George Herbert Walker Bush - 41st President of the United States (1989–1993)

The building is grand and stately sitting on the edge of a campus where the other major building is a football stadium equal to The Coliseum in Rome.

The design of the rotunda is similar to the Lincoln Museum in Springfield, IL, open welcoming, Presidential. Greeting at the front door by a very friendly woman with the most gracious southern hospitality. A painting of presidents 41 and 43, father and son are smartly placed to the side. After paying for entrance, I enjoy a film about the president’s life. Unlike yesterday at LBJ, which has three major themes they would like me to remember throughout the day, this movie is about family.

Most noticeable about this museum is that the photos and story told is from the perspective of home and family. The audio tour, something absent from the LBJ tour, are excerpts from the president and Barbara, likely from memories and letters, with latter tales told by Dorothy. The story is about a life of service, through the military, congress, party, the CIA, Ambassador, Vice President, President and post Presidential foundations and services. There are no topics that are radically larger than the other, his time in congress, the CIA, China, UN, WWII, and Vice President are about equal size. The largest topic is the Gulf War with a room to itself on decision-making, a room with words from the troops, and a room that talks about the event itself. The shortest topics are running for office in 1988 and 1992.

Before leaving the museum, there is a corridor that encourages visitors to participate in their community in one of several ways (volunteering, education, and a cause devoted to the research to cure cancer which is a personal commitment to their daughter who passed at the age of 3 to leukemia.)

Lyndon Baines Johnson - 37th Vice President of the United States (1961–1963)

Located on the Campus of the University of Texas in Austin the building can be seen from the highway. It is reminiscent of many 1970’s futuristic designs found in movies like “Logans Run”, “Roller Ball”, or “Future World” with its white stone and tall lines.

 On entering I am greeted by a team of friendly volunteers who talk me through the exhibit. It has just recently re-opened, which is great timing. Nearly all of the exhibits have been updated. I told by the greeter, “my (her) generation only thought of LBJ as the person to blame for Vietnam, but there is so much more to know about his presidency”.  She then stated the three things we should remember him for: a) The Great Society b) his commitment to education and the war on poverty c) Civil Rights. He also signed many, many bills into law and was a very smart man. Her comments at the door did not seem odd to me until about an hour later.

 I watch a very well produced movie about this life that started with a life long commitment to education, the war on poverty, and went on to covert the Great Society and the Civil Rights movement. Also on this main level is a time line of his life that also covered points of major historical significance at the same time something occurred in his life. The best part of the main floor is a Disney-esq animatronic robot of LBJ that tells stories and jokes. I thought this was amazing and it captured the attention of all who were able to find it.

On the next level up is a corridor of major achievements during his work. There is a very large area dedicated to the Great Society. There is a large section on Civil Rights. There is an area of importance to highlight Education and the war on Poverty. Then, there is a partial wall and a table about the War in Vietnam. I think there is a specific message that the designers had in mind, down play Vietnam. An interesting limitation considering that there is a huge area of Water Gate at the Nixon, Vietnam at the Ford, and the assassination with JFK.   

The top floor has not been updated. It is a replication of Lady Birds office, her gowns of significance, and gifts donated to the President and First Lady during their time in office.

At the front desk again, I inquire about “the ranch” something I have overheard from others I have walked with, and am strongly encouraged to go.

 The Ranch is well worth the hour drive from Austin. It helps to fill the gaps the museum misses and helps make human the President outside of the three themes. Shared between the state and the federal government, this is a driving tour through part of the 2,100 acres of land the family owns. I guess it pays to work for the government. It is a place of small town Texas folklore and beautiful vistas. There are many buildings on the land and I encourage everyone to purchase the audio CD at the welcome center to drive along with.

Some of the buildings on the property are the Johnson family grandparents and guesthouse. Many cattle roam freely along with deer and birds. There is a working farm. There is a private landing strip, which is still functional and has the abbreviation LBJ. Near the ranch house is the small jet the President would take from Huston or Dallas after changing from the Boeing 707 he called “Air Force one-half”. The ranch has several of the cars he owned and drove through the property over the years. The ranch itself is a nice home. The original building has been added on to several times with a large office, improved kitchen, expanded dining room, study, and the final additions of separate his and hers bedrooms.

Throughout the day you will notice the number of phones in each room and the three television steps away.

Ronald Wilson Reagan - 40th President of the United States of America

You should know that I have a soft spot for President Ronald Wilson Reagan 40^th President of the United States of America. Maybe it’s because I have lived in a foreign country for the last year or perhaps it is the sentimental attachment, but I spent the day in Simi Valley California swelled with pride for my country and appreciation for what President Reagan accomplished.

You may recall from the stirring television coverage of the funeral procession in Simi Valley the long and curving uphill climb to the Presidential Library and Museum. From this elevation you will find the tale of a man who climbed from meager beginnings in Dixon Illinois to the highest elected office in the land. It is only fitting for the man who inspired millions for American to become a bright shining city on a hill.

The location is beautiful. The building is deceptively larger on the inside than it looks on the outside. It is very California in design.

I took the iTouch tour for an additional price and found it was well worth the additional price. It’s packed full of great additional information and you can take photos to send yourself in email.

Like the Lincoln Museum the President is a “rock star”. There are multimedia displays, detailed records, and the crowds of fans pack the place on a Sunday afternoon.

Staff here manage crowds, repeat the same information dozens of times each hour, and are amazingly friendly.

There were several times during my five-hour tour that I “swelled with pride” (became a little weepy). The attempt on the life of the President was moving. Especially to see the new navy suit he was wearing for the first time that had been cut away by doctors and is now on display. The speech by Former First Lady Nancy Reagan at the Republican National Convention about the state of the President’s mind slipping into away due to Alzheimer’s. And the most moving was the final resting place of the 40^th President looking over the valley’s of his great state of California.

Richard Milhous Nixon - 37th President of the United States of America

 Is the truism that “history is written by the victors” really that accurate? Many take the mantel of Lincoln’s words to cover their beliefs even in part or contradiction to what he may have actually said or believed. When people quote the movie JFK to me as a fact of what actually took place when many of the files will remain sealed until I am in my 90’s, I have to take pause.

 Sometimes we just don’t know the truth. Other times, many times, we believe only what we want to believe regardless of facts (Confirmation Bias).

 I will not try to sway you one way or another about the 37th President of the United States of America Richard M. Nixon. You likely have an opinion about him. If it is based on your witness to his actions, watching movies made by those who despised him, or documentaries that only focus on certain aspects of his life, your opinion is not going to change from this blog post. I am here to learn more about the person in the position and what they did while holding it.

 Contrary to those who try to paint him as a monster, he was, in fact, a man. Born in Yorba Linda California in a house his father built, the family lived there for the first ten years of his life before moving to Wittier California. He first met his wife Pat in a high school play. It took him years to court and win her over.

 After serving in the Navy during WWII he became a Congressman. The 80^th Congress held two freshman that would become future presidents, Richard Nixon the 37^th, and also John F Kennedy the 35^th.  The first time the two debated was in 1947 while both served on the Labor Committee and the topic was the Taft-Hartley Bill.

 He next became a senator winning office from his efforts to fight communism during the trial of Alger Hiss.

 Nixon served as Vice President under General Dwight D. Eisenhower 34^th President of the United States of America. In this role he traveled a great deal around the world. On one of these trips to Peru student protesters attacked his motorcade.

 Loosing the next presidential campaign to JFK, Nixon spent his “time in the wilderness” rebuilding relationships behind the scenes in state competitions. He was not elected Governor of California, but helped Republicans make huge gains in mid-term elections.  

 He was sworn into office on top of two family bibles opened to Isaiah 2:4 “They shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks.”

 During his presidency he opened China, negotiated with the Soviets, had a strong Latin American policy, expanded the Middle Eastern policy, and made huge steps in domestic policies by making OSHA, the EPA, strides in civil rights through integration of schools and signed into law the Equal Rights Amendment and Title IX. 

 His years after office were spent as an author and elder statesman. He was hugely influential behind the scenes with every President who held office through to his death in 1994, roughly a year after his wife Pat had passed.

 Yorba Linda California is a beautiful place filled with friendly people.  My travel here is reminiscent of central Spain. There are mountains, it is warm, it’s dry, and the buildings have a similar influence. When the Nixon’s first moved here they were lemon farmers in a small home. To this day, only a few blocks from the library, there are horses and a street called lemon.

 The museum is modest and humble. I know that is odd to hear when you have a Sea King Parked on the lawn. It is a tasteful design with the story of how American Democracy works. There is a good deal of information on how presidents become elected, along with the standard display of pins and items to rally the base many of these locations hold. There are items unique to the president and gifts that people have made or provided.

 It was good to see so much of former First Lady Pat Nixon as part of this location. The work she did on her own and the support she provided is well displayed and documented. It would be good to see this on permanent display.

 I left with the sense of three things after walking the grounds this day: Richard Nixon was not the villain many have made him, his impact and influence will continue for several generations around the world, and he really loved Pat.  

 I cannot express how friendly the staff and visitors here have been. This is not to say that other curators of presidential history have been less friendly, but I think it takes a certain additional level of dedication to work here.