Background

During the Nixon administration, the National Archives Office of Presidential Libraries maintained a liaison Office of Presidential Papers and Archives (OPPA). One of the functions of OPPA was to conduct exit interviews with departing staff members.

Available Exit Interviews

The following exit interviews are available for research in transcript form in the research room in College Park, Maryland and online as pdf files through the links below.

• Adams, Penelope A.
  Interview Date:   September 26, 1973
  
  Penelope A. Adams was the radio and television coordinator and later deputy press secretary for Mrs. Nixon. She worked in the White House from December 1, 1969 to September 1973. In the interview, she discussed her responsibilities for press relations and the scheduling of social events for the First Lady.
  
  
• Codus, William R.
  Interview Date:   November 29, 1972
  
  William R. Codus was the Assistant Chief of Protocol for Visits at the Department of State and came to the White House on July 9, 1972 to manage scheduling for Mrs. Nixon, Julie Eisenhower, and Tricia and Edward Cox. His discussion of his duties in the interview included a description of his planning Mrs. Nixon’s 1972 trip to Africa.
  
  
• Colson, Charles W.
  Interview Date:   January 12, 1973
  
  Charles Colson was Special Counsel to the President. He was responsible for political liaison with nongovernmental organizations. His duties also included lobbying on behalf of the administration and political analysis. In addition to outlining his responsibilities in the interview, Mr. Colson discussed the campaigns of 1970 and 1972 and his advice to the President concerning the Vietnam War.
  
  
• Herschensohn, S. Bruce
  Interview Date:   September 9, 1974
  
  S. Bruce Herschensohn was a Deputy Special Assistant to the President, joining the White House in September 1972. He was an expert on propaganda and film-making, serving initially as a consultant on political matters and as a speech writer. Mr. Herschensohn would later act as a liaison with the public on Support the President matters surrounding the Watergate controversy. He arranged for support petitions to be accepted by the White House, the Staff, and in some cases, by the President. He also wrote support articles for newspapers and magazines. In his interview, Mr. Hershensohn discussed his various White House responsibilities.
  
  
• Klein, Herbert G.
  Interview Date:   July 13, 1973
  
  Herb Klein was the Director of Communications for the Executive Branch. In this capacity, he coordinated the public relations activities of the White House and Federal agencies. In his interview, Mr. Klein described his work with Mr. Nixon and his campaigns from 1946 to 1969 before Mr. Klein became Director of Communications including his involvement with Vice President Nixon’s 1959 “Kitchen Debate” with Nikita Khrushchev. He also outlined his responsibilities as Director of Communications.
  
  
• Krogh, Egil M.
  Interview Date:   December 18, 1972
  
  Egil “Bud” Krogh was the Deputy Counsel to the President and later, Deputy Assistant to the President for Domestic Affairs. His responsibilities included drugs, crime, law enforcement, liaison with the District of Columbia, and transportation. In addition to describing his duties, Mr. Krogh discussed in his interview the international drug trade and law enforcement efforts in the District of Columbia.
  
  
• Patterson, Bradley H., Jr.
  Interview Date:   September 10, 1974
  
  Bradley H. Patterson was an executive assistant to Leonard Garment, helping him with civil rights issues and cultural affairs. Under Mr. Garment, Mr. Patterson developed his own specialty in Indian affairs. In his interview, Mr. Patterson described his involvement with planning for the Bicentennial, school desegregation policies, legislation concerning Alaskan natives, and the Nixon administration’s response to Indian activists occupying Alcatraz, the Bureau of Indian Affairs building, and Wounded Knee.
  
  
• Shepard, Geoffrey C.
  Interview Date:   September 11, 1974
  
  Geoffrey L. Shepard was an Associate Director on the Domestic Council Staff, starting in September 1970. Mr. Shepard’s assignments primarily dealt with the Justice Department and law enforcement which he outlined in his interview. He also described with whom he worked in the White House and throughout the Executive Branch.
  
  
• Stuart, Constance C.
  Interview Date:   March 15, 1973
  
  Constance C. Stuart served simultaneously as staff director and press secretary for the First Lady starting in October 1969. Ms. Stuart described the operation of her staff whose duties included managing press relations, correspondence, scheduling, and social events for Mrs. Nixon, Tricia and David Eisenhower, and Julie and Edward Cox. She also talks briefly about her relations with the President’s staff.
  
  
• Warren, Gerald L.
  Interview Date:   October 24, 1974
  
  Gerald L. Warren served as deputy press secretary beginning in January 1969. In his interview, Mr. Warren discussed with whom he worked and his responsibilities, including providing logistical support to the White House press corps.
  
  
• Whitaker, John C.
  Interview Date:   May 4, 1973
  
  John C. Whitaker was Cabinet Secretary in 1969 and a member of the Domestic Council staff from 1969 to 1973. As a member of the Domestic Council, Mr. Whitaker had responsibility for environmental and natural resources policies. In his interview, Mr. Whitaker discusses how the Domestic Council and Cabinet functioned.
  
  

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