she shares excerpts from her book. "in the shadow of the white house." the richard nixon foundation hosted this hour-long program at the nixon presidential library and museum. >> good morning, welcome. this is the new richard nixon library and museum. i am the president of the richard nixon foundation. i'm glad you are here on a very important day for the foundation and library. joining me in this welcome is michael elzie, national archives director of the presidential library, and all of those present today. in our redcoats and blue coats. [applause] before i introduce larry higby,

i'd like to recognize three of joe and bob's children -- sue & bob's children. hank haldeman, susan, and an. ann. thank you. [applause] two of our foundation friends who knew bob alderman well are -- bob haldeman, well are also here. now a board member of the next foundation, cindy quinn. [applause] and a truly remarkable and very special woman who was at ucla with bob haldeman in the post-world war ii years, she took a train to washington dc after graduating. in july of 1951, rosemary woods hired her to join the staff of the newly elected california senator, richard nixon. since then lloyd has been a

mainstay of every next in office and campaign, friend of the next -- a friend of the nixon family and for many years the assistant secretary-treasurer of our foundation board. her loyalty and dedication, intelligence, integrity have guided and inspired generations of her colleagues and friends. we are delighted she is here today. [applause] joel tore to welcome celebrate the publication of her first book: "i in the shadown of -- in the shadow of the white

house the washington watergate years, 1968-1970." larry higby will have the honor larry is aing joe, native bruin. at the age of 23 he begin -- became deputy assistant to as the right-hand man to president nixon's chief of staff bob haldeman. after the next in administration, he worked for pepsico, mean a call -- munich cal, and another company. in his retirement, though i think his wife my quarrel with the word, larry has been busy serving on boards, working for nonprofits and keeping up with kids and grandchildren. , the his chairmanship

orange county performing arts center was built and opened. he is the chair of a majority nonprofit republican think tank. as a member of the nixon foundation board, larry has played a prominent and generous in opening our new nixon library. it is my pleasure to introduce the honorable larry higby. [applause] >> thank you very much, bill. good morning. let me add my welcome to everyone here in the east room of the new nixon library. welcome to our c-span audience across america and the world. i want to thank bill also for that generous introduction.

my job this morning is to introduce joe halderman who will read from her remarkable book, in the shadow of the white house, about the wife and times -- about the life and times with her husband bob. mostly covers the historic and dramatic years from 1968 through 1974. it begins in the fall of 1968 president-elect nixon asking bob to come to washington to be the white house chief of staff. at an -- it ends in the fall of 1978 with's release from prison. jo, ii introduce thought it would be good to say a few words about her husband bob. just last week in the wall haldemanurney, "bob invented the modern presidential campaign and the modern white house." jo-- life and times with system helpedn

one white house after another attain a level of professional excellence and staff work and organization that met the growing responsibilities of government and the demands of global leadership. bob quickly became famous -- he every president needs and s ob and i am nixon's." at the time everyone took that literally and it didn't help bob when watergate focused a spotlight on him. let me tell you, people who did not know bob and only saw him as a tough white house chief of staff whose crewcut was as intimidating as his style, missed the whole point. ob,from being everyone's s he was one of the most thoughtful, human, and humane people i have ever met. he was a demanding but fair boss.

he was a true patriot. was born in los angeles in october of 1926. he was an eagle scout who was in the naval reserve at the end of world war ii. he graduated from ucla in 1948 and in 1949 he joined the advertising agency, j walter thompson. even before he reached the white house had a life of impressive accomplishment. over the course of a 22 year career, he rose to the highest corporate ranks in j walter thompson. he was the primary fundraiser for the building of the pavilion the chairman of disney california's institute of member of theas a state college board of trustees and a regent of the university of california. all of this was done before he was 40. i wasbob in 1967 when vice president of the student body at ucla, and he was

president of the alumni association. these were very turbulent times on american campuses, and the two of us were setting up programs to make sure the communication lines between student and community leaders stayed open, unlike was happening up north -- on graduation day bob offered me a job working for him, which i politely refused. i was determined to go to graduate business school. the results of that conversation and several more that followed resulted in a work our -- a work 30 for me that began with hours a week working for bob been working late nights on my mba. bob to things happen. we became very good friends. second, i figured out that he was far more interested in the opportunity to spend time in public service than he was to continue in advertising. we shared an interest in of 1968,and in january

did a careful study and concluded that richard nixon had a whopping 16% chance of winning the presidency. by the end of that tumultuous year, things have changed. richard nixon was the 37th president-elect of the united states. nixon victory and thanks to bob, i began on -- a not a see that few people can experience. as deputy assistant to the president working for the chief of staff. 1968, bobvictory in and the president-elect essentially had 60 days to organize and staff the world's largest corporation. the government of the united states. he did a great job. fact in essence, bob haldeman created the modern office of the president. job, asirst day on the

white house chief of staff, bob was 43 years old. even more strange, i was 23 years old. [laughter] fromthe next five years 1969 to 1973, i became known as haldeman's haldeman. i took that as the highest praise though to be honest i don't think most people saw it that way. privileged to go to china and the soviet union and many other places, as president nick's and worked to end the vietnam war and set the world on president nixon worked to end the vietnam war and set the world on a path to world peace. bob had a strong sense of history. and his duty to it. he applied this extraordinary discipline in writing and later recording a daily diary of the events he experienced and observed. the haldeman diaries, which are now available on kindle, isn't -- is considered to be one of the most remarkable and exciting

windows into the american presidency. at first bob wrote his diary and longhand and accountants ledgers. this is what they look like. here's the title page with the dates he filled in, january 18 through april 25. when it came to the last page she began the next volume. this handwriting that he was famous for looked like. also interested in developing technology. in movie cameras. which were becoming portable for the first time. he had one of the earliest super x,ht's, the kodak super later on he had a canon 518. to film everything from the president talking to the astronauts when apollo 11 return from the moon to the president of the united states walking on the great wall of china. a unique archive of

home movies. in bob's case the home happen to be the white house. bob's movies became the main basis for award-winning documentary, r. nixon. donated -- this collection was donated -- of 25 hours and 20,000 feet of film to the national archives. they are stored right here below is now in the nixon library. president nixon's strong right arm as well as being a wonderful family man and father. that brings me to why we are here today. jo and hear her read from her book. this is her story. it is compelling and moving. that she tells with great skill and subtlety.

horton was born as a third-generation californian also in los angeles. her best friend in high school set up a date with her brother and that is how the 15-year-old joanne met the 17-year-old bob haldeman. jo and bob -- mistakenly assumed each other were into horses. once they got past that they realize they had much in common. that was the beginning of a love story andar marriage. they had four children, susan, hank, peter, and anne. in addition to being a full-time mom and wife of an advertising executive, she was always active in community and church groups. service was something they had in common. when bob was working at the volunteered at

the district of columbia city hall complaint center and as an assistant work in the juvenile hall. after bob left the white house and his legal case went through, he served his sentence. suddenly confronted with having to be a family breadwinner, she became a licensed real estate agent and was a successful associate with the hancock park office of coldwell banker. bob later became a senior executive at the murdoch organization. in 1986 they retired to santa barbara where they enjoyed church work and spending time with extended family and kids and grandkids. we are proud and happy to have the than 70 members, of haldeman family here today with us. i think so. [applause]

after bob passed away in 1993, jo continue to do church work and devote herself to family and grandchildren. she decided to write a book about the time when the haldeman family had a rendezvous with richard nixon and american history. working all those years as i did, i also became a member of that family. -- jo is amarkable remarkable member of that family. she was supportive and strong and capable of absorbing whatever joys or sorrows the days dealt as she supported bob and raised four wonderful children. strength played a central part in bob's life and therefore the life of our nation. i am proud to call her my friend and it is my privilege to introduce heard to you this morning. please join me in welcoming jo

haldeman. [applause] >> thank you for the lovely introduction, larry. bob was a hard taskmaster and i have always taken his complete confidence in you as the highest compliment. you referred to bob's diary and i would like to share his entry from the administration's worst full day in office. 21, 1969. of last-minute getting ready of the white house so we can move in with minimum disturbance. things appear to be well set. working out reasonably

well. really snowed with office equipment, etc. tough job for a 23-year-old. he is doing great. " [applause] " i would also like to recognize -- i would also like to recognize the richard nixon foundation for sponsoring this event and the library for hosting it. i want to specifically recognize bill, frank, and all the incredibly kind and helpful people who make things happen so smoothly and graciously here at the library. thank you. all of you. [applause] last but not least, i would like

to thank my wonderful supportive family, many of whom are here today. so thank you. [applause] welcome. now 34-year-old grandson, who is here today, was in the seventh grade, he offhandedly mentioned that his class was studying watergate. amyears later, here i presenting the result of his remark, my memoir. it has been a long haul. but i was determined to give bob and my grandchildren a fuller appreciation of our life and experience in washington and what they would get from their textbook -- than what they would get from their textbooks. my story covers the 10 year. from president nixon's nomination in july 1968, to the

day bob walked out of prison on december, 1978. time in ourbulent country's history. the generation gap was widening and counterculture values were replacing past social and moral code. growing frustrations over the vietnam war, racial and gender inequalities divided our nation. without cell world phones, computers, or the internet. id,ad no voicemail, caller let alone texting or email. a gallon of gas cost $.35. a double cheeseburger cost $.49 and a luxury lincoln continental sold for $6,046.

is not bob'sritten story nor is it the story of our family. or an explanation of watergate. what i wrote was my story. today i'm going to read several selections from the book. the first one takes place two months after the first inauguration. bob was immersed in his new job in washington and i was still living in los angeles with our four children until they completed the school year. susan was in the ninth grade in high school. pardon, she was a senior in high school. hank was a sophomore, peter was washe six grade, and anne in the fourth grade. bob was 42 and i was 40. this was my first visit to washington to see bob who was

living a few blocks from the white house in the jefferson hotel. -- while in plan washington dc i plan to look at houses and check out those. titled,t excerpt is first lady's dinner party. " on the evening of friday, march 14, 1969, bob and i attended two different functions. while he dresses for the gridiron dinner where members of the administration are traditionally roasted by the press, i dressed for mrs. nixon's dinner honoring the white house wives. this is new to me. the protocol is intimidating. i wish bob were going to be at the white house with me. i ask him for advice. just follow the other ladies, he says. do what they do. i am sure you won't be the only one there for the first time. a tie and tails, bob

lee's first. when a zipper in the back of my dress gets stuck i have to ask the doorman at the hotel to zip media. [laughter] car takes me to the south entrance of the white house where we wait in a long line of government and those that look it back we like our black mercury sedan. we inch ahead. suddenly my door is opened i a uniform white house social aid. stepping out of the car i silently repeat's words like a mantra. follow the ladies. do what they do. just follow the ladies. do what they do. ofpt up in a steady stream elegantly dressed women, i entered the diplomatic reception room, expecting to see others who were here for the first time. i'm disappointed. no one looks lost. for a moment i feel terribly alone.

check -- as i start to climb the stairs to the entrance hall, a woman breezes by me. " isn't it fun to be here without your husband for a change? " she asked in a enthusiastic voice. replied, attempting to sound blase. halfway up the red carpeted stairs, an attractive woman with red hair cap's me on the shoulder. up,"ld you mind zipping me pointing to the back of her dress. jerry had to leave before i finish dressing. i smiled. i was happy to help her. i discovered that the woman was betty ford. wife of the representative gerald ford, i realized sometimes it makes no difference who you are or where you are -- certain situations are universal.

on the upper landing i'm given a card with my dinner table number on it. i am delighted to find that i'm seated next to julie nixon eisenhower. gregarious, she is a good hostess at our table 48. and her darka lot hair bounces on the shoulders of her white lace dress. when laura's the from dr. chicago plays, i get goosebumps. 20 violent is playing my favorite song in the state dining room of the white house is surreal. -- 20 violinists playing my favorite song. the only thing missing is bob. coffee is served red a notice a stately older woman standing alone. sensing that i finally discovered someone else who might be here for the first time i introduced myself.

who you are my dear, the woman says. i am mrs. warren. it is nice to meet you, i say. is your husband part of the nixon white house? no dear. he is the chief justice of the supreme court. [applause] [laughter] mrs. warren smiles pleasantly and drifts away. the next selection takes place in november of 1969. at that time demonstrations against the vietnam war were growing in size and becoming a nationwide movement. launchne begins with a of the apollo 12 mission to the moon at cape canaveral, florida, which our family attended along with other families as guest of nasa. this chapter is called, "shades of gray."

the rocket moves slowly, struggling to gain the tremendous force it needs to break free. when the sound catches up with us the power for more causes the grandstand to tremble. little puddles of rainwater dance on the asphalt below. on the launchpad, the scaffolding collapses. apollo 12 climbs steadily upward. the mighty roar turns into a deep rumble. it is swallowed up by the storm clouds. is left in dull glow the lead in sky. as soon as launches over bob and john leave to join the president on air force one for the return flight to washington. they are concerned about the peace march that will take place tonight as well as the demonstration tomorrow. jean andcar takes

me to patrick air force base one with thed nasa director of nasa and his wife. shortly after take off a violent thunderstorm surrounds our goal -- wild- our gulfstream gusts of wind, rain, and hail buffet us on all sides. when one of the children asks we try tow up bag, reassure everyone by reciting the lord's prayer out loud. unfortunately this has the opposite effect. [laughter] it only conveys a greater sense of doom. [laughter] clear on our approach to washington. , i can easily identify the capital and many government buildings. it is a beautiful sight.

made even more spectacular by a long procession of twinkling lights. a serpentine line stretches all the way from arlington cemetery to the white house. it is the march. tom said. with his head glued to the window. they are carrying candles. one lands at the air force base where two cars wait for us. our driver asked if the children and i would like to drive past the arlington memorial bridge on the way home. you will be able to see the peace march up close, he says. it is quite a sight. ask? it be safe, i our driver assures us it will not be a problem. drawing nearer to the single file procession, coming across the bridge, our car slows down to keep pace with the demonstrators.

i expected to see angry hippies with clenched fists shouting obscenities. instead i observed a great variety of people. there are peace symbols and crosses, color beads and gold jewelry. tie-dyed t-shirts and button-down oxford shirts. beards and shaved faces. long hair and clipped haircuts. each face is lit by a flickering candle representing the loss of an american life in vietnam. the line moves in silence and all i hear are the muffled sounds of shuffling feet. the impact of the scene is overwhelming. up until this moment, i had generally regarded life in terms of lack and white. -- black and white. i consider the demonstrators a bunch of hippies, whose cause and tactics i did not support.

to me the march was unpatriotic and disruptive, therefore it must be bad. in contrast, the moon launch was patriotic and unifying. therefore it must be good. tonight however, i see the hippies as individual people, expressing great sensitivity and compassion. i can no longer define life so simply and my thinking changes. protesters in shades of gray. excerpt takes place one year later. swim."itled, "heroic " january 20, 19 71 is the anniversary of the second steadfastly and bob maintains that nixon is capable of becoming a great leader. the president has a brilliant

mind and an unbelievable grasp of global affairs. bob believes in him and serves him with his whole heart. on january 29, i accompanied bob and a few white house staff members on air force one to the virgin islands where the president will spend a long weekend, the rockefeller resort. in the meantime i've been invited to join our friends george and kathleen on their 45 foot yacht. during the day, we sailed from island to island, swimming and snorkeling in hidden bays. at night we anchor in the shelter of a cold and sleep on the boat. sunday afternoon, bob and his assistant, larry higbee, join us. and the armyl signal corps will contact him via shortwave radio if he is needed.

he and larry are both eager to take turns skipper ring -- captaining, and seeing us all sailing along with full sales. suddenly, a garbled message comes over the radio. i make out the words, searchlight, nixon, secret service codename, and welcome, bob's secret service codename. bob tenses up. he considers a call from the president urgent. he asks george to return to the bay immediately. reverses our course. downoat heels and we are -- we are doused with salt water. when we enter the protective co., the wind dies -- the

protective bay, the wind dies. bobrifted off shore, and decides there is a faster way to make it to land. he walks to the bow of the boat and dives into the water. larry follows. [laughter] swimming as hard as they can they finally reach the beach where they run for their part g. they speed away -- there parked car. they speed away into a grove of tamarind trees leaving a cloud of dust. kathleen and george are speechless. [laughter] learneden asked how we about the watergate reagan. which brings me to june, 1972. this chapter is, "the watergate break-in." on june 16, 1972, the first lady leaves for a three-day campaign swing through texas, california, and south dakota.

while she is out of town the president will spend the weekend in florida. it is his last chance to be there before the weather gets too hot and humid. i, her best friend and accompanied bob on air force one. june 18, don's warm and windy. after celebrating father's day and breakfast by the pool the four of us return to the via -- to the villa. bob explains that something has come up and he needs to spend time on the phone. armed with the sunday papers, i settle on the terrace while the girls swim in the ocean. buffeted by the strong wind i cram the papers i am not reading under my seat to keep them from blowing away. the lead story in the miami herald is about the withdrawal of troops from vietnam and there

is a feature article on george mcgovern's campaign. that the watergate complex is mentioned in a small story in the middle of the front page, i am interested. the watergate. that is where mother and i stayed with bob while he was decorating -- while we were decorating our new home. under the headline, miami and's bug them., try to headquarters. article describes a burglary that took place after midnight yesterday. on june 17, five men were arrested for breaking into the democratic national committee headquarters in the watergate. suits, theyusiness wore rubber surgical gloves and carried burglary tools, surveillance equipment, walkie-talkies, and cameras.

four of the men are from miami but the fifth is a former employee of the cia, presently working as a security consultant in washington. the story is weird. i'm curious to hear what bob has to say about it but i don't want to interrupt him while he is working. doors, through the glass i see him seated on the red white and blue striped couch in the living room. in front of him, the white house phone and a marble replica of the washington monument sit side-by-side on a white, glass top coffee table. i waved to the girls and go back to my reading. two hours later, bob steps out. blinking in the bright sunlight, he sits down next to me. deal about this crazy break-in at the watergate, i ask. the whole thing is ridiculous, bob says.

i can't imagine why would anyone would want to bug the democratic headquarters. it is the last place in the world to get inside information. [laughter] have you talked to the president, i asked. yes. i don't think he knows about the break-in yet, unless he read it in the paper. bob stands and stretches and i suggest we use lunch by the pool. on the way out, i tossed the papers into the waste basket. frequently i would find an article i would want to save but today there is nothing special. realize where this crazy break-in story would take us. the story did not go away. which brings us to almost one year later, april of 1973. after two weeks of agonizing back and forth on whether john

and bob should stay, take leaves of absence, or resign, we finally have the answer. this chapter is called "resignation." morning, april 29, i retrieve the washington post from under the azaleas in the patio of our townhouse on our street in georgetown. reporters so many lingering at our front door that intimidated our newsboy. he would go around the alley and throw our paper into our patio where it in veritably landed in the azaleas. getting the paper from the front door i had to pick it out of the plants on the patio. using my apron to wife off bits hear the john dean is

ready to swear that he gave john and bob progress reports on the cover up and there is more speculation about removing bob and john. boring, bob says a breakfast. as soon as the president reads this, he will want john and me to come up to camp david immediately. what do you mean, i question. he will want our resignations. wanted youou said he to take leaves of absence, i comment. things are moving too fast and the other direction, bob says. way i will -- either be out of the white house. he stands and walks over to the window where he looks down at the reporters mingling on the sidewalk. it is time for me to tell our families that i might have to take a leave of absence but we will be prepared in case i have to resign.

as usual, bob has covered all his bases. this decision is clear to him and he is in control. however, i feel lost an i am glad we are going to church this morning. i need to turn to a greater power to sustain me. true to his word, as soon as we get home gets our calls -- three out-of-town children. as well as her parents. i try not to think about the future, keep busy. cottageob's lunch -- cheese, canned pineapple, iced tea. the white house phone rings, and i instantly assume it is the dreaded call from nixon. the conversation is brief. meetresident wants us to him at camp david 1:30 today. bob's eyes and demeanor are

reassuring. when the white house fall rings again, i fight to stay composed. -- that was ron.. feels verynt strongly that john and i should resign. my heart does a nosedive. is this it? "i'm afraid so. ron said the president figures we will be enough live if we take leaves of absence. he puts on his blazer and turns to me. our eyes meet. he gives me a hug and a kiss. stepping out of the bedroom, bob collides with anne in the hall, jeans and a baggy sweatshirt, she is clutching a basketball and is in a hurry to leave. i'm going to the park, she says.

says. minute,, bob i am taking off and i want to tell you something before i go. anne stuck to the landing and bob puts his hand on her shoulders. there is a good chance that i will have to take a leave of absence from the white house. are things that bad? yes, they are, bob ethnologist. they are -- bob ethnologist. bob wraps his arms around his daughter in the basketball at the same time. my heart breaks if he follows and downstairs, father and daughter step outside together with the press surrounds them, and charges through the crowd and makes her way down the sidewalk. bob climbs into the waiting white house car and is driven away. i am alone. even the press has gone.

i anticipate a long, agonizing wait, so i try to keep busy with monday chores. untouchedt bob's onch, pay bills, catch up ironing, walk dogs, and sweep up trash left by reporters. in the late afternoon, i am screening up the living room when the ring of the white house phone startles me. i reach for the receiver and then drop back. eyed themotionless, i white instrument in front of me. if i don't answer i want to hear any bad news. on the fourth ring, i give an, gripping the receiver, i bring it to my ear. "good evening mrs. altman." halderman.ning, mrs. mr. halderman is calling from

camp david and would like to speak to you. all of a sudden, bob is on the line in my heart is pounding. he tells a that he just finished meeting with the president. it is just what i expected, he said. the president asked john and me to submit our resignations. there is knowing -- there was no turning back at this time. keep talking bob, if you expect me to say something, i don't think i can. keep talking. i will come home before long, bob continues, as if this were any normal day. it's what you call the children -- will you call the children and our parents and given the news? of course my reply study but my . head just checking. i'm so sorry, bob, i hope you are all right. i love you. that is all i can say. there is so much more. so much more. after hanging up, i stand and stare at the phone. tonight, this constant intruder into my life has finally had --

has finally had the last word. in march of 1974, bob was charged with conspiracy to obstruct justice, obstruction of justice, and three counts of perjury, in connection with the watergate cover-up, along with four other defendants. he went through a 55 day trial that fall. the next meeting is at the end of the trial, after the final arguments have been made by the prosecution and the defendants. the prosecution gets to have the last word, by making rebuttal arguments. susan has been attending the trial, and peter and anne are visiting over christmas break. chapter is called "jar of jam." december 27, 1974. day 52.

friday, the court room is packed. anne and i have to share a small space on the bench while peter sits in one of the chairs that have been set up in the aisle. after lunch, the government presents its rebuttal. asan for my heart pounding richard stands. for some reason, bob has been singled out, and a 31-year-old assistant prosecutor will be delivering a separate rebuttal only against him. chief prosecutor, will follow, taking on the other four defendants. i am on edge. selfockiness and importance and more knee -- neil's cockiness and self-importance annoys me. i don't want them to be by their filedis

her -- by their father. he pauses to adjust his glasses. a voice laden with sarcasm, he compares bob to a little boy who gets caught with jam on his face. "here's the jam, ladies and gentlemen. it is on mr. alterman's face, it is on his hands, and he can't get it off." every time they cite more evidence against bob, he repeats this story of the boy and the jam. as the jurors turned to look, i know they visualize bob smeared with bright, red, strawberry jam. captures the that imagination, and i chagrined. do our children really have to hear this? at the end of half an hour, they conclude their rebuttal. with a self-satisfied expression, he walks back to the prosecutor's table.

during the break, a crowd gathers in the hall and i have trouble getting past it. what i see what the attraction is, i'm sickened. standing in the middle of an admiring group of journalists, richard is grinning. obviously enjoying the attention, he raises his right hand, high above his head, for all to see. in it, he holds a jar of jam. iser in the afternoon, it jim neal's turn to deliver the rebuttal of all of the defendants. hunched over the lectern, he addresses the jury. it is no fun casting stones, he says, but to keep society going, stones must be cast, people must be called to account. speaking for four hours, the chief prosecutor fairies his his toneoice -- varies

of voice -- soft and delivered on some occasion, and other times loud and figures. as always, he is a spellbinder compared to his final argument earlier, was he says today rushed. everyone blames john, neil concludes, but mr. mitchell also blames mr. colson. mr. ehrlichman blames the president and mr. marley blames the white house, and he pauses, mr. halderman can't really recall enough to blame anybody. people around me snicker under their breath. after 52 days, everything has been covered. the opening statements, the testimony of witnesses, 22 hours of taped conversations, the final arguments, and the rebuttals. some of it was boring, some of it was fascinating, and so much

of it was frustrating. at last, it's over. on monday, the case will go to the jury. leaving the courtroom, i feel weak.y -- i feel i take them personally, become obsessed with one objective to get out of his building as quickly as possible. desperate to be alone, i give no thought to bob and the children. putting the head down i plow through the crowd. mrs. halderman, jim neal calls out in the hallway stopping me. he locks eyes with me. i want to wish you well, no matter what the outcome might be. the heartfelt message from bob's adversary catches me off guard and puts my emotions over the top. fighting to hold back tears, i am more determined than ever to

get away. come,utside, the tears and i can no longer hold them back. by the time bob and the three children find me, i have my emotions under control. a trying day, and no one feels like talking. the five of us pull to our borrowed car with one thought in mind -- to get home as quickly as possible. key in the ignition, but nothing happens. he tries again. but the engine won't turn over. people ignore us as they get into their cars and drive away. neckng a scarf around his against the bitter cold, bob leaves to get help. returnspasses before he , and when he does, we cannot believe what we see. a cage. he is a prisoner. obtaining the assistance of two

policemen, bob has returned with them in their patrol car. unfortunately, the only seat available is the one in the back behind a plate of steel mesh. it the doors have no inside handles, an officer has to let him out. the two officers jumpstart our battery, and at last, we are on our way home. halfway across the 14th street bridge, are called -- our car stalls in the middle of heavy rush hour traffic. with cars whizzing past us on both sides come it is too dangerous to get out. there is nothing to do, but to sit here and wait to be rescued. remember, there were no cell phones. he prints sos across the back window. [laughter] ms. haldeman: after a short wait, a small pickup truck approaches from behind and slowly pushes us over to the center guard rail.

he drives away, and once again, we wait. eventually, a tow truck with blinking, red emergency lights comes to our rescue. to theng a huge hook front bumper of our car, the usver uses a crane to foist up to a 45 degree angle. with our friend was completely off the ground, the only thing we can see is the hook and the flashing red lights. i and her father or city behind the wheel. susan smiles. you look ridiculous, dad. this whole day has been ridiculous, bob response. i have been smeared with jam, and present in a police car, and hauled away by a tow truck. the car gets a lurch and our heads are bobbing in unison. the bizarre scene suddenly becomes hilarious.

giving in to our pent-up emotions, the five of us burst out laughing. ultimately was convicted and totenced to serve 2.5 years eight years in federal prison. he ended up spending 18 months at the long poke federal prison camp 150 miles north of los , angeles, where we were living. the next scene is my first visit to bob at the camp. i had driven him up the day before and left him. now, i am returning with his mother, who we called -- this chapter is titled "h andelma, you have a visitor." arriving in, we parked the car and followed the stream of families carrying picnic baskets into the visitors center.

non is upbeat and excited about seeing her son. suddenly i feel out of place and become filled with misgivings. get a hold of yourself. the room is crowded and people are divided into two lines for processing. the uniform guard is seated at a table, checking off our names as well as bob's, he asks if we ? ought anything illegal as soon as we are cleared, bob is notified over the loudspeaker. visit.an, you have a he did not get the name right. how will bob know it came? don't worry, he will know. looking across the paved area, i see a chain-linked fence in the distance. i recognize bob is one of the men waiting at the gate. he's coming over here, non-explains. it is the same related tone she used every time she spotted

herself a white house event. as soon as bob steps inside the room, he identifies himself to the guard. 148963e. number i cringe. non and i push for to greet him, but bob is distracted, guiding us towards the door in the opposite side of the room. he tells us to hurry if want to get seats at the table in the patio. the guys told me outside his best place to become a he explains. the three of the stepped out into a small, grassy area, which is enclosed on three sides by the l-shaped visitors center and the camp chapel. it is open to the road for a painted white line runs along the edge of the asphalt. and we were relax, seated at one of the picnic tables. as we eat, bob and his mother are both at ease and animated, while i feel restrained and out

of sorts. sharing stories with us about life in the camp, bob describes an overly strict guard named deputy dog, and he talks about one of the guys who tried to blow up his mother's plane after he took off -- after he took out life insurance on her. [laughter] ms. haldeman: bob tells us he lives in a multistory dorm with over 400 other inmates. he is assigned a cubicle, which he refers to as his house, a definest high partition his personal area, which contains a bed, desk, chair, and cover -- and cupboard. bob is subjected to inspections come headcounts commend the and demerits, headcounts. tan khaki pants and blue oxford

are the camp uniform. these are issued each week along with shorts, socks, towels, sheets. a new and dryer are available as well as laundry service. requests percent personal items from home, such as clothing, books, sports gear, or toiletries, must be in writing. all letters and packages will be opened and approved before they are distributed. before long, i will be assigned to a job, bob says, looking pleased. in the meantime, i have a temporary assignment at the power plant. i bet they would have put you in non speculates. you were such a good manager, so organized. i will not tell you where bob and working. [laughter] you have to read the book. [laughter] ms. haldeman: before we know a, our three-hour visit is over. the air is cooler, fog is starting to creep across the patio. along with the other families, we follow bob to the edge of the

lawn. this is as far as i can go, he says, coming to an abrupt halt at the white line on the road. i'm not allowed to step over that. bob's words tell it like it is, and the line is a blunt, visual reminder of where he is. we tried to put up a good front and kiss him goodbye, but it is difficult. rejoining straggly possession of mostly women and children on the way back to the parking lot. behind us, bob stands with his feet firmly planted on his side of the white line. ends on december 20, 1978. the day that bob was released from prison. i will conclude today with an excerpt from a epilogue. -- summer, 1994, i have

a small sailboat. there is just enough room in it for one person. my legs are cramped as i grab the pillar and push away from the dock. it is summer. i am back at bay island were nothing never seems to change. this year, everything is different. eight months ago, bob passed away. the wind causes my little boat to heal as i crossed the channel and i am alone with my thoughts in my mind goes back in time. this is where it all began, 26 years ago. it was a journey that took bob and to be too unbelievable heights as well as to the deepest depths. it gave us a second chance. after being released from prison, but became president and ceo at the hotel operation of murdoch development company. when he retired seven years later, we left los angeles and

moved to santa barbara. , bob meantuesthouses toward small, start up businesses and gave talks in the committee, grew fantastic roses, wrote his horse, sam, on the beach, and took walks with his dog, rufus. he was an enthusiastically sunday school teacher. devoted on his grandchildren. oted on his grandchildren. he took me dancing every year on our anniversary. through the years, bob stayed in touch with president nixon through in frequent phone calls and occasional visits. bob had a remarkable lack of animosity, and an exceptional ability to accept his destiny.

whatfull confidence with lay ahead, he did just what he had always done, held to the positive and moved forward. as soon as i entered the main channel, a blast of wind fills the sale. if bob were here, he would be in the windiest part of the bay, going as fast as possible. without picking key, i find myself looking for him. thinking, i find myself looking for him. i miss him with all of my heart. thank you. [applause] >> jo, thank you so much. thank you, thank you, thank you.

she will be available in our front lobby for those who would like a copy of the book. i strongly encourage it. it is a fascinating read. we will see you in the front lobby. thank you so much. bye-bye. [captions copyright national cable satellite corp. 2017] [captioning performed by the national captioning institute, which is responsible for its caption content and accuracy. visit ncicap.org] this weekend on american history tv on c-span3. at 6:00 p.m. eastern on the civil war, the disbanding of the confederate army of northern virginia is discussed by a producer -- by a professor. term hader, lee's surrendered his army. they had said nothing about declaring the confederacy defunct. there had been no peace treaty, and as a may 9, jefferson davis

remained on the run. >> than 8:00 p.m. on lectures and history, a history professor on the east texas oil boom of the mid-20th century and the expansion of u.s. oil businesses to saudi arabia and canada. frames the air of peak oil sing american oil reserves are going to collapse by 1970, forcing the country into a difficult situation. so this apocalyptic fear of america losing its oil sources was going to drive expiration abroad. >> and send at 4:00 p.m. eastern on real america, the 1979 united nations film, the palestinian people do have rights. >> violence breeds hatred. retaliation only brings further retaliation. an eye for night is often paid at high interest rates in our day and age. >> and 6:30, president reagan's

the formerr and ambassador to germany recall reagan's 1987 trip to berlin and the speech. >> it was a great plot line and i knew it was authentic ronald asgan, but you know, history president obama says, has a heart. -- has a arc. and we would never celebrate that famous speech if the events of 1989 had not transpired the way they did. complete american history tv schedule, go to c-span.org. next, marie jenkins schwartz talk about her book "ties that bound: founding first ladies and slaves." she focuses on how martha washington and dollie washington -- dolley madison