Local historian Jon Elliston’s latest talk, “WNC Declassified,” will feature accounts of Nazi sympathizers, FBI intrigue, espionage, nuclear war and the undoing of a presidency.
Tag: Richard Nixon
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Asheville Archives: Mother’s Day arrives in the mountains, 1909
On May 3, 1909, The Asheville Citizen informed readers that local religious organizations planned “to observe the second Sunday in this month as Mother’s day.”
Letter writer: The rise and fall of the Soul City vision
“While [Floyd] McKissick’s dream was never realized, we owe him a debt for the water system for the county, which is still in use today.”
Nixon memo: “Follow up with Billy Graham in his work with Negro ministers”
In a Dec. 30, 1969, memo, President Richard Nixon instructed White House Chief of Staff H.R. Haldeman to “follow up with Billy Graham in his work with Negro ministers across the country. He feels this is our best chance to make inroads into the Negro community. I am inclined to agree with him.” Click here […]
Billy Graham letter to Richard Nixon
In a letter to President Richard Nixon, declassified in 2007, the Rev. Billy Graham predicted the rise of the Christian right as a potent political force. He enclosed a Los Angeles Times article reporting on a study that indicated “the presidential candidate whose values seem closest to that of the Rev. Billy Graham stands the […]
Nixon administration memo: Phone call from Billy Graham
This declassified document from the administration of President Richard Nixon reveals that the Rev. Billy Graham called the White House from Montreat to discuss a potentially thorny matter—a request by a prominent Democrat for a public show of support from the evangelist. The memo shows how Nixon’s White House handled the matter. Click here to […]
Judgment days
Paying their respects: Billy Graham speaks at the opening of his library in Charlotte earlier this year. Three former presidents — George H.W. Bush, Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton — were there to speak of their admiration for him. Photo By Cecil Bothwell In the weeks after John F. Kennedy won one of the closest […]
Billy Graham confidential: New Nixon political memos released
Will it ever stop? Years after his death, President Richard Nixon’s secrets keep rising from the archives—as the latest batch did just last week. illustration by V.C. Rogers With the release of each classified memo and secretly recorded tape, more is learned about the inner workings of the Nixon White House—and of the people who […]
Billy Graham declassified: The preacher and President Nixon
Newly released documents and tapes detail the Rev. Billy Graham’s back-room conversations with “Tricky Dick.”