Description: Focusing on her years working for the Johnson campaign and her time in the White House, this engaging oral history provides a window into Abell's life as well as an insider's view of the nation's capital during the tumultuous 1960s.
Brief description: Donald A. Ritchie is historian emeritus of the United States Senate. He conducted oral history interviews with former senators and retired members of the Senate staff as part of the Senate oral history project and edited the transcripts of Senator Joseph R. McCarthy's investigations. Ritchie has authored a number of books including Electing FDR: The New Deal Campaign of 1932, and Press Gallery: Congress and the Washington Correspondents, which won the Richard W. Leopold Prize of the Organization of American Historians.
Review Quotes:
A new and fresh look at the inner workings of the Johnson White House from the perspective of the 'Iron Butterfly.' While officially Social Secretary to the First Lady, Bess Abell's political and social skills shaped the success of East Wing's contributions to that administration.
--David S. Ferriero, Archivist of the United States