. >>> in july 1959, then vice president richard nixon and soviet premier nikita khrushchev engaged in a debate. over the next hour-and-a-half, timothy naftali talks with eyewitnesses to the debate in a conversation held at the national archives. >> pleasure to welcome you to the william g. mcgowan theater. and the national archives. tonight we have a discussion of one of the most famous events of the cold war. it was on june 24th, 1959, that an impromptu debate took place between then vice president richard nixon and then soviet premi premier nikita khrushchev in moscow. it has become known as the kitchen debate. the two leaders were debating the communism versus capitalism as they toured in moscow. they stopped in front of a model kitchen that exhibitors claimed all americans could afford. while there, nixon and khrushchev continued their discussion through interpreters with cameras rolling. we'll hear more about what they had to say to each other and the overall significance of the exchange in a few minutes. tonight's program is being held in conjunction with our new exhibit in the

he's the author or co-author of four books, including two involving the cold war and nikita khrushchev. his most recent book, a biography of former president george h.w. bush appeared in 2007 as part of the american presidents series. he has an undergraduate degree from yale and graduate degrees from johns hopkins and harvard. please welcome tim naftali and tonight's panel. [ applause ] >> good evening. thank you very much, mr. ferriero. it's an honor to be here. please join me in welcoming the three members of our panel today to the stage. [ applause ] you will be eyewitnesses with them to a very important moment in the cold war. and we will start -- as they come in, i will introduce each of them. you'll hear from them again, of course. ambassador gilbert a. robinson was coordinator of the american national exhibition in moscow where he brought together vice president nixon and russian premier nikita khrushchev in what you will know as the famous kitchen debate. currently chairman of new realm investments llc, president of garr inc., an international firm advising companies on interna

an achievement that prompted nikita khrushchev to quip that now the u.s. slips under a soviet moon. and that's where the other three men we honor today come in. seven years after glenn circled the earth, neil armstrong, buzz aldrin and michael collins put to rest any doubts about the position of the united states in the world. the cold war was now being fought in space and these men proved that the u.s. was winning. it wasn't easy. as president eisenhower stated at the outset, america's space program would be civilian rather than military led so no one would doubt our intentions. but it also meant that this would be conducted in the open. so every hitch and holdup could be seen and scrutinized. and this is just as it should have been. these missions spanning two democratic and two republican administrations showed not only the power of the four men we honor today, they showed the power of the collective efforts of a nation united in a common purpose. it took vision. it took will. it took leadership. it took guts. and it took the remarkable courage of john glenn, neil armstrong, buzz

impromptu debate took place between then vice president richard nixon and then soviet premier nikita khrushchev in moscow. it has become known as the kitchen debate. the two leaders were debating merits of communism versus capitalism as they toured the u.s. exhibition in moscow. they stopped in front of a model kitchen that exhibitors claimed all americans could afford. while there, nixon and khrushchev continued their discussion through interpreters with cameras rolling. we'll hear more about what they had to say to each other and the overall significance of the exchange in a few minutes. tonight's program is being held in conjunction with our new exhibit in the lawrence f. o'brien gallery upstairs, "what's cooking, uncle sam: the government's effect on the american diet." it's showing until next january. i urge you to come back to the archives sometime, many times, and enjoy it. before i turn the program over to our moderator, tim naftali, i'd like to tell you about two upcoming programs. tomorrow night at 7:00 p.m. here in the mcgowen theater we'll screen six gold medal winners of the 2011 s

national exhibition in moscow where he brought together vice president nixon and russian premier nikita khrushchev in what you will know as the famous kitchen debate. currently chairman of new realm investments llc, president of garr inc., an international firm advising companies on international trade. from 1998 to 2003, he was national director and chief operating officer of the center for the study of the presidency with headquarters here in washington. from 1983 to 1985 ambassador robinson served as special adviser for publicdy ploemsy to secretary of state george shults. february 1981, president reagan appointed him as deputy director of the united states information agency. we are very grateful to have you here and for your public service. tan ya sochurek was one of the original guides at the moscow exhibition stationed in the model home, which you'll learn more about shortly. besides representing the face of america, she became one of the main faces that americans at home saw in coverage of the exhibition through the many photographs of her taken by howard sochurek that ran in "life" magazi