The Private Lives of American Presidents

Resource person: Audra Bullard - office@clehighlands.com

Description:

Many of us grew up in the era of Presidents Dwight Eisenhower, John F. Kennedy, Richard Nixon and Lyndon Johnson, but we knew very little about their private lives or those of other former presidents. Researching the private lives of the forty-six American presidents provides a remarkable insight into many of their love affairs, amorous entanglements with young women (and the resulting off-spring and related complications), as well as a rich trove of salacious love letters between them and their inamorata, preserved in the archives of the Library of Congress. The presentation will address the romantic affairs of such former Presidents as Jefferson, Cleveland, Harding, Roosevelt, Kennedy, Johnson, Clinton and several others. And then there are the First Ladies, a precious few of whom conducted themselves in a similar fashion to their presidential spouses. Caution: Be advised that this lecture is not for the faint of heart. These people were human, and their behavior runs the gamut from sharing a bed to hush money paid out by a major political party’s national committee - does that sound familiar? We hope you will be with us for this journey into the distant and not so distant past of life in the White House.

Presenter: Dr. Joe Trachtenberg earned his Ph.D. in political science from Emory University. Until his retirement in 2012, he was a political science professor and Political Science Program Coordinator at Clayton State University. The Dr. Joe Trachtenberg Political Science Award is given each year to the outstanding graduating senior. Dr. Trachtenberg has extensive experience as a public policy and political campaign consultant, serving as Chief Grants Officer in the Atlanta Mayor’s Office and later the Fulton County Manager’s Office. He has also been a senior policy consultant in four Atlanta mayoral campaigns and numerous other congressional and state political campaigns. His lifelong interests and research are American history and politics. He and his wife, Wendy Silver, reside in Atlanta, Georgia.

Notes: Cancellation Policy Please let us know immediately if you are unable to attend a class. There is no refund for cancellations within two (2) weeks prior to a scheduled class. Programs that include food, beverage or art materials must be canceled within three (3) weeks prior to receive a refund. CLE reserves the right to cancel a program if the minimum enrollment has not been met or for circumstances beyond our control, and participants will be notified, a complete refund will be issued. All classes are held in the CLE Lecture Hall at the Peggy Crosby Center unless otherwise noted. In the event information has changed from the published brochure, it will be posted on our website and in our e-blasts. Addresses for “private home” venues will be provided to registrants within 2 days of the program date.

Share this activity: