00:00:01.440 - 00:01:02.720

Yeah, who, ladies and gentlemen, ladies and gentlemen, I hate to interrupt one of the most exciting and electric moments in the history of our school. But I want to proceed with the introduction of our distinguished guest.

00:01:03.319 - 00:01:20.940

Some of you will remember about 20 years ago and of course, many of you students will, will not remember uh that Pepperdine College then located in South Central Los Angeles was planning to become a university and change its address to Malibu, California. At that time, no

00:01:20.949 - 00:01:37.720

one could have predicted the great success that this change of address and the many other factors would mean for Pepperdine University. On that occasion, the Governor of California was with us as we launched this campus then called the Miracle of Malibu. And of course, several years

00:01:37.730 - 00:02:03.389

later, the governor would also change his address from Sacramento to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington DC. My guess is that 20 years ago, we could not have predicted the dramatic effect that change of address would have on our nation and on our world. But we're deeply

00:02:03.400 - 00:02:20.630

honored today that upon his return to California, President Reagan has chosen to visit us once again and to provide an unparalleled educational opportunity for our students. And so it is indeed a pleasure as well as a privilege to introduce an honorary alumnus of Pepperdine University and

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the 40th president of the United States President Ronald Reagan. Thank you. Thank you very much. Thank you. Ok. Well, thank you all and thank you, Doctor Davenport and thank you, Doctor Larry Keane for your invocation. It had a special meaning for me

00:03:16.789 - 00:03:43.630

because Doctor King was the pastor. He's the pastor of the church where Nancy and I were married 37 years ago and a special hello to Margaret Brock, a very dear and cherished friend. Right? I am pleased to be here because as you've been told, I have

00:03:43.639 - 00:04:03.389

an association with the university as governor. Yes, I spoke at your birth of a college dinner in 1970. And later I participated at the dedication of Sever College and Nancy and I treasure the honorary degrees that were presented to, to both of us. I have a

00:04:03.399 - 00:04:27.809

little problem about, about honorary degrees. After my graduation from Eureka College, Illinois. 25 years later, the college asked me back and presented me with an honorary degree. And that just compounded a sense of guilt that I had nursed for 25 years because I thought the first

00:04:27.820 - 00:04:51.290

one probably was honorary. Yeah. Mm. Well, my degree was in economics and, you know, the job I've held, you know, you're certainly limited anymore on ethnic jokes or things of that kind. But I guess I can now that I have a degree in that I can

00:04:51.299 - 00:05:17.869

quote Harry Truman who asked someone to find him a one armed economist, one who would make a projection without saying on the other hand. Hm. But, but let me just seriously tell you about the job that I have just left. You don't really become president, you

00:05:17.880 - 00:05:42.010

have temporary custody over an institution called the presidency. As Bismarck, that great German leader once said the best a statesman can do is listen to the rustle of God's mantle through history and try to catch it by the hymn for a few steps. No, you know,

00:05:42.019 - 00:06:00.910

there was a, no one could leave the position that I held without a feeling of those things that you didn't get done that you wanted to accomplish and then time ran out and they weren't done. So I'm going to devote myself to try to persuade my

00:06:00.920 - 00:06:33.500

fellow citizens. Uh for example, uh of our need to pass an amendment to the constitution calling for a balanced budget. And uh yeah, our state has such a thing. The federal government doesn't for half a century or more for the last 58 years. The there have

00:06:33.510 - 00:06:57.970

only been eight scattered years in which the United States had a balanced budget. Eight out of the 58 Thomas Jefferson in 1798 said, I wish it were possible to obtain a simple amendment to our constitution, I would be willing to defend on that alone for the

00:06:57.980 - 00:07:19.220

reduction of the administration of our government to the genuine principles of its constitution. And he added, I mean, an additional article taking from the federal government, the power of borrowing. Well, I'm gonna go out of the Mashed Potato Circuit all that I can and start trying

00:07:19.230 - 00:07:50.209

to arouse the citizenry to insist on that. And, uh also in addition, and to help bring it about to ask them to get legislation, giving the president the power of line item veto. Yeah, I'm sure that you understand what, what that means and what it has.

00:07:50.220 - 00:08:15.399

The president does not have it. 43 governors have it. I had it when I was governor of California and I used it in those eight years, 943 times and was never once overridden by the legislature. No, no. Now that reveals something. It takes a two thirds

00:08:15.410 - 00:08:32.250

majority of the legislature in California to pass the budget and it takes two thirds of a majority to override a veto, but the budget would come down and buried in it with all those facts and figures would be these exceptional spending items that were someone's special

00:08:32.260 - 00:08:46.830

province or political debt they were paying and so forth. And I could not only veto them out, I could veto them down, I could leave one in if I thought it was worth it and say, but not that much money and, and at the same two

00:08:46.840 - 00:09:02.760

thirds who would vote to put them in there once they had to vote on the veto, which meant voting on them singly out there where the public could see them, they couldn't get the same two thirds vote. Now, I think that's high time that a president

00:09:02.770 - 00:09:25.200

has that. The next thing you're going to be facing in a year or two, the reapportionment again, the redrawing of the legislative and the congressional districts of California. This is done by the legislature. It is a great conflict of interest and one party has been in

00:09:25.210 - 00:09:53.130

charge of that for more than a half a century of the reapportionment. And it's, that's why here in California recently more people of one party voted for their congressional candidates, but the other party elected 60% of the congressional delegates because the gerrymandering is aimed at putting

00:09:53.419 - 00:10:11.489

as many as you can of one party in as few districts as possible. You guarantee the holder of that seat a sure vote, of course, but the majority of the districts are arranged for the other side. And it's about time that we got rid of a

00:10:11.500 - 00:10:34.299

system of this conflict of interest that prevails and adopted a system whereby a blue ribbon Citizens committee bipartisan equal sides takes over every 10 years after the census. The laying out of the districts in such a manner as to make them of interest to the people

00:10:34.309 - 00:10:58.580

in those districts, not to the politicians holding the job. Yeah. And I'll take one more moment here also. There's another one, this one I couldn't try to get while I was president because it would look selfish on my part. But now that I'm not there, I'm

00:10:58.590 - 00:11:28.460

gonna propose to the people that we wipe out the 22nd amendment that limits a president to two terms. Yeah. A now this doesn't have anything to do with the individual who's holding the office. The presidency is in the vice presidency. These are the only jobs in

00:11:28.469 - 00:11:55.780

which the entire citizenry votes. And I believe it is an infringement of your democratic rights to limit how many times you can vote for who you want to vote for. Well, why have I told you these things? Really? Because freedom is never more than one generation

00:11:55.789 - 00:12:18.179

away from extinction. Every generation has to devote itself to preserving and protecting freedom during my lifetime. There have been incidents and times when the federal government began assuming powers and autonomy that belonged to the States and to the local communities and to the people. And it's

00:12:18.190 - 00:12:36.679

taken a fight to wipe some of these things out and to get us back to where we have that difference. That is so much ours alone, that our constitution of all the constitutions of the world with only one recent exception, ours is the only one that

00:12:36.690 - 00:12:59.659

says we, the people tell in this document. What the government can do all the others. The government has a constitution that the government tells the people what they can do. Well, ours is different and we have to preserve that. Hi, we have hold in recent years,

00:12:59.669 - 00:13:18.020

what had been a dire threat against government? And we have turned it back. The great strength of the United States is unique in all the world. We are the only nation that is made up of a federation of sovereign states. And we must never let those

00:13:18.030 - 00:13:42.710

in Washington who think that they should make the States just administrative districts of the federal government have their way. No way. So now that we've halted the growth of government, I think we should keep it that way. One of the things I'm very proud of is

00:13:42.719 - 00:14:03.469

that I turned a commission loose on seeing how many federal regulations could be eliminated. We eliminated fully half of them and we estimate that the savings to all of you in work, paperwork imposed on the people of the United States and on local and state governments

00:14:03.479 - 00:14:31.289

and so forth has been reduced by 600 million man hours a year. So, well, let me wind up just this by just saying, there was an ancient Chinese philosopher Lao Zhou and he said, govern a great nation as you would cook a small fish, do not

00:14:31.299 - 00:15:05.080

overdo it. No problem. Well, that's enough of the monologue. I understand that we're going to have a dialogue here between us and I look forward to that. Yeah. Mm. A on a much more personal note. Uh Mr President, my name is Dieter Tech. I'm an economics

00:15:05.090 - 00:15:28.919

major from Whittier California. Um I was wondering if a student such as myself were to ask you to lunch? Would you accept? And where would you want to go? You're breaking my heart. I, I didn't know any such question was going to be asked or invitation

00:15:28.929 - 00:15:46.650

extended. And unfortunately I have to leave here pretty much on schedule because I have a meeting that's been pre-arranged down down in Los Angeles. Where would you want to go if you were to ask? Well, again, you have me a little trapped. I have to tell

00:15:46.659 - 00:16:05.619

you this is the first time in these eight years that I have driven up the coast highway from downtown. And, uh, the left side I was always a little accustomed to the houses of beach houses along there. But the other side of the road that was

00:16:05.630 - 00:16:34.109

all just brush eight years ago. I can't and, uh, all those wonderful restaurants and everything else. I think I'd be safer if I said wherever the students here thought was the best place to go to lunch. That's where I brought in. Hello, Mr President. Um, my

00:16:34.119 - 00:16:50.750

name is Nancy Holloway and I'm an art major from San Francisco, California. Uh, my question for you today is, are you more or less relieved that your term is uh completed or do you miss your responsibilities? No, I, I missed something there at the first. Ok.

00:16:50.760 - 00:17:06.920

I'll talk closer. Um Are you more or less relieved that your term in the oval office is over or do you miss your responsibilities? Oh, it was a bittersweet parting. You can't say goodbye to the people that have surrounded you and been working with you for

00:17:06.930 - 00:17:31.050

these eight years on things. We deem so important without a tear welling up on both sides. And uh there is a little nostalgia about the routine and, and all living in the White House was very pleasant. Hi, you. If I'm an enemy of bureaucracy generally, but

00:17:31.060 - 00:17:48.420

I must tell you that the permanent staff of the White House are so proud and have such an esprit de corps that uh life was just wonderful there. But at the same time, a Californian away for eight years, lives in a little state of homesickness permanently.

00:17:57.760 - 00:18:23.500

There are some funny things that come, you know, like um walking past the TV set and the news is on and I hear the voice saying uh today the president and I said, what did I do that? And then I remember he's not talking about me.

00:18:25.069 - 00:18:44.069

Good morning, Mr President. My name is Christy mcmahon and I'm a telecommunications and history major and I'm from Sonoma California. And my question for you today is if you could serve another term, what problem would you solve and how would you solve it? The things that

00:18:44.079 - 00:19:03.640

I have, just the things that I just talked about, the things that remained undone, the balanced budget amendment, the line item veto. Um, and the reapportionment thing I was all set. In fact, it started, uh moving on those things uh in Washington. But, um, there's another

00:19:03.650 - 00:19:24.060

thing when the Congress knows that you can't be there beyond a second term. Uh They get a little braver than they were earlier on and then they start roadblocking you. I've, I had at least 30 judge appointments that just, they never acted on to ratify them

00:19:24.069 - 00:19:37.569

at all. They just got to wait, they were waiting, hoping to see if their fellow didn't get in and he could appoint the judges instead of me. But uh so those are the things that yes, that I think needed to be done. And I think, and

00:19:37.579 - 00:19:52.729

this is why I'm going to go out in the mashed potato circuit. I think all of you have got to realize that when you begin speaking up and making yourself heard those fellows up on Capitol Hill, listen, they don't want to come home and have somebody

00:19:52.739 - 00:20:17.839

glaring at them and saying, why didn't you? So, um you have to speak up for the things that you want as a, as a body, as the people. Good morning, Mr President. Uh My name is Suzanne Goodloe and I am an organization of communications major from

00:20:17.849 - 00:20:34.250

Amityville, New York. Before I ask my question, I would like to make a comment to both you, Mr President and Doctor Davenport that I am extremely grateful to be to live in a country where a 38 year old black woman can decide to come to college

00:20:34.260 - 00:21:06.329

and then have the opportunity to be associated with an institution like Pepperdine. Thank you. My question to you, Mr President is uh your administration has been accused of uh putting the civil rights movement in the back of the bus again, so

00:21:06.339 - 00:21:23.060

to speak. I would like to know uh if you feel if that is an accurate characterization of your administration, no, it isn't. And it's one of the most bitter things that I dealt with all the time I was there and that the media would so much

00:21:23.199 - 00:21:49.969

try to point out that I was on that side because I was raised in a family. I have one brother, mother and a father in which from that high, my brother and I were taught that the worst sin in the world is prejudice and discrimination. And

00:21:49.979 - 00:22:07.229

I won't take your time to tell you some experiences in college. But then I became a sports announcer when I graduated and I was one of that little colony of sports casters and writers across the country that were editorializing constantly to open up major league baseball,

00:22:08.030 - 00:22:38.780

two our black community. And uh finally success came and that was done. As Governor of California, I appointed more minority members to policy making and executive positions than all the previous governors of California put together and to be accused repeatedly of somehow being prejudiced the other

00:22:38.790 - 00:22:54.150

way. No, that is totally out of step with the way I feel. I got a letter and I want to tell all of you this because it applies to, to more than just this particular uh, issue. I got a letter from a man. He impressed me

00:22:54.160 - 00:23:11.180

with that letter so much. Not too long ago. He said you can go to live in France, but you can't become a Frenchman. You can go to live in Japan, but you can't become Japanese and he cited Turkey and Germany and Italy other countries. But he

00:23:11.189 - 00:23:44.260

said you can come from any corner of the world to the United States and become an American. Mm I, I think what you've just said about yourself though. It's wonderful and it's wonderful of this school also to make that that possible, but it's got to

00:23:44.270 - 00:24:10.979

be that way for everyone. Ok, Mr President, my name is Anne Marie de de and I'm a second year law student from Rochester, New York. And my question for you today is what other president do you most admire? And why? Well, I voted four times for

00:24:10.989 - 00:24:30.209

Franklin Delano Roosevelt. But then the two parties, the two parties turned around and they got like the other party had been. And so I stayed with what I believed and that meant changing parties. But um I have to admire one that I think has been neglected

00:24:30.219 - 00:24:49.140

a great deal, whether this is the greatest one I acknowledge or not. Calvin Coolidge. He was a modest man and quiet and there is very little memory among the people of the things that he accomplished and that he quietly did. But he was a man of,

00:24:49.150 - 00:25:09.859

of great principle. And um for example, he presided over several tax cuts, all of which resulted in the federal government getting increased revenue at the lower rates. And that was one of the things I brought with my degree of economics. Our tax cut has increased the

00:25:09.869 - 00:25:37.739

government revenues by $375 billion. It uh but I admired, I admired Eisenhower and of course, you go back to those greats, Lincoln and Washington. As a matter of fact, I followed one teaching of Lincoln's for eight years when Lincoln said I could not for one day

00:25:38.739 - 00:26:06.219

perform the duties of this position if I did not know I could call upon one who was wiser and stronger than all others. Thank you very much, Mr President God bless America. And I used to add one little anecdote about one that I didn't particularly admire,

00:26:06.229 - 00:26:24.780

generally President Lyndon Johnson. But I did admire one thing that he had to say about a group that I sometimes was at odds with. He said, if I left the White House and walked down across the lawn to the Potomac River and walked across the river

00:26:24.790 - 00:26:56.520

on the surface of the waters. The press would report the next day. President can't swim. Ok, please. Ok, Mr President, my name is Leila Damel. Before I ask my question, I want to ask you on behalf of impact our social awareness group on campus.

00:26:56.530 - 00:27:12.979

If you would endorse the World Peace Corps, if, if you would endorse the World Peace Corps? Oh yes, those people, all volunteers. You mean the Peace Corps workers of ours? Sorry. You're talking about the Peace Corps workers of ours. Yes, I want to know whether you

00:27:12.989 - 00:27:28.439

would endorse the World Peace Corps on behalf of impact our social awareness group on campus. Well, now you're asking me something. I'm not, I just let me say that I have a great admiration for those people young and old who have volunteered for the Peace Corps

00:27:28.609 - 00:27:47.900

and are serving overseas in many primitive countries and so forth and serving brilliantly. Yes, they have a wonderful record is that, thank you. My question is why is it that at the height of Israel's policy of repression towards the Palestinians? You and your administration as proponents

00:27:47.910 - 00:28:07.869

of human rights, did nothing to interact and did nothing to aid the Palestinian cause? OK. I it isn't a case of, of doing nothing. It's a case of the things that you're trying to do and that you can't go out and talk publicly about. We have

00:28:07.880 - 00:28:27.829

been, ever since I've been there, we have been continuing a program trying to get the At odds nations in the Middle East to settle and have a peaceful solution. The, we've been working in every way that we can and yes, there are times when our Israeli

00:28:27.839 - 00:28:46.130

friends know that we frown upon very much upon what they're, they're doing in some instances when we think they go too far. But we believe that peace can only come when the Arab nations and Israel agreed to sit down together. And if they want others like

00:28:46.140 - 00:29:05.020

ourselves to be there, sort of as ex officio or to just kind of watch what's going on, you know, fine. But they are the ones who must settle it. Few people realize that today the state of peace between the Arab states and Israel has not come

00:29:05.030 - 00:29:25.569

about. They were still technically and legally in a state of war. But we also believe that in this present thing, there are divisions among the Palestinian people also. And it took us a long time before we could persuade Arafat to make the statement, the commitment that

00:29:25.579 - 00:29:40.719

he made to us in which we then could sit down and have been sitting down with him in talking about the problems before he had positions in which he endorsed terrorism and things of that kind. And we said there's no way we can talk with him

00:29:40.729 - 00:29:56.609

until he commits himself to a desire for peace and an end to terrorism and so forth. And I can only tell you that and I'm sure the present general of administration is going to continue. We've been doing everything we can to try and bring about peace

00:29:56.619 - 00:30:25.170

in that troubled area. Thank you, Mr President. My name is Dana Clark and, uh, I guess I'm a business major. It's not bad. I'm from Fairview Heights, Illinois. And my question is, do you feel that there are any aspects or policies of the current administration that

00:30:25.180 - 00:30:43.810

are in contrast to your own, that you can foresee creating or causing President Bush problems in the future? Well, my concern has been that I, it seems to be that they, they haven't really gotten into the, the policy things yet in their uh setting up their

00:30:43.819 - 00:31:04.939

administration. So I've been kind of waiting until there is a declaration of, of uh program there. I have to believe because George was a major part of everything we did. I didn't believe a vice president should sit on the sidelines waiting to take your pulse. Good.

00:31:06.040 - 00:31:19.770

You're, you're taking a, you're taking a business course. And I think that the, that the vice president should be like an executive vice president of a corporation, a part of the operation. As a matter of fact, he chaired that task force I mentioned in the beginning

00:31:19.939 - 00:31:40.180

about eliminating the regulations. So I, I have confidence in him, but I must say there is a, uh, there's now still some reorganization and uh some journeys that he's making and has not set a course. So I haven't heard him say anything that I disagree with.

00:31:40.189 - 00:31:54.540

But by the same token, I just have to assume that he's going to continue on the path that, uh, that we were on with regard to ta what I know where he stands on taxes and, uh, I hope he never retreats from that because that would

00:31:54.550 - 00:32:16.739

be economic disaster for us to, to start increasing taxes. Right, Mr President, my name is Deborah Nelson. I'm a first year law student. I'm from Washington DC. Um, my question for you today is, uh, what are you doing with your time now that you're uh out

00:32:16.750 - 00:32:37.790

of office? Well, one of the big things I've been doing with my time even up to and including yesterday, all afternoon is getting rid of those builders, cardboard cartons. The house is full of them. See, we sold our home here so everything we owned had to

00:32:37.800 - 00:33:02.959

be shipped here when we came to our new house. I never saw so many boxes in my life and they don't tell me on the outside what's in them. We're still looking for a heating pad, we know is there. But, but also also we have a

00:33:02.969 - 00:33:21.420

suite of offices we've moved in and they're very wonderful. And um, we're starting in this planning about that mashed potato circuit. I already have booked for about a half a dozen speeches in the next few months, next couple of months that are going on. And uh

00:33:21.699 - 00:33:38.510

then there are some people at a couple of universities that very kindly invited me to, to speak. But also I have hanging over me that what the press referred to as a monkey on their back. And I do, I have a contract with a publisher to

00:33:38.520 - 00:33:56.010

do a book. And I want to tell you, I sit there looking at that blank page and uh now and then I put something down in writing and, and uh when I, I don't want to do one of those calendar things in which I go by

00:33:56.020 - 00:34:09.270

saying, well, this day and this day and we did this and we did that. I just want to see if I can't give them, give the readers an idea of what it was like to step into that house that you've driven by so many times and

00:34:09.479 - 00:34:28.449

all have always had that kind of mystic aura about it and then that office and uh tell some of the surprising elements and the things that happened. One of the things I put down in the on the paper was a story, Jack Kilpatrick, the columnist has

00:34:28.459 - 00:34:42.530

a son. Well, he invited Nancy and me up to a, to a, a lunch at um, his farm in Virginia. So this was one of the first things Sunday lunch. We'd only been there a few weeks. We out to the south lawn, you get on a

00:34:42.540 - 00:34:55.399

helicopter 20 minutes later, you're down in Virginia at the farm and on the way into the house, he told me that my fellow had been there all week putting in the phones. And I said, what are you talking about putting in the phones? Well, he said,

00:34:55.409 - 00:35:09.830

they tell me that you can't go anyplace unless there is a phone system in which you can reach anyone in the world in a moment's notice. I'd never heard about that. And do you know that for eight years if someone invited us to their home in

00:35:09.840 - 00:35:25.800

Washington for dinner when I got, there was a white house phone in that house by the time I got there for dinner. But, uh, he told me that he challenged them that he couldn't meet, make it everybody. And, uh, they said, well, who, who would you

00:35:25.810 - 00:35:40.040

like to talk to? And he said, I got a son who's a quartermaster on the US S Pratt, a destroyer in the sixth fleet in the Mediterranean. And they said, well, no, we can't get, well, he said, you said every anybody said no, when the fleet

00:35:40.050 - 00:35:53.350

is on maneuvers, only the White House can get him. So he told me that and the first person I met when I got in the house was the wife of the young man on the US S Pratt, a lovely young lady. I went back out and

00:35:53.360 - 00:36:16.860

I said, is it true that I could get Quartermaster Kilpatrick? And they said, oh, yes, sir. And I said, get him all. Yeah. Ok. I have to, I have to tell you the finish of it. A couple of weeks later I got a letter from Quartermaster

00:36:17.340 - 00:36:31.879

Kilpatrick and he told me what it was like when the fleet was on maneuvers. He said the air, the air was full of radio traffic ships talking to ships, admirals conversing with admirals. And he said, and then a voice came on and said White House calling.

00:36:32.100 - 00:36:48.389

And another voice said, what code is that? And a third voice said, maybe that's no code. And he said, even Hollywood could not have quieted the air as quickly as it was quieted. Then he said they came down for a lonely quartermaster, a lowly quartermaster on

00:36:48.399 - 00:36:58.020

a tin can and told him he was wanted on the phone. But in the first thing I hadn't thought through was that the last part of that call was have to go to have to be by radio. The whole fleet could listen in on their conversation.

00:36:58.929 - 00:37:31.610

But in his letter, he told me he said it was a little bit like God calling the Vatican and asking for an altar boy by name. Hm. Ok. Ok. To this to this day, he signs his letters to me, your altar boy. Hi Mr President. My

00:37:31.620 - 00:37:47.379

name is Charity Nemo. I'm from Fort Collins, Colorado and I'm a vocal performance major. Um, you've made great strides in thronging the Cold War between the US, Sr and the US with your relationship with Gorbachev. Could you tell us a little bit about him? And should

00:37:47.389 - 00:38:02.270

we still feel threatened by the Soviet Union? Yes, I feel that we have to be guided by their deeds, not their words. And we have to remember that this man came along as an exception. There were three Soviet leaders before he came along while I was

00:38:02.469 - 00:38:20.879

in office and they kept dying on me. And uh we couldn't do much in the line of trying to make any contact. But this man is different and he has come in and inherited an economic disaster that he has to deal with. And a lot of

00:38:20.889 - 00:38:40.750

that economic disaster is due to their military build up. Now, I can only tell you this in the term that few years that he's been there. He is the first Soviet leader who ever agreed to a treaty that would destroy weapons. They already had always before

00:38:40.760 - 00:38:58.540

they would talk. Well, how many more can we uh agree to accumulate? But we have the inf treaty, which is a miracle. We have a verification. In fact, uh he began to laugh at me through some of our discussions because I'm not a linguist, but I

00:38:58.550 - 00:39:21.260

did learn one Russian Proverb, Dovi, I no provi trust but verify. And when I would say to him pretty soon he'd start shaking his head and laughing. But anyway, he is, he's bound by what he has to do in this economic change. He is meeting with

00:39:21.270 - 00:39:44.459

American businessmen on the basis of opening up to capitalists coming in, in partnership with them on businesses and industries. Uh Big Mac is, is over there. Those gold parabolas are, are seen there. Um But as I say, I think that it is deeds, for example, our

00:39:44.469 - 00:39:59.750

most touchy thing with him has been human event, human rights. And I have made it a kind of challenge that because we hear from people and people behind the iron curtain telling us of people who are separated from their families with the family maybe has come

00:39:59.760 - 00:40:15.479

to America and the husband is left there and they won't let him out and so forth. Every meeting I've had with him. I have presented him with a written list of names of people that I tell him are of personal interest to me. And I would

00:40:15.489 - 00:40:36.889

like to see and up till now every one of them has been released that we've done that with. I don't know. Oh my God. So I believe that there is a chance. But the thing that we always have to keep in mind is that in the

00:40:36.899 - 00:40:56.889

Russian government, you're appointed the Communists or the government, the Communist Party. So he's appointed, they could throw him out tomorrow if they wanted to now, the people like what they've heard in Russia, we were there for that meeting and they like it, but the Politburo doesn't

00:40:56.899 - 00:41:12.320

like it. The bureaucracy, they see an infringement on their perquisites. For example, he's taken away those special stores where they can go in and the other citizens can't go in where they can buy without waiting in line and so forth. And, uh, this is making the

00:41:12.330 - 00:41:31.729

bureaucrats a little upset. So you have to play the game carefully with the idea that he may not be there, uh, too long and someone else take over, but he is getting things done. I have to tell you. And I'm like, I'm tempted beyond my strength

00:41:31.739 - 00:41:51.179

on this. I have a new hobby. The Soviets pe the people make up stories, jokes and they tell them among themselves and it reveals they've got a great sense of humor, but, uh they also have a little cynicism about their system and I've collected all these

00:41:51.189 - 00:42:04.050

jokes that I can actually prove come from Russia. And I've told him a couple. Now, some of them, I can't tell him that it would be tactless to tell him and some of them. But I, I have told him a couple, like the one that I

00:42:04.060 - 00:42:16.679

told him was that an American and a Russian in the Tory are they're arguing about their countries. And the American said, look in my country, I can walk into the oval office. I can pound the president's desk and say, Mr President, I don't like the way

00:42:16.689 - 00:42:32.399

you're running our country. And the Russians said I can do that. The American said you can. He says, yes, I can walk into the Kremlin, the general secretary's office, pound his desk and say, Mr General Secretary, I don't like the way President Reagan's running his country.

00:42:37.639 - 00:43:04.969

Mm. But I do think that we have a relationship and we have something going that can, can encourage us to believe in peace for the future as far as we see it. Good. Thank you. Good morning, Mr President. My name is Lisa Funkhouser. I am a

00:43:04.979 - 00:43:23.570

public relations major from Oas Michigan. And my question for you today is now that you have a more objective view of your term as president. Is there anything you would have liked to have done differently? Oh, my, how, well, I have to tell you that I

00:43:23.580 - 00:43:38.659

came into that job. I don't know whether any other presidents ever have, but I've been preaching so long and speaking so long and it, and with the governorship here in the eight years in California, I entered office with a plan, not just to go there and

00:43:38.669 - 00:43:52.370

say, well, now, you know what's on the boards and what are we going to do about this or that? A plan? And it started with restoring the economy when we took office with regard to national security, which is the prime responsibility of the president on any

00:43:52.379 - 00:44:10.750

given day, 50% of our military aircraft could not fly for lack of spare parts. 50% of our navy vessels couldn't leave port for the same reason or for lack of crew. And I felt that this being the prime responsibility, we had to rebuild the military. And

00:44:10.760 - 00:44:31.790

even if it meant where I want to talk in cuts, talk of cutting. Uh even if it meant spending that had to be done. National security is, and, and must be the prime responsibility of the, of the president and of the national government. But then after

00:44:31.800 - 00:44:49.610

that, and the economy, we had a prime interest rate of 21.5%. We had double digit unemployment. We had double digit inflation. And I came with the belief that our economic program, which was based on that complete overhaul of the taxing system was essential to get the

00:44:49.620 - 00:45:13.260

economy back on track. Well, today inflation, as you know, is down to, uh, less than a third of what it was. The interest rates are down around 10% not 21%. And as to unemployment, we have created 19 million new jobs during this term in office. It

00:45:13.270 - 00:45:37.209

is the greatest longest economic expansion in the history of our nation that is still going on. Yeah, I, I can't, with, with getting that done and maybe there were some things that lesser and down here secondary and so forth that maybe I could have done more

00:45:37.219 - 00:45:54.510

about, uh, I don't know. But, and as I said earlier, I, I still would have liked to have been able to deal with these other additional problems. I'm trying here to wreck my brain of some disappointment where I thought, why didn't I do this or that?

00:45:55.149 - 00:46:22.750

Um, oh, there was some, sometimes after I met with congressional leadership and particularly the opposition that when they left the room, I said, why didn't I tell those jerks that, that, hey, depressed Mr President. My name is Courtney Longmire. I'm a political science major here at

00:46:22.760 - 00:46:36.879

Pepperdine from Anchorage, Alaska. It's nice to spend six warm months of the year here. Um Considering the quality of student at Pepperdine, I know many of these students are going to go on to become prominent in their communities and are going to strive to achieve great

00:46:36.889 - 00:46:57.290

things in their careers. I'd like to know what advice you would like to impart to the future leaders of America. I'll tell you all. Yes, I hope, I think the majority of you, if not all of you are 18 and over, which means you're voters, the

00:46:58.919 - 00:47:24.979

the group between 18 and 24 the age group in this country incidentally happens to be the group that was the most supportive of me and what we were doing. But, but let me tell you something among all the age groups, you rank lowest among those who

00:47:24.989 - 00:47:42.530

vote. Now it doesn't do any good to believe in something. If you don't go into that polling place and take advantage of your democratic privilege there and vote and persuade those around you to join you in doing this. You are going to be the people that

00:47:42.540 - 00:48:06.340

are taking over the this nation very shortly and you should be the one setting the pattern of participation in government and then these things that you've applauded and indicated that you want to see done can get done if the people make their, their feelings known enough.

00:48:07.010 - 00:48:24.100

Isn't it strange that there's a feeling for example, that having a Congress of one party and a president of another is one of our checks and balances. That is not true for these 58 years that I've mentioned a couple of times for 54 of those 58

00:48:24.110 - 00:48:48.570

years, the Democratic Party has controlled the House of Representatives. Every Democratic president had a Democratic Congress except for 12 year period when Harry Truman had a Republican Congress. The 48 of the 58 years, both houses of the Congress have been Democrat. I had for six years,

00:48:49.040 - 00:49:04.290

uh uh a little slight majority in the Senate but still had the House of Representatives against us. So if you stop and think about it, the people who vote for the president must have voted for him to do the things that he said he was going

00:49:04.300 - 00:49:24.060

to do. But then how do they justify sending a congress there that is pledged to keep him from doing the things that he said he was going to do. Every Republican president in these last 50 odd years has had a Democratic Congress except for my six,

00:49:24.070 - 00:49:41.379

with the one house. And once Truman or, I mean, um Eisenhower had for two years a Republican congress out of his eight and that's all. So it isn't really a case of uh balancing things off that way. So think about that a little bit more and

00:49:41.389 - 00:49:57.100

the responsibility of voting for it isn't so much for an individual is voting for what you want done, what you want preserved in this, in this country. So you're gonna go out and sure when you get out there, you're gonna have to start and find a

00:49:57.110 - 00:50:20.129

niche for yourself and your first job and all that, of course, the better best job I ever had was while I was still in college, I was washing dishes in the girls' dormitory. But you're going to get us to try to get established in whatever occupation

00:50:20.139 - 00:50:39.659

you've chosen. And at the same time though, keep in mind that this system of ours is unique in all the world and it only works if we, the people take charge and make it work and you are we the people from here on out when you

00:50:39.669 - 00:50:56.040

and when you leave here. So, uh don't be As Will Rogers once said, the great humorist. He said the people you elect to office are no better and no worse than the people who send them there, but they're all better than those who don't vote at

00:50:56.050 - 00:51:30.689

all. Good morning, Mr President. My name is Anna Marie Troche. I'm a senior literature journalism major. My question for you today is outside the presidency. What, what would you say would be your greatest accomplishment? Well, not bedtime for Bonzo. Well, I have to go along with

00:51:30.699 - 00:51:47.840

something I inherited about as big a mess in California when I became governor as I did, when I became president in Washington. Uh in spite of our constitutional amendment against no deficit, I inherited a deficit. They've been covering it up with bookkeeping tricks and I had

00:51:47.850 - 00:52:01.810

to that I only had six months. You come in in the middle of the fiscal year. I only had six months. It was now my responsibility. I had to get rid of that deficit. And so did some things that I didn't want to do and then

00:52:01.820 - 00:52:24.439

started changing those as we went on. Um for example, in the matter of taxes, when we began, finally, instead of deficit to accumulating a a surplus. Cap. Weinberger was my finance director cap came to me one and he said, uh, hey, we're gonna have a surplus.

00:52:25.070 - 00:52:36.020

And he said before the legislature finds out about it, he said, I thought you might want to and might want to go public with some program that you've had in mind but haven't been able to do. And I said, I do have a program in mind.

00:52:36.030 - 00:52:53.919

He said, what is it? And I said, give it back to the people. And he said, well, that's never been done. And I said, well, I never had an actor up here before. I, yeah, so four times, we gave back surpluses to the people because once

00:52:53.929 - 00:53:09.750

I made the public announcement that the legislature didn't have the nerve to then object. But the fourth one was the biggest one and it was a sizable one. And I'll never forget a leader in the Senate of the opposite party stormed into my office. And he

00:53:09.760 - 00:53:27.659

said, Mr President or governor, he said, uh, he said, I just consider giving that money back to the people and unnecessary expenditure of public funds. And I thought he put in one sentence. What I believe is the difference in the philosophy between a lot of us

00:53:27.669 - 00:53:50.459

in government there. But, uh, I, what other than that? Well, I'm gonna go far fetched on you and tell you when I was a sports announcer, as I told you, I was broadcasting Chicago Cubs ball games by telegraph, but by telegraphic report in competition with announcers

00:53:50.469 - 00:54:04.330

who were broadcasting right from the ballpark. So, you know, this fellow sitting over here with the headphones on hearing the dot And dash would hit the typewriter and slip it to me under the window and I'd look, say S one C and you can't sell any

00:54:04.340 - 00:54:17.570

Wheaties yelling S one C. So I knew what it meant. And I'd say, well, Dean's out of the wind up here comes the pitch and it's a call strike breaking over the outside corner to batter them and so forth and so on. Well, it was the

00:54:17.580 - 00:54:34.800

ninth inning of a game between the Cardinals and the Cubs and Dean was the pitcher and Billy Jirgas was at bet for the Cubs and I saw Curly start to type. So I started Dean to come out of his wind up and uh here's the pitch

00:54:35.110 - 00:54:49.010

and he was shaking his head. No, and he slipped it to me and it says the wire has gone dead. Well, I thought Good Lord, if I ask for some transcribed music while we see if they can fix the wire, everybody will turn to those other

00:54:49.020 - 00:55:04.750

stations. I won't have any audience anymore. So I thought, and I had a ball on the way to the plate. Sorry, I had Jirgas fouled off and I thought, well, let's try that, that doesn't get in the score column. So I had him foul one that

00:55:04.760 - 00:55:18.840

just missed being a home run by a foot. And then I had him follow one down back a third and describe the two kids that got in a fight over the ball. And this went on to where I was setting a world record for a fellow

00:55:18.850 - 00:55:35.870

staying at bat and hitting successive foul balls. And all of a sudden curly straightened up and started typing and I got Dean had him use the Rosin bag, get up and get his sign and come out of the wind up and got the slip of paper.

00:55:36.070 - 00:56:04.679

And then I started to giggle and I could hardly talk for giggling. Said jury was popped out on the first ball pitched. But the achievement was that Jerges time at bet got in Ripley's, believe it or not. Yeah. All right, President Reagan, my name is Mark

00:56:04.689 - 00:56:16.629

Redmond. I'm gonna be your final question today. I'm a senior business major from Tor California. All of us are here. We're gonna spend four, maybe more years graduating from this institution. We're gonna learn a lot of valuable lessons along the way. What were two of the

00:56:16.639 - 00:56:35.239

most valuable things you learned in your eight years as president? The most valuable things I learned to have faith in the people for one. I love the people. And, uh, um, how do politicians feel that way? They, they're dependent on them for support so they kind

00:56:35.250 - 00:57:14.239

of resent it. But, uh, what did, well, I've already mentioned with my reference to Lincoln, the other thing. Yeah, I don't think you go anyplace without talking to your friend up there about it that I don't know beyond that except that when it comes time to

00:57:14.250 - 00:57:36.290

settle down and get yourself a wife. That is the kind that can get an honorary degree and that's Pepperdine. But, uh, I don't know if they would. I, I just can't, there are things I know that I learned. You grow, you can't, you, you can't help

00:57:36.300 - 00:57:54.969

but grow in that, in that job. Um, one great regret that I do have is that I never met the young lady at Ohio State in the arena like this who was carrying a homemade sign when I spoke there. And I really would have liked to

00:57:54.979 - 00:58:48.800

have met her because the sign said he ain't old. He's cute. Yeah, that it go good. Thank you all and God bless you all. Thank you. OK? If I might ask you to be seated for just a moment,

00:58:48.810 - 00:59:09.719

we have two items we'd like to present to the president as he leaves this morning. First of all, on behalf of all of us, we've had uh weekly convocation for a time, even daily convocation for 52 years now. And this is clearly the most exciting moment

00:59:09.729 - 00:59:22.489

in those 52 years, the most distinguished speaker that we've had and the first speaker as far as I know of who said, I would like not only to speak, but I'd just like you to choose a dozen students anyway, you know how to choose them. And

00:59:22.500 - 00:59:42.169

I'd like to respond to their questions and engage in dialogue. I think that's a very special part of the educational process. Oh, I think it should be encouraging. I know we've learned a lot about Israel and the Soviet Union and the balance budget. But I think

00:59:42.179 - 00:59:56.719

it should also be encouraging to learn that the most powerful person in the world is a very natural, uh warm person of goodwill and, and good character. And I think it's good for you as students to have the opportunity to observe that as well. We have

00:59:57.590 - 01:00:12.719

and if you may remember, it was actually two dinners. So many people wanted to attend that we filled up two hotels and Governor Reagan Gamely went back and forth between the two hotels uh to give his speeches. In 1975 he was here to dedicate sever college.

01:00:13.000 - 01:00:32.270

Uh He has planted a tree on our campus, uh which Mr President in 1980 was renamed by students the Reagan Bush uh uh in honor of your ticket. And then his wife Nancy was here in 1983 to receive an honorary doctorate degree, making them the first

01:00:32.280 - 01:00:47.090

couple in the history of the university uh to both receive that degree. And so last year when we published our 50 year history, it's not surprising that our most distinguished alumni, Doctor Ronald and Doctor Nancy Reagan are featured prominently in it. And I'd like to read

01:00:47.100 - 01:01:03.919

an inscription and present this volume to the president to President Ronald Reagan. You inspired a nation with your vision, your faith, your hope, and your unwavering commitment to a better world throughout the eight years of your administration. Your association with Pepperdine University has been a source

01:01:03.929 - 01:01:22.709

of great encouragement and pride. America rests its hope upon the promise of her young people. This volume which reflects the history of our efforts in education contains treasured memories of your friendship and encourage encouragement, made the heroic contributions of our best known honorary alumni, Doctors, Ronald

01:01:22.719 - 01:01:57.870

and Nancy Reagan, take their proper and prominent place in the animal Annals of American history. Thank you very much. Oh, at this time, our Student Government Association President Chris de Batista also has a very special presentation uh from the student body, Chris Mr President in on

01:01:57.879 - 01:02:10.929

behalf of the sever college students MB A and our distinguished law school. I want to thank you for speaking to us today and welcome you back to California. And we thought since you're gonna have all this extra time now in your life, we wanted to help

01:02:10.939 - 01:02:26.764

you promote exercise is in good health and give you something kind to boost that and also give you something that um our landlocked rival universities couldn't offer something uh that is distinguishable for Pepperdine to make you an official Pepperdine wave. And my vice president Sam's gonna

01:02:26.774 - 01:03:21.290

bring that right now. Thank you. Ok. Ok. Yeah. Ok.