The View From Here . . .
By Bob Morgan, Jr.

This weekend will mark Presidents' Day. Truth to tell, most of us regard this holiday as a welcome respite from our normal work schedule with little thought to the 42 men (counting Grover Cleveland only once) who have occupied our nation's highest office.

Nevertheless, as a fiftysomething who has actually lived under 11 presidents, I thought it might be interesting to record some anecdotal, and mostly non-political, impressions of each of them.

Harry S. Truman was in his last year of office when I was born. The New York Times for the day I was born (which I own) shows President Truman at a White House ceremony the previous day.

I do remember Dwight D. Eisenhower, a grandfatherly figure. He figured in the first news story I can recall, the ordering of federal troops to Little Rock to enforce integration.

My parents supported John F. Kennedy, the only time they favored a Democrat. I remember watching JFK's inspiring inaugural address (on a snow day) and ducking under desks during the Cuban missile crisis. All of my generation remember where we were on November 22, 1963.

Lyndon B. Johnson took the oath of office on that sad November day, with Jackie Kennedy looking on. The Vietnam war seemed to go on forever during President Johnson's term. Mr. Johnson shocked the country during a speech in 1968 by suddenly announcing that he was not running for reelection.

Richard M. Nixon was a brilliant but very flawed man. Elected in 1968, an extremely turbulent year, Mr. Nixon weathered virulent opposition and came up with a plausible exit strategy from Vietnam while making peace overtures to China and the Soviet Union. Sadly, President Nixon had a dark side that was manifested in the Watergate scandal. I remember knowing Mr. Nixon had to go but being touched by his resignation speech in 1974.

Mr. Nixon's successor, Gerald Ford, was a low key man who made breakfast for his family and ended the animus surrounding the Nixon presidency. His pardon of Mr. Nixon probably cost him reelection.

Jimmy Carter defeated President Ford and then presided over difficult times, including a world oil crisis and the Iraq hostage situation. I remember his cardigan sweaters. He was an upstanding man even if his policies were frequently unsuccessful.

On the day Mr. Carter's successor, Ronald Reagan, was inaugurated, the Iranian hostages were released, a testament to the strength of the new leader. Derided as just an actor, he inspired confidence that things seemed to be getting better at home and abroad. His classic " Morning in America" campaign advertisement reflected the upbeat mood.

The actual fall of the Soviet Union occurred under George H.W. Bush, and also the successful first Gulf War. But Mr. Bush unfortunately seemed aloof and out of touch during a recession and was not reelected.

The first President Bush's successor was Bill Clinton, one of the best politicians ever to occupy the White House. Elected from "a place called Hope", he presided over a time of peace and prosperity, if also lost opportunity. Much of his second term revolved around personal scandals. ("I did not have...")

And then there is our current President, George W. Bush. My memories of him include his inauguration in 2001 following the tumultuous debate over Florida, the bullhorn speech after 9/11 and seeing his acceptance speech in person in 2004. Mr. Bush remains an enormously controversial figure, but he may be judged better by history.

And this year we will elect a new president. Who knows what memories he (or she) may bring.