Q & A
Informative conversations with people who are making things happen in politics, the media, education, and science and technology in hour-long conversations about their lives and their work.
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Q & A
Sunday
Siddhartha Mukherjee, U.S. Response to Covid-19
Physician and Pulitzer Prize-winning author Siddhartha Mukherjee talks about the U.S. response to the COVID-19 pandemic and the medical science that is being used to combat it.
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June 28, 2020
Elena Conis, "Vaccine Nation"
University of California at Berkeley historian of medicine Elena Conis talks about the development of the polio vaccine in the 1950s.
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June 21, 2020
Peniel Joseph, Professor of History, University of Texas
University of Texas history professor Peniel Joseph talks about the activism and converging ideologies of Malcolm X and Martin Luther King, Jr., and the importance of their thinking on the fight for civil rights in America.
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June 14, 2020
Steve Inskeep, host of NPR’s “Morning Edition”
Steve Inskeep, host of NPR’s “Morning Edition,” discussed his book, Imperfect Union, which chronicles John and Jessie Fremont and their exploration of the American West in the 19th century.
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June 7, 2020
Peggy Wallace Kennedy, "The Broken Road: George Wallace and a Daughter’s Journey to Reconciliation"
Peggy Wallace Kennedy talked about her segregationist father’s controversial career as the former four-term Alabama governor and presidential candidate, and his later political conversion after almost being assassinated in 1972. She also talked about her friendship with Representative John Lewis (D-GA).
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May 31, 2020
Malcom Gladwell, "Talking to Strangers"
Malcolm Gladwell discussed his new book, Talking to Strangers, about how people make judgments, often inaccurately, about strangers.
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May 24, 2020
Jeff Guinn, "The Vagabonds: The Story of Henry Ford and Thomas Edison’s Ten-Year Road Trip"
Historian Jeff Guinn talked about his book The Vagabonds: The Story of Henry Ford and Thomas Edison’s Ten-Year Road Trip, on the highly-publicized summer road trips taken by Henry Ford and Thomas Edison between 1914-1925.
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May 17, 2020
Susannah Cahalan, Journalist, "The Great Pretender"
Journalist Susannah Cahalan talked about her book, The Great Pretender: The Undercover Mission That Changed Our Understanding of Madness, about a 1973 experiment, led by Stanford psychologist David Rosenhan, conducted to test the legitimacy of psychiatric hospitals in America.
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May 10, 2020
Craig Fehrman, Journalist, "Author in Chief"
Journalist and historian Craig Fehrman analyzes American presidents through the lens of the books they’ve written.
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May 3, 2020
Lual Mayen, South Sudanese Refugee
Lual Mayen recounted his journey from life as a South Sudanese refugee to a Washington, D.C.-based video game developer and CEO of his company Junub Games. He was gaining acclaim for his work on peace and conflict resolution by bringing the refugee experience to a wider audience through his video game “Salaam,” which means “peace” in Arabic.
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April 26, 2020
Chris Arnade, Photojournalist
Former Wall Street trader turned photojournalist Chris Arnade discussed his book "Dignity," in which he documents the plight of those living on the margins of society in America. He talked about his photos and shared stories about some of the people he befriended during his travels.
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April 19, 2020
James Wallner, Historian and Professor at American University
Former U.S. Senate aide James Wallner, who currently researches and writes about Congress at the R Street Institute, joins us to talk about the role and power of Senate Majority Leaders throughout history.
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April 5, 2020
Dr. Anthony Fauci, Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases
We profile Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases since 1984 and a prominent member of the White House Coronavirus Task Force.
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March 29, 2020
Amity Shlaes, Author and Economic Historian on U.S. Response to Crises
Calvin Coolidge Presidential Foundation chair, author and economic historian Amity Shlaes joins us to talk about the history of U.S. government responses to economic crises, including the Great Depression, the 2008 global recession, and the coronavirus.
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March 22, 2020
Christian McMillen, Author of "Pandemics: A Very Short Introduction"
Christian McMillen talks about the history of pandemics. He is the author of “Pandemics: A Very Short Introduction” and is a University of Virginia associate dean for social sciences.
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March 15, 2020
Steve Inskeep, Author of "Imperfect Union"
NPR “Morning Edition” host Steve Inskeep discusses his book, “Imperfect Union,” which chronicles John and Jessie Fremont and their exploration of the American West in the 19th century.
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March 8, 2020
Peggy Wallace Kennedy, Author of "The Broken Road: George Wallace and a Daughter's Journey to Reconciliation"
Peggy Wallace Kennedy, daughter of former 4-term Alabama governor and presidential candidate segregationist George Wallace, talks about her father’s controversial career and his later political conversion after almost being assassinated in 1972.
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March 1, 2020
Carl Cannon, Washington Bureau Chief of RealClearPolitics on Super Tuesday
Carl Cannon, Washington Bureau Chief of RealClearPolitics, discusses the history of Super Tuesday primaries and caucuses.
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February 23, 2020
Notable Speakers of the House with Matthew Green
Matthew Green looks back over history & into our own time to talk about notable Speakers - including Henry Clay, Joe Cannon, Newt Gingrich, and current Speaker Nancy Pelosi. He is a Catholic University political science professor.
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February 16, 2020
Craig Fehrman, "Author in Chief"
Journalist and historian Craig Fehrman analyzes American presidents through the lens of the books they've written.
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February 9, 2020
Q&A with Lual Mayen
Lual Mayen recounts his journey from life as a South Sudanese refugee to a Washington, D.C.-based video game developer and CEO of his company Junub Games.
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February 2, 2020
Kathryn Sullivan, "Handprints on Hubble"
Kathryn Sullivan, the first American woman to walk in space, talks about being part of NASA's first class of female astronauts and her participation in the launch and maintenance of the Hubble Space Telescope.
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January 26, 2020
Iowa Caucuses History
David Yepsen talks about the history of the "First-in-the-Nation" Iowa caucuses, which are held this year on February 3, 2020. Mr. Yepsen was the chief political writer for the Des Moines Register, where he covered politics for 34 years.
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January 19, 2020
History of the New Hampshire Primary
Former [New Hampshire Union Leader] Publisher and now Editor-at-Large Joseph McQuaid talks about his state's presidential primary history. This year's primary is February 11, 2020.
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January 12, 2020
History of Impeachment in the Senate
Historian emeritus of the U.S. Senate, Donald Ritchie, talks about the process and history of Senate impeachment trials, including those of Presidents Andrew Johnson, Richard Nixon, Bill Clinton, and Donald Trump.
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January 5, 2020
Daniel Weiss, "In That Time"
Daniel Weiss, president and CEO of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, talks about the life of poet Michael O'Donnell, who went missing in action during the Vietnam War after the helicopter he was piloting was shot down over Cambodia.
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December 15, 2019
Dr. Azra Raza, "The First Cell"
Dr. Azra Raza, professor of medicine and director of the MDS Center at Columbia University, takes a critical look at the way we have treated cancer in the United States since the early 1970s and discusses how patient care can be improved.
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December 8, 2019
Holly Jackson, "American Radicals"
University of Massachusetts professor Holly Jackson discusses her book, [American Radicals], about the people, inspired by the Founding Fathers, who worked to spread freedom and equality in the United States during the 19th Century.
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December 1, 2019
Presidential Press Coverage
The Newseum's Patty Rhule talks about how the press has covered American presidents over the course of our history. She is vice president of the museum's content and exhibit development.
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November 24, 2019
Presidential Nominating Process
Lara Brown of George Washington University discusses how the current presidential nominating system developed. She is the political management school director at George Washington University & author of "Jockeying for the American Presidency."
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November 17, 2019
A Reporter's View of Afghanistan, Pakistan & Iraq
Pamela Constable recently completed a lengthy tour as the [Washington Post]'s Afghanistan/Pakistan bureau chief. She talks about her work, the people she's met, the issues she's covered, and conditions today.
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November 10, 2019
Susannah Cahalan, "The Great Pretender"
Journalist Susannah Cahalan discusses her book, [The Great Pretender], about a 1973 experiment led by Stanford psychologist David Rosenhan that was conducted to test the legitimacy of psychiatric hospitals in America.
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November 3, 2019
Supreme Court Chief Justices
Elizabeth Papez - a litigator and partner in the firm of Gibson Dunn, and former U.S. Deputy Assistant Attorney General who clerked for Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas -- discusses several high profile U.S. Supreme Court chief justices.
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October 27, 2019
Chris Arnade, "Dignity"
Former Wall Street trader turned photojournalist Chris Arnade discusses his book, [Dignity], in which he documents the plight of those living on the margins of society in America.
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October 20, 2019
Alan Kraut
American University Distinguished Professor of History Alan Kraut looks back at our politics and policies over the past two plus centuries to see how they transformed the laws designed to manage immigration.
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October 9, 2019
Jeff Guinn, "The Vagabonds"
Historian Jeff Guinn writes about the highly publicized summer road trips taken by Henry Ford and Thomas Edison between 1914-1925 in his book, [The Vagabonds].
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October 6, 2019
History of Tariffs
The Smithsonian Institution's Peter Liebhold discusses the history of tariffs in managing the U.S. economy. He is a work and industry curator at the National Museum of American History.
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September 29, 2019
James Banner, "Presidential Misconduct"
Historian James Banner discusses his book, "Presidential Misconduct: From George Washington to Today"
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September 22, 2019
Heritage Foundation President Kay Coles James
Kay Coles James about her life, career in government and politics, and her work as president of the Heritage Foundation think tank in Washington, D.C.
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September 15, 2019
Malcolm Gladwell, "Talking to Strangers"
Bestselling author Malcolm Gladwell discusses about his new book, [Talking to Strangers], about how we make judgments, often inaccurately, about people we don't know.
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September 8, 2019
Margaret O'Mara, "The Code"
University of Washington history professor Margaret O'Mara discusses her book, [The Code: Silicon Valley and the Remaking of America], about the rise of Silicon Valley and the role that the federal government played in its evolution.
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August 28, 2019
Q&A
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May 19, 2019
David McCullough
Historian David McCullough discusses his latest book, [The Pioneers: The Heroic Story of the Settlers Who Brought the American Ideal West].
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May 12, 2019
David Maraniss
Journalist and author David Maraniss discusses his book, [A Good American Family: The Red Scare and My Father].
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May 6, 2019
Harold Holzer and Amity Shlaes
Harold Holzer and Amity Shlaes talk about C-SPAN's latest book, [The Presidents: Noted Historians Rank America's Best - and Worst - Chief Executives].
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April 28, 2019
David Brooks
New York Times columnist David Brooks discusses his book "The Second Mountain: The Quest for a Moral Life."
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April 21, 2019
Q&A with Senate Youth Program
High school students from the U.S. Senate Youth Program talk about their week in Washington and what they've learned from the experience.
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April 15, 2019
Susan Page
USA Today Washington Bureau Chief Susan Page discusses her book, [The Matriarch: Barbara Bush and the Making of an American Dynasty].
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April 7, 2019
Doug Brinkley
Historian Douglas Brinkley talks about his book, "American Moonshot: John F. Kennedy and the Great Space Race."
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March 31, 2019
Joan Buskupic
Supreme Court reporter Joan Biskupic discusses her biography of Chief Justice John Roberts.
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March 24, 2019
Robert Caro
Author and LBJ biographer Robert Caro discusses his book, [Working: Researching, Interviewing, Writing].
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March 17, 2019
Matthew Hoh
Iraq War veteran and former State Department official Matthew Hoh talks about his article, "Time for Peace in Afghanistan and an End to the Lies."
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March 10, 2019
Amy Greenberg
Penn State history professor Amy Greenberg discusses her book [Lady First: The World of First Lady Sarah Polk].
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March 3, 2019
Eileen Rivers
U.S. Army veteran Eileen Rivers talks about her book "Beyond the Call: Three Women on the Front Lines in Afghanistan."
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February 24, 2019
Elizabeth Samet
West Point English professor Elizabeth Samet discusses her annotated edition of Ulysses S. Grant's memoirs.
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February 17, 2019
Monica Norton
Monica Norton, Washington Post deputy local editor, talks about James Baldwin's "If Beale Street Could Talk" and the impact the book had on her as a teenager.
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November 18, 2018
Jackie Speier
Congresswoman Jackie Speier (D-CA) talks about her memoir, [Undaunted: Surviving Jonestown, Summoning Courage, and Fighting Back].
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October 7, 2018
Joanne Freeman
Yale University historian Joanne Freeman discusses her book, "The Field of Blood: Violence in Congress and the Road to Civil War."
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September 30, 2018
Jeffrey Engel
Southern Methodist University's Jeffrey Engel discusses his book, [When the World Seemed New: George H. W. Bush and the End of the Cold War].
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July 22, 2018
Grace Kennan Warnecke
Grace Kennan Warnecke, daughter of American diplomat George Kennan, discusses her memoir, [Daughter of the Cold War]."
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June 24, 2018
Amy Wax
University of Pennsylvania Law School professor Amy Wax talked about the limits of free expression on college campuses in the United States.
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April 8, 2018
Michio Kaku
Theoretical physicist Michio Kaku talks about his book, [The Future of Humanity: Terraforming Mars, Interstellar Travel, Immortality, and Our Destiny Beyond Earth].
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March 25, 2018
Amy Chua
Yale University Law School professor Amy Chua discusses her book, [Political Tribes], about the role that group identity plays in shaping domestic and foreign affairs.
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February 25, 2018
Kate Bowler
Prosperity gospel scholar, Kate Bowler, discusses her memoir, [Everything Happens for a Reason], in which she reflects on being diagnosed with stage 4 colon cancer at the age of 35.
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February 11, 2018
Doug Mills
New York Times staff photographer Doug Mills talks about some of the photos he took during the 2016 presidential race and discusses what it's like to cover President Trump.
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January 28, 2018
Caitriona Perry
Caitriona Perry, former Washington correspondent for RTE, Ireland's public service broadcaster, talks about her book, [In America], which chronicles her encounters with Trump supporters during the 2016 presidential election season.
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November 19, 2017
Daryl Davis
Musician and author Daryl Davis talks about his efforts over the past 30 years to befriend members of the Ku Klux Klan to try to understand their hatred and to convince them that they are wrong.
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October 29, 2017
Allison Stanger
Allison Stanger, professor of international politics and economics at Middlebury College in Vermont, talks about students' reaction to the appearance of author Charles Murray on Campus last March. Both were attacked by students following the event.
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July 16, 2017
Manal Al-Sharif
Saudi Arabian women's rights activist Manal Al-Sharif talks about her book, [Daring to Drive: A Saudi Woman's Awakening].
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July 2, 2017
Pat Buchanan
Columnist and political commentator Pat Buchanan, who served as a speechwriter and senior adviser to President Nixon, discusses his book, [Nixon's White House Wars].
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May 14, 2017
Q&A with Mark Cheathem
Cumberland University history professor Mark Cheathem discusses his book, [Andrew Jackson, Southerner], and talks about the comparisons made between President Jackson and President Trump.
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February 5, 2017
Q&A with Heather McGhee
Heather McGhee, president of Demos, talks about an August 2016 appearance on Washington Journal and how a call from a white man in North Carolina, who said he was prejudiced, started a conversation about race in America and evolved into a friendship.
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January 22, 2017
Q&A with Benjamin Ginsberg
Johns Hopkins University political science professor Benjamin Ginsberg discusses his book, [What Washington Gets Wrong: The Unelected Officials Who Actually Run the Government and Their Misconceptions about the American People].
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December 18, 2016
Q&A with Robert Strauss
Robert Strauss discusses his book, [Worst. President. Ever.: James Buchanan, the POTUS Rating Game, and the Legacy of the Least of the Lesser Presidents].
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November 6, 2016
Q&A with Candice Millard
Historian Candice Millard discusses her book, [Hero of the Empire: The Boer War, a Daring Escape, and the Making of Winston Churchill].
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July 17, 2016
Q&A with Corey Pegues
Former New York Police Department Deputy Inspector Corey Pegues discusses his book, [Once a Cop: The Street, the Law, Two Worlds, One Man], about his experiences in law enforcement.
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January 3, 2016
Q&A with Michael Ramirez
Editorial cartoonist and two-time Pulitzer Prize winner Michael Ramirez talks about his career and his book, [Give Me Liberty or Give Me Obamacare].
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August 10, 2014
Q&A with Edmund Morris
Author Edmund Morris discusses his most recent book [This Living Hand: and Other Essays], his upcoming book on Thomas Edison, his career as a biographer of presidents and other notable figures, and how he approaches his craft as a writer.
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February 2, 2014
Q&A with Robert Dallek
Author Robert Dallek talks about his recently released historical narrative, "Camelot's Court: Inside the Kennedy White House." Dallek describes his book as taking an inside look at the brain trust surrounding President Kennedy's administration.
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February 10, 2013
Q&A with Amity Shlaes
Bloomberg correspondent and author Amity Shlaes talks about her biography of President Calvin Coolidge, [Coolidge], in which she traces the life of the president from his early days through his presidency and ultimate return to New England.
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October 9, 2011
Q&A with John Paul Stevens
Former Justice John Paul Stevens discusses his memoir detailing the workings of the Supreme Court, including his personal views of and interactions with the five most recent chief justices.
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January 25, 2009
Q&A with John Doar
John Doar, former assistant attorney general for civil rights in the Kennedy and Johnson administrations, talked about his involvement in several major civil rights events during the 1960s.
In 1962, he worked to gain the entry of James Meredith into the then-segregated University of Mississippi. In 1963, he confronted and calmed protesters in Jackson, Mississippi, after the assassination of Medgar Evers. He also prosecuted and convicted many individuals on federal civil rights violations including those accused of killing three Mississippi civil rights workers, which was later depicted in movie [Mississippi Burning]. In 1974, he became chief counsel for the House Judiciary Committee's investigation of Watergate and helped to prepare articles of impeachment against President Nixon.
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December 15, 2008
Q&A with William Seale
In this 2008 interview from C-SPAN's Q&A series, the late historian and author William Seale discusses the history of the White House and its residents.
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