Pat Nixon: Unheralded First Lady
The far-reaching achievements of Pat Nixon, First Lady from 1969-1974 are too often overshadowed by the drama of her husband’s White House. Far from being “Plastic Pat,” Mrs. Nixon was a gifted person-to-person diplomat whose wide interests prevented her from selecting just one “signature” First Lady project. Instead, she declared, “People are my project.” Our panel will examine Mrs. Nixon’s true personality versus her media image, her efforts to make the White House more accessible to all, her foreign trips and efforts as a solo diplomat, her behind-the-scenes support for getting more women in government roles, and her strong desire to see a woman on the Supreme Court. The at times tense relationship between the Nixon East and West Wings will also be discussed. This panel will be introduced by FLARE Vice President Nancy Kegan Smith and moderated by Linda Hobgood, and will include panelists Dr. Mary Brennan, and Heath Hardage Lee.
YouTube Link: https://youtu.be/CRnC9ijaEoE
Panelist Bios:
Linda B. Hobgood
Director of the University of Richmond’s Speech Center since its founding in 1996, Linda Hobgood has served on the faculty of the Department of Rhetoric and Communication Studies at Richmond since 1990. Areas of specialization include public speaking, speech writing, business and professional speech, and political rhetoric. Courses she has designed include a seminar on the rhetoric of first ladies, a rhetoric practicum, “Theory and Pedagogy,” and a first year seminar entitled “The White House Said Today: Rhetoric of the Executive Branch.” In 2003, she received the University of Richmond’s “Distinguished Educator” Award. The National Speakers Association presented Mrs. Hobgood its “Jeanne Robertson Outstanding Professor” Award in October 2005.
Hobgood has served as speechwriter, campaign manager, and consultant in the public and private sector, conducting training seminars for larger corporate organizations and various small businesses. Essays on rhetoric, pedagogy, and first ladies appear in a variety of books and journals. Her children’s story Yesternight was published in June, 2019.
Past experience includes positions at the White House with Special Programs and the First Lady’s staff, research and writing for the American Revolution Bicentennial Administration, and service as an administrative assistant to a member of the Senate of Virginia. Mrs. Hobgood holds both undergraduate and graduate degrees from the University of Virginia.
Heath Hardage Lee
Heath is an independent historian, biographer and curator who specializes in women’s history. Heath’s narrative nonfiction book entitled The League of Wives: The Untold Story of the Women Who Took on the U.S. Government to Bring Their Husbands Home from Vietnam was published by St. Martin’s Press in 2019. Heath’s exhibition entitled The League of Wives: Vietnam POW MIA Advocates & Allies about Vietnam POW MIA wives premiered at the Dole Institute of Politics in May of 2017 and continues to travel to museum venues all over the United States through 2022. Actress Reese Witherspoon and her production company Hello Sunshine in partnership with Sony Film Studios have optioned The League of Wives for a feature film and Heath is an executive producer and historical consultant for the project. Heath’s next book is a biography of First Lady Pat Nixon to be published in 2024 by St. Martin’s Press.