as a roaching historian. in the same token, i could ask that i wanted, and i did. in some cases, i think i am used to him, in other cases, i think i irritated him. it was a hybrid form of a very his ctured thing to get to digress but also -- i thought it was a very luxurious format to have 38 hours over nine sessions. we began the first session on february 7. stop me if i'm blabbering on. to the house on the

night before for dinner with him and mrs. nixon. is going nowhere, of the opened the bottle 1955 -- and he signed the bottle for me. that was the launch of these programs. >> this is nixon nine years after leaving the white house. in the middle of his post-presidency, how had he involved in that period? from the disgraced president, the first to resign presidency, to a resurgent former president.

somebody in the middle of what became a very substantial post president. >> i almost hesitate to answer. i'm sitting in the presence of the man who wrote the book on this subject. your act on post-presidency is a standard -- a gold standard. at this point, i think a couple he had gs that happened intimation of mortality, he almost died. of that -- i ff think i gave him some perspective on life. and it's alternative. also more relaxed in to deal did not have politics. i think in some ways being a former president suited him

very well. could write vel, he -- essentially, it he might in some ways pier as a senator. he was sort of a quintessential have or -- where you only to run six or seven years, and are good senator, it is almost secure. he would have been a brilliant chairman of the foreign relations committee. he would have been the william of the right. a brilliant distinguished with great contributions. of itics, the retail element

politics -- as he said, to understand me, you have to understand that i am an introvert. with politics removed from the into ion, he could settle being himself more than before. then, think also, another element with his family. in new jersey -- he and mrs. nixon they were always now they were spending a lot more time together. he was not diverted by politics, which was never her favorite thing. also, he was a devoted father, he had grandchildren were all nearby. and he had the chance to reflect on his life. he had written memoirs.

prism with us.e he had a great sense of history, and occasion. it meant something too have reach -- you know, the biblical allotment. on first session was february 9. he had reached that one month earlier. seven years old, and looking back on his life and so many things.

to sit him down, and we prepared him. it worked out well for history. >> we ended the clips with that emotional clip of nixon.

presence would famously be -- embered in one sentence your sentence will be nixon, he went to china. him a letter. years from now, he will say, and he went to china. within 18 months, she had to add something to that. and that couplet that really alludes to all the rising and his ing reheated throughout political career -- perhaps he the most volatile ccareer what is -- tician -- what you believe history will ultimately say about him? >> oonce again, i'm with the man who has written that book on the subject.

present to become president at turning points, crisis in history. >> my book is available at fine bookstores everywhere. mr. nixon -- if they the tipping point where country could explode, nixon 68. has forgotten that. a lot of people are too young to remember. he became president of a tumultuous time. not the least of his that petence was to ride countercultural wave. the least -- most counterintuitive person to countercultural wave --

he was, on a 10 point scale, a square. be remembered -- i think he will be remembered as very ost -- as a consequential -- a very controversial, and interesting president. of the ential because times in which he showed up at the right time. the country was on a tipping point. and, the things with which he first deal -- the terrorist attacks, the first sent to m message was congress, the first health care reform. senator nths before died, he said that he

opportunity in 1973 by not voting for the next and healthcare plan, because come up that could have since. the first energy reports to congress -- so, the issues to which nixon was dealing, are still issues that are very much with us today. was being ork that done, it securely in the domestic council -- the freethinking, encouragement of sorts of ideas -- the archivist says that the next administration is the most documented, between the tapes, and the papers, of any administration. has the tip of the iceberg been discovered.

it is sitting right below us in the archives. millions of papers on foreign and domestic policy. so, i think as scholars began i say, t here pulitzers, thousands of doctoral dissertations are sitting below us as people delve into the other story of the nixon administration. so, i think it will be consequential for that reason. controversial -- i don't think that needs much expanding. the passions will fade, the controversy will remain. i think that is interesting and

good. controversy breeds controversy -- breeds ideas, and enlightenment. interesting because he is just so darn interesting. he is shakespearean. highs and nk of the lows, what he experienced in it is fe -- shakespearean, or tolstoian. another thing, i think he will be remembered -- the incredible quality of resilience. in the east room speech, he a beginning -- y he's talking about how everything is terrible. then, nixon says, it is only a beginning always. the young must know it, the old

must know it, and they must always sustain us. not talk about the about st, he is talking the greatness. things go bad, and you take some knocks, and when sorrow, or sadness comes, that when the greatness thing. of the , always dream future, never think about the past. i think people will take that a legacy -- as part of his legacy. resilience and optimism, and moving forward. >> i want to thank you all for coming out tonight. and i want to thank you frank for sharing these remarkable and for your wonderful

insight. [applause] >> sunday afternoon at 4 pm join us for "reel america." this weekend, the people and the police. battalion oakland was investigated, and efforts to reform the department. that is tomorrow at 4 pm eastern time. american next, on history tv, the u. s. john rical society awards lewis the freedom award. he was a prominent leader in the