No living historian knows America’s presidents and the institution of the presidency better than Dr. Richard Norton Smith. A former White House intern who became a speechwriter for Senator Edward Brooke (R-Massachusetts) and Senator Robert J. Dole (R-Kan), Dr. Smith has written compelling biographies of several presidents and would-be presidents.
Throughout his career, Smith has served as Director of five presidential museums. During this hour-long interview, he discusses both the pleasures and challenges of being a biographer, explains how the reputations of individual presidents may shift over time, and discusses his plans for the future.
0:00 Intro
1:43 Presentation
1:00:06 Q&A